Christine and the Queens | ||
| Allmusic Biography : With her poignant, thought-provoking electronic pop, French singer, songwriter, choreographer, and dancer Christine and the Queens blurs the lines between theater, singing, and dance as skillfully as she plays with the concepts of gender, sexuality, and identity. Influenced by the theatrical pop of David Bowie and Laurie Anderson, as well as the choreography of Michael Jackson, she often combines her atmospheric music with computer-based multimedia presentations. Christines 2014 debut album, Chaleur Humaine, which explored her turbulent adolescence as a queer woman, announced her as a distinctively vulnerable talent on the strength of the singles "St. Claude" and "Tilted." She delved even deeper on 2018s Chris, an examination of gender stereotypes set to 80s R&B; sounds that underscored her commitment to making listeners think, feel, and move. Born Héloïse Létissier in Nantes, France in 1988 to a teacher and English professor, Christine grew up in an artistic, literary household and took piano and dance lessons at an early age. Later, Létissier studied theater at École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (ENS Lyon) and moved to Paris in 2010. Following a bad breakup, Létissier created the persona of Christine and embarked on a music career, taking the Christine and the Queens moniker as an homage to the drag queens who danced with her while she performed. She released her debut EP, Miséricorde, in 2011, and followed it with 2012s Mac Abbey. That year, Christine and the Queens dynamic stage shows won the Best Discovered Act award at Le Printemps de Bourges festival and the Premières Francos award at another festival, Les Francofolies de La Rochelle. With 2013s Nuit 17 à 52 EP, Létissier made her debut on the French albums chart SNEP. In 2014, Létissier delivered Christine and the Queens debut full-length album, Chaleur Humaine, a set of songs inspired by her teenage years that featured the single "Saint Claude." Early in 2015, Létissier won the Victoires de la Musique for 2014s Best Female Artist; later that year, Chaleur Humaine was reissued on Atlantic in the United States as Christine and the Queens, and featured the English-language single "Tilted." The album was also reissued as a deluxe edition in the U.K. in 2016, a year that saw Christine and the Queens cover Beyoncés "Sorry" and the BBC choose Létissier as one of its 100 Women of the Year. Létissier wrote and produced the projects second album, Chris, a set of songs that incorporated tougher, 80s funk and R&B; influences and lyrics that questioned traditional gender roles. Featuring the Dâm-Funk collaboration "Girlfriend," the album arrived in French and English versions in September 2018. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 6 Title: Miséricorde Released: 2011-03-11 Tracks: 5 Duration: 24:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 iT (04:37) 2 Twist of Fate (05:20) 3 Be Freaky (04:23) 4 Who is it (05:15) 5 Kiss My Crass (04:34) |
 | Album: 2 of 6 Title: Mac Abbey Released: 2012-01-16 Tracks: 5 Duration: 21:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Cripple (04:06) 2 Narcissus Is Back (04:33) 3 Amazoniaque (04:39) 4 Safe and Holy (03:29) 5 Drifter (04:46) |
 | Album: 3 of 6 Title: Nuit 17 à 52 Released: 2013-06-03 Tracks: 5 Duration: 19:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Loving Cup (03:41) 2 Nuit 17 à 52 (04:22) 3 Starshipper (05:02) 4 Wandering Lovers (03:19) 5 Photos souvenirs (03:17) |
 | Album: 4 of 6 Title: Chaleur humaine Released: 2014-06-02 Tracks: 11 Duration: 42:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 iT (03:38) 2 Saint Claude (04:00) 3 Christine (03:54) 4 Science fiction (03:39) 5 Paradis perdus (03:35) 6 Half Ladies (04:19) 7 Chaleur humaine (03:57) 8 Narcissus Is Back (03:29) 9 Ugly-Pretty (03:25) 10 Nuit 17 à 52 (04:22) 11 Here (04:27) |
| Chaleur humaine : Allmusic album Review : It took a while to introduce Christine and the Queens self-described "freakpop" to the world. The groups debut album first arrived in 2014 as Chaleur Humaine in frontwoman Héloïse Létissiers native France, then it was issued in the United States in 2015 as Christine and the Queens, and finally as a deluxe U.K. edition of Chaleur Humaine in early 2016. The acclaim for the album -- whatever its title -- only grew with each release, and rightfully so: Christine and the Queens dont just embrace differences, they see them as beautiful. Within the albums lovely synth pop, theres strangeness and strength; "Im doing my face with magic marker," Létissier sings on "Tilted," a subtly irresistible track with the power of an anthem in the making. A similar independence pulses through the gorgeous "Saint Claude," which depicts the moment of walking away or committing entirely with heart-stopping beauty. As the album unfolds, Christine reveals herself as less of a disguise and more of a prism for Létissiers distinctive outlook. She addresses her pansexuality throughout the album, subtly on songs like the aforementioned "Tilted" and more directly on "Half Ladies" and "iT," a call-and-response track with the Queens where her backing band sings "Shes a man now/And theres nothing we can do." This fluidity extends to the ease with which Létissier blends French traditions with contemporary pop, hip-hop, and R&B. She mixes all of the above on "Paradis Perdus," an interpolation of Kanye Wests "Heartless" and Christophes 1973 hit "Les Paradis Perdus," transforming them into something with its own emotive power. Elsewhere, Christine and the Queens balance the urgency of songs such as "No Harm Is Done" and "Safe and Holy" and gentler moments like the Perfume Genius duet "Jonathan" and "Night 52" with a grace reflecting Létissiers former life as a dancer. Indeed, Christine and the Queens emotional and musical agility only makes their heartfelt, thoughtful pop that much richer and rewarding. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 6 Title: iTunes Session Released: 2015-02-09 Tracks: 6 Duration: 22:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Chaleur humaine (03:04) 2 Christine (03:43) 3 Who Is It (05:02) 4 Saint Claude (03:35) 5 Starshipper (05:03) 6 Safe and Holy (02:32) |
 | Album: 6 of 6 Title: Chris Released: 2018-09-21 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:32:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Comme si (03:54) 2 Girlfriend (03:20) 3 The Walker (04:16) 4 Doesn’t Matter (04:23) 5 5 Dollars (03:28) 6 Goya Soda (05:24) 7 Damn (What Must a Woman Do) (03:36) 8 What’s‐Her‐Face (05:03) 9 Feel So Good (03:45) 10 Make Some Sense (03:20) 11 The Stranger (04:02) 1 Comme si on s’aimait (03:52) 2 Damn, dis‐moi (03:19) 3 La Marcheuse (04:16) 4 Doesn’t Matter (Voleur de soleil) (04:23) 5 5 dols (03:28) 6 Goya ! Soda ! (05:24) 7 Follarse (03:36) 8 Machin‐chose (05:03) 9 Bruce est dans le brouillard (03:38) 10 Le G (03:55) 11 Les Yeux mouillés (03:20) 12 L’Étranger (Voleur d’eau) (04:02) |