Bonjour ! I’m back with a new language-related blog post. I’m aware I said in my last status update that I dropped the language category from my blog. This post is one that I’ve been sitting on, though. I wish I’d published it a lot sooner. Listening to music is one of my favorite pastimes. It also greatly helped me master the French language. This was among my biggest motivations. I really wanted to know what the singers were saying.
Now, I’m an American and I live in the U.S. This means I have no idea what kind of music the average French person listens to. I just searched for French-language musicians on Google, YouTube, and Apple Music. These last two also gave me recommendations from time to time. So the selection I’m about to list reflects my personal tastes. I prefer soloists to bands, and female singers to male singers. I also don’t like hard rock, metal, rap, or anything of the kind. Here are some of my favorite French musicians, in no particular order:
I list Alizée first because she’s the first-ever French musician I discovered. I mentioned this in one of my old blog posts. Although Alizée is currently retired, she remains one of my top favorite singers. She also seemed to be a really big deal during the 2000s decade. Alizée is most well-known for her single Moi…Lolita, which remains her biggest success. It defined Alizée's image as a young woman who combines sex appeal and innocence. The effect is increased by her melodic, captivating voice.
Songs I like most: J’en ai marre !, Par les paupières, Je veux bien, Seulement pour te plaire
The first song I heard by Louane was Jour 1, which hit big along with Avenir. Louane has a distinctive, slightly throaty voice that’s really pleasant. It feels kind of soothing. Louane pairs her voice with mostly feel-good songs and a few love ballads. Louane was a semi-finalist in season two of France’s The Voice: la plus belle voix. All four coaches turned their chairs, a testament to Louane’s talent. She’s still active, having debuted not long ago. Louane is definitely one of my favorite French singers.
Songs I like most: Sans arrêt, Avenir, Notre amour boit la tasse, Pour oublier l’amour
Yep, another French singer who goes by a mononym. I’m not sure if it’s a trend over there. Vianney is a pop singer who first came into the scene around 2014. He sounds rather like a French Ed Sheeran to me. Vianney started his music career after his wife motivated him to. Since then he’s released two albums, both of which have gone at least platinum. Vianney’s talent and pleasant voice is clearly why he garnered a lot of attention. I wonder where his music career is going next.
Songs I like most: Tu le sais, Mon étoile, Moi aimer toi
If I could listen to only one French singer, it would certainly be Joyce Jonathan. I’ve been a huge fan of hers for years. Joyce’s voice is among the most beautiful I’ve ever heard. She’s a major reason I strove to learn French. I really wanted to know what she was singing about. Joyce Jonathan was evidently a big success in France, as she’s released no less than four albums since 2010. My favorite is her second one, Caractère. Joyce sings mostly romantic songs. She is also how I discovered Vianney, as they’ve done a few duets.
Songs I like most: Tant pis, Je ne sais pas, Ça ira, Quand tu me prends la main, Le bonheur, Désaccord, Revivre pour exister
Of the singers in this list, Dania is perhaps the least known. She’s released only one album, and that was in 2013, almost a decade ago. Dania’s gorgeous voice is the reason I like her music so much. It’s almost as beautiful as Joyce Jonathan’s. I discovered her thanks to Apple Music suggestions. Dania is also Swiss, but her French is just like that of a native French woman. It’s not like the difference between American and Scottish English.
Songs I like most: Face à face, L’instant d’après, Sors de ma vie, S’il nous plaît
The Pirouettes is a musical duo consisting of Leo Bear Creek (seriously) and Vickie Chérie. I discovered them while searching for French music on iTunes. They’ve released two albums—the third of which is the deluxe version of one of them—and two EPs. The Pirouettes’ musical genre is French electro-pop. Their repertoire consists mostly of romantic songs. I find their voices really attractive. Yes, in case it’s not obvious yet, a singer’s voice is one of the things I care about most where music is concerned.
Songs I like most: Un mec en or, Soleil rare, Amoureux, Rêver de toi, Avec le coeur
Clio is a French pop singer I found thanks to YouTube. The first song I heard of hers is T’as vu, via its official video. Her unique voice and charming eyes drew my interest. She has this exquisite voice that really gets stuck in your head…in a good way. Clio has released two albums so far, the first one in 2016. I don’t know how well known she is in France, but Clio has what it takes to make it big.
Songs I like most: T’as vu, Amoureuse, Tu peux toujours courir, Le bout du monde
Thérapie Taxi is a musical group formed in 2012. Their lineup has changed over the years, but the vocalists have always been Adélaïde Chabannes de Balsac and Raphaël Faget-Zaoui. Their style is a mix of pop, electro, and rock. I found Thérapie Taxi after searching for French bands, rather than soloists or duos. I liked their music; it’s really energetic. Like The Pirouettes, Thérapie Taxi has released two albums, one deluxe, and two EP’s. Their latest release, the EP Rupture 2 merde, will be their last. The band have announced they plan to retire in 2021.
Songs I like most: La proue, J’en ai marre, Bisous tendres, Immaculée, Tous les autres
Lola Le Lann is my most recent discovery. I found out about her in Apple Music. Lola’s alluring voice and strong French accent drew me in. I later discovered that she’s an actress who started a singing career. Lola first debuted with the single Lola à l’eau. She then released an EP, Glaz, in 2020. Lola was supposed to release an album that same year. A scandal with one of the songwriters caused Lola to postpone it. I’m certainly eager to see where Lola’s career takes her next. The only French singer whose voice I like more than hers is Joyce Jonathan.
Songs I like most: Soleil, Monopolis, Passagères
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