Picture a tiny horseshoe-shaped port. A couple of boats rock gently at their moorings, as if waiting patiently for their next journey to sea. People of all genders, of all origins, sip their evening drinks under a hot sun that warms both bodies and hearts. It must be some faraway place, maybe a Greek island, but definitely not just minutes from the bustling center of France’s second largest city. Marseilles. Vallon des Auffes. Just a short distance from the Corniche Kennedy. This is where Kid Francescoli, a native of the area, has dreamed up Lovers, his fifth album.

Lovers owes a lot to the city where it was conceived, where a love story spurred a creative spark that was magnified by all of Mathieu’s journeys on tour. Because when he returns to Marseilles after these long trips, Mathieu feels both feet firmly on the ground — he is more confident in his choices. While an American mood had inspired him before, it’s this special Latin color that makes Lovers glow. This is the radiant album of a fulfilled man. Well, almost — he would truly be fulfilled if his favorite football club (which inspired his artistic namesake), Olympique de Marseille, recovered its past glory. But with such a beautiful soundtrack, anything is possible.