Topical Dancer
{{Short description|2022 album by Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Topical Dancer
| type = studio
| artist = Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul
| cover = Topical Dancer cover.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{start date|2022|03|04|df=yes}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = {{hlist|Electronic|experimental}}
| length = {{duration|m=50|s=43}}
| language = Creole, Dutch, English, French
| label = Deewee
| producer = {{hlist|Charlotte Adigéry|Bolis Pupul|Soulwax}}
| chronology = Charlotte Adigéry
| prev_title = Zandoli
| prev_year = 2019
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Bolis Pupul
| type = album
| title = Topical Dancer
| year = 2022
| next_title = Letter to Yu
| next_year = 2024
}} {{Singles
| name = Topical Dancer
| type = studio
| single1 = Thank You
| single1date = 22 September 2021
| single2 = Blenda
| single2date = 3 November 2021
| single3 = Haha
| single3date = 1 December 2021
| single4 = Ceci n'est pas un cliché
| single4date = 27 January 2022
| single5 = Making Sense Stop
| single5date = 3 March 2022
}}
}}
Topical Dancer is a studio album by Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul and co-written and co-produced by Soulwax. Released on 4 March 2022 under the label Deewee, Topical Dancer is Adigéry and Pupul's debut album as a duo.
Background
Pupul and Adigéry are both based in Belgium with shared heritage from Martinique, a French island.{{Cite web |title=Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul review: Topical Dancer - The Skinny |url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/charlotte-adigery-bolis-pupul-topical-dancer |access-date=4 April 2022|date=2 March 2022|first=Nadia|last=Younes|website=The Skinny|language=en}} They first met while working for the soundtrack of Belgica, a 2016 Belgian drama, after being invited by Soulwax, who also co-wrote and co-produced the album.{{Cite web |title=Charlotte Adigéry / Bolis Pupul: Topical Dancer |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/charlotte-adigery-bolis-pupul-topical-dancer/ |access-date=24 April 2022|date=8 March 2022|first=Eric|last=Torres|website=Pitchfork|language=en-US}} The album is influenced by experiences of racial discrimination and sexual abuse.{{Cite web |last=Willems |first=Jasper |date=10 March 2022|title=Album Review: Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul – Topical Dancer|url=https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-charlotte-adigery-bolis-pupul-topical-dancer/ |access-date=4 April 2022|website=Beats Per Minute |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=4 March 2022|title=Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul – 'Topical Dancer' review: a joyous, humorous headrush |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/charlotte-adigery-and-bolis-pupul-topical-dancer-review-radar-3175737|first=Max|last=Pilley|access-date=4 April 2022|website=NME|language=en-GB}} In the album, Adigéry sings in English, Dutch, Creole, and French. The album features Charlotte Adigéry's mother, Christiane Adigéry and was released under the label Deewee, which the duo previously released three EPs on. "Thank You" is the lead single of Topical Dancer and the second single is "Blenda".{{Cite web |title=Belgian electro-pop duo Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul on the power of humour and friendship |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/interviews/charlotte-adigery-bolis-pupul-power-humour-friendship |access-date=23 May 2022|date=25 May 2022 |website=The Line of Best Fit|language=en|first=Kayleigh|last=Watson}}{{Cite web |date=6 November 2021 |title=Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul announce debut album, share new single 'Blenda'|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/charlotte-adigery-bolis-pupul-announce-debut-album-share-new-single-blenda-3088823|access-date=23 May 2022|website=NME|language=en-GB|first=Daniel|last=Peters}} "Blenda" was released on 4 November 2021 along with an announcement of the album and its release date. The first track of the album "Bel Deewee" is a field recording of Adigéry entering the Deewee recording complex, which is also where they recorded the album, and calling through the intercom.{{Cite web |date=22 November 2021|title=Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul: Belgian electro-pop duo laughing in the face of everything |url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-radar/charlotte-adigery-bolis-pupul-interview-topical-dancer-3101503 |access-date=23 May 2022|website=NME|language=en-GB|first=Thomas|last=Smith}}
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Citation |title=Topical Dancer - Charlotte Adigéry, Bolis Pupul {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/topical-dancer-mw0003616434 |language=en |access-date=2022-04-24}}
| rev2 = Beats Per Minute
| rev3 = DIY
| rev3score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |title=Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul - Topical Dancer - Review |url=https://diymag.com/2022/03/04/charlotte-adigery-bolis-pupul-topical-dancer-album-review |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=DIY |date=4 March 2022 |language=en}}
| rev4 = NME
| rev5 = Pitchfork
| rev6 = The Observer
| rev7 = The Skinny
}}
On the review aggregator Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, Topical Dancer received an average score of 85, based on six reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Emily Mackay of The Observer called the album "banging fusion of funk, house and techno". Paul Simpson of AllMusic claimed the album was "catchiest and most danceable songs Adigéry and Pupul have written to date" and that the lyrics "offer a lot of food for thought". Eric Torres of Pitchfork called the album "riveting" and reported that the album had a "roguish charm". Jasper Willems wrote on Beats Per Minute that Topical Dancer is "spiritual palette cleanser as much as it is a physical one" and "a record for literally anyone". In a review written for NME, reviewer Max Pilley claimed that the album "arrived bursting with positive energy".
The album was nominated for Best Electronic Record at the 2023 Libera Awards.{{Cite magazine |last=Aniftos |first=Rania |date=March 22, 2023 |title=Wet Leg Leads Nominations for 2023 Libera Awards |magazine=Billboard |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/libera-awards-2023-nominations-list-1235291362/ |access-date=November 29, 2023}}{{Cite news |last1=Garcia |first1=Thania |last2=Okusanya |first2=Emanuel |date=June 16, 2023 |title=Wet Leg, Sudan Archives and More Win Big at 2023 A2IM Libera Awards |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/wet-leg-run-the-jewels-winners-2023-a2im-libera-awards-1235646805/ |access-date=November 29, 2023}}
Track listing
All tracks are written and produced by Charlotte Adigéry, Bolis Pupul (Boris Zeebroek) and Soulwax (David Dewaele and Stephen Dewaele).
{{Track listing
| headline = Topical Dancer track listing
| total_length = 50:43
| title1 = Bel Deewee
| length1 = 0:42
| title2 = Esperanto
| length2 = 3:34
| title3 = Blenda
| length3 = 3:31
| title4 = Hey
| length4 = 3:36
| title5 = It Hit Me
| length5 = 5:33
| title6 = Ich Mwen
| note6 = with Christiane Adigéry
| length6 = 4:17
| title7 = Reappropriate
| length7 = 5:06
| title8 = Ceci n'est pas un cliché
| length8 = 3:46
| title9 = Huile Smisse
| length9 = 2:56
| title10 = Mantra
| length10 = 4:21
| title11 = Making Sense Stop
| length11 = 4:00
| title12 = Haha
| length12 = 3:26
| title13 = Thank You
| length13 = 5:51
}}
Charts
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for Topical Dancer ! scope="col"| Chart (2022) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Flanders|2|artist=Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul|album=Topical Dancer|rowheader=true|access-date=14 January 2023}} |
| {{album chart|Wallonia|44|artist=Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul|album=Topical Dancer|rowheader=true|access-date=14 January 2023}} |
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for Topical Dancer ! scope="col"| Chart (2022) ! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2022&cat=a|title=Jaaroverzichten 2022|publisher=Ultratop|language=nl|access-date=14 January 2023}}
| 140 |
|---|