Madame Monsieur release new single "Bandido"

At Eurovision 2018, they took France to the left-hand side of the scoreboard with their heartfelt entry “Mercy”. And now, Madame Monsieur – that’s Émilie Satt and Jean-Karl Lucas – are showing a development of their sound with their latest single, “Bandido” (“Bandit”).

“Bandido” features French rapper Kpoint and French-Polish harmonica player Greg Zlap. Although that might initially sound like a weird combination, both featured artists have successfully influenced the track’s production.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the song is how well Émilie’s voice fits into the mix. Madame Monsieur’s home is very much within the electropop genre; yet the R’n’B styling of “Bandido” still comes across as a very natural experience. It’s a match!

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Rébellion imminente… RDV demain ????????? « Mon capitaine, mon capitaine, "Bandido un jour Bandido toujours", mais sur le navire on n’est plus beaucoup, les carcasses des cadavres attirent les vautours. Déjà trois ans que je suis sur le pont et c’est pour vous que j’suis au garde-à-vous. Plusieurs abordages que j’suis dans le coup, je n’vois aucun pirate, que des marins d’eau douce. Bouteille de rhum à la main j’me sens comme bouteille à la mer. Plus de poudre dans les canons, des lames émoussés pour faire la guerre, ouais… La croix sur la carte aux trésors jusqu’ici nourrissait nos rêves, les voiles tendues vers le nord en quête de richesse depuis des siècles… » ????????? . #bandido #tandem @kpointofficiel x @gregzlap x Madame Monsieur

A post shared by Madame Monsieur (@madamemonsieur) on Jul 4, 2019 at 8:27am PDT

Lyrically, “Bandido” discusses the difference between how someone comes across on the outside and what’s actually found within.

While on the surface you may come across as someone who’s very strong and almost invincible, in reality that facade is only hiding the truth that lies below. Once you’re outside of that safe zone there’s nowhere else to hide.

The lyrics Émilie sings reference a ship as an example of this – as soon as you’re off and onto dry land you can no longer rely on it’s walls to protect you.

This message goes along very well with the production of “Bandido”. It’s one of these collaborations you’re not expecting, but the second you hear the song it’s as if it were an obvious evolution.

“Bandido” — Madame Monsieur (ft. Kpoint & Greg Zlap)

Further Collaborations

This isn’t the first time this year that the French stars have teamed up with other artists. Back in May, the duo dropped two new tracks – “Comme si j’avais mille ans” (“As if I were a thousand years old”) and “Les lois de l’attraction” (“The laws of attraction”).

The former of these features French rapper Kalash Criminel. Although Kalash’s rap verses bring an extra flavour to the table, the song is more along the traditional route of what we’d expect from Madame Monsieur compared to new release “Bandido”.

Meanwhile, “Les lois de l’attraction” sees the duo team up with French band Kyo. The result is a catchy guitar-driven track that blends Émilie’s vocals perfectly with Benoît Poher (the lead vocalist of Kyo).

Madame Monsieur’s post-Eurovision album, Vu d’ici, focused purely on the duo themselves. However, the addition of each featured artist in their latest singles has definitely added further texture to their work.