The debut album from Ben L’Oncle Soul was released ten years ago, revealing an extraordinary soul-infused singer who sprung from nowhere – or, more specifically, from the school of fine arts in Tours. Since then, his superb voice has enraptured audiences in hundreds of venues. But Oncle Soul is the past. Now he is just Ben., no longer the same character he created at the start of his musical career. “I’d formed a really strong bond with the public and I thought it was finally time to get even closer, to move on to a more direct relationship,” he explains. Ben. is a timeless nickname. Simple, clear. And lacking the nostalgic resonance of an uncle, however soulful! The good news is that this isn’t merely a name change; his sound has evolved as well. On Addicted to You, Ben. tears down the boundaries between R’n’B and hip hop, goes jazzy with a pop vibe, echoes of soul and reggae here and there. An album that reflects his musical passions as a teenager, from Method Man to Lauryn Hill, Wu Tang Clan to Robert Glapper’s jazz and 90s R’n’B artists like Usher, TLC, Maxwell and Aaliyah.