Chris

Didn’t really touch me…interesting concept, and well executed and produced…but it didn’t touch me

# Playlist track - Damn, dis-moi # Notes - Starts out with a mediocre dance ballad. -1 - I notice there's 1:30 hour of this and immediately despair. - It's some kind of watered down La Roux. -2. - Album is not bad, but it's bland. It sets itself on a lukewarm tone and never deviates from it.

Kids dig it, one supposes, but one finds nothing much of interest or substance. It's as stylish as oversharing can be, one supposes. And is one supposed to be impressed that it's bilingual?

Had high hopes for this one but it didn't live up to them sadly.

👍🏻

Liked it a lot more than I thought I was going to based on some of the reviews. 3/5

First listen Saved 5/11 Top track: Girlfriend

Not bad. Not spectacular, but not bad.

Hauskaa on, kun levy on kahdella kielellä. Tyylipuhdasta ja hyväntuulista, mietittyä popia (aika indie). Harmi, että jää vähän ns. piippuun, hitusen liian vaisuksi vaikka ainesta on vaikka mihin, ollaan ihan rajalla onnistua tosi tykisti. Ehkä liika tyylikkyys tekee sen efektin?

Electro pop, pretty laid back

#155. The name Christine and the Queens implies there's at least three people, but it seems it's only one person [that looks like 1997 Johnny Depp] whose name isn't even Christine. It's pretty good, I'd say, for dance pop, but that's not really a genre I know or care too much about. 3/5: decent

Not bad fun album

Soothing to listen to.

liked it better than i expected, but preferred the 2nd disc (French version). 3.1/5

A really fun 80s throwback album that’s bristling with bangers, but a bit inconsistent upon relistening. I don’t think it has quite the same impact Chaleur humaine did, and in hindsight it lacks the emotional depth Redcar has now given us with La vita nuova and Paranoïa

Listedned to the french version and then some of the English. Catchy but didn't immediately draw me in. Maybe try another listen some time.

Pas mal

tine queen

Beh ma foi j'ai plutôt bien aimé, pas toutes les chansons mais globalement ça allait j'étais surprise 3.5?

Nice voice - good melodies - late 80's movie background vibe

Helt fint. Kunne klart bedst lide den franske version

funky!

Meget moderne pop. Godt produceret og en sjov blanding af fransk/engelsk.

Feel the rating is a bit harsh and would love to give 3.5 stars. Overall I really liked a few songs but also really hated a few as well

Pleasant poppy yacht music. Recent so I raise an eyebrow. Meh.

Blissful but throw away pop. The second disc with songs in French sounds better as the product on the first few tracks feels hollow and a bit too slick for my taste. Enjoyable overall though hardly essential

Ja leuk album hoor. Beetje Michael Jackson vibes ook wel maar dat is natuurlijk naar beide kanten misschien geen compliment.

Sounded all the same.

French pop. Album is long because it's the same songs twice, once in French and once in English. If you like French pop, then you'll probably love this. If not, then you probably won't.

Some interesting melodies and vocals

oh i feel bad, cause this wasn’t bad, it was interesting some of it, it just wasn’t all my cup of tea…. but i didn’t hate it. and i liked that i had a female artist to listen to, if it was a different day, i might have been able to appreciate it more and give it a higher score, but for now, i can’t.

I want to begin by talking about the technical aspects of this album. This was very competently made. The vocals and synth are great for their respective styles. The voices and harmonies are incredible and each singer shines in each track. The lyrics are poetic and heartfelt. The drums and snares keep the beat going. My problem with this album is that each element seems to come from a different genre/era. The synth would be outdated if this album was released 20 years earlier. The vocals give off the vibes you get at a hip bar absolutely swimming in purple neon. It just doesn’t work for me. The drum machine they’re using would work in trap music. But, again, it doesn’t always fit with the other pieces. And did I hear a keytar in “Damn (what must a woman do)”? Did we not all agree that was THE joke instrument? Look, I’m not saying anything about Christine and the Queens as a group. But this album is one that will not stick with me.

I have a feeling this album is on this list for reasons that are beyond musical merit.

This album is vastly better in French. Maybe that's because I don't speak it, which makes it easier to pay attention to the melodies and production. In English, his (Chris aka Rahim Redcar uses he/him pronouns) enunciation and trying to fit English words in can be distracting. Overall, this album is decent but not amazing. It hits me roughly the same as that first CHVRCHES album when it popped up on the list. Catchy, decently produced, unremarkable. The first 2 songs are the best and make you think you're getting something better than you get as the album progresses. I really appreciate Redcar for undergoing such adventurous gender explorations as a public figure. I wish I could hear that adventurousness in his music.

Synth pop album that didnt seem very catchy or memorable. Standout song: Doesnt matter

This is a rogue choice. Not awful, some memorable songs. I was initially irritated by how long this was before realising the album is repeated in french. I prefer the french. Also what a terrible album cover

Bad electro synth. Actually not bad I just don’t care for it. Then most of it is in French, uninspired, and a pointlessly super long album. 2.8. Update: this aged well for me. Couple of songs at a time and it’s not dreck… 4.0

Nope. Just not that interesting.

This is…. Totally uninteresting electropop?

Ponderous angst and a general, unspecific dissatisfaction ground this record, perhaps a good fit for a generation being kicked in the liminals, but being too cool for catchy choruses pushes this well-machined pop into chore territory. Most sits in this awkward space of demanding focus while not offering enough to capture this close-listener. I’d rather just hear Paul Westerberg wail “look me in my eye/and tell me I’m satisfied” rather than this cold vague vibe. The better parts remind me of good Japanese City Pop I’ve heard, exceptions to an otherwise austere mood.

Much too long for what sounds like a mid-tier pop album from 1988, although the hilariously wonky over-earnest Frenglish lyrics provide comic relief throughout. "Girlfriend" is un petit banger, the rest didn't leave an impression. Oh, wait - the second disc is the same thing but in French! My literal definition of "superfluous"; merci pour giving me some time back.

Meget radio venligt. Lidt nemt at lade det blive baggrunds lyd. Måske lidt for tideligt at sige man skal have hørt det her album inden man dør...

For a 2018 release, it seems to have an 80's synthy feel to it. It's ok. Did I need to hear this before I die? I can think of other, better choices.

Fine. 2.5/5

Had never heard of them but they sound a lot like Lucius

Not a terrible album, somewhat boring to me. Overall just not something I'm that interested in. 2/5

Not reflective of my taste... at all; so, of course, my rating is low... but I can also appreciate the artist and the importance of having Chris' voice in world music. Still, taste is taste... and this ain't mine.

Quite boring. I was happy the album was over and then I had to listen to the same thing again with french lyrics...

No way I'm going to listen to the French versio

eh, not really my thing, just standard pop music. Good voice and well produced though..

Ik probeer echt open te staan voor nieuwe dingen, anders zou ik niet meedoen aan dit hele avontuur, maar vandaag heb ik er enorm moeite mee. Het komt uit Frankrijk (daar gaat het eigenlijk al mis, stukje oud trauma), het komt uit 2018, die toch wel heel erg foute hoes... Ik merk boosheid ondanks dat het donderdag is, dat klopt niet. Op Spotify wordt eerst de "Engelse" versie gespeeld en daarna het hele gebeuren nogmaals in het Frans. Ik zeg "Engelse" omdat het alsnog tering Frans klinkt.. Ik ga niet het hele avontuur aan. Ik wissel halverwege even van taal en dan vind ik het wel welletjes. Ik ben normaal gesproken nooit zo'n poortwachter, maar in dit geval heb ik toch wel heel erg sterk het gevoel dat dit niet in de lijst hoort. Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo: Je kunt ervan vinden wat je wil, maar die zijn stuk voor stuk zowel cultureel gezien als qua populariteit echt wel een stuk relevanter. Dit is 100% een snobkeuze. Ik zag aanvankelijk al geen reden waarom dit in de lijst hoorde en dat is na het luisteren niet veranderd. Huismerk Laura Pausini, als de Lidl de voorraad van de Italiaanse weken zou hergebruiken voor de Franse weken. Toegegeven: Ik stond er niet voor open en dat is 100% mijn fout. Ik ga een 2 geven en dan hou ik me nog in.

Sounds the same for most songs and not my style

It's fine. Seems like there are better choices out there, but I could see this being a flash in the pan for certain people. Not great staying power.

C Comme Si 1 Girlfriend 3 The Walker 3 Doesn't Matter 2 5 Dollars 2 Goya Soda 2 Damn (What Must A Woman Do) 3 What's-her-face 3 Feel So Good 2 Make Some Sense 3 The Stranger 4 It was pretty boring, but it definitely grew on me.

