Stromae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stromae
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Stromae at the 2011 NRJ Music Award
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul Van Haver |
| Also known as | Stromae |
| Born | 12 March 1985 Etterbeek, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
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Paul Van Haver (born 12 March 1985), known by his stage name Stromae, is a Belgian singer, rapper, songwriter, and music producer. He is famous for his unique music style. It mixes hip-hop with electronic music. Stromae became very popular in 2009 with his song "Alors on danse". This song became number one in many European countries. In 2013, his second album Racine carrée was a huge success. It sold millions of copies and included hit songs like "Papaoutai" and "Formidable".
Contents
Early Life and Education
Paul Van Haver was born in Brussels, Belgium. He grew up in the Laken area of the city. His father was from Rwanda, and his mother was Flemish. Stromae and his brothers and sisters were raised by their mother. His father, who was an architect, passed away during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Stromae went to a Jesuit school in Jette and later to a college in Godinne. He had formed a small rap group with friends while still in school. Early on, he was inspired by Belgian singer Jacques Brel and different types of African and Cuban music.
Music Career
Starting Out: 2000–2008
Stromae began his music journey in 2000 as a rapper named Opsmaestro. He later changed his stage name to "Stromae". This name comes from switching the syllables of the word "Maestro". This way of speaking is a type of French slang called verlan.
At 18, he started a rap group called "Suspicion". After the group broke up, Stromae began his solo career. He released his first music collection, called an EP, while studying film in Brussels.
Becoming Famous: 2008–2013
In 2008, Stromae signed a four-year music deal. In 2009, he released "Alors on danse". This song quickly became popular across Europe. His first album, Cheese, came out on 14 June 2010.
On 2 September 2010, Stromae worked with Kanye West on a new version of "Alors on danse". In February 2011, Cheese won an award for Best Dance Album. Stromae also performed with the Black Eyed Peas in 2011. He even opened for their concerts in Paris.
Racine carrée and Global Tours: 2013–2017
The first song from his second album, Racine carrée (which means "square root"), was "Papaoutai". It was released on 13 May 2013. This song became number one in Belgium and France.
For his song "Formidable", Stromae filmed a music video in a unique way. He pretended to be unwell at a tram station in Brussels. People filmed him with their phones, and these videos went viral. Later, it was revealed that this was all part of filming the music video. The video shows people reacting to him and even police checking on him.
On 26 July 2013, Stromae announced that his album Racine carrée was finished. It was released on 16 August 2013. In November 2013, he won an award for Best Belgian Act at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards.
In March 2014, Stromae's song "Ta fête" became the official song for the Belgian national football team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
In June 2014, Stromae performed on US television for the first time. He then went on a tour across the United States. He performed at Madison Square Garden in October 2015. He was the first French-speaking artist to sell out that venue, and he did it twice!
In October 2014, singer Lorde asked Stromae to work on the music for the movie The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. He helped with the song "Meltdown". In March 2015, Stromae released a music video for "Carmen". This video warned people about how social media apps like Twitter can be addictive.
Stromae had to cancel some shows during his 2015 tour in Africa. This was due to health problems caused by an anti-malaria medicine. He later shared that the medicine made him feel very unwell and caused him to have trouble sleeping and see things that weren't there.
In September 2015, Stromae released "Quand c'est?", a song about cancer. The title sounds similar to the French word for cancer.
New Music and Multitude: 2018–Present
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On 6 April 2018, Stromae released his first new song in over three years, "Défiler". This song was released with a new fashion collection.
In 2019, he worked with the band Coldplay. He sang in French on their song "Arabesque" for their album Everyday Life.
On 15 October 2021, Stromae released another new song called "Santé". He explained that the song is about celebrating people who work hard while others are having fun. On 8 December 2021, he announced his third album, Multitude, which was released on 4 March 2022.
On 9 January 2022, he performed a second song from the album, "L'enfer", live on French TV news.
In April and May 2023, he had to cancel many tour dates in Europe because of health issues.
In 2024, Stromae contributed to the music for the second season of the animated TV series Arcane. He worked with French singer Pomme on the song "Ma meilleure ennemie".
Collaborations with Other Artists
Stromae has worked with many other musicians:
- In 2009, he worked with Kery James on the song "Ghetto".
- Also in 2009, he worked with DJ Psar on a French version of "We Will Rock You" by Queen.
- In 2010, Kanye West remixed Stromae's song "Alors on danse".
- He collaborated with Lorde, Haim, Pusha T, and Q-Tip on "Meltdown". This song was for the movie The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.
- Stromae worked with director Henry Scholfield on the music video for Dua Lipa's song "IDGAF" in 2018.
- He provided vocals for Coldplay's song "Arabesque" in 2019.
- Stromae also worked with French rapper Orelsan on a song called "La pluie".
- In 2022, he collaborated with Camila Cabello on the music video for "Mon amour".
- In 2024, he worked with Pomme on "Ma meilleure ennemie" for the TV series Arcane.
Other Projects
Stromae also has his own fashion line called Mosaert. The name "Mosaert" is "Stromae" spelled backward. He wanted to mix British style with African designs. His first clothing collection was very popular. The designs often feature a "square root" symbol, which is also the name of his second album.
In 2018, Mosaert launched a new collection called "Capsule n°5". This was released along with Stromae's song "Défiler". In 2020, Mosaert worked with Repetto, a French company known for ballet shoes. Stromae created an instrumental song for this collaboration.
Personal Life
In 2015, Stromae had to stop his tour in Africa. This was because of health problems caused by malaria medicine. He stayed out of the public eye for a while. He returned in 2022 with his album Multitude and gave interviews. He has since avoided many public appearances. In 2017, he shared that he still had some health challenges. Stromae speaks French, Dutch, and English, and knows some Spanish.
On 12 December 2015, Paul Van Haver married Coralie Barbier in a private ceremony. Their first child was born in 2018.
Musical Style and Influences
Stromae's music is strongly influenced by electronic music, especially a Belgian style called New Beat. He is sometimes called the "face of the New Beat generation."
Many people compare Stromae to Jacques Brel, a famous Belgian singer. Stromae himself says Brel is a big influence on his music. He has even performed covers of Brel's songs.
Discography
Studio Albums
- Cheese (2010)
- Racine carrée (2013)
- Multitude (2022)
See also
In Spanish: Stromae para niños
