Nouvelle Vague

Launched by French producers Olivier Libaux and Marc Collin in 2003, Nouvelle Vague is a pop group renowned for its mix of bossa nova, New Wave, and Brazilian pop influences. Prior to forming the group in Paris, France, Marc Collin had established himself as an electronic musician, as well as a film composer for movies like 1998's Les Kidnappeurs. Libaux had previously performed as a solo artist, as well as a member of the band Les Objets. With Nouvelle Vague, the musicians pursued a different musical path, creating bossa nova covers of new wave classics and post-punk favorites. Featuring guest appearances from multiple female vocalists, the group's self-titled debut album, Nouvelle Vague, was released in 2004 to critical and commercial success. The album earned a silver certification in the UK and charted at Number 9 on the US Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart, selling more than 500,000 copies worldwide. Bande à Part followed in 2006 and was similarly successful, becoming a Top 40 hit in Belgium, Germany, France, Portugal, Switzerland, and America. 2009's 3 found the duo varying its approach slightly, covering another batch of 1980s songs with help not only from a roster of guest vocalists, but often the original singers who first popularized the songs, too. With 2010's Couleurs sur Paris, Nouvelle Vague focused on covering French music from the 1970s and 1980s. Several years later, the group began releasing original music with 2016's I Could Be Happy. A pair of compilation albums, Rarities and Curiosities, followed in 2019. After a 17-run with the band, Olivier Libaux passed away on September 29, 2021, at 57 years old. The group took a short break before returning in 2024 with Should I Stay or Should I Go?, a collection of reimagined New Wave and post-punk songs from the 1980s.