Keen'V

One of the earliest French performers to achieve visibility via YouTube, Keen'V fused dancehall, ragga, electro, and dance-pop with a mildly risqué sense of comedy, establishing himself among the nation’s leading urban acts. Kevin Bonnet entered the world in 1984 in Rouen, Upper Normandy; his independently written songs accumulated two million views across multiple video platforms and drew the notice of Universal. The label offered him a recording contract in 2008, after which he collaborated with DJ Fab'V to complete the debut album Phenom'N that same year. The project yielded the club favorite “L’Horizontale” alongside a playful reinterpretation of Jacques Martin’s “À la Pêche aux Moules.” Three years afterward, mainstream recognition arrived via the Top Three single “J’aimerais Trop,” the flagship track from his sophomore release, Carpe Diem. That album also featured Lorelei B and Nawaach and maintained a solid chart presence. Keen’V surpassed prior achievements with his fourth album, Ange ou Démon, which reached the summit of the French charts and remained there for more than twelve months following its August 2013 launch, joined on this occasion by Sébastien Cauet among additional contributors. Saltimbanque followed in August 2014, retaining the sonic approach and stylistic range of earlier work while again incorporating Lorelei B; it held the top French position for two weeks and registered on the Swiss listings as well.