Timekeeping, Gucci and La Dolce Vita. Welcome to the colorful, wonderful world of Petite Meller, the Parisian-Polish singer who makes dancing around in your underwear seem entirely acceptable.
One could be forgiven for assuming the Parisian pop star is shy. At first glance, Petite Meller, with her long platinum hair and sweet sing-song voice, is the picture of doll-like perfection. Nothing could be further from the truth. The venerable powerhouse is the definition of a fearless creative – visually and musically – who has used both mediums to create her own personal universe. In an industry saturated with overly produced, coiffed personalities, she is changing the game for the better, breathing fresh air into the industry and paving the way for a new breed of artists, one colorful track at a time.
Everyone should take what used to hold them back and just be proud of it and use it as an artist
A closer look at her video, Dictionary: Petite Meller’s Guide to Freud, proves that appearances can certainly be deceiving. Behind the baby-doll dresses and rouged-up cheeks is a startlingly intelligent young women – the French-polish lyricist is currently preparing her dissertation in philosophy at the Sorbonne. “All my songs are written about philosophy concepts and ideas, for example ’Backpack’ talks about how to take what you carry from your past. Basically to wear your trauma proudly”, says the singer. Aside from her very vocal adoration for Freud, she cites cinema and her upbringing as defining influences when it comes to her visual concept. Her makeup is the result of what she calls a ’traumatic’ and ’sunburnt’ childhood, while her last two singles were inspired by And God Created Woman and Cocoon respectively.
Unafraid to delve into deep issues, both Baby Love (2010) and Barbaric (2015) are joyful and uplifting singles with strong messages.
It was Baby Love, her most noticeable track to date, that first caught our attention with its synth-pop melodies, lyrics that can’t help but get stuck in your head and THAT music video. Shot on location in Kenya, the video starts with a series of scenic shots and a giraffe or two, before cutting to a loosely choreographed group of school children singing and dancing alongside the petite artist.
Barbaric, released earlier this year, is undoubtedly Petite Meller’s most ambitious endeavor to date.Filmed on location in Miami, the video plays into the Florida stereotype as a haven for the over-60 crowd, a group Petite is more than familiar with.
It speaks about my past, because I grew up around really old people.
A strong advocate for embracing life’s challenges and transforming them into something beautiful, Petite highlights that in spite of the difference in country, culture and sound, that the two videos have a common message, “to dance the pain away.”
Footage: Jody Mattioli
Stylist: Nao Koyabu
