Having picked Spanish over French (and German) in high school and college, I have absolutely no clue what Yelle is going on about in “Safari Disco Club.” But the French electro trio speaks the universal language of pop, with the track packing an elastic, rubber-band beat that renders Rosetta Stone unnecessary.
In the video for “Safari Disco Club,” the group’s namesake singer is hunted by bandmates GrandMarnier and Tepr. (Yelle’s haircut does make her the identical twin of Elastica’s Justine Frischmann, so perhaps they’re bounty hunters acting on behalf of Wire.) Yelle soon throws herself into concrete to evade her pair of pursuers, upon which the clip flips into a choreographed dance number, completely with a couple of sexy Frenchmen stomping behind Yelle (no complaints here).
But wait, there’s more. “Safari Disco Club” ends, the stage is cleared, and another song begins, “Que Veux-Tu.” Yelle’s got a two-fer for us, folks. The children’s chorus at the end, all clad in white, may or may not a nod to another video that’s un poco loco, Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”
Currently supporting Katy Perry on the UK leg of her California Dreams Tour, Yelle releases their second album, Safari Disco Club, in the U.S. on March 29.
Free download of Yelle – “Safari Disco Club” via RCRD LBL.