Angèle (singer)

Not to be confused with Angelle (singer).

In this Dutch name, the surname is van Laeken, not Laeken.

Angèle Joséphine Aimée van Laeken (French: [ɑ̃ʒɛl vɑ̃ lakɛn], Flemish: [ɑ̃ːˈʑɛːlə vɑn ˈlaːkə(n)]; born 3 December 1995), known mononymously as Angèle, is a Belgian singer and songwriter. She was one of 2018's biggest breakout acts in French and Belgian pop music,^[1] 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.^[2]

Angèle
Angèle in June 2022
Born	Angèle Joséphine Aimée van Laeken (1995-12-03) 3 December 1995 (age 29) Uccle, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
Occupations	Singer songwriter musician producer actress model
Parents	Serge van Laeken (father) Laurence Bibot (mother)
Relatives	Roméo Elvis (brother)
Musical career
Genres	Chanson pop electropop R&B
Instruments	Vocals piano
Years active	2015–present
Labels	Initial Artist Services

Early life

Van Laeken was born on 3 December 1995, in Uccle, Brussels-Capital Region, the daughter of singer Marka and actress Laurence Bibot [fr]. Her brother is the rapper Roméo Elvis.

Her father encouraged her from an early age to learn the piano, which inspired her musical career.^[3]

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.^[4] She then enrolled in the Jazz Studio Antwerp for a jazz education before joining her father's band.^[5]

Career

2015–2017: Career beginnings

Angèle gave her first performances in streets around Brussels, most notably at the restaurant Le Delecta, in Ixelles, now closed.^{[citation needed]}

She was first noticed for her cover of Dick Annegarn, "Bruxelles",^[6] 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.

2018–2020: Brol

Angèle at the 2018 Vieilles Charrues Festival

A second single "Je veux tes yeux"^[7] was released in early 2018. The two video clips were directed by the Belgian photographer Charlotte Abramow.^[8]

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^[9] in Belgium, France and Switzerland such as Les Ardentes, Dour,^[10] Garorock, and Rock Werchter.^[11] In 2018, Angèle released her third single, "La Thune".^[12]

In August 2018, she announced the tracklist of her first album Brol on the Initial label.^[1] 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.^[2]

Angèle at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival

In 2019, Angèle 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 Angèle's friends to talk about struggles her female friends have encountered with men. Angèle became an ambassador for Chanel afterwards.^[13]

In April 2020, Angèle performed for One World: Together At Home, a global broadcast and digital special to support front-line healthcare workers and the WHO during the COVID-19 pandemic, hosted by Lady Gaga.

In October 2020, Angèle was pictured alongside London singer Dua Lipa on the set of a music video. A collaboration with the latter was later announced and would feature on the reissue of Lipa's new album Future Nostalgia. "Fever" was released on 30 October 2020. The music video was released a week later on 6 November 2020 on YouTube. Before the release of the video, Lipa announced on social media that Angèle will be appearing as a special guest on her live stream concert Studio 2054 on 27 November 2020.^[14]

2021–2024: Nonante-Cinq

In 2021 Angèle made her film debut in Annette, directed by Leos Carax. Her second studio album, Nonante-Cinq was released on 3 December 2021, her 26th birthday.

In 2022, Angèle featured in "Sunflower" from Tamino Amir's sophomore album, Sahar.

2024 Paris Olympics

In 2024, Angèle performed "Nightcall" alongside Kavinsky and Phoenix as part of the Paris Olympics closing ceremony.^[15] As a result, Nightcall became the most searched-for song in a single day and in a single minute on the musical search site Shazam.^[16]

Musical influences

Angèle is a fan of Ella Fitzgerald and Hélène Ségara.^[17] 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.^[18]

Personal life

From 2017 to 2019, she dated French dancer and choreographer Léo Walk. She wrote the song "Perdus" which is about the end of their relationship, linked to her new notoriety.^[19]

In August 2020, Angèle announced on Instagram that she was dating French actor Marie Papillon, while coming out.^[20][21] They separated the following year. Photos of them were previously published by French tabloid Public in 2019, then discussed in the talk show Touche pas à mon poste !, without Angèle’s consent and outing her.^[22] In her 2021 self-titled Netflix documentary, Angèle confirmed her bisexuality. Later, in May 2023, Angèle came out as pansexual. In an interview with the French talk show France 2, she said that "[she] can fall in love with a boy, a girl, a non-binary person, or a transgender person." She added that "the feeling of love, having butterflies in your stomach, whether with a girl or a boy, is the same for [her]."^[22]

Tours

Angèle in 2022

Headlining

• Brol Tour (2018–2020)
• Nonante-Cinq Tour (2022–2023)

