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Walking to work, bored of the same old songs playing through my headphones, I browse Spotify’s New Releases for some inspiration. Scrolling past endless album covers until one catches my eye – Christine and the Queens ‘Chaleur Humaine’ – an androgynous young woman dressed in black, sits against a contrasting cream and navy backdrop, holding a bouquet of flowers. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was that intrigued me so much about this album before I had even heard it, all I knew was that in a sea of similar album covers this one broke the mould. And I was not disappointed as inside is a treasure trove of thoughtful and intriguing songs – each undoubtedly belonging to the same album, but also belonging to their own unique selves.
Heloise Letissier is the mastermind behind the music, her bilingual blend of English and French is due in part to her father being an English teacher, who would encourage her to watch the BBC as a child. Now 28 Heloise combines not only two languages into her music, but includes performance, art videos, drawings and photography to articulate her storytelling.
Having been signed to an independent label since 2012 it seems unfathomable to me that she’s only just making a breakthrough in the UK. But after becoming one of France’s biggest stars, perfecting her sound and her style, she was ready to conquer the British and American music market. A second release of her album, followed by her single Tilted hit the charts with people not really knowing what to do with it. It’s catchy and captivating, but it doesn’t quite fit into one category and much like the whole of her album Tilted’s meaning will change depending on your own state of mind.
“The whole song is built around this very image of being tilted. I chose this word because it’s ambivalent: am I talking about falling? About being twisted? Is it playful or dangerous? I guess I like you to inhabit the song with your own mood, so I kept it deliberately open.” – Heloise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2VKaH2sKtU
Watching her perform live is almost mesmerising, it feels like an art installation. Having already played some incredible stages this year including Glastonbury and Latitude Festival, Christine and the Queens are heading on tour through October and November, playing to wanting crowds from the US to Europe. I’d say make sure to bag yourself some tickets, but her shows at Brixton Academy have already sold out but be sure to keep an eye out for further UK dates however as I’ve got a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more of her.
