Formidable (song)

This article is about the Stromae song. For other songs, see Formidable.

"Formidable" (translated in English also as formidable, synonym of tremendous, impressive) is a song by Belgian singer Stromae. The song was released as a digital download in Belgium on 4 June 2013 as the second single from his second studio album Racine carrée (2013). The song entered at the number 1 spot the week of its release in Belgium and reached number 1 in France. It was his most financially successful single since "Alors on Danse" in 2009.

"Formidable"
Single by Stromae
from the album Racine carrée
Released	4 June 2013
Recorded	2012
Length	3:34
Label	Mosaert Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Stromae
Stromae singles chronology
"Papaoutai" (2013) "Formidable" (2013) "Tous les mêmes" (2013)
Music video
"Formidable (ceci n'est pas une leçon)" on YouTube

Music video

Route scheme in the music video

On 21 May 2013, amateur videos surfaced on YouTube showing Stromae apparently drunk and wandering at the Louise/Louiza tram and metro station in Brussels during the daybreak, which eventually went viral. It was revealed days later that the incident was part of the taping for a music video; this was confirmed during the TV programme Ce soir (ou jamais!) on France 2 in which Stromae discussed and also performed "Formidable", which is about the story of a drunk man just separated from his girlfriend.^[1][2]

The video, taken by cameras hidden around the station, appears to show a drunken, disheveled, and distraught Stromae stumbling around the station, shouting snatches of the song's lyrics at passersby, falling down, and on several occasions appearing on the verge of stepping into traffic. Onlookers are shown recording the incident with their cellphones, but only one person intervenes to prevent Stromae from sitting in the path of an oncoming tram. The music cuts off abruptly as three policemen, unaware that this is a taping, approach Stromae to assess his wellness and to inquire if he has been drinking. Stromae reassures them, and the video resumes. In the video's final scene, Stromae leaves, followed by his camera crew, and displays that his drunkenness was only an act by grinning into the camera, straightening his clothing, and clicking his heels. The video is subtitled "ceci n'est pas une leçon" ("this is not a lesson").

The video won the award for the "Music video of the year" category at the 2014 Victoires de la Musique.

Track listing

Digital download

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Formidable"	3:34

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts 2013–2014 weekly chart performance for "Formidable" Chart (2013–2014) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3] 36 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 1 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders Urban)[4] 1 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[5] 1 Denmark (Tracklisten)[6] 20 France (SNEP)[7] 1 Germany (GfK)[8] 39 Italy (FIMI)[9] 16 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] 4 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 2 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 13 Switzerland (Media Control Romandy)[13] 1 2023 weekly chart performance for "Formidable" Chart (2023) Peak position Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100)[14] 70

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "Formidable" Chart (2013) Position Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[15] 7 Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[16] 2 France (SNEP)[17] 5 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[18] 85 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] 55 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 59 Chart (2014) Position Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[21] 63 Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[22] 48 France (SNEP)[23] 42

Certifications

<--Post by François Delétraz a Figaro Magazine journalist-->

Certifications for "Formidable"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[24]	Gold	15,000*
Belgium (BRMA)[25]	3× Platinum	60,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[26]	Platinum	80,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[27]	Platinum	90,000‡
France (SNEP)[28]	Diamond	309,800[28]
Italy (FIMI)[29]	Platinum	30,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[30]	Platinum	30,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Formidable"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Belgium	1 June 2013	Digital download	Mosaert	[31]

Cheyenne Toney cover

"Formidable"
Single by Cheyenne Toney
Released	6 December 2013
Genre	Hip hop R&B
Length	3:34
Label	8ball
Songwriter(s)	Stromae Toney

On 6 December 2013, during the fourth live show of the fourth season of the Dutch television programme The Voice of Holland, Dutch singer Cheyenne Toney performed a cover of "Formidable". She sang her own written cover, with lyrics translated from French to Dutch. Her version of the song reached the peak position in the Mega Single Top 100 (charting higher than the original) and the eighteenth position in the Dutch Top 40.

Charts

2013 weekly chart performance for "Formidable" (Cheyenne Toney version)

Chart (2013)	Peak position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[32]	18
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[33]	1

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Formidable" (Cheyenne Toney version)

Chart (2013)	Position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[34]	156

Arabic version

A Maghrebi Arabic version of the song by Moroccan Canadian performer Nadia Essadiqi was an internet hit in October 2015.^[35] On 17 November, she went on to perform the song live on the VivaCité radio chart show Tip Top^[36] and on Le Petit Journal (Canal+).^[37]