After the astonishing success of his hit Imagine, Carbonne has established himself as a rising figure in French rap. As his concert at FRIGO 16 in Nice approaches, he talks to us about the importance of social media in his career, his creativity in the studio, and his expectations for a memorable evening.
Carbonne, an artist from Montpellier, has managed to captivate the audience with music that skillfully blends his Spanish roots with his Mediterranean experiences. His recent EP, By Ourselves, along with the hit Imagine, is a testament to his rich and varied musical identity. Thanks to social media, the artist has succeeded in forging a strong connection with his fans, transforming his freestyles and clips into real promotional tools. In this interview, Carbonne shares his experience in the music scene, the challenges of being an independent artist, and his vision for the future, particularly ahead of his first concert in Nice on November 22 at Frigo 16.
You experienced astonishing success with Imagine, especially on TikTok and Instagram. When did you realize that social media would play a key role in your career?
“Actually, in 2020, just before Covid, I was doing opening acts, I was starting to do small concerts. That’s how I was spreading my music, just before releasing my first tracks. When Covid hit, I was like, ‘Okay, so there’s no more way of distributing, how are we going to do it?’ I then started posting freestyles, posting tracks, excerpts specifically on social media. That’s when I saw the impact. And gradually, after, I stopped using the platform because I was focused only on music. And when I came back to post again last April, around the release of Imagine, something happened. I think it’s also the magic of social media, where you don’t really control the reach.”
Social media had significant importance in your artistic process?
Yes, actually, something happened around “Imagine”, and after that, we followed up by releasing a project, an EP, a month and a half later, which came out last July. We also did concerts, notably at La Maroquinerie in Paris. We did festivals this summer, and we also announced a fall tour starting in early November. I think it’s all of that. We saw that people were interested in the entirety of the project, and not just the track. We could see clearly in the stats that Imagine was taking off, but all the other tracks also did well. We saw that people were going to listen to the rest too. So, it’s cool, there’s a motivated community, and we can’t wait to party with them in concert.
Social media thus influenced your way of creating music and communicating with fans?
No, however, it didn’t influence my way of creating music. It allowed communicating. When we make music, we go on a retreat. For example, the video that worked, we had gone on a one-week retreat.
For those who don’t know what it is, a retreat is when we go away for a week into a house, and we make music. We create, we create, we create, we make lots of tracks with the musicians and everything. And at the end of the week, we listen to all the tracks. So, at the end of the week, we listened to all the tracks we made during the week. And the moment we listened to the track “Imagine”, that’s when we filmed and released the video a week later. But what I mean by that is that when we are in the creation phase, we are precisely far from social media. Right now, for example, I’m in Miami. We’re creating tracks with producers. And we’re really focused on the music, but not on social media.
What have been the main steps or challenges you have faced in transitioning from an independent artist to an artist on streaming platforms?
The biggest challenge is knowing how to surround yourself with the right team. I’m lucky to have been working with the same people for years. Once you connect with the right people, it’s perfect. I think that’s the biggest challenge when you’re an independent. And so today, seeing that it’s with the same people, we were able to bring home the Diamond single. It’s a huge pride for my whole team.
On November 22, you will be performing at Frigo 16 in Nice. What does this place represent for you, and what are your expectations for this evening?
It’s going to be my first concert in Nice. I’m really looking forward to meeting the audience in Nice. On the tour, we’re really trying to think about the evening as a whole and not just the concert. There will be lots of little nods. It’s going to be a big party together. After that, I can’t say more. You have to get your ticket. In any case, it’s going to be a good vibe. On stage, you’ll find the same people who are with me in the studio and on the videos. There’s Léo on the piano, Rodolphe on the guitar, Tosmah and Jiddybruh on the decks.
How do you prepare for this and all other concerts? And what can fans expect from your performance on stage?
Without going into too much detail, of course. We’ve done a lot of rehearsals. So, we’re well-prepared. I won’t reveal all the surprises from the live show. In any case, they should expect us all to sing together. And that it will be a big party, as I said earlier.
You often work with a close-knit team in the studio and on stage. How does this collaboration record your live performances?
What’s cool is that since they are the same people I work with in the studio, they are the same people I hang out with. I mean, they are the same people I’m always around. And so, we’re always brainstorming, thinking, “Okay, this might be good.” For example, when we’re making a track, we’d say, “Okay, this part for the stage, it might be cool to put a break.” Since they are the same people, we understand each other all the time. It’s very enriching, and it allows us to develop things fully.
There are always people with lots of ideas. And vice-versa, on stage too, sometimes we’ll improvise on something, and we’ll say, “Okay, that would be nice.” Or even sometimes, we’re on stage, and we think, “Okay, on the set, we’re missing a track, I don’t know, maybe melancholic, a track of that style.” At least we can work on it in the studio. But we know what style is needed, and since they are the same people I share the studio or stage with, we all have the same vision.
What advice would you give to young artists trying to make a name for themselves through social media today?
I’m not sure. Actually, it’s complicated. One piece of advice wouldn’t be enough because there are so many parameters involved in social media. But in any case, the goal is to remain as authentic as possible. That’s my advice. After all, everyone has their vision, everyone has their journey. And everything can change very quickly. But if you are personally proud of what you’re doing, that’s when you shouldn’t hesitate to share it.”
