Celebrating the French

Today I'm spotlighting some of the French music I've been listening to lately, in honor of Bastille Day. I know, I know, it's a little late, but bear with me and my American time. Over the past few weeks I've become fairly obsessed with francophonic artists, from Coeur de Pirate to Johnny Hallyday to Stromae. To celebrate Bastille Day, I'm going to highlight a couple of French artists who seem to be hugely popular over there, but are complete unknowns in the States.

Artist: Indila  

Origin: Paris, France

Genre: Pop

Notable Albums: Mini World

Photo by Franҫois Roy for La Presse

Our first artist today is Indila, a pop singer whose debut album Mini World (2014) went diamond in her native France and won for Album Révélation (newcomer album) at the 2015 Victoires de la Musique (think the French Grammy's). The album came on the heels of several successful collabs, which catapulted Indila into the spotlight and paved the way for her current success.

Indila was the first actually French artist who caught my ear in my search for good French music. Although she utilizes a sound more reminiscent of mainstream American pop than some other artists I found, there are some distinct differences. The clear tones (musically and vocally) in her music are a welcome break from the sing-as-loud-as-you-can, rough-edged-synth sounds I'm used to, and elements of movie-trailer-style choir vocals show up from time to time. Below is the music video for her song "SOS," my personal favorite song of hers. If you have good headphones or speakers you'll hear an awesome drum line during the chorus, creating a powerful sense of suspense that contrasts beautifully with Indila's flawless vocals. Enjoy!

 

Download Indila's music from iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon.

 

Artist: Vianney

Origin: France

Genre: Acoustic Pop

Notable Albums: Idées Blanches

Photo by Jean-Marc Lubrano

Vianney plays a folksy style of pop, but has met with a great deal of success, as well. His debut album Idées Blanches (2014), was one of two nominees beaten out by Indila for Album Révélation. He has released several successful singles accompanied by wonderful music videos (link to one of them in a moment).

If there's one thing Vianney seems to be known for, it's incredibly catchy songs. Among the French music I've listened to, I can say his songs have been the quickest to stick with me. The simplicity of the music makes for a lovely, stripped-down sound dominated by acoustic guitar, yet his gentle melodies can compete with any obnoxiously catchy hooks in terms of staying with you. Below is the music video for the first of his songs that I heard, "Pas là." Enjoy!

Download Vianney's music from iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon.

Well, that concludes the Bastille Day French music spotlight. Again, I know it's a bit late for Metropolitan France, but it really makes a great excuse to promote French music. Thanks for taking the time to read this -- and more importantly, to listen. Until next time, keep your earbuds in and your mind open!