“Love does not do humanitarian work”

That’s good, we’re both early. In fact, he was the first to arrive. Wearing sneakers that seem to have been made for adventure, Ben Mazué, his border collie curled up at his feet, chose a table on the terrace on this square in Ménilmontant, in the 20^e district of Paris, dominated by the imposing “little church” Notre-Dame-de-la-Croix, dear to Charles Trenet. The handshake is frank, the smile discreet, the expression concentrated. “What exactly are we going to do?” “, asks the artist, as if we were about to embark on an ablation of the peritoneum. First, have a drink. A beer. Abbey, pint version. We feel it on the reserve. Perhaps because it had been a good year since the singer-musician of When I walk − hit written after the breakup with the mother of his two boys − had carefully avoided the media. After leaving “completely bury” by the Zénith tour with its show “Paradis Tour” (trophy for concert of the year at the Victoires de la musique 2022). The last date honored, Ben Mazué, also loaded with a gold record, needed a cut. To disappear.

“We do artisan professions that are not so well defined, in which we can get lost in projects that are too expensive in terms of effort, especially when we experience success and exciting requests multiply”explains the musician − “Sorry, I forgot to toast”the 43-year-old artist corrects himself, with eyes so deeply blue that we readily forgive him. These days he returns with a bang with It’s timereleased on November 27 and first title from his next album Family (pre-order but actually in stores from February 28, 2025). With a style mixing spoken-sung, soul and rap, Ben Mazué chronicles the dizziness of our connected lives, the heartaches, the very contemporary desire to “carve the road” (title of one of his hits with Grand Corps Malade and Gaël Faye).

Letters from the heart

From June to All Saints’ Day, we had already found his caressing tone of voice by listening to “Amour Jungle”, his podcast of letters from the heart read, commented on and debated with guests (11 episodes, broadcast two per month). He himself hosted these shows designed with Fanny Sydney – the actress of the series Ten percenta “great friend”. “This podcast was born during confinement. I found myself stuck at home, so I asked my subscribers on the networks to send me letters from the heart. I have received hundreds of them! But I didn’t do anything about it at the time. »

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