Having lived in France for the past four months, I’ve grown accustom to certain aspects of French culture: always say “bonjour” upon entering an establishment or you’ll be considered incredibly rude; don’t try to do any shopping on Sundays or Mondays – most everything is closed then; and there’s no need to rush out and do errands on your lunch break (all two hours of it) since the banks and post offices are shut during this time as well.
Although I studied in Paris two years ago, working in Chambéry – a small city surrounded by snow-capped mountains – has offered me a completely different cultural experience. Being here, I actually feel like I’m living in a different country.
So after weeks of not being able to see an American movie or find a normal-sized jar of peanut butter, imagine my surprise when I was able to spend three hours at a bar hearing nothing but American pop music. The homesick part of me relished those three hours. It was almost as if I had been transported back to college, “ironically” singing along to some Pop Princess with a group of friends.
A few weeks later I had kicked the mental malady and felt strong enough to commence a search for current French music. This proved to be a harder task than I had originally expected. Blaring through my French roommate’s door I heard the same three songs over and over: Nat King Cole’s “L.O.V.E”, Katy Perry’s “E.T” and something I assume was Christina Aguilera. It was an eclectic trio, but an eclectic American trio nevertheless.
Continuing the hunt, my English roommate Maddie bought a radio for our kitchen. As we scanned through the stations we couldn’t believe how many American songs we were tuning in and out of. Where was the French music?! (Even on the Billboard Charts, there is currently only one French artist in the top ten).
As a last resort I took to the Internet, searching and sieving through an immense amount of French artists. Here’s what I have to show for it: five of my favorite French songs released this past year.
1. Françoiz Breut – “La Chirurgie des Sentiments”: Françoiz Breut’s mesmerizing and angelic voice only add to her adorability factor.
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2. Lescop – “La Foret:” It’s a little repetitive, but fun electro-pop nonetheless. If you’re into Twin Shadow or Wild Nothing, you might like Lescop.
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3. Ooh La La! – “Un Poing C’est Tout:” Ridiculously catchy and Natacha Le Jeune seems pretty badass.
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4. Marie-Pierre Arthur – “Si tu Savais:” I might be breaking my own rule with this one, since she is actually French-Canadian, but I wanted to mention Marie-Pierre Arthur anyway. Listen to how she channels her inner-Feist.
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5. MOZIIMO – “Le Secret:” A beautiful and gradual build throughout the song makes it impossible to turn off.
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