William Cloutier says he is in “mon moment” as On dansait autrefois has stayed in the top 100 BDS francophones for 18 weeks. The run extends the momentum around L’amour, released in March 2025, while his solo show has been touring since April and pulling in crowds that sing along.
“Je pensais que c’était mon petit joker de l’album, honnêtement. Je savais que ça pouvait fonctionner, je te l’avoue, mais gros comme ça, non. Avec la danse en ligne, le mouvement qui s’est créé, ça, ça m’a vraiment pris de cours,” he said of the track. The line-dance created by Vicky Pouillard spread to dance schools across Quebec, giving the song a second life beyond radio.
Vicky Pouillard’s dance spread
That extra push matters because Cloutier is not relying on one channel. He said his audience now sings his lyrics back to him in concert, and that the live response has turned the show into what he called “un gros party” when people come onstage knowing the choreography.
He also pointed to a SOCAN award for “Je veux pas que tu t’en ailles,” saying, “Récemment, j’ai reçu un prix à la SOCAN pour Je veux pas que tu t’en ailles. D’avoir la reconnaissance du milieu, ça me touche beaucoup.” Awards and radio traction are landing at the same time, which is a stronger position than either one alone.
Two albums, one solo show
Cloutier framed the current stretch as the first time several pieces have lined up at once. “C’est une célébration de vraiment constater que j’ai deux albums à succès, que mon spectacle ratisse large, puis que les gens chantent mes paroles. C’est comme si tout est aligné. Je suis revenu de Starmania, je suis revenu de Paris, puis là, c’est mon moment,” he said.
He described the production as “dansant,” “francophone,” and “familial,” with “envolées vocales” and an inclusive pop structure. He added, “Je pense que c’est mission accomplie.” Fireworks, an inflatable mouth and special lighting give the show scale, and he joked that with an unlimited budget he would arrive “comme Pink, soutenu par des chars.”
The question now is whether this stretch becomes a longer commercial baseline. An album from March, a tour running since April, an 18-week chart presence and a SOCAN award point to more than a brief spike; they suggest a Quebec artist with enough cross-age reach to keep filling rooms and keep radio programmers moving his songs.
