Yelle
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Founder | Julie Budet, Jean-François Perrier |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Electropop music albums and singles |
Yelle is a French electronic music group formed by lead vocalist Yelle (Julie Budet) and producer GrandMarnier (Jean-François Perrier), with Tepr (Tanguy Destable) joining prior to their first album release. The partnership between Yelle and GrandMarnier began in 2000. Their breakthrough came after uploading an early version of "Je veux te voir" on MySpace in September 2005, which climbed into the top five on French charts. This momentum led to their debut album, Pop Up, launched in 2007. Their discography also features Safari Disco Club (2011), Complètement fou (2014), and L'Ère du Verseau (2020).
Yelle has cultivated a substantial global fan base, performing extensively beyond Francophone regions and appearing at major festivals including three performances at Coachella.
History
Julie Budet met producer Jean-François Perrier in 2000, and they began crafting electropop tracks together by 2005. The name "Yelle" originated as an acronym for "You Enjoy Life," but was altered to a feminine form after discovering a Belgian band already used the original title. Their rise to recognition started on MySpace with the track initially called "Short Dick Cuizi," later renamed "Je veux te voir," a humorous diss song that peaked at number four in France. This success drew the attention of the label Source Etc., which facilitated the production of their first album.
In 2007, Tanguy Destable joined as keyboardist for both touring and studio sessions. Released in September 2007, Pop Up received acclaim for its refined production and Budet's vocal performance. The album featured the single "A cause des garçons," which reached number eleven on the French singles chart. Additionally, Yelle collaborated on Fatal Bazooka’s chart-topping French hit "Parle à ma main" that same year.
Although all their songs are performed in French, Yelle achieved international acclaim, extensively touring countries where French is not widely spoken. In March 2008, they were spotlighted as MTV’s Artist of the Week in the United States.
Following a three-year period of touring, Yelle paused activities until September 2009 before commencing work on their sophomore album. By February 2010, they had launched their own independent label, Recreation Center, overseen by GrandMarnier.
Their second studio project, Safari Disco Club, released in March 2011, benefited from the creative liberties offered by their independent label status, allowing them to emphasize vocal arrangements and harmonies free from external time constraints. The album garnered positive critical feedback, including commendations from The Independent for its synth-pop sound tailored for dancefloors. The title track was initially made available as a free download in January 2011 and later issued as a double A-side single alongside "Que veux-tu". Yelle supported Katy Perry during the UK leg of her 2011 California Dreams Tour and subsequently embarked on their own international tour.
On 11 February 2013, they unveiled the single "L'amour parfait".
In July 2014, Yelle announced their third album, Complètement fou, co-produced by Dr. Luke and his team after discovering Yelle through a remix of Katy Perry’s "Hot n Cold" and witnessing a live performance in Los Angeles. This collaboration led to Yelle signing with Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Records. The lead single "Bouquet final" debuted on 30 June 2014. Released on 29 September 2014 under Kemosabe Records, the album was supported by an extensive worldwide tour that included their third appearance at Coachella along with concerts throughout Europe, the Americas, and China.
The band released the singles "OMG!!!" on 21 August 2018 and "Je t'aime encore" on 28 April 2020.
Artistry
GrandMarnier and Tepr were responsible for producing the music on Yelle's initial two albums, while Budet collaborated with GrandMarnier on the songwriting. When negotiating with American record companies, they frequently encountered requests to perform in English; however, Yelle firmly believed that singing in a language other than their mother tongue would compromise their genuine expression. To connect with listeners unfamiliar with French, Yelle introduced the Yelle Translator app in 2014, which enabled fans to switch between the original French lyrics and English translations for the album Complètement fou.
Their first album, Pop Up, showcases an electropop style infused with 1980s elements and features witty, sarcastic lyricism. The lead single "Je veux te voir" offered a humorous rebuttal to misogynistic themes prevalent in French rap at the time. With Safari Disco Club, they preserved the essence of Pop Up but incorporated more dynamic percussion inspired by Caribbean rhythms alongside new wave synthesizers. Budet characterized this sound as combining "warmer beats and cooler synths," capturing both humor and sadness—a sentiment partly influenced by the sudden conclusion of a three-year tour to commence work on their next project.
For their third release, Complètement fou, Yelle partnered with American producer Dr. Luke, who guided the group toward emphasizing melody over their previously dominant beat-centric approach.
Budet's performance wardrobe is influenced by fashion designers such as Jeremy Scott, Andrea Crews, Jean-Paul Lespagnard, and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart positions | Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | BEL (WA) |
SPA | US Dance | ||||
| Pop Up |
|
61 | — | — | 8 |
| |
| Safari Disco Club |
|
77 | 76 | 92 | 9 | ||
| Complètement fou |
|
52 | 157 | — | 9 | ||
| L'Ère du Verseau |
|
74 | 138 | — | — | ||
| The symbol "—" indicates either no chart placement or that the album was not released in that region. | |||||||
Extended plays
| Title | Release information |
|---|---|
| iTunes Festival: London 2008 |
|
| The Contest Pack |
|
| Complètement fou (Remix) |
|
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Highest chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | BEL (FL) | BEL (WA) | SWI | |||
| "Je veux te voir" | 2006 | 4 | — | — | — | Pop Up |
| "A cause des garçons" | 2007 | 11 | — | 40 | 95 | |
| "Ce jeu" | 2008 | — | — | — | — | |
| "La musique" | 2010 | — | — | — | — | Safari Disco Club |
| "Safari Disco Club" | 2011 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Que veux-tu" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Comme un enfant" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "L'amour parfait" | 2013 | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Bouquet final" | 2014 | — | — | — | — | Complètement fou |
| "Complètement fou" | 113 | — | — | — | ||
| "Ba$$in" | 2015 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Un million" | 2016 | — |— |— | L'Ère du Verseau | |||
| "Ici & Maintenant" | — |— |— | Bops EP | ||||
| "Interpassion" | 2017 | — |— |— | ||||
| "Romeo" | — |— |— | |||||
| "OMG!!!" | 2018 | — |— |— | ||||
| "Je t'aime encore" | 2020 | — |— |— | L'Ère du Verseau | |||
| "Noir" | 2021 | — |— |— | ||||
| "Top Fan" | 2023 | — |— |— | TBA | |||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Highest chart placements | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | BEL (FL) | BEL (WA) | SWI | |||
| "Parle à ma main" (Fatal Bazooka featuring Yelle) |
2007 | 1 | — | 1 | 31 | T'as vu |
| "Cooler couleur" (Crookers featuring Yelle) |
2010 | — | 32 | — | — | Tons of Friends |
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "À cause des garçons" | 2007 | Nima Nourizadeh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "À cause des garçons" (Tepr Remix) | Bastien Lattanzio and Guillaume Berg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Je veux te voir" | 2008 | Nicolas Benamou | - "Ce jeu" | " Yoann Lemoine | - "La musique" |
We Are from L.A | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Safari Disco Club"/"Que veux-tu" | 2011 |
Jérémie Saindon | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Comme un enfant" |
Jérémie Saindon | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Complètement fou" |
Milord and L'Étiquette | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ba$$in" | 2015 |
Diane Martel and Geoffrey Lillemon | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Moteur Action" |
Aleksandra Kingo and Dmitry Yermolayev | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ici & Maintenant (Here & Now)" |
Paul B. Cummings & Jean-François Perrier | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Interpassion" |
Thibault Maîtrejean & Jean-François Perrier | } Guest Appearances
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