Stromae drops first new single since 2018, “Santé”: Listen

Belgian superstar Stromae is back, dropping his first single in over three years, “Santé“. Translating literally to “health”, the track marks the end of a lengthy period of social media silence from the already rather reserved 36 year-old.

This is his first single since 2018’s “Défiler“, with one having to go all the way back to 2013 and “Racine carrée” for his last full-length project. His most recent work has included providing vocals for Coldplay’s “Arabesque” off 2019’s “Everyday Life” and a collaboration with French rapper OrelSan on “La Pluie“, but in truth, it has been a while since we’ve seen much of him. It’s been a long and difficult wait for fans of one of dance music’s most captivating artists, but with “Santé”, Stromae makes it all feel worthwhile.

A bit hip-hop, a bit dance pop, and very much hard to put a label on, this genre defying track has the Belgian’s masterful touch all over it. Swinging guitar mingles with reggaetón-esque drums and occasional handclaps; smooth and confident vocals glide on top as the lyrics plead the listener to think of and champion the unsung workers in our society. It all comes together in a bright and joyful chorus that will make you want to get up and move no matter where you are. The video, as charmingly offbeat as the song and the man who wrote it, shows the people the track is meant to celebrate- kitchen workers, fishermen, waitstaff, office workers, etc. – dancing along to the music with the help of diagrams and animations featuring the artist. Considering just how memorable the song, the video, and the message they share are, it won’t be long until we see music lovers all over the world recreating the moves. It’s a welcome return from Stromae, and with any luck, we’ll be getting more from him soon. Listen to the song on streaming sites here, or check out the video below via YouTube.

Image credit: Michaël Ferire