Welcome back Stromae. While rumors continue to buzz about a new album, the Belgian polymath has released "Santé," a new single (and a touching video) celebrating our working-class heroes. Propelled by an irrepressible, loping beat and the effervescent sheen of the cavaquinho (small Portuguese guitar), Stromae proposes a toast to "the conquerors of the worst work hours." In the video, we meet cooks, waitresses and fishermen who break for a moment to learn a few Stromae-instructed dance moves.
It's been eight years since the pop star — whose formal name is Paul Van Haver — released Racine Carrée, the much-lauded album that faced a diverse range of topics, from absent fathers and cancer to the Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora. We last heard from him in 2018, when he released a 9-minute promotional video soundtracking his own clothing line. He's also busied himself collaborating with, among others, Dua Lipa and Coldplay. With such ebullient talent, let's hope Stromae makes good on those album rumors.
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