I appreciate that there are newer albums on this list, but I have a hard time weighing them against the much older “actual classics.” There was nothing about this that made it stand out from other 2010s electro-pop sort of stuff, except for the French singing, I guess. Every time I listened to it I ended up with Ellie Goulding’s “Lights” in my head, so I would say if you like “Lights” and want to hear more songs like that, try this.

Out of all the albums from 2018, why this one?

one and a half hour, an album in 2 languages at one and its just pop without any bigger motions. Really nothing that was made for me so i can move on easily and dont find a need to relisten to it again.

On selvää, että tämä on ärsyttävää - melodisesti siis (säveliä, jotka leijailevat Flow-festarin ilmassa alkuillan suvantovaiheessa). Mutta välillä taas ei, ja levyltä paljastuu ihan vaikuttaviakin "juttuja". Sanomaltaan toisintaa rockin ydintä Elviksestä lähtien.

Album # 36 Not very engaging but still some good moments

A few tunes but mainly it sounds like someone has set the loops in Logic Pro and then sung some songs over them. It feels such a lazy boring way to make music. Sometimes it really works when the melody is there but over a whole album it feels creatively thin.

Rollazo de disco. Rollé de disqué.

A valiant effort but not quite distinctive enough to warrant a place on this list.

Surprised this is in the list, completely unremarkable, not bad not great just meh

Hmm - ok, but not outstanding. Easy listening Pop, french singing better compared to english ones.

Konfuser Pop-Funk.

T'as cru que j'allais l'écouter en entier ?

I dont know, it seems like this album doesnt have a sound it wants to stay in. It sounds like an unreleased album from the 80's. Seeing as my French is pretty bad I think a good chunk is lost on me. I didnt mind Feel So Good, nothing else really got my attention though.

Sounds like an Emily King album but not as good. Only listened to the French half because I don’t have the time or patience for 90 minutes of this.

Synth pop revival from France in the vein of Future Islands or La Roux. Bright and upbeat tones with a darker minor key mood give it that darkly euphoric bittersweet feel. Tastefully indulgent and skirting the line between earnestness and irony, the album is full of all sorts of corny stuff from the Nile Rodgers disco guitars to the cheesy synth/keyboard patches. Falsetto singing: fragile and introspective until it reaches for the big power lines. It's all pleasant enough, but it sounds like music for a Parisian H&M - trendy and fun presentation of glossy surfaces that suggest a darker understory.

Mumble-pop. This isn’t good. I have no idea who paid who to get on this list.

couldnt even get thru it, bland pop music, why is it on the list?

Why make generic 80s synthpop without any interesting new twist in the modern age? Why listen to it? Why include it in a list of essential albums? So many questions...

Do you like cheesy Michael Jackson pop ripoffs recorded 25 years after he was popular by some random girl from France? Then this is for you! For the rest of us just keep walking.

Je suis né en 1970, j'ai vu des trucs, j'ai entendu des trucs. J'écoute de la musique avec une passion dévorante depuis que j'ai l'âge de comprendre que le monde est un endroit sombre et qu'il faut bien du bruit pour couvrir le silence. Entre 1991 et 2000, j'ai traîné mes guêtres dans une radio indé et ensuite, j'ai passé quatre ans derrière le comptoir d'un disquaire indépendant. Tout ça pour dire que ce projet des "1001 Albums" c'est un peu comme un pèlerinage, une mission quotidienne. Je me lève, je regarde la liste, et j'y vais avec le respect de l'artisan. Même quand je tombe sur des trucs qui ne sont pas ma tasse de thé, je fais l'effort. C'est le jeu, c'est le contrat. Et puis, il y a eu aujourd'hui... Aujourd'hui, j'ai pioché Chris de Christine and the Queens, sorti en 2018. Putain... Voici en substance ce que j'ai dit quand j'ai découvert la proposition de ce jour. Juste ce mot, lâché dans le vide de mon salon, avec le regard vide du type qui sait qu'il va passer un sale quart d'heure. Mais je suis un pro et je me suis dit : "Allez, mon gars, tu as survécu à bien pire. Clique." Et là, j'ai regardé la tracklist. Putain... Voici en substance ce que j'ai dit quand j'ai découvert qu'il y avait 23 titres pour 1h33. Quatre-vingt-treize minutes de ma vie que je ne récupérerai jamais. Même GYBE, quand ils te font un morceau d'une demi-heure, tu voyages. Là, 23 titres de pop synthétique tiède, ça ressemblait plus à une peine de prison qu'à une épopée musicale. Mais bon, le contrat... J'appuie sur "Play". Putain... Voici en substance ce que j'ai dit au bout des premières secondes en ajoutant... ça va être long... Très, très long. Dès les premiers beats programmés avec la conviction d'un expert-comptable sous Xanax, dès les premières vocalises susurrées de cette voix qui se veut moderne mais qui sonne juste vide. Ça l'a été, ça a été long, mais moins long que je ne l'aurais pensé. Pourquoi ? Parce que j'ai craqué. Il faut dire que, malgré toute ma bonne volonté, je n'ai pas pu aller jusqu'au bout de cette merde R'n'B à la française. Et croyez-moi, c'est bien une des rares fois que cela arrive. Habituellement, je me fais un point d'honneur d'aller au bout de chaque disque, même les trucs expérimentaux les plus insupportables. Mais là, mon cerveau a dit stop. Alors autant habituellement, quand on rajoute "à la française" à un genre, ça donne un petit cachet. Ça sent l'artisanat, la baguette de pain, le petit truc arrogant mais charmant. Mais autant ici, ça ne sert strictement à rien. C'est juste de la copie de mauvaise pop urbaine américaine, passée à la moulinette de Saint-Germain-des-Prés, avec une esthétique de clip de parfum. Donc, appelons un chat un chat : c'est juste de la merde. Moins liquide que celle de Mariah Carey, certes, car il n'y a pas ces putains de hurlements de dauphin asthmatique. C'est plus contenu, plus "chic" en apparence, mais ça reste de la merde bien marketée, emballée dans du papier glacé Inrocks. Mais à l'intérieur ? Il n'y a rien. Je n'analyse même pas les morceaux un par un, à quoi bon ? C'est un long tunnel de beats mous, de synthés FM des années 80 mal digérés, et de paroles qui volent à la hauteur d'un post Instagram faussement profond. Je me fous complètement de savoir qui a produit quoi ou de la démarche "conceptuelle" derrière l'album. Quand la musique est aussi chiante, le concept ne me sert à rien. Au final, j'ai mis 1 sur 5 et très franchement, c'est beaucoup trop bien noté. Je le mets uniquement parce que zéro n'est pas une option dans mon tableau. Ce point, c'est pour l'ingénieur du son qui a dû se faire chier à mixer ces 23 pistes de néant et qui a fait un boulot propre techniquement. C'est tout. Mais avant de fermer cette page, j'ai une vraie question existentielle. Une question métaphysique qui me taraude depuis que j'ai coupé cette atrocité. Qu'est-ce que cette merde fout dans la liste ? Sérieusement. Je m'adresse aux éditeurs de ce bouquin, à ce brave Robert Dimery ou aux critiques musicaux soi-disant "éclairés" qui mettent à jour ces éditions des années 2010/2020. Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé dans la salle de rédaction ? Il y avait des quotas à respecter ? Il fallait absolument cocher la case "pop française contemporaine faussement transgressive" pour faire moderne ? Il fallait plaire à la presse parisienne branchouille ? Comment peut-on oser mettre cette purge d'1h33 dans un ouvrage censé regrouper les 1001 albums qu'il FAUT avoir écoutés avant de claquer ? Car, si je suis sur mon lit de mort et qu'il me reste 1h33 à vivre, je vous garantis que je ne mets pas "Chris". Je mets du Nick Cave, je mets "Unknown Pleasures", je mets 1h33 de larsen de Sunn O))) histoire de faire fuir la faucheuse. Mais certainement pas cette merde. Car c'est une insulte à l'histoire de la musique. Car c'est une insulte à tous les groupes qui se sont saignés dans des caves pour sortir des albums parfaits qui ne figureront jamais dans cette liste. Car c'est juste une insulte à mes oreilles.

1001 Albums Generator 216 (1/29/2025) First impression: looks terrible After listening: It is terrible. Why exactly is this completely unremarkable and boring pop album on this list? Christine's voice is alright at times but the music is just literally nothing. What a drag. 0.5/5.

