“Kiss the Beast” is the new studio album by Sébastien Tellier, released January 30, 2026. A key figure of the French Touch and the author of the cult classic “La Ritournelle” (2004), Tellier opens a new chapter with an album trailed by singles including “Thrill of the Night” (with Slayyyter and Nile Rodgers).
Few French artists wear elegance quite like Sébastien Tellier. The self-styled dandy of French music, and the man behind one of the French Touch’s most beloved tracks, returns with “Kiss the Beast,” a new album that confirms his place as one of the scene’s true originals.
The man behind “La Ritournelle”
For many, Tellier will always be the author of “La Ritournelle.” Released in 2004 on the album “Politics,” the track, with its sweeping strings and the unmistakable drumming of Tony Allen, became an instant classic and one of the most cherished songs of the French Touch era. Two decades on, it still soundtracks films, weddings and late-night playlists around the world. Its enduring power was clear again when Tellier performed it during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games opening ceremony, with the Ensemble Matheus.
A new chapter: “Kiss the Beast”
“Kiss the Beast” arrives trailed by a run of singles that show Tellier’s range: “Refresh,” “Naïf de Coeur,” “Parfum Diamant,” “Amnesia,” and the disco-leaning “Thrill of the Night,” a collaboration with American pop artist Slayyyter and the legendary Nile Rodgers (Chic). The pairing is telling: Tellier remains a pop adventurer, as comfortable with lush romanticism as with a glittering dancefloor groove.
The eternal dandy
What sets Tellier apart has always been his persona as much as his music: the beard, the sunglasses, the deadpan humour, the sense that every record is a small work of theatre. “Kiss the Beast” plays to that strength, a stylish, sensual album from an artist who has never followed a trend in his life.
A French Touch original
Alongside Air, Daft Punk and Cassius, Tellier helped define the more melodic, cinematic side of the French Touch. “Kiss the Beast” is a reminder that the movement’s pioneers are still creating, still surprising, and still unmistakably French.
Key facts
- Album: “Kiss the Beast” by Sébastien Tellier, released January 30, 2026
- Lead singles: “Refresh,” “Naïf de Coeur,” “Thrill of the Night” (feat. Slayyyter & Nile Rodgers), “Parfum Diamant,” “Amnesia”
- Signature track: Tellier is the author of “La Ritournelle” (2004, album “Politics”; drums by Tony Allen)
- Landmark performance: Performed “La Ritournelle” at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games opening ceremony
- Legacy: A key melodic and cinematic figure of the French Touch
