The Ghent-based producer duo of Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul can make your body move and your mind spin at the same time, which is no easy task. Their infectious new track “Blenda” is a spry, wink-wink-nudge-nudge electro-pop romp with a zippy pulse, the perfect frame to make Adigéry’s quick-witted, quippy lyrics hit their desired mark.
Indeed, unadulterated fun and acerbic critical commentary can be spectacular bedfellows, something also summarized by the cheeky title of their upcoming album, Topical Dancer. The album is co-produced by Belgian electronic legends Soulwax and released on their home label DEEWEE on March 4, 2022.
“Blenda” is a positive call-to-arms against being boxed-in and subjugated by narrow perceptions from the outside world, something that’s succinctly addressed by the song’s main hook: “Don’t sound like what I look like / Don’t look like what I sound like.”
Pupul: “One thing that always comes up is that people perceive me as the producer, and Charlotte as just a singer. Or that being a Black artist means you should be making ‘urban’ music. Those kinds of boxes don’t feel good to us.”
“‘Blenda’ in particular references how “I am a product of colonialism”,” says Adigéry, “and I feel guilty for taking up space in a white country.” The song was inspired in part by Reni Eddo-Lodge’s book Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race.
“It talks about the colonial past and post-colonial present in the UK,” she continues, “but that isn’t merely a British or American problem, Belgium is part of that as well.” She says that her home country is likewise “oblivious to a big part of its history” which “results in general ignorance and a lack of understanding and empathy towards Belgian inhabitants of immigrant descent.”
You can watch the music video for “Blenda” below, which uses the outline of an infomercial to discuss themes like racism and consumerism in razor-sharp, stylish fashion. Otherwise, find the track on streaming platforms.
Topical Dancer is out on March 4 through DEEWEE (pre-order/save). You can find Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
