DRAMA
arøne is easily one of the most exciting things in French music ATM. with an original, genre-fluid approach to mainstream pop, arøne’s sound is at once refreshing and identifiable. It has been months that I have been intending to write up a piece on the up-and-coming Parisian star. But with the release of her brand new record, DRAMA, released under naïve, I believe now is the perfect opportunity to examine what the young artist promises.
When arøne emerged in 2022, she was unrecognizable from the artist she is now. arøne, just 20 years old at the time, was releasing French trap-style rap-pop. While not unlistenable, it's a sound that doesn’t sound completely natural for the girl with an especially high-pitched, breezy, dream-like voice. Even into her first record, released in 2023, trap influence persisted. She collaborated heavily with the rapper and producer leWave, leaving hyperpop and R&B touches all over the album. It is, by all means, a cute album. The production is nothing confounding, but it feels authentically girly in a creative and multifaceted kind of way. arøne sounds onto something on tracks like tempête, which remind me of Theodora, while on météorite, she sounds as though she has yet to pin down her sound.
As her work progressed into 2024, arøne began fully embracing classic pop, dance and electronica. Hopping around labels and occasionally releasing as an independent, she went back and forth with finding her sound for the good part of the year. But when I heard JOUR/NUIT and dramatique, I knew something had changed. arøne had never gone big like this. Much of her previous work was decent, but felt small. Like she didn’t want to take up space. But these singles leaned into a big, fresh sound. A far cry from the hushed murmur of the rushed rapping of her younger days. On le stress et la monnaie, too, she is cool, moody and elusive. I can picture her, center-stage, under a spotlight in the corner of an intimate, dark, crowded venue. She demands our attention, with only the occasional clinking of classes interrupting her silky singing. With le stress et la monnaie, arøne is asking us to indulge in her atmosphere. To walk with swagger down a Parisian street. To watch the passers-by in a dimly-lit bar. To maybe even dance a bit, when no one is looking. On these singles, she was foreshadowing the DRAMA to come.
And perhaps she chose this album name with intention. To embrace taking up space and attention. The record is bolder, more innovative. It retains the hybrid, genre-blending soul she has always had, but this time, the genres she blends make more sense. Whereas she sounded stuffed into a box, forced to be small on her previous works, DRAMA feels like creative freedom for arøne. One moment she is running through a field of flowers: carefree, frivolous, feminine. Next, she is a city girl out for revenge: stylish, cutting, unbothered. Then, she is journaling in her room: an honest, open book. I admire deeply how arøne doesn’t limit herself to anything at all. She wants to change up the production entirely? She does. The scenery? The vibe? Let's switch it up. What we are left with is an album that keeps us guessing. Fresh, brave and fun, DRAMA feels like arøne is inviting us to play.
It is also clear that arøne knows how to write a good hook. Her songwriting isn’t overly personal or profound, but rather minimalist. Yet, it remains rather efficient in drawing us in and letting us focus on her rather danceable beats. With such a unique voice, it often feels as though arøne uses her voice like another instrument for creating these visionary pop spaces, rather than as a means of storytelling. arøne does a good job of not relying on any one of her vocal personas too heavily. She is whispering at times and properly belting at others. She sufficiently fluctuates between lower and higher notes, contributing to our never-ending surprise at what this album has in store.
Of course, the natural consequence is that the album lacks flow. Genre-wise, it is incoherent but intentionally so. This is not the problem. The hybrid that arøne is after is 100% feasible. She just needs to connect them a bit better. This can be done through smoother transitions and rethought song orders. arøne might even be able to achieve this best by embracing weirdness to the max. Instead of leaning into her clean, cookie-cutter song formula, which keeps her songs isolated from one another, blending mutant influences and elements amongst the songs may very well bring them together seamlessly. Likewise, while DRAMA offers some bold tracks, it does lack substance overall. It leaves us still hungry, with 10 songs (some of which were entirely unnecessary) amounting to a meager running time of only 24 minutes. For arøne’s next record, I look forward to something more filling.
Getting ready session? Hot girl walk? Pick-me-up? Just want a pop start to your day? Clean girl or cool girl, DRAMA has something in store for you. arøne may not be inventing the wheel, but she also isn’t trying to sound like anyone else. she no longer searching for her sound, she's just perfecting it - and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
