When it comes to discovering edgy, ahead-of-the-curve, slightly-off-kilter-but-still-really-cool pop music; music snobs (sorry, tastemakers) tend to turn their attention to Europe. First it was the UK, delivering on both the dance and soul music fronts. Then Sweden swept in, unleashing a new crop of scintillating synthpop acts. Now, it would appear to be France’s turn. Petite Meller is a buzzy new artist hailing from Paris, who’s debut single, “Baby Love” splashed onto the scene this past Spring, racking up 5 million + views on YouTube. NOW—FINALLY we have Petite’s long-awaited, highly anticipated follow-up, “Barbaric,” set to impact November 6th, released via Island Records and available now to download and stream (iTunes | Spotify). Listen to the single below.
“Barbaric” starts out with some simple piano chords before Petite’s sweet, childlike (slightly-accented) vocal comes in; timidly at first, gaining confidence as the drums and guitar kick in. After some rousing “WOO-OO’s” we’re transported straight to the dance floor, with the song turning in to a FULL-ON house influenced Saturday night club BANGER; Meller’s light and feathery vocals flutter high above disco ball spinning synths. At this point, the sexy sax solo and MASSIVE chorus are just icing on the diamond-encrusted cake —”WE ARE BARBARIC, DON’T YOU GET IT, DON’T GIVE UP ON ME/WE ARE BARBARIC, IN A MINUTE I’M JUST HUNGRY FOR YOUR SKIN,” she purrs. Just TRY not to dance in your seat to this one, folks. I dare you.
While “Barbaric” doesn’t stray too far SONICALLY-speaking from Meller’s debut, it’s still a TOTAL BOP that will hold its own when push comes to shove. Speaking of pushing and shoving, here’s hoping she gets some aggressive promo leading into the song’s November 6th impact date. The song is already working off some buzz, thanks to a first play on BBC Radio 1, where Huw Stephens (in for Annie Mac) named it the ‘Hottest Record in the World.’ Following it’s release in May, “Baby Love” peaked at No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart—respectable for a newcomer but by no means the chart-topping success I imagine the label was hoping for. Make no mistake, “Barbaric” is a more-than-worthy follow up to “Baby Love,” I’m just being greedy. As a fan of European pop music here in America, I obviously want Petite to do well abroad, as that increases the odds she’ll pop over to the States for some promo. Fingers crossed! Oh, and stay tuned for the music video, which is scheduled to be shot in Miami at the end of the month. Given the WILD visual Petite Meller turned out for “Baby Love,” you can count on this next one being equally impressive.
If you’re lucky enough to call the UK home, prepare yourselves to be SLAYED when Petite Meller hits the stage for, what will be her biggest London show to date, at Heaven (buy tickets) on October 15th.
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