Topical Dancer is propulsive, playful, and political | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Topical Dancer is propulsive, playful, and politicalComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...EntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnMusicCloseMusicPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MusicTopical Dancer is propulsive, playful, and politicalCharlotte Adigery and Bolis Pupul’s 2022 record is as incisive as it is dancey.Charlotte Adigery and Bolis Pupul’s 2022 record is as incisive as it is dancey.by Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'BrienMar 22, 2026, 9:44 PM UTCLinkShareGiftSiri, can you tell me where I belong? Image: DEEWEEPart OfWhat we’re listening to, watching, and reading right now.see all updates Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget.Last week’s recommendation, Sotomayor’s Wabi Sabi, has a very particular vibe that you don’t find in a lot of records. One of the few things it called to mind was 2022’s Topical Dancer from Charlotte Adigery and Bolis Pupul, which I ended up revisiting this week a lot.The two records don’t seem particularly alike on the surface. But they’re both rough around the edges smash-ups of electronic and organic elements packaged for dancefloor abandon. The way the sounds and rhythms click together feels very much of the same ilk.There are, of course, differences. Significant ones. Adigery and Pupul draw more heavily from rock and early electronic music, at times evoking acts like the Talking Heads. The bass lines on tracks like “Ceci N’est Pas un Cliché,” cut through any reservations you might have about throwing your hands up in the air and waving ‘em like you just don’t care.It’s not all empty fun, though. Topical Dancer’s political commentary is almost as sharp as its basslines. On “Blenda,” Adigery chants, “Go back to your country, where you belong. Siri, can you tell me where I belong?” over percussive synth bass and 80s drum machine hits.On “Esperanto” she offers winking advice to people who say problematic things, “Don’t say ‘But I’m allowed to say that because I grew up in a black neighbourhood’, Say ‘My n......eighbour’”, drawing out the nnn sound for much longer than is comfortable. And “Don’t say ‘White people can’t dance’, Say ‘Tom marches to the beat of a different drum’”, delivering each syllable delightfully off kilter, in what feels like the musical equivalent of cringe comedy.It’s not all confrontational takedowns of racists, xenophobes, and misogynists, though. There’s the late album highlight “HAHA” which features Adigery laughing for almost four minutes on end, only occasionally interrupting to say, “Guess you had to be there.”Charlotte Adigery and Bolis Pupul’s Topical Dancer is available on Bandcamp and most major streaming services, including YouTube Music, Apple Music, Qobuz, Deezer, and Spotify.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'BrienColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentMusicCloseMusicPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MusicMusic ReviewCloseMusic ReviewPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Music ReviewMore in: What we’re listening to, watching, and reading right now.Sotomayor’s Wabi Sabi is the funnest record of 2026Terrence O'BrienMar 15Mabe Fratti makes irresistible genre-hopping experimental cello popTerrence O'BrienMar 8Laurie Spiegel’s The Expanding Universe is a masterpiece of early ambient musicTerrence O'BrienFeb 22Most PopularMost PopularThe improved battery-powered Starlink Mini is hereGemini task automation is slow, clunky, and super impressiveThe new MacBook Pro is still fast as hellHalide co-founder is suing former partner for bringing source code to AppleThe gen AI Kool-Aid tastes like eugenicsThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Topical Dancer, the 2022 record by Charlotte Adigery and Bolis Pupul, presents a compelling and multifaceted artistic statement, blending propulsive dance rhythms with pointed political commentary. Terrence O’Brien, in his assessment for The Verge, highlights the record’s key characteristic: its simultaneous incisiveness and danceability. The album’s core strength resides in its masterful juxtaposition of rough-edged electronic and organic elements, creating a soundscape that invites unabashed dancefloor abandon. This sonic architecture isn’t simply celebratory; it’s underpinned by a sophisticated engagement with contemporary social issues.

The album's production, as noted by O’Brien, draws noticeably from rock and early electronic music influences, particularly referencing the angular rhythms and thematic concerns of Talking Heads. The music itself is designed to provoke a visceral response, exemplified by the driving bass lines on tracks like “Ceci N’est Pas un Cliché,” intended to elicit a physical reaction and encourage uninhibited movement. However, the album avoids a purely performative approach to political critique.

Significantly, Topical Dancer employs a layered strategy to deliver its commentary. The track “Blenda” is particularly striking, featuring Adigery chanting “Go back to your country, where you belong. Siri, can you tell me where I belong?” over a percussive synth bass and 80s drum machine hits. This seemingly straightforward statement immediately raises questions about identity, belonging, and the inherent biases embedded within technology and language. The extended, deliberately uncomfortable delivery of phrases like “My n......eighbour” in “Esperanto” exemplifies a confrontational technique, using repetition and awkward timing to unsettle the listener and force engagement with potentially problematic language. Similarly, the line “Don’t say ‘White people can’t dance’, Say ‘Tom marches to the beat of a different drum’,” delivered with a deliberately off-kilter rhythm, functions as a piece of unsettling social satire.

O'Brien acknowledges that the album’s critique isn't solely focused on overt instances of racism, xenophobia, or misogyny. The inclusion of “HAHA,” a nearly four-minute stretch of Adigery’s laughter punctuated by seemingly random observations (“Guess you had to be there”), serves a dual purpose. It creates a comedic effect, further disrupting any expectation of a straightforward political message, while simultaneously contributing to a sense of unsettling vulnerability and the difficulty of articulating genuine emotion. The deliberate ambiguity adds to the album’s complexity.

Ultimately, Topical Dancer’s success resides in its skillful balance between danceable musicality and pointed social commentary. The album is available on platforms such as Bandcamp and prominent streaming services, suggesting a deliberate effort to ensure accessibility to its unique blend of music and ideas.