When Stromae released Ma Meilleure Ennemie, a collaboration with French singer-songwriter Pomme, it landed with more than cinematic weight.
Designed for the second season of Arcane: League of Legends, the song captures a conflicted relationship through obsessive repetition, layered emotion, and stripped-down elegance.
But its story doesn’t rely on visuals alone. What gives it staying power is how much it says—and refuses to say—within its few minutes.
Released on 25 November 2024, the track appears in episode 7 of Arcane’s second season, during a dance sequence between Ekko and Powder.
The moment is rich with imagined peace, but the lyrics point somewhere else entirely: a relationship held together by habit and harm.
This collaboration dives deep into themes of love, conflict, and the fine line separating the two.
We’ve crafted a special song for the final season of @arcaneshow with Pomme. « Ma meilleure ennemie » is now available on all platforms! pic.twitter.com/ZwCMAEzZLd
— Stromae (@Stromae) November 23, 2024
A Deeper Look at The Meaning of “Ma Meilleure Ennemie”
The title plays with the phrase “ma meilleure amie” (my best friend) and flips it into “ma meilleure ennemie” (my best enemy).
It’s less wordplay and more emotional shorthand. There’s no attempt to hide the contradiction. The opening line repeats like a stuck record:
French: Je t’aime, je te hais, je t’aime, je te hais
English: I love you, I hate you, I love you, I hate you
It doesn’t build. It loops—capturing the emotional paralysis of not knowing whether to stay, go, or give in.
The Scene Behind the Song, “Ma Meilleure Ennemie“
In Arcane, Ma Meilleure Ennemie features prominently as part of the series’ richly emotional soundtrack.
The song underscores an alternate reality sequence where the weight of unspoken emotions and unresolved histories plays out.
Stromae and Pomme’s collaboration enhances the show’s themes of longing and what could have been.
The haunting melody and emotive lyrics invite viewers to imagine their own stories of love and loss, resonating far beyond the screen.
As one fan described it, “This is Stromae at his most vulnerable, and Pomme’s harmonies make it unforgettable.”
Producers, Writers, and Credits
Stromae co-wrote the lyrics with Pomme, crafting a narrative that reflects both of their distinctive styles.
He also co-produced the track with his brother and longtime collaborator Luc Van Haver, blending intricate production techniques with emotionally charged melodies.
In an earlier statement, Stromae explained, “This track was an opportunity to experiment with vulnerability in a way that felt authentic.”
A Deeper Look at “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” Lyrics Meaning
French: T’es la meilleure chose qui m’est arrivée / Mais aussi la pire chose qui m’est arrivée
English: You’re the best thing to ever happen to me / But also the worst thing to ever happen to me
This line opens the first verse and sets the foundation. Stromae sings it with a kind of exhausted clarity, as though each word carries weight he no longer wants to hold.
There’s no side taken—only contradiction. Stromae offers the kind of line that sounds simple until you’ve lived it.
French: La pire des bénédictions / La plus belle des malédictions
English: The worst of all blessings / The most beautiful of curses
The language elevates the sentiment, and the delivery reinforces it. Pomme softens her tone while Stromae leans into the bitterness.
Pain and beauty don’t cancel each other out—they hold hands throughout.
French: Plutôt qu’être seul, mieux vaut être mal accompagné
English: Better than alone is to be in bad company
The line echoes a common French proverb. Stromae delivers it flatly, without irony, as if trying to believe it while knowing better.
It’s not a casual observation—it’s a justification. A defence mechanism.
French (Chorus): Mais ma meilleure ennemie, c’est toi / Fuis-moi, le pire, c’est toi et moi
English: But my best enemy is you / Flee from me, the worst is you and I
No solution. No reconciliation. The way their voices overlap—sometimes in harmony, sometimes in conflict—feels like two perspectives trapped in the same memory. Just two people held hostage by what they once were.
French: Pourquoi ton prénom me blesse / Quand il se cache juste là dans l’espace ?
English: Why does your name hurt me / When it hides right there in the vicinity?
Pomme’s lines carry more than sorrow—they sound like they’re coming from somewhere she’s been avoiding.
