In Conversation with Folie's on Music and Sexism

If you are familiar with French Music, then you must have heard about Folie’s, the Parisian singer who has been getting louder and louder, both on the music scene and on social media. After his single ‘Instinct Animal’, and ‘Bad’ went viral on tiktok, he released an EP called ‘Sexy Summer’ and has been growing an audience ever since. In his texts he talks about ambition, women and desires, while assuming bold visuals and a carefully catered image. In interviews, he unapologetically proclaims his talent and his hard work, with a bold confidence that makes you believe in him almost instantly. Intrigued by his texts that revolve around his love for women and sex, New Wave talked to him about how one approaches these topics in a time where sexism is no longer acceptable, even in the arts.

Folie’s (picture by Emma Simola)

Could you start by introducing yourself?

‘I’m a clueless young man who is passionate about music and has big dreams. And like I always say, I’m a French Pop Star.’

What is a French Pop Star?

‘For me, it’s simply someone who produces popular music and who affirms his French side.’

What are you trying to communicate with your music?

‘The core message is still being created, because it will come in time with my career. I have a lot of things to prove, and it will be a message that will be shown through my actions rather than my words. For now, what I’m trying to say is to go for it, to dare to exist.’ 

What is your typical writing process?

‘Generally I always start with some top lines. So I either already have the melody, or I work on them with composers. And afterwards, once the melody is ready or while it’s been done, some top lines come to mind. 

So I’m going to lay down the words that stand out and fit the theme and then I'll build around that. Sometimes there are specific thematics I want to talk about and so I need to find a good melody to bring them to life.’

Could you talk about your latest EP ‘Sexy Summer’?

‘Absolutely; everything is in the tile. It’s sexy, it’s summer, and it follows my musical DNA. It’s also a turning point for me, and for the rest of my career; it’s more honest and candid than what I've produced in the past.’

In your EP ‘Sexy Summer’, you have released one single per week. Why this particular format?

‘This is something that we talked about with the team. The usual format is that you put forward one hit from the project. But we wanted to let every title shine, because we loved them all. And we thought, let’s release one single per week along with a visual. That way, each song will have some spotlight.’

Your EP is impressive in terms of music, but also because of its visual curation; do you create both at the same time, or do you separate the musical from the visual?

‘I always have visuals that come to mind for every song I produce. So once all the singles are more or less ready, we think about which ones are worth creating visuals for. But it’s first the music, and then the covers and visualizers. Of course, in the end everything is broken down, because as an artist I have my vision, but we do have to work around budgetary restrictions; what’s doable or not. I also need to talk about it with my director, who has his own constraints. And then sometimes, you get to the set and start filming, certain things go wrong, or the final result isn’t what you envisioned.’

For the production of your singles to the choice of your clothes and the creation of your accessories, you work with many artists; is artistic collaboration important for you?

‘Of course. Music in itself is a collaborative art; with a voice you can sing in your room, but with a team, you can fill stadiums. And to create a brand, to go further in the universe you’re trying to bring to life, you need help. So yes, it’s very important to surround myself with other artists’

Your texts are mainly about women, so it must mean that they play an important role in your life. Can you expand on that?

‘It’s true that women always had an important place in my life, because I’m an extrovert, but I have a solitary side. I’ve always struggled a little to nurture friendships. And so the relationships which were my favourites were the more substantial ones, that grow through intimacy, because it’s the best way to learn to know someone and it’s where I’m the most comfortable. And so of course these bonds were created with girlfriends.

So it’s really women who made me evolve and grow up. Not grow up in terms of age, but emotionally and intellectually. Because you learn so much from someone who has a totally different life or vision than you.’

Vos textes parlent de sex, de femmes fatales sexy etc.. Comment faites-vous pour parler de ces sujets sans virer à l’objectification ou à la sexualisation des femmes?

‘I think it’s because it’s not a one-way thing; it’s not ‘this woman is sexy so she is mine’. I, too, have desires, and everything that applies to women applies to me. I don’t place myself above anyone, on the contrary, my texts are a form of admiration. I talk about the kinds of desires everyone feels.’

Could you explain the concept of the stars, the women who are featured in your music videos and visuals?

‘The stars are not just women in my music videos; it’s more of a concept to put forward people who are often forgotten. When you’re an artist, you create a brand. And so you’re always surrounded by friends, colleagues etc. Except that these people are often sidelined. So I wanted to shed a spotlight on them, because they are the real stars.’

What would you say to someone who accuses your music videos of being sexist ? (the women drinking champagne in bikinis etc..)

‘I would say that anyone who limits a woman’s value to that one time she dances in a bikini for a music video must not see beyond the internet. We show something, but it doesn’t limit people to that vision. 

These are people who have a life outside of my music videos. In the visualizers for Sexy Summer, I spent three days with a group of girls and some of them were very feminists; their convictions don’t depend on whether or not they chose to dance in a bikini. It’s their right to have fun and drink champagne on Sunday in front of the camera, and then go back to their regular lives on monday.’

We could maybe say that your music is more attractive to men, do you agree with that? If not, what would you like women to take away from your songs?

‘I actually don’t agree with that; if we look at the stats, I have an audience that comes near 50-50, which is huge for a male artist. I don’t create music exclusively for men or exclusively for women. The truth is that it will find the public it’s meant to find. 

Honestly I would like women to interpret my songs however they want. You can’t force someone to feel what you want them to feel. Whatever they take away from it, whether it’s positive or negative, is perfectly fine by me. Of course you can have conversations about why what I do is great or awful, but that’s what it’s made for. Music is meant to be shared with everyone, including people who don’t agree with you’

Vous référencez des artistes femmes comme des artistes hommes dans vos textes (e.g Nicki Minaj). C’est quelque chose auquel vous faites attention, ou ça vous vient naturellement? 

‘I think it happens naturally; I don't really intellectualise it. Of course if there are certain people that I would really like to mention I'll make sure they appear in a text. But I don’t really think about having to mention a certain someone.’

Do French female artists inspire you?

‘Of course they inspire me. Honestly, lately I would say Thédora who has had an impressive rise to fame. And she keeps it all ‘within the family’ which is crazy.’

Are there women artists you’d like to work with?

‘Yes of course, so many, so many. Like I said, Théodora, Aya Nakamura…there are so many.’

Rap is often seen as a misogynistic music genre, is that something you’re hoping to change?

‘I don’t place myself as the spokesperson for the rap genre, because I produce mostly pop. But I think it’s unfair to say that misogyny only concerns rap because it’s something that has infiltrated every part of our society and every single music genre. There are many people who will say that they don’t listen to rappers, but will go on and gladly listen to Gainsbourg. The reason why rap has a bad reputation is because it’s originally made by the people, so it’s more forward and direct. But I think that of course things need to change, in every single music genre.’

Today being famous comes with a certain responsibility towards your younger fans; what kind of example or model would you like to be?

‘I would like to be exemplary. I’m not sure I'll ever manage to be, but I would like to try’

If you could give advice to your younger self, what would you say?

‘I would say; don’t change’

Folie’s (picture by Emma Simola)