The multi-platinum-selling French soul sensation reflects on the healing power of his new album, ‘Is It You?’, for Re-Edition’s music column
Looking for the soundtrack for your next adventure? Be wary of the algorithm and let yourself be guided by the entrancing vibrations of Up Next – Re-Edition’s long-awaited music column – where arts and culture writer Gilda Bruno sits down with some of the most inspiring names on the up-and-coming and established music scene to delve into the inspirations, sounds and dreams of a new avant-garde of musical talents.
Today Bruno speaks with Tours-born singer and songwriter Ben l’Oncle Soul to take a deep dive into his latest project, Is It You?, and learn how working on it granted him calm amidst COVID-19.
For some of us, finding our path in life is a matter of dedication that requires extensive search and multiple, mixedly successful attempts. For others, a path is laid down long before they could even begin to consciously look for it. In Ben l’Oncle Soul’s case, his artistic awakening was naturally instilled into his mind by his mother as she rocked him on the striking, powerful vocals of the likes of Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder.
“I grew up in France and was the youngest in my family,” the Tours-born, soul-infused singer and songwriter tells Re-Edition in a conversation over email. “My mother was passionate about rhythm’n’blues and, while there were no musicians in our household, there was a piano at her place and a little organ in my grandparents’ home. I spent my entire youth listening to records and playing keyboards.”
A graduate of Tours’ School of Fine Arts, self-proclaimed Ben l’Oncle Soul – which translates to “Ben the Soul Uncle” – cut his musical teeth as a member of Fitiavana, a local gospel choir, in 2004 before releasing his first EP, Soul Wash: Lesson 1, five years later. Since then, his career took off, and numerous albums followed, including his eponymous debut album, released in 2010 under Motown Records, À coup de rêves (2014), Under My Skin (2016),Addicted to You (2020), and Red Mango (2022).
Among the voices currently redefining the contemporary Pop-Soul landscape, on February 13, Ben l’Oncle Soul staged his comeback to the international music scene with Is It You? – a nine-track album delineating the artist’s journey through the pandemic across R&B, jazz and heartfelt lyrics. “This album is a conversation about life,” he says. “COVID-19 led us to understand that we had to live differently and deal with our feelings – whether of anger, hope, or faith. I tried to find a way to do so with music.”
Below, we talk to Ben l’Oncle Soul about the function that music fulfills in his life, what keeps him going in moments of crisis, and the story behind his highly-anticipated, stirring new release.
