Albums to watch

La Vie Est Belle/Life is Beautiful

Petite Noir

La Vie Est Belle/Life is Beautiful

Debut album of Afrobeat / synth-pop from Brussels-born, Cape Town-based Yannick Ilunga

ADM rating[?]

7.7

Label
Double Six / Domino
UK Release date
11/09/2015
US Release date
11/09/2015
  1. 9.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    The boldness of what he himself calls ‘Noirwave’ represents a “new African aesthetic” – more of a movement than a sound, which expresses freedom at its very core
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  2. 9.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    As a debut record, La Vie Est Belle / Life is Beautiful is bold, beautiful and brilliantly honed
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  3. 8.5 |   Under The Radar

    Petite Noir's debut LP crafts its own sound and, in the process, reveals the beauty of life through his eyes
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  4. 8.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    His music may be in thrall to certain influences but it’s never shackled by them
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  5. 8.0 |   Spectrum Culture

    La Vie Est Belle is a fun and playful record
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  6. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Big, clever pop. Print edition only

  7. 8.0 |   NME

    Ilunga's Noirwave has its own power, vitality and humanity
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  8. 8.0 |   Gig Soup

    It's undoubtedly among the strongest debuts of the year and will likely find itself on multiple end of year lists come December
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  9. 7.7 |   Pitchfork

    Yannick Ilunga feels like pop music's future—borderless but deeply rooted, challenging but pleasurable
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  10. 7.0 |   PopMatters

    Ushers in a new pop force
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  11. 7.0 |   The Music

    One of the most interesting releases this year
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  12. 6.9 |   Earbuddy

    A mix of electronic pop, moody vocals, and (at times) jumpy African rhythms
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  13. 6.0 |   The Irish Times

    A brave, formidable affair
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