Opening act

• Damso – Ipséité Tour (2017)
• Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia Tour (2022)

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions, sales and certifications

Title	Details	Peak chart positions				Certifications
		BEL (WA) [23]	BEL (FL) [24]	FRA [25]	SWI [26]
Brol	Released: 5 October 2018 Re-released: 8 November 2019 (Brol La Suite) Label: Angèle VL, Initial Artist Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming, box set	1	1	1	7	BEA: 7× Platinum[27] SNEP: 2× Diamond[28]
Nonante-Cinq	Released: 3 December 2021 Label: Angèle VL, Initial Artist Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	1	3	2	6	BEA: 2× Platinum[29] SNEP: 3× Platinum[28]

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released, certifications and album name

Title	Year	Peak chart positions										Certifications	Album
		BEL (WA) [23]	BEL (FL) [24]	CAN [30]	FRA [25]	GER [31]	IRL [32]	POR [33]	SWI [26]	UK [34]	WW [35]
"La Loi de Murphy"	2017	5	22	—	42	—	—	—	—	—	—	BEA: Platinum[36] SNEP: Platinum[28]	Brol
"Je veux tes yeux"	2018	16	25	—	60	—	—	—	—	—	—	BEA: Gold[37] SNEP: Platinum[28]
"La Thune"		9	39	—	15	—	—	—	—	—	—	BEA: Platinum[37] SNEP: Diamond[28]
"Jalousie"		12	—	—	26	—	—	—	—	—	—	BEA: Gold[38] SNEP: Diamond[28]
"Tout oublier" (featuring Roméo Elvis)		1	6	—	1	—	—	—	55	—	—	BEA: 3× Platinum[36] SNEP: Diamond[28]
"Balance ton quoi"	2019	1	13	—	2	—	—	—	33	—	—	BEA: 3× Platinum[36] SNEP: Diamond[28]
"Flou"		2	20	—	34	—	—	—	—	—	—	BEA: Platinum[36] SNEP: Diamond[28]
"Perdus"		10	65	—	8	—	—	—	58	—	—	SNEP: Platinum[28]	Brol La Suite
"Oui ou non"		2	9	—	3	—	—	—	11	—	—	BEA: Platinum[39] SNEP: Diamond[28]
"Ta reine"	2020	25	—	—	16	—	—	—	—	—	—	SNEP: Diamond[28]	Brol
"Fever" (with Dua Lipa)[note 1]		1	1	49	1	85	36	104	9	79	69	BEA: 3× Platinum[39] SNEP: Diamond[28]	Future Nostalgia
"Bruxelles je t'aime"	2021	1	3	—	8	—	—	—	50	—	—	BEA: 2× Platinum[41] SNEP: Diamond[28]	Nonante-Cinq
"Démons" (featuring Damso)		2	—	—	5	—	—	—	31	—	—	BEA: 2× Platinum[41] SNEP: Diamond[28]
"Libre"[42]	2022	3	19	—	31	—	—	—	85	—	—	BEA: Platinum[41] SNEP: Diamond[28]
"Amour, haine et danger"[note 2][43]		8	45	—	82	—	—	—	—	—	—
"Évidemment" (with Orelsan)		10	—	—	4	—	—	—	65	—	—	BEA: Gold[44] SNEP: Platinum[28]	Civilisation
"Le temps fera les choses"	2023	30	—	—	188	—	—	—	—	—	—		Nonante-Cinq
"Plus de sens"		17	—	—	50	—	—	—	—	—	—	SNEP: Gold[28]
"Nightcall" (with Kavinsky and Phoenix)	2024	15	32	—	3 [45]	—	—	—	—	—	—	SNEP: Gold[28]	Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that country.

Notes

1. Angèle is credited as a featured artist on the Austrian, German and Swiss release of "Fever".^[40]
2. "Amour, haine et danger" is included on the re-issue of the digital version of Nonante Cinq.

As featured artist

List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released, certifications and album name

Title	Year	Peak chart positions			Certifications	Album
		BEL (WA) [23]	FRA [25]	ITA [46]
"J'ai vu" (Roméo Elvis x Le Motel featuring Angèle)	2017	79	164	—	SNEP: Platinum[28]	Morale 2
"S'en aller" (Swing featuring Angèle)	2020	—	156	—		Alt F4
"Sempre / Jamais" (Mahmood featuring Angèle)	2024	12	167	85		Nei letti degli altri
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that country.

