Albums: Pierre de Maere Regarde-moi

Pierre de Maere is destined for superstardom. That may seem a bold statement to open a review of a debut album, but it is a simple statement of fact. Having debuted back in 2019 with the song Judas, the 21 year old Belgian singer/songwriter showed instant potential. However, it was not until the release of his truly impressive debut EP, Un jour, je, at the start of 2021 that the depth of his artistry was revealed. Within the EP's six tracks were the striking Un jour je marierai un ange, which has since clocked up over 40 million streams and showed that his appeal reached far wider than his home turf.

Since the release of the EP, de Maere's star power in the Francophone world has steadily risen. While his image as an artist remains DIY quirky geek, the level of narrative and visual diversity within his single's music videos has grown hugely and shown that he is an artist who refuses to be boxed in to a set category.

Having enjoyed such a wealth of acclaim ahead of the arrival of his debut album, Regarde-moi, the pressure is now truly on to deliver. While the album clocks in at under 35 minutes in length, the 12 song strong collection is one that will have you hitting the repeat button and ensuring its listening duration is far longer.

Rather sensibly de Maere has included his biggest hit to date within the walls of his debut album, however, interestingly and impressively Un jour je marierai un ange is not the record's strongest cut. Although it remains a fire moment, it is joined in the upper echelons by the dreamy trip of recent single Enfant de, the breathy bounce of Bel-Ami and album highlight Les animaux.

In being able to deliver such a solid, distinctive debut that builds on the foundations of his epic debut EP, Pierre de Maere ensures his place on the global stage.