Chris

I only listened to the English half of this. It's okay but not my cup of tea.

Labs pops. bet tomēr pops

Thought this was pretty good. Not typically what I’d put on, but very listenable. The English/french double album was cool also, so rounded up.

A totally respectable pop album. Not quite sure why I have to hear it before I die, but fine nonetheless. 2.5/5

A little hidden gem Should it be on a list like this? Absolutely not Is it good? Absolutely

Reminds of XX in spots. I could see myself coming back to this in the future. 3/5

Didn't like this at first, but it quickly grew on me. Pretty great pop. Any more recent artist bringing an 80's vibe is gonna get love from me, and f-bombs are always endearing. 3.5

Not good, not bad.

I was surprised by this one and added a couple songs

I gave it a three which breaks my rating system. Extra star because I was expecting a 1

Do I believe I needed to hear some contemporary French pop? For the sake of my global musical vocabulary, sure. Did I like it more than American pop? Un peu.

Decent pop, I guess?

Chris is more consistently upbeat than the previous Christine and the Queens album, as it skips the traditional French ballads and focuses entirely on synth pop. His version of synth pop is restrained and intricate, providing a lot of subtle synths and keys rather than big obvious sounds. It suits the lyrics and themes of the album well - there's a lot of subtley in the lyrics that feels at home in the twinkling sounds. While the album is never boring, it does lack surprises after the first few songs. Every song has a refined but catchy hook and is of a pretty standard format, with no extended instrumentals or anything to break the mold. By the end the formula has worn thin, but it's still enjoyable. This both stands out among a lot of lesser pop music from the 2010s and is overshadowed by the decade's true pop masterpieces.

Good album. English and French versions

Ok hear me out…there’s something in the vocals that remind me of Michael Jackson. It’s not always there but every once in a while I hear a young MJ. First disc was pretty good, i don’t think needed it again in French though

didn't really stand out Would I listen again? No Deserves to be on this list? Probably not 2.6

Fantastic album. Beautiful voice, fantastic recording, great production. Girlfriend is an absolute banger. Loads of other great tracks. Nothing original going on musically, but it’s all done well. Worthy modern addition to the list. 3

Pretty solid for a straight pop album. Not essential I don't think, but all the songs were good

It's better than most pop music of today, which is not much but it's something

Vähän pitkä mutta arvostan kyllä tätä kasarithrowbackia! 3/5

Decent listen.

Modern French synth pop. Very long album, not massively exciting.

3- Stars (7/15)

This was interesting but I wasn't a fan of the synths.

Not too bad, but not my vibe either. Too kitsch.

Helt ålreit pop - til tider veldig bra og. Hørte på den franske versjonen. Men kan ikke si jeg har all verdens tiltro til objektiviteten til denne lista over album lengre. Hvorfor er dette her, men ikke for eksempel Aurora som har ti ganger så mange lyttere og er nogenlunde samme type musikk? Hvorfor ble akuratt dette valgt ut?

Liked it more than I thought!

Meh.

This makes me want to listen to Caroline Polachek. I might like this more if I remembered more from my French classes.

nice drums, ambient tracks and voice

jo men det här är ändå gött. känns som en bra florence and the machine

Pop is not my jam, but for me Christine and the Queens does it better than most on “Chris”. Part of it may be the depth of the lyrics, but I think the more important factor is that the music embraces and explores the genre. The artist leans into it. Some of the tunes of this record remind me of dance tunes from the 80s, others were clearly inspired by some of the top pop stars of decades past. Yet the music does more that rehash these sounds, it recreates these sounds into something fresh. Some subscribers of this project get excited when one of their favorite albums pops up here. I'm the opposite and get most excited when I get something unfamiliar. Sometimes, this means that I've heard of the work but just haven't ever taken the time to explore it. More rarely I get something I've never heard of, which was the case for me with this selection. A little weird consider the album’s critical acclaim, but I don’t pay much attention to pop music. I’m unlikely to add this album to my rotation. Again, not my jam. However, I’m still glad to have had the opportunity to explore this music, which likely never would have happened without this project.

förvånansvärt bra, brukar inte gilla pop

Wow what a nice surprise! From France no less, which makes me wonder how many hundreds of international albums deserve to be on this list. I like the sound of this pop record with its subtle arrangements and dry beats with a sparse mix. The vocals are performed very well, often carrying the whole tune over a minimal soundscape with some nice harmonies here and there. Looks like there’s french versions of some of these songs which I’ll be checking out as I bet they sound even better in their native tongue. It sure was great to listen to a modern day artist exploring pop music in this way!