Very 80s didnt stand test of time. Very standard long and nothing special. Should be a top 1000 not even close

For an album form 2018 to be included on this list it should be very special. This is not.

My thinking is that for an album to be a must listen within a decade of its release it needs to be an amazing album or have a similar story. This does neither. Maybe I'll return to it in 30 more years. If I'm alive. 1/5

I HATE HATE HATED This album; I can't believe this made the list. There were no redeeming qualities to it.

I did NOT need to hear that. I hated it.

Weird how something with so few new ideas would suck this hard. Like, if you're going to be derivative of a genre from 40 years ago, at least steal the good parts. This one won't stay on the list for long.

I didn't know we needed any more of this pop crap. I found the music completely boring. Even as background droning it was hardly bearable. I stopped after two tracks. 1/5

This is not good and I question its place on this list. It is listenable, but sounds derivative of others’ works.

I guess I don't really dig the modern electro-pop sound. Nothing really stood out to me after the album's completion, plus the translated lyrics (I presume) sounded nonsensical to me.

I hadn't heard of this artist, so I wiki'd them. Even when singing in English, it sounded French. I liked the tunes but the vocals annoyed me. Sounded female but I read that he's a male. That doesn't matter to me but I wasn't a fan of the vocals and Fast Forwarded the French songs.

Nope

This was just not very interesting

HOWTO Tutorial: How to be a very annoying and generic pop singer in two different languages.

I was about to give this album a 1 cause I wasn't a fan, then I realised I was listening to a different album (thanks Youtube Music). so I corrected what I listened to. And I want to rate this album lower than the previous one.

Formulaic and unoriginal. It doesn't even come off as being a "retro" sound. Savage Garden called from 1993. They want their album back.

Just one look at the album cover and the band name makes me cringe and not want to listen. Wow that band name is cringe. I can’t even tell if she is speaking English in a lot of the songs. Awful.

Ugh, generic pop music from the start. I'm ok with pop music when it's unique but this does nothing for me and I can't fathom why it was included on this list. Lame, hacky synth work as well.

It's cool to have two versions of the same album packaged together like this, it makes me consider how different languages sound and how it effects me when I understand the words of a song versus when I don't. These are some very fun songs, and I think I actually prefer the French versions to their English counterparts. Its interesting how the structure of this album serves kind of like a mirror for the artist's identity. I was going to give this one 4 stars, but I think I like this a lot more then some of the albums that I've recently rated that way. Favorite track: "Goya ! Soda !" (as opposed to "Goya Soda")

I support this album

H: this album took inspiration from a lot of different genres and artists. This is easily the best album we’ve listened to this far. The production and mixing of the album was incredible. 9/10 H fav song: doesn’t matter Z: banger album filled with sexy production and great vocals. Timeless grooves. 8.2/10 For fans of: Justin Timberlake, clubbing in the 80’s, taking your shirt off Z fav song: Damn (what must a woman do)

06/16 HOLY SHIT! What a banger! Like a mix between Chvrches, Michael Jackson, and Daft Punk! Awesome!

I couldn’t like a single song. The entire album was fun

What?! How? Long time adoring listener, but first time genuinely surprised by this list. This artist is very very to my taste but I thought it obscure. And didn't think these blokes would pay attention to this bluesymoodsygold....And as an adoring fan I was surprised I didn't know this album (it's like earlier releases but more consistent and polished, so no protest except my all time favourite track "Christine" is one of love more people to know. Note: much has happened since 2014. The track is since renamed Tilt. The artist changed gender identity and name. And I am doing a lot of catching up here! Ah, but of course a 5 - bien sûr, naturellement What surprised me is how well known this artist is. I thought I was alone adoring these warm enveloping stylish and crazy uplifting refrains. So, David, I now learn frisson is not mine alone. What else do I love that is even like this? It's a broad school. Vocally there is Louane. Tonally maybe "the Avenir" or "Jain" - you'll probably like this if Hooverphonic and Portishead work for you, but so many ethereal dreamlike artists don't pack the punch and warm beat and mysterious heat of this. What surprised me is she is now a he or they, stage names have been changed, and there is a whole album - this one + I didn't know as I'd been distracted by collaboration projects. And I hadn't 'subscribed' in my streaming service, but have now and won't miss further releases I hope. I now have this odd feeling. I didn't know I had to share this artist with anyone. But sharing is caring. And here is a salute to french culture and her chanteuses.

Très bon

Pretty good stuff!

Outstanding

Arrrrrrriba las mujeres ptm, qué gran álbum

Majestic

I am easy as hell. Of course French, queer pop is right the fuck up my alley.

a real banger! look at that. i'm generally a fan of synthpop, but this was really fun start to finish. very late 2010s in its general style and production. the english and french version of each song is intriguing to me but i have to question why? perhaps a linguistic mirroring of the nonbinary vibes of the album and of rahim (he renamed), but it's nearly double the work to translate each track. the songs seem like they alternate between which was written with english in mind vs french, so i have to wonder why not just have it be a single bilingual album in the first place as i feel like it's drawing my attention towards the differences (or lack-thereof) between the two halves rather than appreciating the merits of the album on its own (plus it's double the length). i feel like most of the english versions hit a bit harder anyway. this whole thing rules though.

The very open of the album has a very 80s synth line. I've never heard of them but I'm liking it so far, very 80s. It's almost like modern pop vocals with 80s instrumentals. Not a bad combo.

Super awesome pop!

C’est un classique!

The first time through, half-distracted and without a lyric sheet in front of me, I was tempted to label this as an *E-MO-TION* knock-off, only more French/queer/smutty - interesting and engaging but nothing more than that. And then the second time through I realized what Chris is saying and *good Lord*, the honesty here - the tenderness, the anger, the confusion, the despair. He's done something far more than just simple electro-pop confections, melding these sugary textures with a potent cocktail of deep feeling worthy of Robert Smith. The kaleidoscope of intimate situations and emotions here is staggering - the snarl at being misgendered by the object of his lust on "Girlfriend," the spoil for a fight to prove his manliness on "The walker," the puzzlement of being in love with a conservative on "Feel so good," the plain old fuck-me frustration of "Damn (what must a woman do)." "I am done with belonging," Chris sings on "Comme si," and we are all better off for it.

A bit generic at times but very unique at others. Fun album.

First time hearing of this artist. Absolutely loved it!

I've never heard them before. It was gret

I didn't expect French electropop to hit this good. Some of the production can be a little basic, but that honestly just makes the fantastic vocals stand out that much more. I listened to the English version and enjoyed it enough to listen to the French version after. That alone makes this a 5.

This made the list?? Hell yes. I don't know if this is an automatic 5 bc it doesn't have the second disc, but *what* an album.

I think I might be biased here because I still have such vivid memories of seeing this album being performed live (hilariously, in English by a French artist in Spain) in what might still be one of my favorite concerts I've ever seen. On the other hand, I think the performance wouldn't have been so good if the music didn't demand it. It's an odyssey through remembered 80s and 90s pop/R&B, filtered through contemporary production techniques (e.g. GarageBand loops, which I plainly do not care about) and a very contemporary attitude. Of course, it's hard not to view this album through today’s lens of Rahim's full openness as a trans man, but you could read him in interviews at the time expressing that this album was more 'macho'. It certainly has that attitude and swagger, especially on the sexier tracks like "Girlfriend" or "Damn (what must a woman do)" and in the live performance's pyro and huge cast of dancers. But there's also so much room for tenderness and exploration on this album, especially on perhaps the album's best song "Doesn't matter", which musically builds and builds and builds to a point of no resolution while the lyrics take romantic desperation and turns into something existential. The easiest interpretation is that this is an album about identity, and it is, but I see it more as an album about navigating all kinds of complicated relationships: from the fan adoration of “Comme si" to the potentially homophobic partner of “Feel so good” to the sex worker of “5 dollars”, all transformed into pop music that best expresses Rahim’s most dramatic tendencies while still being reined in enough with deep grooves and great hooks.

Man, this is something. Was unfamiliar. There is an emotional wallop to the vocals which also evoke Michael Jackson through their intonations. All of this is backdropped by a minimal electro disco groove. AND THEY DO IT IN ENGLISH AND THEN FRENCH.

CATQ is the way forward.

Really enjoyed this. Had no idea what to expect, but it was cool and I added a bunch of songs. Will probably listen to the ones I didn't add again and add more, honestly.

So fun. So summery. So Dancy.

Excellent. Enjoyed it a lot. Just great music. Bit dark in parts but the music and the voice make up for it. Have found more albums and listened to those also.

