Manon aka Mango In Euphoria is one of those artists that seem to love taunting poor souls aka music reviewers. Nothing is certain with her. She is known for reinventing her stage persona every couple of months, each of her singles falls under different musical category, her singing style changes so fast it’s hard to recognize her. Well, I shan’t complain, at least somebody is keeping the critics in check. And on our toes.
Single cover by Claudia du Lièvre
Official bio: Amids the chaos of her teenage years, French flamboyant artist Mango In Euphoria, found comfort in the music of Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, and Lana Del Rey. Further inspired by the rebellious spirit of rock icons like The Runaways and the electrifying energy of The Struts, Mango’s musical journey began. With an eclectic taste and a real passion for music, Mango In Euphoria was initially just another face in the crowd when she moved to live in a London hostel, never imagining her songwriting would one day be taken seriously. Yet, through her encounters with devilish individuals, life’s darker elements and a profound sense of societal injustice, she found her voice. From the streets of Camden to the heart of Hackney, Euphoria’s outstanding performances resonated with a raw, honest rock and roll energy infused with disco beats and dream pop nuances – a unique blend and style she affectionately describes as “dark disco”.
Mango’s previous single, “Can’t be Cured”, was inspired by the 80’s alternative dance tracks (Madonna, Yazoo, Pointer Sisters), an early clubbing scene in general and paid homage to the hit movie “Flashdance” in her video. You can read our review of it here. Her newest release, “Lovestruck,” is something from the opposite end of the musical spectrum. Really, it’s very hard to describe it for a review. Let me put it like this: it is some sort of a strange ballad, half sung, mostly spoken, with disco (or rather electronica) fragments, extended bridges, and distorted, mid-tempo choruses.
I have to say I was not expecting anything like that at all. This is a highly experimental song that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I absolutely love it. It’s still 80’s flavoured (especially the beginning), however, this time Mango is reaching towards French cold wave/avantgarde for inspiration. Elli Medeiros (Elli et Jacno) or Guerre Froide come to mind, yet somehow “Lovestruck” remains strangely modern, maybe due to its flawless, crisp production. In certain moments Mango sings like Vanessa Paradis (“Manolo Manolete”) and then changes into Kylie Minogue from her “Impossible Princess” days (please check out “Too Far” for references). You have to listen to the song a couple of times to truly appreciate it, it’s slowly but surely growing on the listener.
Manon make up and photography by Camille Alexander
I know, Mango In Euphoria don’t care about stats and plays and she is happy to have her song out on her own terms, but releasing ambitious music or bold projects shouldn’t mean less opportunities. What I find truly sad is that “Lovestruck” is hardly a song for today’s radio that only cares about quantity and less about quality or artistic visions. The song stands at 5 minutes and 32 seconds, and the standard length for a single these days is under 3 minutes. It is also irregular and requires attention from listeners, another big no from radio producers, who last time when I spoke to some of them, assured me that people were looking only for background noise!! It’s a bloody shame, as interesting, thought provoking projects are being completely removed from the airwaves to make space for remixes and silly pop. If only John Peel was still alive, Manon would probably be on her third session at Maida Vale by now. “Lovestruck” may not fare well as a single, but it’s a solid album track and I hope, when Mango finally releases her debut album, it will have a nice spot on the track list, preferably somewhere in the middle.
I have to mention the cover of the single. The picture was taken by Claudia Du Lievre and if you look closely, you can see a gig poster on the wall. It is for A Void, Alien Chicks and Nymphic’s concert at George Tavern in London. There is also a copy of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel “Invisible Monster” laying on the floor. The poster, I believe is a little wave to fellow French artist and Mango’s collague, Camille Alexander, the lead woman of A VOID. I do not know the meaning of the book but I’m sure it’s there for a specific reason.
Before premiere, Manon promised us a track that would incorporate elements of dream pop, rock, and synth pop – all in one. I think she delivered that promise 100 %.
“Lovestruck” is out now independently.
You can follow Mango in Euphoria on socials:
https://www.mangoineuphoria.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mangoineuphoria/
https://www.facebook.com/mangoineuphoria
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4dNczo3zLfxpa2hJccmLWp
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Tr2WRtTsOpXk3X6RlXO-w
https://soundcloud.com/mangoineuphoria
https://www.tiktok.com/@thisismangoineuphoria
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 