Fransk musik har nåt.

Sort of a baffling choice. I feel that about almost every post 2015 album. I think that’s the benefit of hindsight. This makes sense maybe as an album that’s emblematic of the more retro pop sound that was and still is popular? But I can’t say this album does it in a way that’s exceptional

Some songs were pleasant, some were irritating.

5/10 Set beat. sing. repeat. 11-05-2025

I don't really follow the music scene in France, so i'm not sure how popular Christine and the Queens are there.....which by the way, is one person. "And the Queens" does not refer to other people in the group apparently, it's all just one person. I listened to the French side first since I assumed it would feel more natural. Definite Janet Jackson and late 80's/early 90's pop vibes, which I think they were able to pull off well. It's a good catchy sound which kinda does fit in a niche group when we have seen a small synthpop/synthwave revival. They definitely channeled their inner Michael Jackson for Feel So Good. Seems like this was their "coming out" album in being a bit more secure in their gender identity and sexuality, which is why there are a lot of snowflakes upset in the reviews like this album personally kicked their dog. It definitely is a culturally important album representing a larger movement that includes the the less "black and white" side of LGBTQ that blew up around this time and continues to today. There are plenty of homosexual artists that have been huge in the industry, but fewer trans or genderqueer artists even today that I am aware of. Overall I found the album good and catchy. Although the English side was a bit hard to catch all the lyrics, the essence was still there. I didn't find it "edgy" or "in your face" at all in a way that called attention to their sexuality or gender, but still a cool album nonetheless that I would have never heard otherwise.

This was okay… interesting

I've always said I don't like 80s music, but I've had an interesting, and frankly, shocking, run of 80s albums lately that show me that it's not 80s *music* I don't like, it's 80s *pop* music I don't like. Well, this album was released in 2018 but sounds like it was released in 1981. It's bubblegum poppy, complete with a heavy reliance on synth. Actually, the more I listened to it, it's still obviously *heavily* influenced by 80s pop, it is kind of an updated sound that I actually didn't hate. Yet another time I wish for half stars, but since I don't have them, and I'd listen to this album 10 times before I subjected myself to Iron Butterfly which I gave a 2, this gets a 3.

3.5/5

I don’t have any history with CATQ. Slightly elevated pop music, it was ok but felt anything but vital. I preferred the second half of the album where it slowed down and the soundscapes became more interesting which seems contrary to most of the reviews I’ve seen. I only half listened to the French side, I don’t think it would alter my opinion.

„Chris“ von Christine and the Queens ist ein kraftvolles, aber nicht durchgehend überzeugendes Album. Mit Themen wie Identität und Selbstermächtigung beeindruckt es konzeptionell, verliert jedoch musikalisch an Tiefe.

Beautiful voice, but doesn't quite get me going otherwise.

A bit poppy

Very 80s sounding, I was surprised to see this was released in 2018. First impressions - rather forgettable. Nothing stood out, even the French versions were rather bland. Great for background music though. I can imagine this playing at some wanna be trendy boutique. I'd give it a 2.5 but will bump it up to 3.

Ne razumim poantu uvrštavaja ja ovog, prosjek totalni

trans perspectives matter

A slinky, groovy album with surprising depth of emotion that nonetheless kinda peters out in the second half. I wish some of the singles, which really are fantastic, had been saved for the end of the album (or that the whole album had that kind of punch).