Loved it, keep getting the songs in my head, do not know why people are so down on this

Oh, Chris. When music was still enjoyable, uplifting and engaging. Will always remain a favourite. Maybe one day Rahim will get back to making awesome songs again.

dance pop album that perfectly blends the old with the new, a heavy 80s dancehall sound is done right and doesn't sound cliché at all. seriously, if someone put this on an 8 track cassette and said it was some forgotten pop diva, i would believe them. i listened to the english release, i assume the french version is on an near-identical level of how good it sounds. the very dreamy and positive harmonies, complex themes and near-perfect contemporary pop energy makes this album enjoyable every second of the way. this album is sexy, stylish, and holds so much merit.

I don't get pop music and this is the perfect example of why. I just don't understand what anybody gets from stuff like this. I always thought music (or any artform) should at least stir up some emotion or feelings in the listener. Sadly, this has all the raw energy of a piece of wet tissue.

Ooh la la!

This is an absolute banger. It's a long album but every track pops. The drums are really good on each track and really give them all depth, on some tracks there's not a lot happening but it has such a vibe.

I love it. I came across Christine and the Queens about a year ago. Finally, I listened to the whole album. You have to be in the right mood for it but I mostly am.

A fantastic synth-pop album from one of contemporary France’s leading innovators. Their lyricism in French is indeed superior to that in English, but both are interesting and nuanced. The production is highly commendable, with clear homages to the ‘80s while simultaneously sounding fresh (not easy to balance and pull off). A variety of themes are covered, mainly focussing on the relationships between sex (both meanings), gender and power. 10/10

Love this

Pretty fucking solid album. I enjoyed way too much i think

I love Chris!

Yes!!! Wonderful to have in 2 languages

Really good

Loved it!

wow modern and queer? Might be fun. if the music isn't too 80s. French 80s pop! weird 4 stars! she does it all in english first disk, and french second disk. Ok upgraded to 5 because she's collabed with CAROLINE m.f. POLACHECK

When I saw this was a double album, I was like I really hope this is good since I knew nothing of the artist. Wow was I surprised. I came away absolutely loving this album. The vibes were great

I feel like I’ve been in somewhat of a dry spell for albums that actually excited me in some way so I’m really thankful for this one that got me to listen to both the French and English versions of the album because it was just so much fun from start to finish each time. It’s a perfect mix of 80s synth with 2010s pop to make a dance record that was endlessly relistenable for me throughout the entire day. I’d love to listen to this either on a beach or while high. Doesn’t matter and make some sense were my favs.

A sublime find - his voice sounds almost on par with Michael Jackson, and the first few songs on the album give off that influence almost uncannily. Thoroughly enjoyable in English and in French - so happy to have been exposed to this record.

This album is two things: 1. Unapologetically queer. 2. Unapologetically 80s. Those two factors are what make this album a hidden gem in my eyes. Héloïse Letissier assumes a masculine alter ego in the form of Chris. This album has a version in English and a version in French, which is a rarity in today’s music. Songs like “Girlfriend”, “Doesn’t Matter” and “Make Some Sense” are an introduction to Chris’ beliefs, and make for some pretty solid foundation. This album was unexpected in all of the best ways possible. 4.6/5 Favorite Track: Doesn’t Matter Least Favorite: The stranger

Absolutely beautiful

Always amazing

One of my favorite albums, a great summer listen.

there’s something special about this i think

I’ll be listening to this again. Enjoyed listening in both language versions.

Lekker plaatje! Weird, funky, electric en een sound. De ambiance is wel chill, niet alle nummers waren bangers. Wel intens om een doordeweekse plaat te luisteren van 1 1/2 uur Beter dan gemiddeld, maar ook weer niet het einde.

Deze heb ik live gezien! Fantastische plaat met veel hits. Ook leuk dat er een nieuwer album weer te beluisteren valt daar was ik aan toe. De muziek is goed het wisselen van Frans en Engels is een keer goed gedaan. Normaal ben ik daar niet zo van. Het is alleen een album die niet altijd bij mij blijft. Ik weet dat ik deze artiest live heb gezien bij best kept en het album al wel eens geluisterd had. Alleen het is niet een album of een optreden dat is blijven hangen.! Het is goed niet fantastisch.

Heerlijk verfrissend om af en toe een nieuw album te luisteren in deze lijst. Wat dat betreft vind ik het ook niet erg dat het album wat aan de lange kant is. Christine and the queens pakken een aantal sounds van de jaren 80 en maken daar iets hedendaags van, its slaps ze doen dat erg goed. Ik kan niet anders zeggen dat ik het lekker vind om naar te luisteren. Ook de afwisseling van Engels naar Frans vind ik een goede keuze om het interessant te houden. Daarbij hebben ze leuke hooks en heeft ze een fijne stem om naar te luisteren.

Solid dance/pop album. They have a good voice and the songs are engaging musically and rhythmically. I was thinking 3.5, but I feel good about a 4.

Honestly it was fine..!! Enjoyed it quite a lot!

I quite liked it. I'm English at least I didn't listen to the French half

For nostalgia's sake

Another lovely surprise. Some proper good songs on here. Great chord changes, decent attitude and a kind of happy/sad feeling to a lot of the music. I imagine this would sound great on a European car journey. The sun's shining and Christine is singing her bittersweet pop songs.

This is really good actually, much better than I expected. There are retro vibes but the production adds a modern feel. Love a bit of enjoyable pop. Will be coming back to this one I think

Lovely record

I think this rules. Very well produced queer pop dance music. I don't love all of it but it sure does all sound good. Definitely deserving of the list.

Will listen to more.

I thought it was a decent pop album. Enjoyed it a lot. Low 4. 3.6/5

Got to her like gazilions of other members of my species via Chaleur Humaine and this is just as good. A real smooth feel and groove, and she has a beautiful voice that draws you in. C'est magnifique.

Cool

This was a good album! It was pretty damn poppy but not the way you .ight think about, overall solid album

Really fun groovely music!

I really liked this album. I should note that there are 2 disks the first english the second spanish. It's poppy for sure but the recording quality etc is really good.

Don't waste your time listening to the bad anglicized versions, skip to the French half of the album which is way better

Może nie do końca potrzebowałam słuchać tego w dwóch językach, ale to nadal jedna z moich ulubionych płyt ostatnich lat. Alternatywny pop z nieziemskim wokalem. 8/10.

Decently fun slice of throwback synthpop. The production on this was uniformly excellent, filled with so much detail and utterly pristine. There's a variety of moods being explored in the music, all of which sounded great, but the more dance oriented cuts stood out the most to me. Chris is an excellent, very theatrical performer, sometimes reminding me of Michael Jackson at his wildest. The real draw for me was the lyrics, focusing on themes of queer love and exploration of identity. The writing can feel a bit clunky in the English language version of the album, but given that English is his second language I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I listened to both the English and French version, and while both are good, the French version is definitely better. His voice just sounds so much more natural in his native language. If there's one thing that holds this album back for me, it's how beholden to pastiche it is, but when the pastiche is this well done, it's hard to complain.

Will have to come back to this and listen to the French versions.

Chris is a funky and confident synthpop record. I initially thought I’d be deleting the French ones but they’re all so good and there’s really no weak track. It’s a gorgeous well produced pop album with a simmering pulsing queer horn radiating throughout. This record is crisp, clean and awfully fun to dance to, as most great pop albums should be.

I wasn’t sure what to expect on this but honestly it was great. Great compositions and catchy hooks.

Surprised how much I liked that, very Florence and the Machine coded.

This sounds like Haim, if Haim were French.

Cool album! Never heard of them before, but I like the sound

Smooth, cool, interesting. A pleasant surprise as I haven't heard of this artist before.

Not my usual style, but this was really good. I listened to both the English and French version. The French version sounds amazing, the vocals go so well with the music. 4/5

Really enjoyed this one, and yet I don't know what draws me to this one vs other pop music. My friend said it's like Prince but not too much like Prince. Prince is hit or miss with me, so I'm not sure about that. I listened through the english version and then the french version. I think the french version is perhaps a bit better because it feels more natural. 3.75/5

With I spoke french, this had that early 2010s sound to it which brought me back

Smart, elegant contemporary pop. Check out there features on Charli XCX and 070 Shake tracks.

first time listening to this. first of all, I love that we're getting some non-English speaking music on here. I enjoyed this! solid pop music with interesting production throughout.

