Only last January Paul ‘Stromae’ Van Haver announced he’d stop making music for a while. Together with his wife, stylist and fashion designer Coralie Barbier, he wanted to focus on his unisex fashion line Mosaert (an anagram for Stromae, obviously).

Last Friday they presented their fourth collection: a line of shoes. Ballerina flats for men, to be precise. For this collection the pair partnered with footwear brand Repetto. Together with these shoes, Stromae launched a surprise single: the instrumental Repetto x Mosaert.

So now you know what the title came from, but what inspired the music?

Let me take you back to the beginning of 2015, when French/Israeli singer Yael Naim released her song Coward. A beautiful track that stood midway between medieval chamber music and church music. Not exactly radio material, but nevertheless I played it in my radio show Carte Blanche.

When Yael Naim read in an interview that the last song to make Stromae cry, was her song Coward, she invited him to use the song for his directorial debut. Together with his brother, filmmaker Luc Junior Tam, and director Martin Scali, Stromae made an impressive video for the song, which you can enjoy below. The melody of this song is now the basis of the maestro’s own new track.

Werner Schlosser

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.