On the Verge with French DJ Martin Solveig

• In his new video, 'The Night Out,' Solveig pokes fun at dubstep
• He writes and directs his own music videos, often mimicking French comedies from the 1960s
• His signature fashion statement is a headband, which has been showcased on Madonna's recent tour

This is a weekly feature spotlighting breakthrough artists

Don't let the headband fool you: With his watery, puppy-dog eyes and diminutive frame, Martin Solveig (aka Martin Picandet) doesn't look like a star. But the 36-year-old French DJ has been spinning for stadium-size crowds around the world for years. His new album, Smash, featuring hit single, Hello, just made its U.S. debut. Add a string of opening dates on Madonna's tour, shake it up with a hilarious music video of the new single, The Night Out, and he stands to usurp fellow French DJ David Guetta's electronic dance music throne, crowned by his signature headband.

Hello, America!: "A year ago, I did not even exist in the U.S., but with the success of Hello, I've come from nothing to a rather big act in the electronic scene," he says. Fans who already own a copy of his European Smash will notice that the U.S. version differs. "I'm always making new versions. Sometimes I even prefer them over my original ones," he says. "For this album, I tried to make it the best for American audiences, which has more excitement for EDM than Europe, where it's been around much longer." No matter which version, fans will find his quirky sense of humor throughout. "My music is very electronic house with a little bit of rock edge," he says. "That sums up everything about me, really."

Renaissance man: For his music videos, Solveig prefers to write and direct them himself. "I love Wes Anderson's work, such as The Royal Tenenbaums, as well as the Coen Brothers, and try to direct the videos in the style of French comedies from the '60s," he says.

In new video The Night Out, Solveig spends a night courting a young woman. At the beginning of the evening, she puts him squarely in the friend zone, but by the end, they're taking a romantic scooter ride around Paris. He's shown poking fun at the genre du jour: dubstep. "I love dubstep, actually, I use it in my songs," he says with a laugh. "I was trying to make it a little romantic. I think dubstep, because it has a lot of highs, is a lot like women." The video also features cameos from a number of big names in the EDM world such as Laidback Luke, Madeon, Porter Robinson, Zedd and Dillon Francis.

Lifelong love of music: "I had classical (music) training as a child and started DJing when I was 13, playing house parties for friends. I played little clubs and put out my first record when I was 18," he says. "At the time, electronic dance music was very underground, but I am very happy that it has become mainstream. I want to share my music with the largest number of people, not make music for a few."

Musical diversity: His frivolous, fun beats have translated well, making him a crossover artist. On Smash, he had the help of dance artists such as Dev and Kele from Bloc Party. "My dream is to work with Gwen Stefani. She's one of the best pop icons of all time and the perfect vocal talent," he says. "But now that she's retired from (her solo career), that makes it a little more difficult." On working with Madonna, he doesn't have that much to say. "I'm too small to speak about her," he jokes.

In the meantime: Solveig plans to continue making tennis headbands fashionable. "I have hundreds of headbands, I change them every show," he says. "I even had a little company make me 300 or 400 of them. It's not only an act, it's definitely my sport."