Like her American counterpart Jackie Evancho, teenage singer Caroline Costa has a voice that sounds incredibly mature. Her favorite singers are those with big voices: Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston, to name a few.
Costa hails from the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. She attended music school in Castelsarrasin, and first performed on stage at the age of six. In 2007, she competed on a children's talent show called Iapiap!, where she was mentored by M Pokora. Upon winning on the show, she was placed…
In an alternative universe, this singer could very well be the subject of a "Where Are They Know" post. But 20 years after being crowned Best New Artist, Gérald De Palmas is reinventing himself in creative ways.
He spent the late 80's playing in a synth band (Les Max Valentin), then made it big huge as a Guitar Pop solo star in the 90's and early aughts, with a diamond-selling album. (He was that era's Christophe Mae / John Mayer, if you will.)
Alex Beaupain is an award-winning singer-songwriter and composer. He first came to my attention when I saw the film Dans Paris, the second of his six films he's scored for celebrated filmmaker Christopher Honoré. (Think Blake Edwards and Henry Mancini -- it's a filmmaker/composer partnership that spans their careers.) The music was so beautiful that I watched the credits to see who created the music. Once I knew who was behind the music, I was hooked.
While Canada has foisted some questionable "talent" upon the world over the years (I'm not naming names), I'm delighted with the crop of French-language artists coming out of the Montreal scene. With her breakthrough debut album of French piano Pop, Quebec singer Coeur de Pirate (nee Beatrice Martin) made Chanson Française cool in Canada, where singing in English usually paves the way to success.
She also accomplished the rather rare feat of achieving mainstream success in France. That puts her on a very short list with exports…
If you're a fan of French music, you should get to know the music of the talented French singer Camille Dalmais (who performs as just "Camille"). She's got a soulful, playful, and eclectic style, prompting some to call her France's answer to Bjork.
Camille was born and raised in Paris, and is fully fluent in English, thanks to having an English teacher for a mother. She's one of the "Nouvelle Chanson" singers, the crop of serious, intellectual, traditional musicians that emerged in the early…
Algerian-born Arabic / French singer Rachid Taha is known for his highly energetic and innovative blend of both music influences.
His East-meets-West style (dubbed "Rock & Raï") often incorporates Punk, electronic music, Arabic percussion and North African string instruments behind Arab and French lyrics.
Saturday Night Live used his serious music to humorous effect in their wacky "Les Jeunes de Paris" skit featuring guest host Miley Cyrus.
Emilie Simon is a French singer, songwriter and composer who draws unavoidable comparisons to Bjork and Kate Bush for her enigmatic music videos and avant-garde musical style.
Simon boasts an impressive resume of music study, with 7 years at a Montpelier conservatory, university-level music education, and even a post-graduate degree in music. The 3-time Victoire de la Musique (French Grammy) winner laces dense electronic soundscapes with orchestral sounds and Pop songwriting, delivered in her dreamy, childlike voice.
Her music seems to become more accessible with each…
Keren Ann has a voice that seems like it was made for soft French music. It floats tenderly over her superbly crafted compositions in a way that even Norah Jones would envy. A polyglot who's fluent in 4 languages, she imbues her music with a smart, cosmopolitan vibe..
Over the course of 6 albums, she's become a sought-after songwriter, and she remains the underground artist to name check when you wanted to impress your friends.
Carmen Maria Vegais both the name of this band and its animated lead singer, who imbues their songs and videos with humor and charisma. The band helped fuel the recent resurgence of Jazz Manouche in France.
Carmen is the vocalist and the heart of the band, with her expressive visual and vocal performances on stage and on video. With its Rock edge, the group helped introduce Gypsy Jazz to a whole new generation.
Melissa NKonda is out to prove that she's much more than a reality show castoff. Though most people remember her from Nouvelle Star (French American Idol), she's since made a splash with a much different sound and image. Now a confident songwriter, she shines with acoustic Pop / Soul and a bilingual appeal.
Her earworm hit "Nouveaux Horizons" was among the contenders for song of the summer in 2011.
Hailing from Maubege in north France, Mélissa Nkonda (a.k.a. Mélissa Reffas) dabbled in cosmetology and hospitality before…
The French singer Little (Aurelie Nguyen) is one of my favorite music discoveries. She's so cute -- I just want to put her in my pocket. Her stage name is an obvious comment on her diminutive stature. (She's all of 5'2".)
Little began playing the guitar at 16, inspired by young female singer/songwriters like Michelle Branch and Avril Lavigne. She toes the line between Acoustic Pop and Indie / Electropop. I personally think her childlike voice shines brighter on the charming acoustic songs, but I like her danceable…
The talented young singer Camelia Jordana has a certain je ne sais quoi, and I think she's just adorable. Her songs are catchy, yet her sound is timeless -- almost deliberately so. Her girl-next-door vibe makes her all the more endearing.
Born in the south of France, Camélia Jordana Riad-Aliouane was introduced to the world as a contestant on Season 7 of Nouvelle Star (the French American Idol), when she was just 16 years old and still in high school. In her debut performance, she breathed new…
The French Music Blog celebrate Mother's Day with a few French R&B songs about mothers. Check out these three tunes, and don't forget to wish your Mom a Happy Mother's Day.
