Rêve is bringing club culture to Dalhousie

Rêve is ready to step into a new era of dance music at this year’s Dalfest. The singer is headlining the popular O-Week event alongside Canadian stars BBNO$ and Priyanka on Sept. 5.

Rêve was exposed to club culture at an early age and took to it immediately. Born and raised in Montreal, she recalls the first time she went to Velvet Speakeasy, a place that ultimately became her favourite Montreal club. 

“I remember seeing my first DJ,” she says. “The set was amazing.” 

But the music wasn’t the only thing that made the night memorable. “It was paying attention to the people around me and how dance music can be so transcendent, escapist and euphoric,” she says. 

That experience set the tone for her musical style. 

“That was the night I decided I wanted to distill that molecule and infuse it in everything that I did going forward,” she says.

Her motto, which she carries with her into the studio and on stage, is simple: “peace, love, unity and respect.” Something she hopes to infuse into the crowds that come to see her, hoping to share with them the sense of community she has found through dance music.

“That’s what I took from the rave scene and club culture and brought it into my present day to day.”

Music has always been part of Rêve’s life. Raised by what she calls “a family of audiophiles,” she was exposed to records of all genres growing up. 

“My dad was more of the classic rock guy, and my mom was into Motown and disco.” 

It was during childhood that she discovered Whitney Houston. When she entered her first talent show, she brought Houston along with her, performing her hit “I Have Nothing.” 

“She’s definitely been an inspiration since I was a kid,” says Rêve.

Although her involvement in music began at an early age, her rise to stardom occurred unexpectedly. After performing the national anthems at a Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens NHL game in 2014, she returned to the dressing room to discover her performance was going viral online. 

“It was an amazing and overwhelming time, but it definitely kick started my career,” she says.

Over ten years later, her music has over 160 million global streams. In 2021, she released her double-certified platinum hit single “CTRL + ALT + DEL” and collaborated with artists Banx & Ranx on the 2022 hit “Headphones.”

Rêve has no plans to slow down. Fans attending her performance at this year’s DalFest can expect to witness Rêve usher in the next stage of her career. 

“It’s a nod to a new era that’s definitely more escapist. It’s warm, it’s danceable, it’s sexy.”