Stromae, the French-speaking world’s singing superstar, has achieved a new breakthrough in his crossover appeal by filling New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The genre-merging Belgian singer on Thursday became only the third French-language artist to play the self-described “World’s Most Famous Arena” after Charles Aznavour and Celine Dion.
“Madison Square Garden — it’s a big deal!” said a visibly moved Stromae, telling the crowd he was “so proud and honoured” to play at the more than 19,000-capacity venue in Midtown Manhattan.
Stromae has won a huge following in Belgium and France for his tunes, which are danceable but also introspective with themes including the absence of his Rwandan father, who died in the 1994 genocide.
Stromae has played twice previously in New York but in more modest venues.
For his Madison Square Garden show, Stromae brought out as his opening act Janelle Monae — likely a more recognisable name in the United States than the Belgian.
Much of the crowd at Madison Square Garden consisted of European expatriates, with one waving a Belgian flag.
The audience notably included Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, who was in New York for annual United Nations meetings and tweeted from Madison Square Garden.
Stromae put on his elaborate dance routine in which he appears like a disjointed puppet.
He performed for two hours, not displaying any sign of fatigue despite persistent rumours about his health since he broke off an African tour in June.
On September 22, he cancelled a Minneapolis show on his North American tour, explaining several days later that he had fallen but without serious injuries.
The concert wrapped up an 11-date North American tour by Stromae, who has sought to build a following in the United States through YouTube videos and appearances on late-night television.
In April, Stromae performed the Coachella festival in California, where rap star Kanye West joined him on stage.
Musicians who sing in languages other than English or Spanish rarely fill arenas in the United States, with occasional exceptions such as Korean pop star Psy.
Several French groups that perform primarily in English, such as Daft Punk and Phoenix, have won wide followings in the United States, the world’s largest music market.