I must admit, I went into this a bit apprehensive based solely on the cover, but it won me over pretty quickly. It's a sophisticated, sleek, but still fun pop album. I listened initially to the English version, and even there the words didn't come through too much, which is usually a bonus when listening to this kinda music. Overall, not a bad album to listen to while wondering if my country was going to start a nuclear war or just a more conventional genocide. Standout tracks were "Comme si," "Doesn't matter," and "5 dollars."

I really enjoyed this record. I know and like their first one and this is much of the same. I honestly didn't listen closely enough to really understand the lyrics - there is a strong accent to overcome too, but at some point I'll read through them as I think it is a record where the lyrics are important. However on the music alone is a lot of fun. It's has a modern feel to it while harking back to the more disco based pop of the 80s and 90s. There was at least one track that stole some orchestra hits straight out of the Quincy Jones playbook - which if anything felt weird, out of place and a little lazy... Which probably means it took them ages to do it. Good fun.

“Ninety minutes of French pop? Terrific… my finger hovers over the 1-star rating.” (five minutes later) “Mon Dieu! Je suis submergé par la fièvre de la danse!”

At the 'Big Weekend' festival in Swansea, I left the Taylor Swift headline set after the first song to go see Christine & the Queens. No regrets. She puts on a good show. A lot of her performance is visual but this album has a great sound. And for what is worth, whether "80's pop" was recorded in the 80's, 2018 or 1850, I couldn't give a fuck. If I like it I like it.

I had a slight awareness of Christine and the Queens because of their collaborations with Charli XCX but until this I hadn’t pursued it any further. It’s queer French electro pop, but tending towards the lower-key, sadder side of pop music. I listened to the English version of this album first; I liked it enough that I listened to the French one as well. I think it’s better in French. I can’t speak particularly of why this particular album belongs to be on here because I’m not much of a pop music listener or fan, though from what I’ve read of it, it seems like it was widely considered one of the best albums of the year it was released. I enjoyed it a lot more than I have a lot of the turgid rock bands I’ve come across on here.

Pretty decent pop album which there aren't enough of on here. I opted to skip the second half which looked to be a repeat of the album but in French? Uncultured I know

A very pleasant well-produced Electro-Pop album with a clean sound that doesn't, like some albums of this genre, feel manufactured; the singer has avery good voice as well. Overall, I enjoyed the album, but I'm not sure what warrants its inclusion in this list as it's nothing special, so is the fact that the songs are in English and French, or is it due to the singer's pansexuality? Maybe the list compiler just liked the album, as I did.

Another cool new indie band for the list. I really like Christine's first album that had "Tilted" on it & played that video for friends. This had a high hit rate and enjoyed pretty much every song. "Damn (what a woman must do)" was my favorite of this one but dropped a few onto my 1001 Prime Cuts playlist.

Hauntingly beautiful singing. Some songs were really a bop.

that was nice. I switched to the french version part way through because as long as I’m not listening to lyrics I may as well hear it the way chris wanted it. it felt very 2018 to me. that’s not an insult or anything but it’s not necessarily a compliment either, it just means it reminds me of my junior year of college even though i’ve never heard any of these songs before. a lot of really rich and interesting compositions even if they mostly sound like each other. Fav tracks: Comme si on s’aimait; Le G

A joyous synth pop album from the 2010s sung in French? Sign me up. There's lots of variety here, and I just couldn't imagine anyone having a bad time while this record is on.

Alright this

Expected very little from this when I heard the first French lyrics.. actually ended up quite liking almost every song - with the only complaint that I didn’t understand most of it. Then wouldn’t you know it, the second half is the English versions. This album kinda rules

Neuentdeckung!

Okay album. Went straight to the English language version.

It's like years&years but MUCH more gay and also really french. Which means it's very, VERY good.

This is really chill, and I needed that today. 4/5

Quirky and fresh

I liked it better in French. I couldn't understand her English anyway.

A nice pop listen. Not usually a fan of the genre, but this felt more musically interesting than vapid modern US pop. Also, it's gay as hell, which rules. Listened in French because I figured I'd be more likely to enjoy it if I don't really understand the lyrics and just get the vocals.

"Chris" is the second studio album by French pop singer Christine and the Queens. Pop, pop-funk, electropop, R&B, dance-pop and disco funk are the Wiki-listed genres. Most songs were recorded in both English and French. A decent and interesting description of the album is " the album bounces from horny consumerism to melancholic machismo to stark vulnerability." The musicians on the album included Rahim Claude Redcar (born as Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier and known by the moniker "Chris" on the album) (vocals, drums and drum programming, synthesizers, keyboards, harpsichord), Cole M.G.N. (drums and drum programming, bass, synthesizers), DāM-FunK (synthesizers, vocals, bass, drum programming), David Frank (keyboards, piano), Marlon McClain (guitars), James Manning (bass), Lance Tolbert (bass) and Daniel Aged (pedal steel). The album had wide-spread critical acclaim and, commercially, it reached #3 in the UK and #1 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Chart. The album opens with "Comme Si." A revving up synth and an electronic dance beat. Layered strong and playful lyrics as Redcar embraces desire, sexuality and self-expression. Poppy dance with beats and a synth. The electronic beats continue in "Girlfriend" but there's softer vocals and synth sounds. A jangly groovy guitar. DāM-FunK contributes vocals. Redcar flips the passive girlfriend into a macho lover. The tone gets more serious in "The Walker." Vocals are in the front as Redcar is crooning and singing about being resilient living openly despite being wounded. A very catchy electronic beat begins "Doesn't Matter." Confident and sultry vocals as Redcar questions God. Echoing beats and phasing synths. Subtle backing vocals. Redcar's vocals explode near the end of the song giving an air of spiritual release. One of my favorite songs of the 2010's. The third of five released singles, "5 Dollars," finds Redcar exploring transactional love. A simple-sounding song with synth, beats and handclaps. It builds with a piano and Redcar's soaring vocals. The songs on this album are solid synth-pop dance songs. The album is very well-produced and easy sounding. Gorgeous, confident and, at times, forceful vocals by Redcar as he sings about his sexuality, desires and emotions. The influence of Michael Jackson is evident in the vocals and beats in several songs. The album is top heavy but there really aren't any bad or filler songs. This is a very good album with a strong recommendation.

Average pop affair. The only reason it's 2 stars is because Dâm-Funk is one of my favourite DJ/Producers. EDIT: I took a second listen, and it's actually pretty decent for being an "above" average pop album. 3 stars and Dâm-Funk takes it to 4 stars.

booty shaker

Thrilled for this to come up as "Doesn't Matter" has been on my playlist for YEARS and I've always meant to listen to the rest of the album While I think its an interesting choice to have all the songs in both English & French I can't help but feel I would have prefered a condensed version with just one version of each song but in either French OR English depending on the song in question

Fun shimmer pop stylings. I'd like to revisit this and particularly listen to the French version. I did right off the bat with the first couple of songs and they sounded even better I think.

paleo 2018 time! ha sie döt mega möge. album het mi domols nöd meega begeisteret. erste track isch etz cool aber au nüt mega krasses. de zweit isch sochli de geil, funky cool. lieb d keys. guuete song. doesnt matter au nice, aber s isch mer chli zahm das ganze. 5 dols triffts irgendwie. meeega dramatisch mit de trommle, aber hiiittet. au meega afoch e popmelodie aber d production isch mega synths finds recht guet. okay das isch sehr es guets album aber s gohtmer mengmol chli z wenig wiit. ich hett gern chli meh. aber s het meeeega e ästhetik und blibt binere und blibt trotzdem interessant. super. vier.

hmm s albumcover gitmer jz nöd so vill hoffnig ohhh okeeee comme si on s'aimait isch na cool?? jaa find die sochli träumerischi atmosohäre (wo französisch au guet passt) gad sehr schön, au machin-chose het au soo e schöni atmosphäre! le G findi chli cheesy/fromagoix hmm han echt na spass gha! die einzelne lieder hend mich meistens nöd umghaue aber die ganz atmosphäre hani echt na gern gha öb das album uf die luste ghört, isch jz e anderi frag ich los mal no die englisch siite bis es mier verleidet la marcheuse isch eifach SOOO COOL find französisch schono chli cooler, aber uf englisch funktionierts au, s isch halt eifach weniger speziell hahah hett nöd denkt, dass es mier so gfallt, mengisch fehlt chli de punch aber finds ultra schön! ICH LIEB LA MARCHEUSE

