He is one of those artists who, without a classic promotion campaign, can win what professionals in the music industry call the "war for attention".

That is to say floating in the ocean of current musical offers between traditional vectors - television, press, radio - and new launching pads: platforms, social networks and online video game communities.

Carried by "One day I will marry an angel", Pierre de Maere exists in music streaming - nearly 40 million plays on Spotify, the first platform in the world market, on this title - and fills the rooms.

In Paris, he performed as a headliner in 2022 at La Cigale, at the Trianon and attacked on May 12, 2023 at L'Olympia.

This summer, he will be part of the cast of French blockbuster festivals, the Vieilles Charrues and the Francofolies, with detours through his native country or even Switzerland and the Netherlands.

The next step in its launch is February 10 with the Victoires de la Musique, in the “Male Revelation” and “Song” categories (with “One day I will marry an angel”).

"Meet Stromae"

"It's wonderful, especially to see my name in the + song + category against Stromae, Clara Luciani, OrelSan, Juliette Armanet", rejoices the Belgian met by AFP in Paris, where he has just moved.

He has two Victory goals.

First, deliver "a live performance on TV with a beautiful staging at the height of the event".

Then, "meet Stromae", another Belgian and his idol.

The latter is a source of inspiration.

Belgian singer Pierre de Maere, January 17, 2023 in Paris © Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP/Archives

Not in musical aesthetics, Pierre de Maere does emphatic pop when Stroame updates the world sound system.

But in the importance given to the image -- clips, visuals -- and in the desire to keep control over its creation from A to Z without an army of collaborators.

Like Stromae, who works as a family, Pierre de Maere forms a pair with his big brother, Xavier, 24, a sound engineer by training.

"Anchored in the Head"

For the rest, Pierre de Maere fully plays the card of the colorful character who dreams of notoriety.

He comes to an interview in his everyday outfit -- leopard print shoes -- and enjoys talking about himself in the third person.

"I am not yet recognized in the street in Paris, because I am like a + schlag + (a failure), whereas for TV, I have a double-breasted suit", he says.

Belgian singer Pierre de Maere, January 26, 2022 in Paris © JOEL SAGET / AFP/Archives

"Normal that the Parisians do not yet recognize Pierre de Maere, but the goal remains to be anchored in the heads of the French against their will or not".

In his songs, he is both another and himself.

"I love your violence" is a letter addressed to cocaine, when he "did not experience it".

But "Day-3" is him, the romantic who gets carried away.

"Two dates, I don't know the guy opposite but I'm already imagining the wedding and the kids (laughs)".

He already has the hindsight to dissect the evolution of his audience.

"La Cigale, it was the beginning, there were a lot of gays, it was not a target but it was obvious and it gives me a chance of finding someone; but the more it advances, the more it becomes generalist, with darons, daronnes (fathers and mothers), the youngest (TikTok gave new life to + One day I will marry an angel +)”.

A wide audience, like his musical panorama since during the interview he cites landmarks as distant as Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Talk Talk or even Zed Yun Pavarotti, an emerging artist with a tattooed face.

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© 2023 AFP