“Alors on danse” by Stromae

This song came out early in Stromae’s career, before his latter hits dropped, and we really got to know him as an artist. And on the surface yes, we can say that the narrator of “Alors On Danse” is going through an existential crisis. Indeed he appears to be questioning the very economic and social fabric upon which the world we live in is based on – chastising the rat race if you will. And ultimately in concluding that life is uncompromisingly-pessimistic, he decides the best solution and for he and others is to dance their worries away. And such a conclusion is where the title of this song, which is translated as “So We Dance”, is derived from.

However, again, some 10 years down the line we know the mind of Stromae better than back in. So we can also say that this song goes beyond the singer simply suffering from all-encompassing depression. And we can further theorize, with Stromae having now established himself as sort of a vocal activist, that he is criticizing the entire concept of hiding behind pop media as an escape from reality in the first place. In other words, it seems as if he is insinuating that people who adopt the selfsame disposition he is espousing, in the grand scheme of things, actually don’t solve anything. Rather they are caught up in an endless cycle of relying on entertainment-induced escapism as a remedy for the lack of quality in everyday life.

Facts about “Alors On Danse”

“Alors On Danse” is the lead single from Stromae’s debut album, “Cheese”. And whereas he had come out with a few songs prior, this is the track which made him an international star. And actually it still remains arguably his signature tune. For instance, it reached number 1 in almost 20 nations, including Belgium of course (where Stromae comes from). And even outside of the French-speaking world it charted in many countries. They include: the UK, US, Canada, Russia and Germany. 

In fact as far as German Singles Chart is concerned, it remained on the list for 57 weeks. In accomplishing this, it became one of the longest-charting songs in that nation’s history.

And it has been covered by American artists such as Kanye West and Pitbull. Indeed when Stromae performed at the Coachella Music Festival in 2010, West joined him onstage for a rendition of “Alors On Danse”. And a remix of the tune they dropped together charted in Australia.

Moreover this song has gone Platinum in several countries. For example, it achieved triple-Platinum status in Belgium and Russia (the latter being its ringtone). And it earned Stromae a Danish Music Award. It earned this award in the category of Foreign Hit of the Year.

Did Stromae win a Grammy with this song?

No. Despite the massive success of “Alors On Danse”, it never won Stromae a Grammy.