Stromae, “L’enfer” | Track Review 🎵

Belgian musician Stromae continues his comeback with “L’enfer” (“Hell”), the thrilling second single from his third studio album, Multitude.

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fter an eight-year hiatus, Belgian musician extraordinaire 🎙 Stromae (Paul Van Haver) returned with a surefire bop in 2021 with 🎵 “Santé”.  From my perspective, this remarkable promo single was among the best songs of the year.  If nothing else, “Santé” served as a marvelous preview to his long-awaited new album, 💿 Multitude, arriving in March 2022. Keeping the momentum going strong, Van Haver delivers another stellar French pop gem with 🎵 “L’enfer” (“Hell”).

“L’enfer,” set in a dark, minor key, is magnificent from start to finish – NO CAP BOI (or gurl).  Starting with the vocals, Stromae sings with a radiant, rich tone, delivering the French lyrics with incredible finesse.  Dare I say those vocals – ooh wee, they make me feel some type of way 😍!  Even so, lyrically, and thematically, Paul Van Haver isn’t in a sexy place – he’s not aiming to entice.  Remember, the song is “Hell” after all.  Here, Van Haver is honest about struggles with mental health, including suicidal thoughts.  On the chorus, he sings:

“I have sometimes had suicidal thoughts, and I’m not proud of it

Sometimes people think it’s the only way to silence them

These thoughts that make me go through hell.”

That’s a bummer, and while Stromae sings with this angelic tone, he’s digging deep into a very personal place.  The backdrop (Van Haver himself) reflects this, with incredibly sleek and ear-catching keys, synths, and drum programming.

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Final Thoughts 💭 

🎵 “L’enfer” may entail hellish experiences, but there’s nothing hellish about this second superb Stromae single from Multitude.  Yes, Paul Van Haver has experienced hell since we last heard from him before his comeback, but he turns his pain into emotionally charged, high-flying musical art.  🎵 “Santé” and “L’enfer” mark brilliant starts to Multitude.

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🎙 Stromae • 💿 Multitude • 🏷 Monsaert Label / Universal Music France • 🗓 3.4.22
[📷: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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