ORELSAN - Perdu d’avance

Aurélien Cotentin releases his first studio album, Perdu d'avance. The title foreshadows a predetermined fate before the music even begins. Released on February 16, 2009, on the 7th Magnitude label, this dense 56-minute and 58-second album lays the foundation for a genre that would make him famous. Far from a casual approach, this work marks the starting point of a career that would later be defined by raw introspection and honesty about real life, particularly after a relative period of silence following the release of Changement in 2008.

The Year of Returning to the Starting Line

The genesis of this project represents a clear break from an initial phase marked by exploring platforms like Myspace. Faced with a blank canvas, the artist explains that he experienced a period of stagnation, with eight to ten months without writing, an absence that made a return to the studio necessary. The album opens with Etoiles Invisibles, a track that immediately establishes an atmosphere of doubt and anticipation, far from the certainties often associated with early works. This opening, coupled with the closing track Peur De L'échec, frames a trajectory where adolescence is already intertwined with the beginnings of a career in the entertainment industry. The production adopts a neutral role here, providing a stable foundation for the vocals to carry the weight of the lyrics without unnecessary embellishments.

Between the Glamour of Show Business and the Fear of Failure

The listening experience reveals a structure that connects youth with the challenges of the music scene, with a progression that suggests rapid maturity. The total length of the 14-track album offers a dense listening experience, without any unnecessary pauses, where each track seems essential to understanding the overall journey. Although the album has been certified gold, selling over 100,000 copies in France, it also carries a controversy surrounding the song Sale Pute, which has been accused of inciting violence against women. Orelsan later said that he regrets this song because he was young and has changed since then, an evolution that sheds light on the raw honesty of this first album.

Invisible Stars: the album that begins with doubt

The opening track, Etoiles Invisibles, sets the stage for a journey where certainty is rare. This track, placed in position 1 on the tracklist, introduces a reflection on what remains out of reach, creating a contrast with the commercial success that awaits the album. The lack of superlatives and the austere approach allow this track to open without excessive emphasis, thus respecting the discipline imposed by the very text of the album. It is an introduction that does not seek to impress, but rather to prepare the listener for a listening experience focused on the substance of the lyrics.

The discipline imposed by a central track

Track 7 of the album, titled Perdu D'avance, serves as a thematic climax that validates the overall concept of the album. This central track, named after the project, acts as a bridge between the different aspects of life depicted, from isolation in the countryside to confronting social reality. The understated and intimate production adheres to a disciplined approach where the subject matter precedes the musical form, as the author explained, needing to know what he was going to talk about before finding the rhymes. This methodical approach transforms each track into a link in a coherent narrative chain connecting adolescence to the entertainment industry.

Between Good and Evil: a collaborative effort with Gringe

Track 12 on the tracklist marks a collective moment within an album that is primarily solo. The collaboration with Gringe brings a complementary and likely contrasting vocal style or flow, adding energy to the track and creating a necessary breath within a work that often explores solitude. This unique inclusion, without resorting to comparisons with the later duo Casseurs Flowters, highlights the exception that this collaboration represents within a very personal project.

The final track on the album, in position 14, concludes the disc with Peur De L'échec, featuring a collaboration with Ron Bumblefoot Thal. This guest appearance adds a new vocal texture or an alternative perspective on the theme of the final track, offering a concluding perspective. The placement of this song at the end of the tracklist gives it a concluding role, resonating with the theme of fear and uncertainty that runs throughout the entire work.

This first work is part of a rapid rise for the artist, who gained recognition in 2008 with the title Changement before releasing this album. The career of Aurélien Cotentin then accelerated, particularly thanks to the release of Le Chant des sirènes in 2011, which achieved massive commercial success, becoming a triple platinum album. The total length of the album, approximately 57 minutes, allows for a complete immersion in this world, where the artist isolated himself in the countryside to write, away from his friends, in order to force creativity. This methodical approach, where the subject comes before the rhymes, contrasts with the period of decline that followed his first personal album, Perdu d'avance. Although this initial project was nominated for the Constantin Prize and sold over 100,000 copies, it paved the way for international recognition, particularly with the adaptation of the manga One Punch Man, where he became the French voice of Saitama starting in 2016. This evolution proves that, beyond controversies like those surrounding Sale Pute, of which he expressed regret as a young person, his trajectory has stabilized to reach peaks such as the album Civilisation in 2021, which was certified platinum in a week. The album is part of a career that will continue with Le Chant des sirènes in 2011, then Civilisation in 2021 and La fuite en avant in 2025, confirming the longevity of a journey initiated here with discipline and raw honesty. The nomination for the Constantin Prize and the public success confirm that this understated and disciplined approach has found its audience from the beginning.

Technical specifications

- Release date : February 16, 2009 - Label : 7th Magnitude - Tracks : 14 (56 minutes 58 seconds) - Opening / closing : Etoiles Invisibles / Peur De L'échec - Guests : Gringe, Ron Bumblefoot