My first listen of this album soundtracked the cleaning of my bathroom, I occasionally interrupted my tasks to dance in the mirror. Between this album and my continued playthrough of Clair Obscur, it was a very French day for me today. This is the first proper pop album on the list so far, and it's a relatively surprising pick! Seeing Christine and the Queens here reframes my idea of this post and what kind of albums can make it on here, which excited me. After so many rock-leaning albums, it took a second to get acclimated to this sound, but once I was in, it was a vibe. Both the English and French versions of this album have their charms, and the exclusive songs on each side are wonderful. Rahim's voice is distinctively powerful, and I'm glad to be hearing him in his natural habitat (as opposed to the various Charli XCX features which have been my exposure to him so far). The English lyrics occasionally feel a little stilted in their delivery, which can interfere in my connection with them from time to time, but looking into them deeper, they're beautifully poetic. Alongside Rahim, the drum machine is absolutely the star of this album, with so many of these beats packing incredibly funky grooves that I can't help but bob my head to. Highlights: Comme si, The walker, Doesn't matter, Damn (what must a woman do), Feel so good, Make some sense, Le G

Well whether I like it or not, its nice to have some actual variety on this list. Yay for French Queer music! This is just a really good modern pop album, if you absolutely cannot stand any form of modern pop then you will probably hate this. The mixing and production is absolutely great and really helps with this 80s throwback style that was quite popular towards the end of the 2010s. There's a French and English varient of each song, which I find quite cool and so listened to both. On the negative side, I think its unfortunately front loaded with its best songs leaving it to kinda spiral out into the less interesting back end. I don't really know if it fits on a list like this, but I have that complaint far more for other albums on here. I feel like pop music is always going to be rated harshly by people who review album lists like this because they're probably listening to get away from whatever the modern pop sound is and explore new avenues. This won't change anyones mind about pop. But I really quite enjoyed it, especially the first two tracks which I think are actually great.

merveilleux

Really enjoyed this! Fresh dance pop to brighten the day.

I had planned on listening to the English language version only, with perhaps the addition of the two songs that exist only on the French version, but i ended up enjoying it enough that I listened to the whole hour-and-a-half of it in one sitting. That's got to be worth at least a four, right?

Really fun! I listened to the French version and it was super easy to listen to the vibe was very cool! Love a new-new wave 80’s queer pop vibe.

2010's electropop like La Roux with more gender play. Love it.

i really liked this album - 4.5/5, prob not a full re-listen to

While the generator does at times struggle with post-2000 albums, I think "Chris" is a great representation of the era. It's an examination of identity and pronouns, something that was once buried but always felt, and now part of our cultural consciousness (despite some opposition). This album feels very on the cusp of a public transition. Like Bowie before him, Rahim Redcar has drifted through several names and images throughout his life. What is a bit unusual here is that he used both male and female names (Chris and Christine) alongside one another, as though identifying with both alternatively or gradually moving from one to another. This is mixed with excellent pop music, sung in both French and English (maybe here too, he is existing between two worlds?). My only complaint is that this album doesn't have his best song (in my opinion) "Tilted", but there's still a lot to like here.

I liked this. I liked this quite a bit. I've heard some of Rahim Redcar's (F.K.A./A.K.A. Christine and the Queens) music before and enjoyed it a lot (People I've Been Sad in particular) and I was quite excited to have gotten this as yesterday's album. Musically this album is good. While I personally prefer music that's more experimental and abrasive, for a pop album this is great for the most part. The music takes a lot of influence from 80's pop, but instead of just imitating it, it borrows its sounds, blends them with contemporary pop and presents them in a way that feels original and inventive. In particular, I admire just how, in lack of a better word, spacious, shimmering and just grand the songs on this album feel while still being very stripped down in terms of instrumentation. There's just this openness to it which I really admire. However, there are a few songs on this album which to me feel a bit dull compared to the others. There could have also been more variety between the songs. In general, the music's great, though. The weakest part of this album is its lyrics. You can tell English isn't Rahim's first language, as a good deal of the lyrics on the English version of this album come off as a bit odd and nonsensical. I'm guessing this is the result of him writing the lyrics in French first and then translating them into English, as the lyrics on the French version are way more coherent and just better overall. As a second-language English speaker from Europe I'm used to this kind of poor-quality English lyricism from bands and artists whose grasp of English isn't great, and as a result it doesn't bother me that much. However, it's still distracting and it definitely makes the English version of this album weaker in comparison to the French version. To summarise, I think this album's good. It's not without its weaknesses, particularly when it comes to its lyrics, but all in all, it's an album which I very much enjoyed and would recommend to others. 3.75/5 (English version 3.5/5, closer to a 3 than a 4 though; French version 4/5)

Sounds like an 80s, gay, French, dancey, Marina and I'm so here for it! Never heard of this artist before but I LIKE this. A LOT.

I liked the first half of the album more than the second. Reminded me of Caroline Polachek.

It's a pretty good pop record.

I lowkey fw this heavy, it was a lil different but it was a nice listen. 4.0/5

A refreshing bit of pop music. I like it just as much in French as I do in English, even though I don’t understand French.

French pop isn’t usually my genre but this album was a pleasant surprise.

Took a moment but hooked me halfway through

Not the greatest album I’ve enter heard, but I was weirdly into it. I typically enjoy foreign albums as I would not generally find them outside the 1001 project. Tended to like the French versions over the English, but I liked the modern take on an 80s sound. 3.75/5

So, I skimmed the reviews as I opened the album cos I knew they'd be split and shocker they are. This is probably the 2nd lowest average score of an album I've listened to yet and that feels incredibly unjustified. I know "straight" pop is not to everyone's preference and the revitalisation of the 80s style pop will sow the seeds of bitching. If you approach this album with an open mind it's honestly pretty great though I do struggle to acknowledge any sort of influence, and this album is pretty recent! I generally like pop though so where does this sit for me? It's good, I can't imagine listening to the first run of songs and saying it's bad even if it didn't appeal to me but I did a little more reading and the topics of masculinity and femininity do not resonate on my side at all and I'm pretty open and in touch with these things. In fact even if that were the intention during writing I think trying to push that about this album is a bit try-hard. Lucky for the album that it does in fact sound good, the synth work is fun and this album isn't afraid to touch into other genres to its absolute benefits. I mean it was good enough for me to curiously peek into the French second side and listen to that too. If split and acknowledged as the same album twice the length isn't at all overbearing, but the first half (of either side) of the album is absolutely stronger, and the French side presents a little better in flow and pacing song to song. So my actual verdict is that I absolutely like the album, but I don't love it. I think there are a couple all timers on here, songs that will stand above the album as a whole and be remembered down the line but the influence leaves me a touch unsure, especially when pop took quite a few turns in the years after this and even for late 2010s pop this wouldn't be my preference (that would be Billie Eilish). Also 2018? It's unfortunately never even approaching the higher end of my list in comparison to albums that were far more immediately influential and of more consistent quality (Kids See Ghosts and Twin Fantasy remaster). Best songs: Girlfriend, the walker Worst song: N/A Rank compared to everything else so far: 16/20 (Below Daydream Nation, above Come Away With Me)

Never heard of Christine and the Queens. Love the singing and synth. Just as good in French as English. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Girlfriend, Doesn't matter, 5 dollars, Goya Soda, Follarse ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Really liked it. Saved a bunch of tracks.

Fun album, I wasn’t familiar going into it!

I started off not sold on this, but it won me over. Definitely don’t need to listen to both discs though, just pick the language you like more and roll with that

surprising. Groovy

Absolutely baffling addition to the list, but this singer was voted higher than Emmanuel Macron as the biggest influences in France, so I dare say it serves a place. Plus it's nice not having to listen to American/British constantly. A refreshing change of pace. This was certainly an interesting one. I didn't bother with the French side, since it's just the same songs but in French. The instrumentals were certainly a highlight of this thing. I love the poppy electro feel, and the extremely high quality production is welcomed. Super refreshing listen. I probably don't see myself coming back to this but I definitely enjoyed my time. Good ass album and doesn't deserve the average rating it's got. Sorry Chris, you should have made 60's rock slop instead if you wanted a higher rating buddy!!!

What a pleasant, Pop-y surprise!

Never heard of before. Reminds me of Haim. Listened to the English version and enjoyed it.

Half way through disc 1… I am absolutely in love with this. It’s so fun and poppy! I preferred it in French over the English versions!

I found this album very interesting! Multiple genres were included, though electropop was the most common, but mostly it just screams "I belong in the eighties"! Several of these songs could've been by the Eurythmics, even. Since Chris came out in 2018, maybe the album is a little cheesy, but I can't help that I enjoyed it anyway. I enjoyed the French inclusion, too. Even though Christine and the Queens (honestly, my favorite artist name) is French, I found the English lyrics quite impactful and smartly written. And thank goodness for more queer artists.

