God knows we need originality in pop, and French singer Petite Meller delivers it. At least, she does visually, which, in 2017, is 50 percent of the game. Like Yolandi Visser of Die Antwoord, she offers a direct subversion of femininity. However, where Visser is confrontationally satirical, Meller’s image is uncomfortable, creepy even, Picnic at Hanging Rock Victoriana by way of rouged baby doll mannequin weirdness. The music is more straightforward.
What stands out immediately is Meller’s cutesy toddler voice. It’s undoubtedly divisive but, as with rising UK act Let’s Eat Grandma, such vocal territory makes a refreshing change from the usual hackneyed post-X Factor hysterics. Meller first drew attention in 2015 with her major label debut, the sax-laden Florence + the Machine-on-helium Euro-disco of “Baby Love” and the album has a number of similarly catchy house-tinted frolics, notably the Italo-style “Barbaric” and self-descriptive opener “The Flute”.
But the most intriguing aspect of Lil Empire is the consistent Afro flavours throughout. Numbers such as the pan pipe-laden “Hawaii”, the sex-tastic stomper “Milk Bath” (“Please stop making me kneel while I sink in the hot tub”) and the final, triumphant “Geez”, are all enjoyably touched by African musicality, and they’re not alone. Other highlights include the single “Backpack” which is slow, funky and rather lovely, and the simple organ'n’bass slowie “Grace”. Meller’s lyrics are opaque but sometimes interesting. What, for instance, is she going on about in the wistful, Latino “Argentina”? “Argentina/Watching the visions/Who did you decide?/Maybe you're really Argentina.” In the end it doesn’t matter because it’s executed with likeable, catchy panache, as is the rest of the album.
Island Records, judging from the budget behind her, particularly shown off in her videos, clearly have high hopes for Meller. Once the ears have adjusted to that voice, it’s an entertaining idea to think of her rocketing up, bypassing the Zara Larssons, the Dua Lipas and the Pia Mias. She’s certainly more interesting than the competition.
Watch the video for "Backpack"
