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New album, State de France… Aya Nakamura is ready to reclaim her crown
After she took the nation by storm at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, singer Aya Nakamura is finally back. The star, who was recently inducted into the Musée Grévin in Paris, will release her new album, Destinée, next November, before two live performances at the Stade de France in 2026.
By Violaine Schütz.
Published on 29 October 2025. Updated on 18 November 2025.
2025 and 2026 are big years for the charismatic and talented Aya Nakamura. The 30-year-old French-Malian singer, whose wax figure recently entered the Musée Grévin in Paris, will release her fifth album this year. Titled Destinée, the follow-up to DNK (2023) is scheduled for release on November 21st, 2025. The superstar has also announced two concerts at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on May 29th and 30th, 2026. She is the only French female artist since Mylène Farmer to be lined up for this legendary venue. Tickets will be starting on sale on October 30th.
The singer will perform at the Stade de France
“I’m so happy to be back with a new album that truly reflects who I am and to finally share it with my audience. Destinée is a part of me, and performing at the Stade de France feels like a full circle moment. I can’t wait to share all of this with you,” she declared in a press release.
A futuristic teaser shared on her social media suggests that a new era is opening for the artist. Wearing a blue wig, high heels, silver nails and a cosmic white outfit, she moves like a manga character through barren lands, which gradually appear to be a stadium. Before that, the singer had already released several singles this year, including Désarmer.
Destinée, Aya Nakamura’s new studio album
In February, the singer released Chimiyé, along with a music video heavily inspired by the 2000s. That decade is also echoed in sounds used for the track. Blending R’n’B and afrobeat influences and created in collaboration with Alpha Wann and Doums, Chimiyé became one of the biggest hits of the summer with its uplifting lyrics: “He wants the house, he wants the kids, he talks to me in chimi chimiyé“
Another potential summer anthem? The sultry Baddies, released last May 2025 by Aya Nakamura and Joé Dwèt Filé. With its provocative lyrics about a romantic relationship, its irresistibly swaying melody, and its hedonistic music video featuring a cool girls’ trip, the song feels like an instant hit.
These recent events confirm that the singer is back for real. Many still recall with emotion Aya Nakamura’s live performance during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 26th, 2024, on the Pont des Arts in Paris. She performed two of her biggest hits (Pookie and Djaja), as well as Charles Aznavour’s For me formidable (1963) alongside the Republican Guard.
Thus, everyone could listen to her singing the meaningful lyrics dressed in a Dior golden gladiator outfit: “I’d better choose my words / To please you / In the language of Molière”. The performance sparked major reactions, drawing both racist backlash and widespread acclaim from the French and international press.
A memorable performance at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games
After this, the French-Malian singer decided to step back for a while and take time to process all the criticisms. It wasn’t until August 25th, 2024, that she broke her silence on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter).
She explained: “When they asked me to perform at the event, I didn’t even know what the Olympics were. When I say I didn’t know, I mean I didn’t grasp what it represented. It was a bit unclear in my mind. I asked myself a lot of questions. We were planning the show with the Olympics team in a pretty relaxed way. But then I started seeing things on social media… Luckily I didn’t see everything, because I might have ended up cursing some people’s mothers.”
Regarding the racist remarks, she added: “As a Black woman artist, I think I bore the brunt of everything. I’ve been in conversations where people said to me, ‘Oh, you’re sensitive?’ Well, yeah.” She also called out “the caricature of the Black woman people saw in [her].”
Aya Nakamura performs at the Pièces Jaunes charity gala in Paris
Fortunately, the artist didn’t let the negativity defeat her. She made her comeback at a major event. In a custom-made LGNC outfit, Aya Nakamura performed at Europe’s largest indoor venue, Paris La Défense Arena, for the Pièces Jaunes charity gala on January 23rd, 2025. She sang her hits Baby and 40% to a thrilled audience.
That fundraising concert, aiming at improving the daily lives of hospitalised children, brought together international artists including Rosé from Blackpink, pop star Katy Perry, Burna Boy, John Legend, J-Hope (from BTS), G-Dragon, J Balvin, Pretty Yende, and pianist Lang Lang.
The charismatic Aya Nakamura, who hadn’t performed live since the 2024 Olympics, also made an appearance at the U-Arena in Bercy, Paris, on January 24th, 2025. There, she was the artistic director of an NBA All-Star Game night.
Destinée by Aya Nakamura, coming out on November 21st, 2025. Concerts at the Stade de France on May 29th and 30th, 2026.