I really do like modern electropop, and it's criminally underrepresented on this project, so I was happy for the inclusion of an album centered around it, and from a queer artist, no less. I feel like what makes this album such a standout among other similar electropop albums of the time is the very clear funk elements, which come through as what is essentially homage to Michael Jackson. As someone who doesn't get much exposure to French music, I also appreciated the "Frenglish" approach this album takes. At the end of the day, this album is just fun, and as a queer person, let's be real, I have no choice but to stan this; this music is for us. 3.5, but definitely rounding up.

This album is really beautiful, so enchanting and funny at times, ethereal and dreamy at others... I've enjoyed it a lot, it has been a very pleasant experience. Some songs didn't resonate in me much, others were blander but, overall, this album has a great and very cohesive sound atmosphere and delivery, with some great songs.

This album is like living in England, and going on a weekend holiday to Paris with a few friends. You go to a nightclub and get to dancing. Nobody around you speaks English, so you don't care about being judged. You're having a great time and the drinks are flowing. Next thing you know, you are talking to a French woman wearing a tight black dress and a woolen beret. You don't speak each other's language, so communication is difficult, but you dance the night away. A few more drinks later, the two of you are in a car heading (presumably) to her house. She pulls out a tobacco pouch and rolls herself a cigarette. Pretty cool. She proceeds to light it in the car, and smoke it in open defiance of the uber driver. Super cool. You are lost in the aura of this woman. So much so that you don't even care that you've got no idea where your hostel is and the battery on your phone is almost dead. You're not even sure this is a legitimate uber. Is this woman taking you to her house for an evening of romance? Or is she taking you to a dark alley to rob you? Is the driver in on this? Ahhh who cares.

First disk was giving Barbie fashion designer video game for the PC in the early 2000s that I didn't want to relive. Second disk was just a total vibe that I felt the need to lean back and watch a lava lamp. Weird vision, but it's a good feeling. With this coming out in 2018, I'm wondering what the French are doing. I do love French music since they're so diverse, but what era am I in? First half has me reliving my early childhood that wasn't great. Second half I'm vibing like it's the 80s-90s. Still, I'm going to give a 4 because the second half is such a vibe.

Very reminiscent of HAIM, particularly "Comme si." "Goya Soda," "The Stranger," and "Follarse" were other notable highlights.

Það er eitthvað sem er að grípa mig þarna. 80s sánd, grúví línur, hljómurinn í röddinni, franska inn á milli. Gott.

Toppenbra ny upptäckt

Överlag ett jäkligt snyggt o genomarbetat popsound, få grejer sticker ut men känns inte som det behövs heller med en så hög lägstanivå!

Not my usual style but pretty solid. Nice electronic pop backing music, nice vocals, catchy.

Good but not really in my genre. Worth another listen I think

Better than I expected given finding her extremely annoying on social media adverts

Fun, French pop - highly enjoyable!

Queer, Poppy, fun. Quite diverse of an album as well. A general good time, with my favorite being girlfriend

Enjoyed this on an early morning chilly fall walk

SO GLAD THIS IS ON THIS LIST, also it's even better in french. Christine just has so much swag and attitude, and the songs and productions are so fun and slick

**In-depth Review: *Chris* by Christine and the Queens** Released 21 September 2018 (Because Music) --- ### 1. Core Themes & Lyrical Content - **Gender & Identity**: The entire record is built around Héloïse Letissier’s masculine alter-ego “Chris”. Songs interrogate rigid gender roles (“Girlfriend” rejects the term “girlfriend” in favour of “lover” ) and celebrate pan-sexual desire (“Damn, dis-moi / What must a woman do”) . - **Sex & Power**: Sex-work is referenced without stigma (“5 Dollars”) and sexual appetite is framed as agency, not shame . - **Alienation vs. Euphoria**: “Doesn’t Matter” (fr. “Voleur de soleil”) captures the paralysis of an existential crisis set against compulsively upbeat synths . - **Bilingual Self**: Lyrics exist in parallel French & English versions; Letissier often keeps the emotional “weight” in whichever language it was first written, then mirrors rather than literally translates—creating two related but non-identical texts . --- ### 2. Music & Arrangements - **Retro backbone, modern sheen**: 80s-style Linn-drum pulses, glossy synth-bass and sparkling Juno pads recall Prince, Janet Jackson and early Madonna, but are mixed wider and louder for 2010s pop-radio . - **Funk & G-funk injections**: Dam-Funk plays talk-box guitar on “Damn, dis-moi”, planting the track firmly in West-coast boogie territory . - **Dark counter-currents**: Minor-key chord turns, detuned synth swells and abrupt filter drops (“What’s-Her-Face”) supply the album’s shadow half, preventing pure nostalgia . - **Rhythmic switch-ups**: “Goya ! Soda !” alternates half-time drum-breaks with four-on-the-floor passages, illustrating the push-pull of a consuming relationship . --- ### 3. Production & Sound Design - **Producer team**: Mainly Ash Workman (Metronomy) & Héloïse Letissier, with Cole M.G.N. on several cuts. - **Signature tricks**: – Stacked octave vocals to gender-bend the lead timbre. – Side-chained synth pads that “pump” like club compressors even in mid-tempo songs, keeping dance-floor DNA. – Sudden cinema-style muting (THX-style swell at the top of “Comme si”) to make the stereo field feel cinematic . - **Dual-language mixing**: Identical instrumental stems used for both releases; only the lead-vocal track is re-recorded, so timbre and phrasing shift slightly between French/English editions—an intentional reminder that identity is performance . --- ### 4. Influence & Reception - **Critical snapshot**: Metacritic 84/100 (22 reviews) – “universal acclaim”. - **Cultural footprint**: – “Girlfriend” reached #5 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs and became a pan-European summer 2018 radio staple, pushing non-binary visibility into Top-40 pop. – Multiple “Album of the Year” lists (Pitchfork 7.7, Guardian 5/5, NME 4/5). – Cited in academic gender-studies syllabi (e.g., Sciences-Po Paris 2020 course “Pop & Queer Identity”) as a primary-source text on contemporary francophone queer aesthetics. - **Artist influence**: Dua Lipa’s *Future Nostalgia* team name-checked *Chris* in interviews as proof that retro-funk could still sound “future”; Easy Life and Rina Sawayama borrowed the album’s spoken-word/rap cadences and bilingual switches. --- ### 5. Pros & Cons (verifiable summary) **Pros** ✅ Lyrical bravery – tackles sex, gender and religion with wit and clarity, yet remains hook-driven . ✅ Bilingual execution – two fully realised language versions add scholarly depth without feeling gimmicky . ✅ Sonic detail – crisp, punchy mixes reward headphone listening; live drums & synth-bass sit in perfect balance . ✅ Consistent energy – 11 tracks, 43 min; no filler ballads that overstay their welcome . ✅ Progressive representation – offers a visible, masculine-presenting queer woman on major-label pop channels. **Cons** ❌ Retro reliance – several reviewers note that some cuts (“Comme si on s’aimait”) lean so heavily on 80s templates that they feel derivative rather than innovative . ❌ Mid-album dip – “Follarse” and “Make Some Sense” slow momentum; the former described as “rarely catchy”, the latter “close to an outright ballad” that sags the pacing . ❌ Less surprising if you knew *Chaleur humaine* – while bolder, the fundamental sonic palette (synth-pop + R&B) is evolutionary, not revolutionary . --- ### 6. Verdict *Chris* is a tightly sequenced, intellectually charged pop record that succeeds in making queer theory danceable. Its fusion of vintage drum-machines, glossy modern mixing and bilingual, gender-fluid storytelling has already seeped into mainstream pop production styles. Although a couple of tracks retreat to safe retro pastiche, the album’s emotional and sonic high points (“Girlfriend”, “5 Dollars”, “Damn, dis-moi”, “What’s-Her-Face”) justify the critical praise and cement Christine and the Queens as a pivotal 2010s act.

Verrassend goed. 3.5/5

This is what I do this for! Not same old Brit Pop but something different and interesting. Sure, it didnt really grab me and there was no reason to have the English versions alongside the French. It was perfectly fine in French!

I hate how much I enjoyed this album. Great vocals, I honestly didn't mind that it was in french because I like the singers voice so much. Also decent instrumentals. Overall not nearly as bad as I was expecting. Very fun pop-y album. Standout Songs: Comme si on s'aimait Doesn't matter (voleur de soleil) 5 dols Machin-chose L'étranger (voleur d'eau)

Pretty great 80s synth sound that works really well with her voice. I was entertained all the way through.

