“Fragmentable”: A Structural Critique Wrapped in Synth-Pop
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With “Fragmentable”, Richthi delivers more than a standalone single. The track operates as a cultural diagnosis. Through deliberate lyrical construction and a controlled sonic aesthetic, the artist examines a society that no longer conceives of itself as an organic whole, but as a system of divisible, optimizable units.
The title itself is conceptual. Fragmentable implies something that can be broken down, segmented, reconfigured. Richthi applies that idea to a nation, to institutions, and ultimately to individuals.
From Coherence to Negotiability
The opening verse establishes temporal contrast. Childhood is framed as a period when the world appeared readable, structured, intelligible:
“Quand j’étais gosse, le monde paraissait lisible” Fragmentable - lyrics
That sense of coherence gradually dissolves. Truth becomes negotiable. Promises shift shape. Values are rendered optional Fragmentable - lyrics. The vocabulary signals a move from stability to transactional fluidity.
This is not presented as nostalgia for a mythic past, but as a structural observation: the transformation of collective meaning into adjustable parameters.
Language as Evidence
One of the song’s most distinctive features is its systematic use of words ending in -able and -ible: modulable, adjustable, segmentable, quantifiable.
Richthi explicitly links this choice to administrative and technical language:
“Le choix des rimes en -able et en -ible vient directement du langage administratif […]” Fragmentable expliqué par Richt…
The technique is intentional. It reproduces the vocabulary of management systems and process engineering. The effect is cumulative. The listener experiences repetition, automation, procedural rhythm. The lyrics themselves begin to resemble the system they critique.
Human beings are described as “interoperable,” lives as “remote-controlled” Fragmentable - lyrics. Terminology borrowed from computing becomes existential.
Governing by Segmentation
According to the artist, Fragmentable reflects the division of society into manageable parts Fragmentable expliqué par Richt…. Instead of a shared body politic, we encounter categorized groups, measurable profiles, extractable emotions.
Memory becomes deletable. Shame becomes uninstallable. Anger becomes monetizable Fragmentable - lyrics. What once belonged to the moral or symbolic realm is reframed as operational input.
The critique is systemic rather than partisan. It addresses a mode of organization driven by optimization logic.
The Aesthetic Paradox: Synth-Pop as Medium
Musically, the track draws from 1980s-inspired synth-pop. Electronic instruments—programmable, precise, sometimes cold—shape the atmosphere.
Richthi highlights the paradox:
Using machines to speak about what in us should never become a machine Fragmentable expliqué par Richt…
The sonic texture reinforces the theme. Structured beats and layered synthesizers mirror automation and process logic. Yet emotion persists within that framework. The tension between mechanical form and human depth becomes central.
Transmission vs. Replaceability
The bridge introduces a counterpoint: transmission.
“Mais bâtir quelque chose de transmissible” Fragmentable - lyrics
Fragmentation, as described by the artist, interrupts continuity Fragmentable expliqué par Richt…. When everything becomes replaceable, what endures? If identity is endlessly reconfigurable, what is passed forward?
Importantly, Richthi clarifies that the song is not an attack on progress Fragmentable expliqué par Richt…. The concern lies in reduction: the compression of human complexity into system-compatible units.
An Open Question
The recurring line addresses France directly:
“Dis-moi France, comment tu t’es laissée fragmentable” Fragmentable - lyrics
It is not framed as accusation but inquiry. The question implies collective participation in systemic change. The song refrains from prescriptive answers. Instead, it creates analytical space.
Écouter et découvrir
🎧 Stream “Fragmentable”:
🔎 Discover more from Richthi:
Spotify Best Of: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7Cs5zS6aikUPuiNjyRtVg5?si=8f4e3615f8c94e01
Deezer Best Of: https://www.deezer.com/us/playlist/13801489081
Deezer artist page: https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/296579711
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/94Richthi/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_richthi_
Conclusion
“Fragmentable” operates as a metaphor for contemporary society: optimized, segmented, efficient—yet at risk of disintegration.
Through technical vocabulary repurposed as poetic material, Richthi frames a central tension of the digital era: how to remain transmissible and human in a world that
increasingly renders us configurable.
The track does not conclude the debate. It formalizes it.
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