Quotes from Stromae

I'm a composer like every maestro on this earth.

I'm trying to focus on my job. I don't think that being famous is a job. My job is composing, singing, performing, but not being a star.

The way we always want to compromise between everything, I think that's really Belgian. I think I'm really Belgian for that, because I never make choices. That's my problem, actually.

I'm sure, ever since I was really young, that happiness is not a bottle of champagne and a girl and a limousine and a swimming pool.

I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.

Music is the only place that I can have no taboos. In real life I have a lot of taboos, and I can't talk about everything easily.

There are artists in Belgium who try to imitate American artists. But it's like, if you're Belgian pretending to be American, you won't be better than the American because you aren't American. You have to do your own stuff.

When I'm on stage, that's a job. It's acting, it's faking, just making fun of yourself, telling bad jokes - I'm pretty good in this - dancing, just to entertain.

To me, 'Alors On Danse' is the definition of clubbing. Because everyone is just trying to forget their problems, but actually, it's so sad, clubbing. We try to sell happiness in clubs, but you can't.

When I was a teenager, I was maybe a little bit angry.

Being famous is a bit dangerous sometimes.

I think a lot of people want to blame their fathers for not being good enough when they were growing up. I think it can be an excuse for not coming to terms with your own problems.

I do my music for me, second for my entourage, and at the end, for the people. It's healthy to work that way.

I'm not so radical about Twitter, but I think it's sometimes dangerous if you think that Twitter is real life.

Who do you want to be: the radical man who can make a choice in one second, or the man who never takes decisions? That's the question: who's the best? Actually, there is no best.

I do not want the things I do to be easy and predictable. I want them to be real.

Maybe I just look at things as a humanist: I like looking at people in a realistic way more than looking at them in a positive way.

If we can listen to English music without understanding nothing, and dance on it, and feel the groove, feel the feelings, I'm sure everybody can do exactly the same for each language.

I have four or five custom suits, including one that's velvet, and a gray one I wear onstage. It's wool.

There are so many reasons to be sad in the club.

I was also so happy to learn how to do the Djatence. Djatence is when you show your clothes off in the street - it's something between a dancing, showing off, and trying to get attention turned on you. It was a really cool experience with people who are more refined than I could imagine.

That's what's interesting: When you release an album, everyone hears it their own way.

At the time I learned drums, I wanted to be the drummer of Hanson. I wanted to be this guy because he was so young, and he was already drumming in the band, you know, so I just wanted to be like him. And later, I discovered hip-hop music at boarding school.

I get the feeling that my songs aren't that dark. There is a cynicism but humour also - it's not depression upon depression upon depression. It's a blend.