It grew on me

Banger

Surprising

Chris is good in English, even better in French - softer and more exotic. Modernized electronica with Dido-esque vocals. Doesn’t Matter is top track, but all good! Another good entry on the 1001 Must Hear List as never would have heard this otherwise. (3.75*s) interesting to listen in English and read the lyrics in French.

I had never heard of this but I actually thought it was quite good. You could hear a lot of the classic influences from Michael Jackson, Prince, etc.

Only listened to the french version

7/10

I really enjoy the interesting complex voice, it scratches an itch my eardrum didn't even know it had

Rock solid pop music

Sometimes I struggle with how to review an album not in my favorite genre, especially this kind of electronica/dance pop because I usually find it very repetitive to the point of boredom. But there's something about this artist and this album that really felt different. I think Chris/Rahim's voice is mesmerizing (Make Some Sense)--even if I didn't understand the French lyrics (Machin-chose). When they were in English, their lyrics were intriguing (Girlfriend, Comme-si). While some of the beats in the tracks were repetitive, others were fun throwback sounds (Follarse, Goya!) or were very creative and really leaned into the dance mode with a rocking hip-hop groove (Damn). Worth a repeat listen or two!

Not a fan of pop, but there's something about this album. The beats remind me of Michael Jackson or Prince in their heydays. Comme si on s'aimait, Doesn't matter, and Fallarse are sublime. And their voice has a mysterious quality to it. Not androgynous but feminine at times (5 dols) and masculine, or at least Bieber-esque, at others (Bruce est dans le brouillard). Les yeux mouilles really shows off their voice. I was happy to listen to the French version of this album immediately followed by the English version, and then listen to it all over again. Though the French versions were generally better. Except Damn, dis-moi - it was just as cheesily bad as Girlfriend. The walker was just as good as La marcheuse, and that was one of the best songs period.

My first reaction to this album was "I bet it will be removed from the next edition." The first couple of tracks were ok - I thought I heard shades of Michael Jackson and figured this would be a 3. But then I found the next few tracks were very catchy (and I no longer heard MJ) and I was enjoying the album. The next thing I knew I was listening to the album on repeat for a while in the background, just enjoying bopping along. Finally got to listen closely and still liked it, but noted that the singing cadence in English was a little off - it sounded more natural in French, although since I don't speak French it could easily be as odd in French and I wouldn't know! I still wouldn't be surprised if it gets pulled - while I like the music, it doesn't sound that original - but I definitely enjoyed listening. Favorite tracks: The Walker, 5 Dollars, Make Some Sense.

Rv/G

Really liked it and has touches of R&B. Great vocals but all in French.

Day564 - if you told me it’s an eighties album that i missed then i’d say it’s better than almost all of kate bush's stuff.

like french caroline polacheck

A pop album which is more electronic than melody. 7/10

Cool, unconventional sounds!

4/5. A pretty catchy and danceable album of well-produced and written pop songs. Sometimes it doesn't need to change the game, but rather expand on it, and Rahim does a good job at perfecting that craft. It's simple yet complex, pop music is meant to be this way, and I had a great time listening to this. It's not perfect but it is still really good. Best Song: Doesn't Matter, Comme Si, Goya Soda

This was fun and interesting. I like that it is the same songs in multiple languages.

Really nice bubbly electro dance here. The production is clean and not repetitive. Had a chuckle every time the male voice just came in with "Chris". Really high 4 here. I could see myself giving this a 5 after a handful of listens. Really funny to have a terrible French album and then a really good one right after. Get in my ear, Frenchie!

That was a very fun and energetic pop album. Kind of crazy that we got 2 French albums back to back, this one was way better than Serge Gainsbourg. Based solely off the album cover I thought this was going to be some new wave glam shit, but was completely wrong. Lost a little steam at the second half, but all around was good.

I listto both the English and French ones. I would say just go French, far less stilted and probably closer to their truth. 3/5 but 1 extra because my name is Chris.

Goya Soda is such a Banger!!!

01) Comme si - 8,0 02) Girlfriend - 10,0 03) The Walker - 9,0 04) Doesn't Matter - 9,0 05) 5 Dollars - 9,0 06) Goya Soda - 9,0 07) Damn (What Must a Woman Do) - 8,5 08) What's-Her-Face - 8,5 09) Feel So Good - 8,0 10) Make Some Sense - 8,5 11) The Stranger - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,68 (87/100) Current ranking: 83/587

A solid electro-pop album. The fact that there is 2 albums with the same songs but one in English and one in French is really cool. I listened through the English album and then I listened to the songs in order but in alternating languages. A really nice time and easy listening music.

YAS QUEEN

Never heard of this album before today. It's not bad sort of synth pop dance stuff. Nice catchy beats, a lot of the lyrics are in I'm guessing French so I didn't understand it so much. Still an enjoyable listen.

I really enjoyed it and would happily have on again. I can't remember thinking a particular song must be the single, but that wasn't a bad thing.

Intelligent lyrics for a pop record. Superb voice. Songs are great in French and in English, so actually worth having both.

I hadn’t heard of Christine and the Queens before today, but I really quite enjoyed this. It reminded me quite a bit of the poppier Haim and boygenius tracks, being somewhat minimalistic catchy Melodie’s with lovely vocal harmonies over the top. This is an artist I’ll have to look up further, because they’ve definitely left me very intrigued!

Really great! I enjoyed this quite a lot.

Really blew me away, most songs were great, the French version was better of course. The singing is great tbh I love thos record.

Brand new listening, never heard this before but it's a hip, satisfying pop album. 4/5

We enjoyed this: a mixture of atmospheric and boppy.

Glatt og profesjonell

Kind of good

A very modern pop/rock record

Thought this was very pleasant throughout. Nice sounding songs well produced and good vocals.

4.2 Wow. I imagine that's what it was like to hear Off The Wall or something when it came out - Goya Soda in particular gave me massive MJ vibes, in a good way. Brilliant production, so 80s and so fresh at the same time. Lovely vocals. My only gripe is it really tails off in the second half after Goya Soda - 4 of the first 6 are absolute belters, the last 5 fall flat even after several listens. Maybe it'll win be round, but due to Side B it's ending up as a very good, but not phenomenal album

For transparency, I only listened to disc one of this album, as disc two has the same tracklist as disc one, except sung entirely in French. Rahim Redcar, the artist formerly known as Christine and the Queens, is someone I started hearing singles from this past year. They're a French singer-songwriter who started out playing piano at the age of four before expanding into classical dance and modern jazz, then found their identity in queercoded experimental pop music influenced by the likes of Michael Jackson and Kate Bush. Make no mistake, this second album of theirs, Chris, is written with the intent of breaking gender norms and expanding one's understanding of sexuality. Whether it's the addressing of masculinity of "Girlfriend", calling out the domestic abusers on "The Walker", the one-sided nature that relationships can fall into on "Doesn't Matter", or the homage to the sex worker on "5 dollars", there's a fair amount of reflection on past trauma as Rahim searches for what truly pleases them in this life without prejudice. Rahim passionately delivers these lyrics in their breathy lower register, blending French and English. This was done over the liquid production they achieved with co-producer Cole M.G.N., with the supple bass, light keyboard motifs, and drum machine that feel 80s-inspired in the arrangement. I mentioned Michael Jackson earlier as an influence, and it is apparent that Bad and Dangerous are close sonic comparisons. There are a few deviations, such as the spacious "What's-her-face" with the subtle pedal steel in the background, but for the most part, this album is locked into a certain throwback style. It's certainly a good fit for them, yet I can't help but feel there was a desire to take this to the next step, make the sound their own instead of staying indebted to the past. A song like "Feel so good" with the new jack swing rhythm and breaking glass sounding effect blares out what period its influence came from. I still enjoyed Chris, as it is a good throwback-sounding record from an artist continually exploring and bending gender and societal norms in their music.

4/5

Fun, enjoyable, interesting pop music. Apparently not popular on this site, but I really liked it.

Brilliant, beautiful, near-perfect. So cool.

Liked the English versions more than the French ones. Overall really liked the energy and sound. I was pleasantly surprised and woke up the next with one song stuck in my head even

This album was a super pleasant surprise! I had heard the name Christine and the Queens before, but never listened to them. My bad. I really liked this album a lot. Slots right in next to HAIM and Yumi Zouma. A treat.

Franse en engels gemixt, vond het echt leuk. Lekker fris ook met de simpele housebeats eronder

A very interesting record that I never listened too. I really enjoy the atmosphere here and her voice fits perfect. Maybe it’s a bit too long but not much.