{{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<!-- See Guardian and pitchfork cite -->}} | 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.<ref name=":0">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{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}}</ref> The album is influenced by experiences of racial discrimination and sexual abuse.<ref name=":3">{{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}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{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}}</ref> In the album, Adigéry sings in English, Dutch, Creole, and French.<ref name=":0" /> The album features Charlotte Adigéry's mother, Christiane Adigéry and was released under the label Deewee, which the duo previously released three EPs on.<ref name=":0" /> "Thank You" is the lead single of ''Topical Dancer'' and the second single is "Blenda".<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="NME announcement">{{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}}</ref> "Blenda" was released on 4 November 2021 along with an announcement of the album and its release date.<ref name="NME announcement"/> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

== Critical reception == {{Music ratings | MC = 85/100<ref name="metacritic">{{Citation |title=Topical Dancer by Charlotte Adigéry |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/topical-dancer/charlotte-adigery |language=en |access-date=2022-04-04}}</ref> | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{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}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Beats Per Minute'' | rev2score = 88/100<ref name=":3" /> | rev3 = ''DIY'' | rev3score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>{{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}}</ref> | rev4 = ''NME'' | rev4score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name=":1" /> | rev5 = ''Pitchfork'' | rev5score = 8.2/10<ref name=":2" /> | rev6 = ''The Observer'' | rev6score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name=":Observer">{{Cite web |date=2022-03-06 |title=Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul: Topical Dancer review – wildly eclectic electropop |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/mar/06/charlotte-adigery-bolis-pupul-topical-dancer-review-wildly-eclectic-electropop |access-date=2022-04-04 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> | rev7 = ''The Skinny'' | rev7score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name=":0" /> }} 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".<ref name="metacritic" /> Emily Mackay of ''The Observer'' called the album "banging fusion of funk, house and techno".<ref name=":Observer" /> 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".<ref name="allmusic" /> Eric Torres of ''Pitchfork'' called the album "riveting" and reported that the album had a "roguish charm".<ref name=":2" /> 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".<ref name=":3" /> In a review written for ''NME'', reviewer Max Pilley claimed that the album "arrived bursting with positive energy".<ref name=":1" />

The album was nominated for Best Electronic Record at the 2023 Libera Awards.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

In October 2025, ''Paste'' ranked the album at number 232 on their "250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far" list, writing: "''Topical Dancer'' is a science experiment left unsupervised by a professor, but in turn yields a result of the future of electronic music."<ref name="Paste250">{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-albums/the-250-greatest-albums-of-the-21st-century-so-far-part-1|title= The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far: 250-201|website=Paste|last=|first=|date=October 13, 2025|access-date=October 16, 2025}}</ref>

== 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<br />position |- {{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)<ref>{{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}}</ref> | 140 |}

== References == {{reflist}}

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Category:2022 debut albums Category:Electronic albums by Belgian artists Category:Bolis Pupul albums Category:Deewee albums