In a musical world saturated with surface-level emotion and AI-driven pop formulas, Neandertal, the new single by French artist Giù, is something truly rare: deeply human, handmade, and brimming with meaning. Drawing on his artisan spirit and rock influences—from Elton John and Kansas to Serge Gainsbourg—Giù delivers a profound piece of musical storytelling that’s as intimate as it is epic.
The single “Neandertal” is the title track of his upcoming album, and it’s nothing short of ambitious: a tragic tale told from the perspective of the last Neanderthal man. It’s a bold concept—and one that no one else seems to have dared to touch. But Giù doesn’t just tell a story—he feels it. And that makes all the difference.
At its core, Neandertal is more than a song—it’s a tribute. Giù sets out to give emotional and psychological depth to a being whose voice was never heard, whose extinction was never mourned. The result is a composition that touches something primal. The lyricism doesn’t just narrate—it imagines, mourns, and connects.
“There is still 2% of his DNA in us,” Giù reminds us. “So… he is in us.”
That haunting insight frames the entire song. We’re not just listening to a forgotten ancestor’s story—we’re listening to our own.
Recorded just 15 minutes from his home in Embrun, France, the track bears the fingerprints of an artist completely in control of his vision. No AI. No ghostwriters. No polished committee-built production. Just Giù, his voice, his instruments, and a lot of soul. With the guidance of demanding and detail-oriented sound engineer Lionel Bissière, the track reaches a sonic peak that feels both organic and cinematic.
There’s a rock foundation, but the layers are rich—evoking the drama of a stage musical and the introspection of a folk ballad. The late addition of a soaring guitar outro, born from a sudden burst of inspiration, adds a cathartic climax that leaves you hanging in that ancient valley between extinction and memory.
Giù’s journey as an artist began in the most unlikely of places: a hospital bed during the first wave of COVID-19. On the brink of death, he found a lifeline in music. That origin story bleeds into everything he writes—it gives his songs a kind of urgency and authenticity that can’t be faked. Neandertal is his fifth album, and part of a prolific year in which he plans to release Back Is Rock in June, a psychedelic album in October, and even a musical titled simply (A).
At 62, Giù is not chasing charts or fame—he’s chasing connection. He doesn’t play to empty rooms, and he doesn’t make music just to keep up with trends. He’s a storyteller first, a craftsman always, and a rock romantic to the end.
While most artists in 2025 are racing for virality, Giù is writing for eternity. Neandertal is a song that asks big questions: What does it mean to be the last of your kind? What do we owe to those who came before us? Can music resurrect memory?
This release stands out because it dares to care. It’s a song of empathy, of recognition, of reaching back in time and refusing to let a story be forgotten.
Neandertal is tragic, poetic, and unusually profound. It’s the kind of song that stays with you—not just because of the melody (which is catchy in a classic rock sort of way), but because of the idea it plants in your head. Giù isn’t just making music—he’s telling stories that matter.
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