After nearly seven years since Good Faith, Madeon returns with Victory, a bold new chapter that pushes far beyond his signature sound. Inspired by heartbreak, reinvention, and the desire to constantly evolve, the Grammy-nominated producer embraced distorted vocals, live instrumentation, and an entirely new sonic identity for his latest album.
Ahead of bringing Victory to the stage, Madeon spoke about taking creative risks, designing one of his most ambitious live productions yet, and the lasting legacy he hopes to leave through his music.
LIANA: What inspired Victory, and when did you know it was time to start a new project?
MADEON: I think the one sin of an artist is to be boring and predictable, so I became really excited by the idea of making something that felt risky and unexpected. I intentionally moved away from the sounds people associated with Good Faith and leaned into distorted vocals, funky guitars, and a much higher-energy style. It felt like a strategic departure, but also a very honest one. I was capturing something that felt immediate—a version of myself that only existed during that specific moment in my life.
LIANA: Many artists stick with what’s familiar. How did you feel confident taking your music in such a different direction?
MADEON: I’ve always felt incredibly fortunate to have an audience that’s invested in my perspective rather than expecting one specific sound from me. That gave me the confidence to follow where life was leading creatively instead of worrying about expectations. A lot of the album was inspired by heartbreak and that strange period after a breakup where you’re almost performing a stronger, edgier version of yourself, even if it’s mostly for your own benefit. I realized that was exactly when I needed to make this album because it captured a feeling I wouldn’t have been able to recreate later.
LIANA: Your live shows have always been incredibly immersive. How are you approaching bringing Victory to the stage?
MADEON: The live show has always been a fundamental part of how I think about making music, so the album and the performance were developed alongside each other. For this show, I wanted to visually represent the sounds people hear on the record. Even though I’m physically alone on stage, I’m joined by fictional band members wearing these geometric masks. They’re actually real musicians and actors that we filmed and composited into elaborate visual effects sequences. Through lighting, shadows, and animation, they feel like they’re performing beside me, turning the electronic music into something much more tangible.
LIANA: Where does that level of creative production come from?
MADEON: I work with an incredible team of animators that I’ve collaborated with for years, and we’ve really become like family. When we started developing this show, we gathered at my house in Los Angeles and built a miniature version of the stage. We had a tiny figurine representing me, a miniature video wall, and could test visuals in real time. It felt like we were mad scientists experimenting with different ideas until everything clicked. Watching that small-scale model eventually become a full-sized production has been incredibly rewarding, and it also pulls together techniques I’ve learned from previous tours and even the livestream projects I worked on during the pandemic.
LIANA: Looking ahead, are there any goals, milestones, or dream collaborations you’re still chasing?
MADEON: Right now, my biggest goal is to keep bringing this show to larger audiences because I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created. More broadly, I hope I can continue making albums that challenge me creatively and allow me to keep evolving. As for a dream collaboration, it’s actually less about working with a specific artist. My secret dream is to write a song that becomes a timeless wedding classic, something people are still dancing to decades from now. A song that’s beyond trends or what’s considered cool, and instead becomes part of people’s lives for generations.
With Victory, Madeon has chosen uncertainty, experimentation, and artistic growth. That same philosophy extends beyond the album into a visually groundbreaking live experience built with years of creative collaboration and technical innovation. While he’s excited to continue expanding the Victory era, his biggest ambition remains surprisingly timeless: creating music that becomes part of people’s most meaningful moments.
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