Angèle Joséphine Aimée Van Laeken, better known by her stage name Angèle, is a Belgian singer-songwriter and musician. She was one of 2018's biggest breakout acts in French and Belgian pop, breaking Stromae's record for weeks at the top of the Belgian singles charts with her 2018 single "Tout oublier" which features her brother Roméo Elvis.
Biography
Angèle Van Laeken is the daughter of the singer Marka and of the actressLaurence Bibot. Her brother is the rapper Roméo Elvis. She was born in Uccle. Her father encouraged her from an early age to learn the piano, which inspired her musical career. Angèle spent a difficult adolescence in a strict Catholic school before attending the Decroly School. The artistic options at this high school helped develop her musical skills. She then enrolled in the Jazz Studio Antwerp for a jazz education before joining her father's band.
Musical career
Angèle gave her first performances in cafés around Brussels. Notably at the restaurant Le Delecta, in Ixelles, now closed. She was first noticed for her cover of Dick Annegarn, "Bruxelles", and on Instagram videos where she mixed singing and comedy. In 2017, she was the support act for Ibeyi and the Belgian rapper Damso, whom she also accompanied in his album Lithopédion. Her first single, "La Loi de Murphy", was released in late 2017 and received millions of views on YouTube. A second single "Je veux tes yeux" was released in early 2018. The two video clips were directed by the Belgian photographer Charlotte Abramow. In May 2018, she performed her first Parisian concert at the Trianon accompanied by MC Solaar on her cover of his song "Victime de la mode." She performed in several summer festivals in Belgium, France and Switzerland such as Les Ardentes, Dour, Garorock and Rock Werchter. In 2018, Angèle released her third single, "La Thune". In August 2018, she announced the tracklist of her first album Brol on the Initial label. The album was released on 5 October 2018, the same day as her single duet with her brother, Roméo Elvis. This album was successful and resulted in Angèle invitation to perform on various French TV shows. The single, "Tout oublier", spent nine weeks at number 1 on the Ultratop charts, breaking the record for a Belgian artist formerly set by Stromae. In 2019, Angele became one of the most sought for artists in France and Belgium and affirmed her feminism with the song "Balance ton quoi" in reference to the French #metoo movement, Balance ton porc. Pierre Niney makes an appearance in the video alongside some of Angele's friends to talk about struggles her female friends have encountered with men. The song is not about ridiculing men but about educating everyone to live in a more accepting society. In April 2020, Angèle performed for One World: Together At Home-A global broadcast & digital special to support front linehealthcare workers and the WHO during the Covid-19 pandemic, hosted by Lady Gaga.
Musical influences
Angèle is a fan of Ella Fitzgerald and Hélène Ségara. She is inspired by many musical genres from French songs to electronic music and rap, which she disliked as a teenager. She became influenced by rap particularly while performing with her brother Romeo Elvis and the rappers Caballero and JeanJass.
Tours
Headlining
Brol Tour with already 14 dates announced for 2020 including the AccorHotels Arena in Paris and the Palais 12 in Brussels in front of 15.000 people
Victoires de la Musique is an annual French award ceremony where the Victoire accolade is delivered by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry that recognizes the best musical artists of the year. The awards are the French equivalent to the Grammy Awards and the Brit Awards for music, and it is one of the major awards in France.
