Mélo Décalé Lyrics in English by Tiakola
Décalé literally means "shifted" or "offset." In a cultural context, it often refers to something "offbeat," "unconventional," or "quirky."
In Tiakola's song, "Mélo Décalé," the word is part of a genre name, referencing a style of music that is unique and distinct. It evokes a sense of originality and a departure from the norm, making it an enticing word for learners interested in modern French music and culture.
Tiakola opens by answering his own question: "Qui c'est? C'est moi" (Who is it? It's me). From there, this is a party track with a chip on its shoulder. He wants the money out on the table, "Faut sortir les pépettes" (Gotta bring out the cash), and he keeps asking "Qui va payer?" (Who's gonna pay?), a line the bridge repeats eight times until it stops sounding like a club chant and starts sounding like a bill nobody will settle. Between the brags about W point M, the name of his album, he slips in a colder image: "Le frigo est vide dans leur foyer" (The fridge is empty in their home).
Halfway through, the beat drops out for a speech. After a shout-out to Djobane Djo and "Et tous les artistes africains" (And all the African artists), he addresses YouTube and the streaming platforms directly: "Commencez à monétiser les clips vidéo de nos artistes afro-francophones" (Start monetizing the music videos of our Afro-French-speaking artists). Then he explains the title: "Avant la trap dans notre tieks, y avait coupé-décalé" (Before trap in our hood, there was coupé-décalé). Coupé-décalé is the Ivorian dance music that took over Paris parties in the 2000s, and "mélo décalé" is his pun on it, a French-rap melody that owns up to where it came from.
