Bécane

"Bécane"
Single by Yamê
from the EP Elowi
Released1 June 2023 (2023-06-01) (A Colors Show version)
13 June 2023 (2023-06-13) (single version)
Length3:06
Label
SongwriterEmmanuel Sow
Producers
  • Yamê
  • Pandrezz
  • KronoMuzik
  • Epektase
Yamê singles chronology
"Call of Valhalla"
(2023) 		"Bécane"
(2023)

"Bécane" is a song by French Cameroonian singer Yamê. It was released on 13 June 2023 by DBS Records and Naïve. It is the second single from his debut EP, Elowi. Yamê made a live performance of the song at the Colors Show, which went viral on the internet in December 2023 and topped the Viral 50 chart on Spotify. The song peaked at number 9 on the French Singles Chart and at number 11 on the Belgian Ultratop Wallonia Chart. In January 2024, Yamê released a music video for "Bécane," which was directed by Mateo Da Silva.[1]

Background and release

Yamê received a bachelor's degree in history in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yamê shared his music on TikTok. Through this, he released his first mixtape in September 2020, titled Bantu Mixtape Vol. 1 and later released Bantu Mixtape Vol. 2. He then released his first album, Agent 237, a year later.[2][3] Yamê shifted to more piano and vocals instead of rap in 2022.[3]

In 2023, he decided to create another album, dubbed Elowi. Pandrezz, KronoMuzik, and Epektase produced the album due to "type beats" no longer being possible to use. The producers mainly used hip-hop and trap but also had the possibility of using acoustic sounds.[3] Yamê, in an interview with OkayAfrica, said that he wrote "Bécane" without "thinking about the melody"; he was more focused on rapping. After creating the instrumental, he found out he wanted to sing more than rap. Yamê also stated that the chorus was the easiest part to sing, adding that it was the "most fluid."[4] He released the song while being featured on YouTube channel A Colors Show on 1 June 2023[2][5] with a minimalist video containing a single color and a microphone, according to Pan African Music.[3] "Bécane" was released again on 13 June as a single.[6] Elowi was released on 13 October; the song was released as a part of it.[7]

Composition

"Bécane" is three minutes long and is described as having influences of jazz, soul, and rap.[6][8] The song discusses seeking freedom: Yamê said in an interview with OkayAfrica that, in Paris, it is "very crowded," causing people to use motorbikes to travel. He added that "you can travel at any time," stating, "For me, it’s the motorbike because I could go see my friends freely, go anywhere freely."[4] While discussing freedom, Yamê also talks about the stress of computer work while stating that he would take "any risk" to get out of the job. According to Pan African Music, it also praises the "reliability" of German engines while opposing businesses based on rules.[3] "Sur ma bécane, je file droit vers l’horizon" (transl. On my bike, I head straight toward the horizon) expresses a desire for freedom, according to Melo while "Seul sur la route, je fais face à moi-même" (transl. Alone on the road, I face myself) talks about a "yearning" for escape.[9]

Music video

The music video for Bécane was directed by Mateo De Silva and was released in January 2024. Although Yamê was born in France, he decided to record the video in Cameroon due to the country being his parents' hometown. He stated: "I felt I had to go back and shoot my first successful video in my family’s hometown. Even if I didn’t have much time, it was really cool." He added that he met a "really good" production team which could shoot in Cameroon.[4] The beginning of the music video shows Yamê paying tribute to benskinneurs, or motorcycle taxi drivers.[10] Then, a group of bikers chase him around his home in Douala.[3]

Reception and viral success

According to Générations, Yamê "exploded the counters" with his performance in A Colors Show while establishing himself as one of the "most promising artists."[8]

Yamê performed the song, along with the rest of the songs in Elowi, at the 2024 Les Francos de Montréal; according to magazine Atuvu, he "set the room on fire" while singing the song.[10]

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from Apple Music (Malaysia).[11]

  • Yamê - vocals, songwriting
  • Epektase - composing
  • Pandrezz - composing

Charts

Chart performance for "Bécane"
Chart (2023–2024) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] 11
Canada Hot 100 (Canadian Hot 100)[13] 94
France (SNEP)[14] 5
Luxembourg (Billboard)[15] 10
Portugal (AFP)[16] 58
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 27
Turkey (Radiomonitor Türkiye)[18] 6

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[19] Diamond 333,333‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Binet, Stéphanie (26 January 2024). "Yamê dévoile (enfin) un clip pour "Bécane"". Générations. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Yamê, révélation masculine de l'année, enflamme Strasbourg". Top Music (in French). Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Volle, Hortense (21 February 2024). "Yamê : A tête et voix haute" [Yamê takes the world by storm]. Pan African Music. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Esene, Shalom (25 June 2024). "Yamê on His Sound, Success of "Bécane" and Filming the Music Video in Cameroon". OkayAfrica. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  5. ^ "Bécane - A COLORS SHOW - Single". Apple Music (US). 1 June 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Bécane - Single". Apple Music (US). 13 June 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  7. ^ "ELOWI". Apple Music (US). 13 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  8. ^ a b Gilles-Bourgeois, William (4 July 2025). "A la croisée des continents" [At the crossroads of continents]. Ahraminfo. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  9. ^ Dubigny, Guillaume. "Bécane". Melo. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  10. ^ a b Fouda, Natacha (28 January 2024). "« Bécane » : Yamê tourne le clip vidéo au Cameroun" ["Bécane": Yamê shoots the music video in Cameroon]. Newstories Africa (in French). Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  11. ^ "Bécane". Apple Music (MY). 13 October 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  12. ^ "Yamê – Bécane" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  13. ^ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  14. ^ "Yamê – Bécane" (in French). Le classement de singles.
  15. ^ "Luxembourg Songs: Week of January 13, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Yamê – Bécane". AFP Top 100 Singles.
  17. ^ "Yamê – Bécane". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  18. ^ @RadiomonitorTR (9 February 2024). "Radiomonitor Türkiye Uluslararası Listesi Dinlenme Adedi bazında...!! 6. Hafta Top10" [Radiomonitor Turkey International Chart based on number of listens...!!! Week 6 Top10] (Tweet). Retrieved 24 August 2024 – via Twitter.
  19. ^ "French single certifications – Yamê – Bécane" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
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