We don't ask questions to Tsar B. We listen religiously to his opinion on Dali, goosebumps, failures of telephone chargers and his inner conflicts.

&ldquo;I would describe my style as a mixture of seventies influences, baroque, glam and punk. That's how I see it.&rdquo; Justine Bourgeus,&nbsp;better known as Tsar B, tells her story in a rambling way. She obviously experiences the same difficulties as the average music journalist in affixing a precise label to her <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/music/music-festivals-2023-guide-dates-artists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">music</a>. One thing is certain: it is overflowing with ideas and dynamism. In seven years, she has penned two albums including the one that has just been released, three EPs and the delirious film-concert Les D&icirc;ners de Gala, where she brings Dali's <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/food/vegan-rock-you-the-rock-n-roller-among-the-vega-cooking-books" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recipe book</a> to life against a backdrop of a classic reinterpretation of her music. She has invested a lot for two years in the tour linked to this project, the conception and behind the scenes, her last musical baby took her twice as long. She has just returned home after her release. "To The Stars" highlights another side of this Belgian singer, musician, producer and visual artist. Tsar B alternates solo project, magical duo with classic beats and theatrical banquet and multi-headed <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/hermes-mens-show-autumn-winter-2023-photos-videos-images-look" target="_blank" rel="noopener">punk</a> band for this latest opus. An album also impossible to catalogue because it mixes traditional Italian song, trance, rearrangement of a piece by Handel and powerful rhythms without forgetting the still bewitching voice of the artist. A lucky coincidence? 
"The whole thing may seem quite eclectic, sometimes even improvised, but it remains coherent thanks to the Tsar B style as a common thread and therefore to my personal touch in terms of creation, synth, voice and violin. Unlike artists who call on external producers at the risk of seeing a conflict quickly emerge around the style, I do not entrust my music to anyone else. I create according to the atmosphere I find myself in. It took me five years to write To The Stars. A period during which I went from an exuberant party spirit to confinement due to the Covid to better immerse myself in the party. At the same time, my rather hectic love life prompted me to redefine myself. I took advantage of the confinement to begin an introspection and immerse myself in literature. Art books are a source of inspiration for me. I discovered Dali's Gala Dinners by chance and I had the idea of ​​creating a classical concert in his own way with his surreal banquet table. To The Stars is a patchwork of baroque influences and festive atmosphere of the eighties, ephemeral experiences but also more durable. Between laughter and tears, lightness and depth. The reflection of my experience at the time. Lots of things happen to me, it goes all over the place but everything sticks in the end. I feel like my reality takes a new turn every month. But I see it as a blessing, because no one wants monotony. "

A VOICE THAT MAKES SENSE &nbsp;
The dreamlike rhythms of Justine Bourgeus quickly aroused the enthusiasm of the dance world. A good surprise for the sound production which seems tailor-made for R'n'B, but also modern ballet and pole dance. There are countless videos of twerking to the sound of "Escalate" on Instagram. 
"It's cool, but sometimes it feels weird to see other people reinterpreting songs that I've put so much of myself into. When I wrote Escalate, I felt depressed while feeling this inherent magic to the creative process. So I was both in empowerment and idleness mode. And there, I see all these people dancing, releasing a power and a force that goes far beyond what I wanted to express. But compared to what I did before, To The Stars is more fluid and is mainly aimed at pole dancers, if I believe the videos posted. It took me almost five years to make this album, it plunges into an emotional journey of great intensity. I make sure that each note is indeed dictated by my heart. In fact, it is not about writing in the literal sense. I compose melodies first to which I put lyrics or rather I give voice to my subconscious. Sometimes, it scares me like when the words that come to me make me realize that I have the wrong boyfriend. Nothing to do with my current boyfriend who is the man of my life. I just want to emphasize how challenging it is even if it helps to get to know each other better. Which is why it feels so good to take a step back from time to time and write for others. I compose a lot of soundtracks for cinema and television. In general, the directors send me their script but I rarely read them. I prefer that they tell me their story live. I immerse myself in it completely to the point that music springs up spontaneously in me. It's so interesting to provoke certain emotions in the audience through subtle and captivating sounds. "