Karimouche is a whimsical, multitalented artist. Part chanteuse, part rapper, and part slam poet, her songs incorporate her wide-ranging of influences of Pop, traditional French chanson, Hip Hop, and Reggae (particularly Ragga). The artist does not consider herself a singer, but rather a performer who sometimes sings, raps, or slams to bring variety to her performances. I'd compare her to Ani DiFranco in terms of the way she mixes it up within a verse.
Karimouche is a portmanteau of vocalist Carima Amarouche's first and last name, and also the…
Singer-songwriter Christophe Mae performs acoustic Pop infused with Folk, Reggae, Blues and Soul. His music has an upbeat acoustic vibe, similar to Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, or John Mayer. He’s one of the biggest Pop stars in France today.
The singer, born Christophe Martichon, hails from Carpentras, a town in the Provence region of southeast France. A self-taught musician, Mae is heavily influenced by Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Tracy Chapman, Otis Redding, Ben Harper and Jack Johnson, and one can hear threads of them woven throughout his music.
It takes former teen stars a while to find their footing once they grow up. No one knows that better than Alizée, the one-time teenage protege of Euro Pop queen Mylene Farmer.
I’ll admit up front that I am NOT a fan of Alizée’s music. In her early days, she came off as a French Britney Spears, with a layer of icky Euro Pop icing. She was too “packaged” and manufactured, which I instinctively interpreted as a cover for a lack of talent. But the “Lolita” stuff was doing it for men of France, apparently, who couldn’t get enough of her lip-synching and prancing around in rompers and pastel mini-dresses.
She’s tried out some new styles and personas since then, and her public revolted. One guess what she’s doing these days…
Success in Canada is no guarantee of stardom in France. Only a few have made the leap across the Atlantic in any significant way. Veteran singer Natasha St-Pier is one of the precious few. She’s won over both Canadian and French audiences in her decade-long career. With six albums to her name and over 2 million records sold, she’s an international music success story.
With a jazzy, vintage flair and deeply resonant vocals the likes of which haven’t been heard since Edith Piaf, Zaz became the first French superstar with a global following in a long, long time. She topped the charts in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany, and has a fan base spanning from China to South America. She even won over some globally minded music fans in the U.S. with her epic debut album.
The first time you hear her debut single “Je Veux,” you, too, will find yourself pulling out your wallet (or logging into your music service of choice) to hand her your money.
Crackly and full of emotion, her vocals dance and soar over Gypsy Jazz and Pop compositions.
Amandine Bourgeois has always stood at the intersection of Rock and Soul music. Before winning the 6th season of Nouvelle Star (French American Idol), she sang in both Rock and R&B/Funk bands.
Her bluesy sound hints at her wide range of influences, among which she counts Led Zeppelin, Rachelle Ferrell (an underrated American R&B singer) and Joss Stone.
I’ve been wanting to do a post like this for a while. Avid French music fans in the United States often miss out on great songs and artists because the music isn’t digitally (or physically) available. It frustrates me to no end when I hear a cool French song or artist, but I can’t blog about them because their music is not in the U.S. iTunes store.
Sometimes the albums do EVENTUALLY show up — a year or more after their release in France, but a lot of music never gets released stateside at all. Here are some French Pop songs I like that never made it onto the blog due to their limited availability in the U.S.
Get hooked on these songs at your own risk, with the knowledge that you might have to buy the physical CDs in order to get the music, or you might not be able to buy them at all. You can always bookmark this page and come back here to check it out whenever you want.
Benjamin Biolay has a hushed, sensual, “talk-singing” style similar to Serge Gainsbourg and Etienne Daho. Even before he became a popular French singer, Benjamin Biolay had gained a reputation as a sought-after songwriter and producer, having launched the career of Keren Ann and written 4 songs on the successful 2000 comeback of singer Henri Salvador.
In addition to co-writing, producing, and playing instruments (including piano, guitar, and trumpet) on Keren Ann’s first two albums, Biolay has worked with Raphael, Carla Bruni, Francoise Hardy, Jane Birkin, and Vanessa Paradis, to name a few. He’s also the older brother of French singer Coralie Clement, whose albums he co-wrote and produced.
Rose performs a unique brand of acoustic Folk-Pop. Her songs are very honest and personal, which is part of her charm. Who can resist a cute, sweet French girl, strumming a guitar, playing her own songs?
This singer has a girl-next-door demeanor that’s endearing to fans. Her voice is just a wee bit raspy and husky, which adds a sense of emotion and vulnerability to everything she sings.
If you like Folk and acoustic music, check out her top songs and albums.
Claire Diterzi is one of my favorite female French alternative artists. Her music reminds me of Tori Amos, Joanna Newsom, CocoRosie, Björk and fellow offbeat French singer Camille. There’s something downright otherworldly about her sound.
Born Claire Touzi dit Terzi, Diterzi fronted and played guitar in two Alternative Rock bands (Forguette Mi Note and Dit Terzi) before embarking on a solo career.
Fresh-faced French singer Thomas Pradeau makes music that is downright fun to listen to.He infuses his Pop songs with trademark elements of Parisian street music (accordions, valse, a.k.a. French waltz, etc.).
Bridging the distant past with the, um, more recent past, he cites both Mozart and the rock band Queen as musical influences. You can hear a certain deliberate musicality in his work — which is definitely a Queen thing.
Singer-songwriter Christophe Mae performs acoustic Pop infused with Folk, Reggae, Blues and Soul. His music has an upbeat acoustic vibe, similar to Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, or John Mayer. He’s one of the biggest Pop stars in France today. 
