Stromae Stuns Seattle Bar With Undercover “Formidable” Performance

Belgian megastar Stromae is ready for America. In an interview with The FADER earlier this year, Stromae spoke his about his ultimate goals and said, “Our ambition isn’t just to be big, it’s to be listened to and supported by people. And to have the success—if we deserve it, of course.” And in a new video series, the newest installment of which premieres on The FADER today, Stromae sets out to conquer America, city-by-city with discreet performances.

In the video, Stromae declares "I want to be serious now." In a Seattle motel, the most appropriate place to talk about loneliness, he walks viewers through the construction of his hit song "Formidable." The song is made in four "chapters"—it starts with two piano riffs, is layered with two drum tracks, given an emotional string section to make the listener cry, and is finished with a tight keytar section.

With the song fully worked out, Stromae heads to Seattle's Baranof, a dive bar in Greenwood, to take the stage. The singer, who plays sold out shows all over the world, steps up to the mic surrounded by nautical-themed kitsch and belts out an incredibly intense rendition of the song for the tiny crowd of confused Americans. The dazed audience is polite and it seems like he managed to win over some new fans.

Check out the full video below and stick around until the end to see if Baranof will be having him back in the near future:

09/18 - House of Blue - Boston, MA*
09/21 - Riviera Theatre - Chicago, IL*
09/22 - Myth - Minneapolis, MN*
09/25 - Royal Oak Music Theatre - Detroit, MI*
09/26 - Echo Beach - Toronto, ON*
09/28 - Centre Bell - Montreal, QC*
09/29 - Centre Bell - Montreal, QC*
10/01 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY**

* with Jidenna
** with Janelle Monáe

For tickets and more information, go to: www.stromae.net