GOOSEBUMPS &nbsp;
Emotions which, in the case of Tsar B, are further exacerbated by her faithful violin which as she confirmed to us, has not left her since she was 12 years old. 
"I still remember when I bought it. Something was wrong, but it also made it sound cooler compared to other violins. I don't need high tech, because I use it almost like a synthesizer and anyway I enjoy distorting sounds.I've been playing in bands since I was 14. At first I kinda put aside my passion for classical music and the baroque, but when I included it in my repertoire, the public responded with enthusiasm. The greatest compliment you can give me is to tell me that I managed to move someone to tears. I read one day the sound of a violin evokes, in our unconscious, a sharp and poignant human cry that gives goosebumps. The hairs that stand on end in the face of danger are a manifestation of the primitive instinct that we still observe in animals. Enough to explain in broad outline the emotional impact of a violin".
We are all the more surprised to see Tsar B destroy her beloved instrument in "To The Stars". Like Jimi Hendrix in his day, she does not see it as an expression of anger, but rather a declaration of love and proof of the devouring passion it inspires in her. 
"It's my way of honouring the violin. My album is also full of love, a feeling that has been pervasive in recent years in all its forms. Many men have crossed my path and I somehow dedicate a song to each of them. At the beginning of the process, I was coming out of a breakup after a relationship of several years. I have risen from it, I have aged and matured, and it shows. I now realize the importance of reflection and analysis. We must tend towards a less superficial life and not be satisfied with half measures. These last few years have been hard, the difficulties have not spared me and I have not always made my life easier. I am leaving my comfort zone and exploring new spaces where I can fully unfold my potential. Hence the choice of the title To The Stars. I gave this album as a gift to astronaut Dirk Frimout, who recounted what it feels like to be thrown into space: first you are pressed against your seat by a gigantic force, then you find yourself weightless and, finally, you observe the world from a distance. This matches how I feel right now. "

DON QUIXOTE
The adventurous side of the artist also sometimes takes on tragic accents which she does not deprive herself of. In the track "Auwtch" , which tells of a relationship perceived in advance as painful, she gallops towards her great love on a mechanical mount, ready to strike him in the heart with her bow and arrows. Except that it is standing still with, in the background, a dummy decor without soul. 
&ldquo;The very type of the failed hero like Don Quixote who fights a fierce and futile battle against windmills. I am armed with a bow and arrows, but I miss my target. Failure would make me suffer but that didn't stop me from persisting. Now that the album is out, I want to devote myself more to the visual aspect. The music is magnificent, the image too. I have very specific ideas about music videos and I like to surround myself with people whose creativity matches mine. Director Lennert Madou is one of them. So are stylists like Tom Eerebout, Eveline Briand and Deborah Uber. I sometimes contact designers directly. I like to discover their workshop and their universe, and create with them. Fashion is an important ingredient for Tsar B: impossible to perform on stage without the appropriate look. Ginger Bogaert designed all the outfits of the band for the <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/music/every-taylor-swift-eras-tour-look-outfit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tour</a> of To The Stars. I consider my clothes as full partners. Not to identify me with a role, but because they bring the final touch to Tsar B in whom I see my alter ego. In my music, I bare my soul and, on stage, I have the same fragility as in real life except that, when I slip into the skin of Star B, I feel much stronger." 
Performer, producer, DJ and visual artist, is Tsar B a beast on stage or a quiet force in the background? And how does she manage to do it all? 
"Silence is priceless, because you have to know purify the ear between all the music. Recharge your batteries and press &ldquo;pause&rdquo;. I thought lately that I was suffering from tinnitus: my lover was talking to me and I nodded impassively but deep down inside, I was mad with anguish because I only heard a continuous buzzing. In the evening, I found out that it was due to a problem with my phone's charger. What a relief! I am constantly surrounded by sounds, they take such a place in my life that I cannot do without moments of tranquility. Sometimes my schedule is less busy, but more often than not I have tons of things to do at the same time. I am a flexible person, who wants to meet lots of challenges and even too many. Not to the point of losing myself, because deep inside me, I'm a chameleon but sometimes it saturates in my head. Auwtch is very revealing in this regard. The clip was shot in one go in fast motion then slowed down. During filming, I had to lip sync at twice the rate of the original track. My boyfriend recently pointed out to me that I live much faster than normal people. We understood why the filming of Auwtch did not pose a problem: my brain is stuck in a universe where everything goes twice as fast. "

Tsar B: meeting with a singer impossible to catagorise

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