Quirky French pop that has a good vibe. The album is really long, so I got a bit fatigued. But if you have friends who are into pop, this might save your sanity when picking a playlist for the night.

A perfectly fine French pop album, but nothing special. The production was quite boring and I didn’t really need to listen to the same songs in both English and French. 2.5 stars.

Her voice is great. ★★★

Ok a bit easy listening for me but jolly enough

Kind of fun. Not entirely sure why this is on the list, but some fun songs.

Part dance floor, part art school. Half English, half French, all interesting. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions: - Girlfriend - What’s-her-face - Follarse

Every song repeats the chorus at least two times too many. I don’t like these songs enough to listen to them again in French.

Strong 2,5

I love the retro synth-pop production here, but some of the lyrics are a bit odd (seriously, what is a Goya Soda?), likely due to English. It being their first language. But that’s also kind of charming in a way. The Walker is my favorite track by far.

Un álbum pop mainstream sin mucho para aportar en la experiencia de escucha. No entiendo muy bien cual es la relevancia que tiene como para estar en esta lista, pero bueno. Al menos escuchar la versión en francés le da un toque distintivo a un álbum que es extremadamente genérico. El álbum está bien producido y la interpretación está muy bien, pero no le encuentro nada especial. Tengo entendido que el contenido de las letras hace referencia a cuestiones de género, lo cual le aporta un poco de peso a un estilo tan comercial. Pero no me parece suficiente como para generar mucho impacto con la obra.

There are singles that I adore from this band. An entire album, especially of this length, outstays its welcome. 3/5

Listened in both english and french. comme si is pretty good. for me it felt like basic pop nothing super outstanding. French was slightly better than english but maybe because i didn't know what it was saying. English: 7.23/10. French: 7.46/10 Overall: 7.33 3/5

Ex girlfriend music (non -derogatory) but also we need to stop the 1975-ification of music

Clearly, Christine and the Queens are important for LGBTQ+ visibility. Listening objectively, this is some pretty good Pop music. Not outstanding, but pretty good. It looks like CATQ are very popular internationally, but haven't made the inroads to the U.S. that would make it a must-listen. For something similar (and arguably better), I would suggest Haim's outstanding debut album, "Days Are Gone".

3.5

Pretty good! Liked the first three the best - the album is very my style, but not the best representation of it.

I’ve only heard of Christine and the Queens because he was on MGMT’s “Dancing in Babylon” that came out last year. Loss of Life was my favorite album released in 2024, so even though I don’t know any other songs by C&tQ, I have pretty high hopes for this album. I love electronic pop music, so this album should be right up my alley. I thought this album was fine. When it comes to pop music, I want something that’s dance-y, has hooky melodies, or has some lyrics that are really great to sing along too. While this album was fairly enjoyable to listen to, it didn’t check any of those personal boxes. The arrangements were beautiful at times, but I didn’t find anything about this album’s sound to be particularly memorable. There were some individual parts of this album that I liked, but it was rare that multiple elements really clicked for me. “Comme Si” started off the album on a decent not. It didn’t light my world on fire, but the overall sound was really nice, and the drum machines were excellent, leading me to believe that there was still a good chance I’d enjoy the album overall. The next song, “Girlfriend” was a bit better. I loved the keyboard melody, and the bass and lead guitars filled out the sound nicely. There was quite a bit of good stuff from the guitar underneath the keyboards and synths at times, and there was an interesting rhythm to the vocals. After that though, my interest started to wane a bit. “Doesn’t matter” and “5 dollars” were pretty good, and the bass on “Goya Soda” was excellent, but again, I just wasn’t wowed. Maybe other pop-heads will enjoy this more, but if I want to hear Christine and the Queens, I’m firing up their appearance on MGMT’s album.

This was enjoyable. I didn't expect it to be a double-album with the first one being in English and the second in French.

Ok, but a bit too synth-driven.

Never heard of this guy, it wasn't terrible I guess although it went on a bit long and was half French

This is a strange addition to the list. It's just generic pop. Nothing particularly good or bad. It happened, then it ended.

