Spleen is a fascinating French word that has been adopted into English, but its full meaning in French is richer than just 'spleen' (the organ).
It refers to a deep, melancholic boredom, a profound sense of listlessness or ennui, often associated with a feeling of world-weariness. In the song, Angèle sings, "Le spleen n'est plus à la mode" (Spleen is no longer in fashion), suggesting a shift away from this pervasive sadness, making it a unique and thought-provoking word to explore.
“Tout oublier” pairs Belgian pop queen Angèle with her rapper brother Roméo Elvis for a sparkling pop-rap duet that winks at modern society’s obsession with instant happiness. On the surface, the lyrics repeat a simple recipe: Forget everything, just be happy, it is not complicated. The singers list the usual self-help mantras—close your eyes, ignore heartbreak, erase every bad memory—while a sunny beat bounces underneath.
Listen a little closer, and the song flips into irony. Angèle wonders if real joy can truly exist “without its opposite,” questions whether the pressure to smile is just another trend, and admits she has “played the game too much.” By chanting that “spleen is no longer in fashion,” the duo pokes fun at a world that treats sadness like last season’s clothes. Tout oublier is both a catchy anthem and a sly critique, reminding us that chasing flawless happiness might mean erasing the very feelings that make us human.
Angèle is a Belgian singer, songwriter, and pianist, born Angèle Van Laeken in Brussels in 1995. She comes from a musical family: her father is the singer Marka and her brother is the rapper Roméo Elvis. Encouraged to play piano from an early age, she first won attention with her covers and playful videos on Instagram before releasing her debut single in 2017.
Her first album, Brol (2018), was a huge success across the French-speaking world and turned her into one of Europe's biggest pop stars, and she later topped the charts with Fever, a duet with Dua Lipa. Libre comes from her second album, Nonante-Cinq (2021), and captures her recurring themes of freedom, independence, and shrugging off other people's expectations.