Stromae Quotes

“At the time I learned drums, I wanted to be the drummer of Hanson. I wanted to be this guy because he was so young, and he was already drumming in the band, you know, so I just wanted to be like him. And later, I discovered hip-hop music at boarding school.”

“Being a star is not a job, and that's really important for me say.”

“Being famous is a bit dangerous sometimes.”

“Being honest and spontaneous is important when making music. But I'm also really logical when I compose.”

“Everyone should have a suit that's really well fitting - if a suit just doesn't fit, it looks ridiculous. It can purposely be too large or too small, if that's what you want, but it has to fit with your image and personal style.”

“Hip-hop, pop, dance - the common point is melancholy. That's international, and I like this word because it's not only about sadness or happiness - it's both at the same time. And that's human, and that's life.”

“I always have the same problem when I try to buy something straight off the rack: If I put on a medium, it's perfectly fitted in the torso, but the sleeves are too short. If it's a large, the sleeves are long enough, but it's too baggy. So made-to-measure suits are especially important for me because I'm 6'2'' and so skinny.”

“I always need a reason to do something on stage. I am not judging anyone: there is not a good way; there is not a bad way. You just have to justify everything.”

“I do my music for me, second for my entourage, and at the end, for the people. It's healthy to work that way.”

“I do not want the things I do to be easy and predictable. I want them to be real.”

“I don't want to have success to have success.”

“I get the feeling that my songs aren't that dark. There is a cynicism but humour also - it's not depression upon depression upon depression. It's a blend.”

“I have some English words on the first album, but any time I try to do it, you miss something. You think it's just a simple translation from French to English, but it's so different as far as the understanding.”

“I let Brel into my world. What I like about him is the simplicity of his language. It's not so simple to be simple.”

“I love the word "melancholy' because that's the best definition of life, I think.”

“I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.”

“I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's the same in English, but words like 'artist' and 'star' put people on a pedestal, which is not really good for my brain.”

“I prefer to consider Stromae as a collective project. Stromae is not me. Or at least it is not only me.”

“I prefer to talk about our problems, to be proud of them, in place of trying to hide them. Because you can't. And I prefer to dance, to smile on it, to laugh on it.”

“I think a lot of people want to blame their fathers for not being good enough when they were growing up. I think it can be an excuse for not coming to terms with your own problems.”

“I think it's good to eat a bit of everything, but when you eat too much junk food, it's bad for you and for your brain. You don't understand why, but you feel sad. It's because of the junk food!”

“I think it's important to be sincere. And I could be the most sincere just staying in my mother language actually. And that's the reason why I stay composing and writing in French.”

“I think that's our problem in Europe: we used to be a bit negative on everything. That's good sometimes, but when it's too much... It's not good.”

“I want to have not only the good side of life but the bad side of life. And the both combined is just my music. It's funny at the same time as it's sad.”

“I was raised in Brussels as a Belgian but, at the same time, feeling that I wasn't necessarily from here.”

“I'm a composer like every maestro on this earth.”

“I'm just part of the people.”

“I'm more the kind of man who never makes decisions. But impulsivity is not the opposite of courage; I think it's possible to do both.”

“I'm not making music for intelligent people or dumb people. I'm just making music for people.”

“I'm not making music for old people or young people. It's for everybody that wants to listen to it.”