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Yelle

Yelle

ALL ARTIST INFO IS PULLED FROM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA.
IF YOU REPRESENT THIS ARTIST AND WOULD LIKE TO VERIFY YOUR PAGE OR UPDATE THE INFO, Click Here
Biography

Yelle is a French electro-pop group formed by lead singer Julie Budet, the namesake Yelle, and producer Jean-François Perrier, who performs as GrandMarnier. The group now also features Franck Richard as a touring member and previously included Tanguy Destable, also known as Tepr. They released their debut album, Pop Up, back in 2007, and they’ve been releasing infectious synth-driven pop ever since. 

Some of the group’s biggest accomplishments since their formation include their three performances at Coachella, the release of 12 music videos since 2007, and collaborations with Katy Perry, Robyn, Nouvelle Vague, Oliver, and Dad. 

Since their formation, one of the aspects of the band’s image that has made them stand out is Budet’s eye-catching stage outfits. Budet’s style is influenced by French design greats like Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and Jean-Paul Lespagnard. 

This is the story of how Yelle formed, along with a look at the music they’ve made since they got started. 

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instruments played
drums
Electronics
Vocals
Genres

Electropop

Labels

Source Etc, Recreation Center, Barclay, Caroline, Kemosabe, Because

Origin

France

Website

www.yelle.fr

Years Active

2005 - present

Wiki Link

Yelle's Origins 

The concept of Yelle started forming when longtime friends Julie Budet and GrandMarnier met at the turn of the millennium. The two built a lasting relationship and started working on music together in 2005, with Budet adopting the stage name Yelle.  The two got their first taste of success with their first single, "Short Dick Cuizi," which they posted to MySpace. The track later underwent a title change and was reposted as "Je Veux Te Voir." The group gained prominence online with the song, which was a diss track of sorts directed at Cuizinier, a member of another group from France, TTC. The success of the song earned them the attention of a record label, Source Records, who signed them and made "Je Veux Te Voir" the duo's first official single. The band's name started out as "YEL," an acronym for "You Enjoy Life." However, the duo changed the name of the band to "Yelle" to avoid legal issues. There was already a Belgian band with the name "YEL." After getting signed to their new label, the French band kicked off the recording of their debut album Pop Up. Just before recording started, a third member, Tepr, joined, making Yelle a trio for the first time. The record was released on September 3, 2007, and it made it to the top 10 on the Billboard US Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Around the time of the album’s release, Yelle was featured on the Fatal Bazooka track “Parle à Ma Main,” which became a number-one hit in France. The group became a minor sensation after the album's release, and they quickly got to work on their second record.

Safari Disco Club

Released on March 14, 2011, the band's sophomore record was produced by GrandMarnier, Tanguy Destable, and Mortiz Friedrich. The band had signed to Barclay Records since the release of Pop Up, and their first record with the label features the singles "Safari Disco Club," "Que veux-tu," and "Comme Un Enfant." The band's second album increased their International fame, earning them spots on several US charts. Shortly after the release of the band's second album, Yelle made a remix of Katy Perry's "Hot and Cold," which prompted Perry to ask the band to open for her on her California Dreams Tour. 

Complètement fou 

The band's third studio album, Complètement fou, was produced with help from Dr. Luke, Kool Kojak, and several other notable industry legends. The album was followed by a remix EP that features work by Sophie, A.G. Cook, and others.

L'Ère du Verseau 

Released on September 4, 2020, the band's fourth studio album was produced by GrandMarnier and features the singles "Karate," "Noir," and "Je T'aime Encore." All of the tracks were recorded just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which stopped the band from touring after its release.  The group started writing L'Ère du Verseau while working on their third album in Montreal. It was there that they wrote songs like "Romeo," "Ici & Maintenant," and "Interpassion," songs that later ended up on Yelle's third record.

How Yelle Broke Through to English-Speaking Audiences

The band’s earliest works were solely produced by GrandMarnier and Tepr, both of whom are or were members of Yelle. Both of these records featured exclusively French-language lyrics, which the band eventually decided to stick with for their subsequent records. However, the group has worked with numerous English-speaking musicians and producers over the course of their career. As the band grew, their numbers of non-French fans increased. This led Yelle to launch an app, “The Yelle Translator Companion,” which offers English-speaking fans a chance to read translated lyrics from the band’s fourth album in real-time. The group has continued to release music with French lyrics in recent years, but their focus on reaching audiences in other parts of the world has increased, reaching its peak with the band’s third record in 2014.

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