How A 2013 French Song About Losing One's Father Became Instagram's Most Trending Music In 2026

The Internet is abuzz with another viral trend. The 2013 song Papaoutai from the album Racine Carrée by Belgian-Rwandan artist Stromae has resurfaced on social media, with users creating dance challenges, aesthetic edits and emotional montages set to this track.

Papaoutai's new version, credited to creators Unjaps, mikeeysmind and Chill77, is infused with electronic pop beats, Afrobeat rhythms, soulful choir layers and warmer vocal textures. This new version is one of the Instagram's most trending music in 2026. 

But do you know the real story behind the track?

The Real Story

Papaoutai's theme centres around the 1994 Rwandan genocide, with the title delivering a playful phonetic twist on “Papa, où t'es?” (Dad, where are you?). The track weaves together childlike innocence and curiosity with the pain of having an absent father, exploring loss, identity and the cycle of parenthood.

The official music video, replete with striking visuals, features Stromae as an emotionally unavailable father figure, depicted through a lifeless mannequin. A young boy tries to spend time with the mannequin. He interacts and plays with him, but cannot bring his dad to life. In a heartbreaking twist, he watches kids his age sharing an affectionate bond with their fathers – a direct contrast to his own situation.

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As the song progresses, Papaoutai shifts from a child's naive perspective of counting fingers and eagerly waiting for his dad to the young boy asking broader questions like, “Everyone knows how to make babies, but no one knows how to make dads,” highlighting irresponsible parenting and societal norms surrounding fatherhood.

Papaoutai draws its inspiration from Stromae's father, a Rwandan architect, who was largely absent during his childhood. He was killed in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and as a result, Stromae, who was only 9 years old at the time, was able to spend only a brief period with him. The singer was subsequently raised by his Belgian mother in Brussels.

The song subtly captures Stromae's emotions as he uses humour and rhythm to process grief. Papaoutai's music video has amassed more than 1 billion views on YouTube.