Other charted songs

List of other charted songs, with selected chart positions, showing year released, certifications and album name

Title	Year	Peak chart positions		Certifications	Album
		FRA [25]	SWI [26]
"Silence" (Damso featuring Angèle)	2018	3	48	SNEP: Diamond[28]	Lithopédion
"Nombreux"		40	—	SNEP: Platinum[28]	Brol
"Victime des réseaux"		58	—	SNEP: Gold[28]
"Les matins"		50	—	SNEP: Platinum[28]
"Flemme"		63	—	SNEP: Gold[28]
"Insomnies"	2019	28	—		Brol La Suite
"Tu me regardes"		20	—	SNEP: Platinum[28]
"J'entends"		31	—	SNEP: Gold[28]
"Que du love" (featuring Kiddy Smile)		45	—	SNEP: Gold[28]
"On s'habitue"	2021	46	—		Nonante-Cinq
"Solo"		40	—
"Pensées positives"		53	—
"Taxi"		41	—	SNEP: Gold[28]
"Tempête"		49	—
"Profite"		61	—
"Mots justes"		76	—
"Mauvais rêves"		66	—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that country.

Filmography

Film

Key

†	Denotes productions that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2019	Toy Story 4	Gabby Gabby (Voice)	French dubbing
2021	Annette	Six Accuser's member
	Space Jam: A New Legacy	Lola Bunny (Voice)	French dubbing
	Angèle	Herself	Documentary
2023	Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom	Panacea (Falbala)

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2020	La Flamme	Anna	2 episodes
2021	Marie et les Choses	Barmaid	1 episode

Awards and nominations

Berlin Music Video Awards

The Berlin Music Video Awards is an international festival that promotes the art of music videos.

Year	Award	Nomination	Result
2022	Best Art Director	BRUXELLES JE T'AIME	Nominated

Red Bull Elektropedia Awards

Year	Award	Nomination	Result	Reference
2018	Artist of the year	Herself	Won	[47]
	Best Song		Won	[47]
	Breakthrough Artist/ Producer		Won	[47]
	Best Video	"La loi de Murphy" & "Je veux tes yeux"	Won	[47]

D6bels Music Awards

The D6bels Music Awards is a musical event organized by RTBF, a public radio and television service of the French Community of Belgium.

Year	Award	Nomination	Result	Reference
2018	Album of the year	"Brol"	Won	[47]
	Female solo artist	Herself	Won	[47]
	Chanson française		Won	[47]
	Concert		Nominated	[48]
	Musician		Nominated	[48]
	Author/composer		Nominated	[48]
	Videoclip	"La thune"	Nominated	[48]
	Hit	"La loi de Murphy"	Nominated	[48]

MTV Europe Music Awards

Year	Award	Nomination	Result	Reference
2018	Best Belgian Act	Herself	Nominated	[49]
2020			Won	[50]

Music Industry Awards

The MIA's, in full Music Industry Awards, are Flemish music prizes that are awarded by the VRT in collaboration with Music Centre Flanders.

Year	Award	Nomination	Result	Reference
2018	Album	"Brol"	Nominated	[51]
	Artwork		Won	[52]
	Author/composer	Herself	Nominated	[51]
	Breakthrough		Won	[52]
	Female solo		Won	[52]
	Pop		Nominated	[51]
	Videoclip	"La loi de Murphy"	Nominated	[51]
2019	Song of the year	"Tout oublier"	Won
	Female solo	Herself	Won	[52]
	Pop		Won
	Live Act		Won
	Videoclip	"Balance ton quoi"	Won
2022	Hit of the Year 2020	"Oui ou non"	Nominated	[53]
	Hit of the Year 2021	"Fever" (with Dua Lipa)	Won	[54]
	Female solo	Herself	Won	[citation needed]
	Pop		Won
	Author/componist		Nominated
	Videoclip	"Bruxelles je t'aime"	Nominated
2024	Videoclip	"Sunflower" (with Tamino)	Won	[55]

Victoires de la Musique

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.

Year	Award	Nomination	Result	Reference
2019	Album revelation	"Brol"	Won	[56][57]
	Audiovisual creation	"Tout oublier"	Won	[56][57]
2020	Female artist	Herself	Nominated	[58]
	Concert	"Brol Tour"	Won	[58]
	Audiovisual creation	"Balance ton quoi"	Nominated	[58]

NRJ Music Awards

Year	Award	Nomination	Result	Reference
2019	Best French duo	Angèle & Roméo Elvis	Nominated (2nd place)	[59]
	Best French female	Herself	Won	[59]
	Best French song	Tout oublier	Won	[59]
	Best Music Video		Nominated (2nd place)	[59]

UK Music Video Awards

Year	Award	Nomination	Result	Reference
2021	Best Color Grading in a Video	"Fever" (with Dua Lipa)	Nominated	[60]