Angèle’s third album, "Instinct," to be released this fall A promotion overshadowed by controversy

Angèle or the art of teasing

The Belgian singer continues to drop hints about her upcoming (and imminent) project… This weekend on Instagram, she finally revealed the album’s release date. Rather than making a straightforward announcement, the "Fever" singer once again left her fanbase to solve a puzzle. To decode: "Instinct 16 15.3.20.15.2.18.5 26". Her most attentive followers quickly mapped the numbers to their corresponding letters in the alphabet (15 = O, 3 = C, 20 = T, 15 = O, 2 = B, 18 = R, 5 = E) to reveal the target date: October 16, 2026.

Two days earlier, she posted a video lip-syncing to a snippet of an unreleased track, wearing a Justine Clenquet necklace. While the song's title hasn't been officially announced, its catchy melody is already stuck in listeners' heads.

A debated pivot to techno

Long before this announcement, Angèle had already laid the groundwork for her sonic transformation with two singles: "What You Want," featuring Justice, followed by "Dis-le." This unmistakable shift toward club and techno sounds was reinforced by the visual aesthetic of the "Dis-le" music video, directed by Suzie and Leo. Featuring the dance collective La Horde, the video explicitly borrows the visual cues and raw energy of rave parties.

However, this artistic choice sparked backlash. The imagery directly clashed with the current political backdrop: the video dropped just as the French National Assembly and Senate passed the "Ripost" law on July 21. The legislation significantly sharpens penalties for unsanctioned festive gatherings - now carrying up to two years in prison and a €30,000 fine. The timing caused widespread frustration across a actively protesting free party scene.

The "Dis-le" video faced a second blow due to heavy visual similarities to the work of Seana Gavin. The London-based photographer, known for documenting 90s free party culture, publicly called out the unauthorized appropriation of her imagery on Instagram. Beyond the visual copying, Gavin highlighted a broader cultural disconnect: "Also not sure how this contemporary pop music is related to the underground free party movement. Feels like they are inspired by the aesthetic without considering the ethos of the scene."

Cultural appropriation or mainstream accessibility?

This controversy highlights the fragile boundary between paying homage and commercial exploitation. By smoothing the edges of a historically anti-establishment counterculture to fit a commercial pop formula, the project raises questions about the gap between a stylized aesthetic and the political reality of the underground movement.

Nevertheless, Angèle is leaning fully into her electronic pivot. Joining Belgian DJ Amelie Lens on stage during her summer festival tour - most notably at Dour - the singer surprised the crowd by teasing a new collaboration titled "Run." The track further cements her commitment to these new influences.

As Angèle continues to rollout strategic teasers across social media, her high-profile shift into techno is leaving no one indifferent. Time will tell if "Instinct" can bridge the gap between underground purists and the general public when it arrives this fall.