Her vocal delivery is soft but deliberate, as though she’s trying not to let the sadness spill too quickly. This is memory acting as both a trigger and a ghost.
French: Le passé qui te suit te fait la guerre
English: The past that follows you wages war on you
There’s an eerie calm in this truth. Her delivery here becomes almost whispered, adding an undercurrent of resignation.
Sometimes, it’s not the person you’re avoiding—it’s the history attached to them.
“It’s about relationships that feel inescapable,” Stromae explained in an interview. “You can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them.”
From Netflix to the Charts
Released as part of Riot Games’ official soundtrack, the track quickly made history: it became the most-streamed French-language song on Spotify in a single day.
It also debuted on international charts, including a number one slot in France and Belgium, a Top 10 Global 200 position, and a Billboard Hot 100 appearance—a rare outcome for a French track.
The timing mattered. Stromae had just returned from a two-year break after cancelling his Multitude tour.
In that context, lyrics like “Maybe I would rather / That it never happened to me” hint at something heavier—an artist reckoning with his own thresholds.
The Visual: Dance, Memory, and Alternate Realities
Released on 15 March 2025, the official music video was directed by Tom Gouill and animated by Fortiche Production.
The video expands the song’s tension without cleaning it up. The dance scene between Ekko and Powder isn’t just an animation flourish; it imagines a world where their past didn’t tear them apart.
It revisits the same moment depicted in Arcane—a slow, emotionally layered dance between Ekko and Powder in an imagined timeline untouched by trauma.
The visual storytelling leans heavily on lighting and close framing. Ekko’s hesitation, Powder’s almost-recognition, the way their bodies move slightly out of sync—all of it points to a kind of affection that no longer fits cleanly into the present.
The choreography is less about seduction and more about reflection—two people circling what might have been. The gestures are loaded, but the video never tells you how to feel.
A Timely Release
Released months after Stromae was honored as Commander of the Order of the Crown by King Philippe of Belgium, Ma Meilleure Ennemie marks a celebratory yet introspective return for the artist.
Stromae’s recognition highlights his influence not just on Belgian culture but on the global music stage.
Collaboration at Its Best
Ma Meilleure Ennemie showcases Stromae and Pomme’s ability to fuse personal depth with a collaborative spirit.
In their rare public appearances, both artists have emphasised the importance of storytelling in their music.
Stromae noted, “This wasn’t just a duet; it was an exploration of how two voices can tell one story.”
Stromae and Pomme’s Ma Meilleure Ennemie: Meaning and Final Thoughts
Ma Meilleure Ennemie is far from being just about closure. It documents a kind of emotional looping that has no clean ending.
Every line pulls between hurt and hope. The production never overreaches. It just sits with you.
By pairing that atmosphere with Arcane, the track stops being background music.
It becomes part of a bigger emotional thread—one that viewers, listeners, and anyone with a past can follow without needing to be told why.
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Stromae & Pomme Ma Meilleure Ennemie Lyrics (English Translation)
Intro
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
Verse 1: Stromae
You’re the best thing to ever happen to me
But also the worst thing to ever happen to me
On that day when I met you, maybe I would rather
That it never happened to me (To me)
The worst of all blessings
The best of all cursеs
I should stray away from you
But as the saying goes
Bettеr than alone, is to be in bad company
Pre-Chorus: Stromae, Stromae
You know what they say
Stay close to your dearest friends
But also
Even closer to your adversaries
Chorus: Stromae & Pomme
But my best enemy is you
Flee from me, the worst is you and I
But if you keep searching for my voice
Forget me, the worst is you and I
Verse 2: Pomme
Why does hearing your name hurt me
When it hides right there in the vicinity?
What kind of emotion, is it hatred
Or pure sweetness when I hear your name?
Pre-Chorus: Pomme
I had told you, not to keep looking behind
Your past will follow you and take you to war
Chorus: Stromae & Pomme
But my best enemy is you
Flee from me, the worst is you and I
But my best enemy is you
Flee from me, the worst is you and I
Outro
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
I love you, I’m leaving you, I love you, I’m leaving you
