Orelsan Drops new Album - Collab Tracks With FIFTY FIFTY & Lilas (YOASOBI'S IKURA)

Rosa Gulliver of TINYGMUSIC | January 6, 2026

With over 3 million albums sold, Orelsan has left an indelible mark on French music history. Over the past two decades, he has transcended French rap, building a body of work that blends music, documentaries, and cinema, resonating across generations. Following La fête est finie and Civilisation (respectively certified double diamond and diamond in France), 12 Victoires de la Musique (the French equivalent of the Grammy Awards), and a 49-date tour that drew over 600,000 spectators in 2022 (Civilisation Tour), he’s unveiled Yoroï, his second feature film co-written with David Tomaszewski, which hit theatres in France, Belgium and Switzerland on October 29 (Sony Pictures / Sony Music Vision France).

Orelsan unveils his fifth studio album, La Fuite En Avant (The Headlong Rush), a dense, deeply personal work driven by a strong narrative dimension. Produced alongside longtime collaborators Phazz, Eddie Purple and Grammy awarded Skread, the 17-track project explores major life upheavals: friendship, burnout, relationships, pregnancy, and fatherhood. The album extends the story introduced in the film, while revealing new layers of his journey. Music and visuals intertwine to create a multi-dimensional project.

On the album’s collaboration front, Orelsan surrounds himself with artists with strong creative identities, including two major international collaborations. Lilas, a Japanese singer-songwriter, also known as ikura from J-pop duo YOASOBI. 

“I'm a huge YOASOBI fan, and she's easily my favorite singer in the world — as ikura, the vocalist of YOASOBI, and also as Lilas, her work as a singer-songwriter. Her voice is amazing, she's got incredible flow, and she can literally do it all,” says Orelsan

Lilas, on her side, shared more about what this collaboration meant to her. 

“I was truly overjoyed to receive such a heartfelt offer from Orelsan to join him on this track, and I happily replied ‘Yes’ immediately. I am honoured that my voice gets to live alongside his story in this song. I sincerely hope that this cross-border collaboration reaches many people.”

He also teams up with FIFTY FIFTY, the South Korean group whose hit “Cupid – Twin Version” has surpassed 900 million streams, making it one of the most-played K-pop girl group songs on Spotify alone. 

“FIFTY FIFTY had just released ‘Pookie’, which I was playing on repeat,” Orelsan recalls. “At the same time, we were looking for a feature to use in the film for the Rokurokubi yōkai scene, and then, as if by fate, Sony Music mentioned FIFTY FIFTY. It was such a crazy coincidence that it felt like a sign.”

The feeling is mutual. FIFTY FIFTY expresses their excitement about the collaboration.

“We’re truly honoured to be part of Orelsan’s film soundtrack. His artistry and storytelling have inspired us deeply, and we felt an instant connection with the emotion and cinematic energy of the song. Collaborating on this project allowed us to explore new creative colours and bring a different layer of FIFTY FIFTY’s sound to a global audience. We’re excited for listeners to experience the blend of our voices and Orelsan’s world through this soundtrack.”

Across his career, Orelsan has previously collaborated with world-class artists including Pharrell Williams, The Neptunes, Dizzee Rascal, Cordae, Stromae, Gims, Angèle, Ibeyi, and more, a testament to his position as one of France’s most creative and globally connected voices.