Madeon

Hugo Leclercq crafts exuberant, melody-driven nu-disco and dance-pop under the Madeon moniker. Early recognition arrived through his inventive mash-ups and remixes, which paved the way for chart success with original material and studio contributions to major pop artists including Lady Gaga and Coldplay. His two energetic albums, Adventure (2015) and Good Faith (2019), both ascended to the summit of Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart, with the second earning a Grammy nomination. Subsequent wistful electro-pop releases have included the 2020 single “The Prince” and 2022’s “Love You Back.”

Born in Nantes, France, in 1994, Leclercq began creating dance tracks prior to adolescence. By 2010 he was issuing material as Madeon in a polished, atmospheric vein shaped by French house and electro-pop. Among his early productions was the mash-up “Pop Culture,” which fused more than three dozen songs into a three-minute span. Uploaded to YouTube in 2011, the piece spread rapidly and accumulated millions of views. Further output encompassed original singles such as “Gold,” “For You,” “Shuriken,” and “Icarus,” along with remixes for Alphabeat, Yelle, Deadmau5, and Martin Solveig.

Throughout 2012 Leclercq appeared at prominent festivals including Ultra Music Festival, Coachella, and Lollapalooza. His singles “Finale” and “The City” registered on charts across multiple territories. The resulting visibility secured additional high-profile work: he produced Ellie Goulding’s “Stay Awake” and crafted an alternate mix of Muse’s “Panic Station.” After serving as an opening act on Lady Gaga’s Born This Way tour, he produced and co-wrote three songs for her album Artpop.

Columbia issued Madeon’s debut album Adventure in 2015. The set reached number one on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Albums chart and yielded charting singles such as “Pay No Mind,” featuring Passion Pit, and “Nonsense,” featuring Mark Foster of Foster the People. Two headlining tours followed the album’s release. In 2016 Leclercq joined Porter Robinson for the single “Shelter,” and the pair toured together, concluding the run at the 2017 Coachella festival. He subsequently moved to Los Angeles to develop his next album. May 2019 brought the buoyant single “All My Friends,” which showcased his own vocals. Two further singles preceded the November arrival of Good Faith. Eschewing samples in favor of reshaped instruments and voices—including contributions from gospel choirs and steel guitarist B.J. Cole—the album secured Leclercq’s second number-one position on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart and received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album.

Leclercq reunited with Lady Gaga to co-write and co-produce her 2020 single “911.” That same year saw the release of a remix of “No Fear No More” featuring EARTHGANG, the EP 12122017 (Celine), and the single “The Prince.” “Love You Back,” a track Leclercq had already performed live for several years, appeared as a single in 2022.