Its okay. One of the better 80s contributions.

j'm'attendais à kiffer mais pas tant que ça

What would have been another mid 2010s pop album is elevated by some very impressive synth programming and arrangement. The obvious comparisons are to 80s electro funk and new jack but I think there's a more interesting comparison to be made to Scritti Politti, someone who is very interested in making DIY tracks with strong political statements but entirely aimed at the pop market. Girlfriend has an amazing Bernie Worrell synth right at the end which elevates the clever lyrics. I'm not sure how I feel about throwback kind of albums on here. On the other hand pop has been eating itself for decades so should you really be surprised that contemporary stuff is just updating stuff that's just outside the memories of its consumers? The Walker is a more straight up 2010s electro-ballad which rips off Sia and that Diplo style melancholy pretty hard. 5 Dollars goes back to the 80s with something straight from Peter Gabriel, but also keeps sounding like she's saying Phife Dog??? Goya Soda offers some interest by adding some more syncopated rhythms to the ballads. The bridge where the bassline gets detuned is genius. Damn (What must a woman do?) slowly builds in complexity, really showing off Chris's arrangements and queering James Brown. Feel So Good I think does the best at getting the electro-funk-ballad synthesis right, I think its the leaning on the bass to do a bit more rhythm work than was traditional in this kind of music that does it, it sounds a bit spacey and futurist while still having that hard syncopated edge that electro always needs. Definitely the highlight. Stranger is an interesting experiment but not quite at the same level as the former. He is clearly very talented but ultimately it kind of feels like Chris can't decide what he wants this album to be. Is it a fun Kendrick/Uptown Funk 80's tribute but with better sound design? Or is it a Gotye/Sia ballad 80's tribute thing but with slyer lyrics? If he'd picked one I think it would have been more powerful.

Too much sugar.

it's an ok pop album

I did t listen to the French version but the English side was filled with adequate pop songs.

I have some passing familiarity with Christine and the Queens, mostly from the Girls soundtrack. I'm not a massive art-pop/synth-pop fan - something about it is slippery in my listening ear, becomes a little mall-like if I'm not listening intently. I acknowledge the huge influence and list of influences, its pillar place in queer history and culture, but the edges are too slick for me to grab onto. Grooveable, for sure. I feel like I'm 7 years too late to this one - 2018 me would have loved this. Interesting to have read Redcar's Wikipedia article - it almost feels like an intrusion to be listening to work that an artist has so completely detached from on an identity level.

5/10 Is this all at the same tempo? Certainly feels like it. Not a crime in itself, but this is a POP album and needs to DO more. It needs to be memorable and toe tapping. Highlights the issue with my scoring. 5/10 means YAWN.

3.5/5

Slick and enjoyable in the moment, with Goya Soda as a highlight, but overall not very memorable. The songs were nice but didn’t leave a strong impression, and none felt essential enough to listen again.

Good pop, very clean sounding.

I loved „what‘s-her-face“. Can‘t really say anything else, because I had to rush through the album 😬 will listen to it again tho

not bad but didn't finish it

I didn't think I knew Christine and the Queens but apparently was familiar with Doesn't Matter from this album which I had previously saved. Outside of that song I was surprised how much I dug the rest of this. The electro-pop gave me a sort of amped up Imogen Heap vibes, which is definitely a good thing. The music was catchy enough to keep me hooked for the full playtime. I didn't opt to check out the french version of this album but might circle back to see how it sounds for comparison. Wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. 3.08

It took me a couple goes to get into this album, but once I did, it was actually really good Fave songs: The Walker, what’s-her-face

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would

Despite coming out in 2018, this music sounds like the background of a Starbucks in 2008.

Dance music.

Really enjoyed the first half of this album but second half kind of fell off / felt repetitive. Enjoyed a lot of the songs though - best for me were comme si and 5 dollars

Decent album, very cool to have disc 1 in English and dic 2 in French.

35/1001 Christine and the Queens - Chris Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ (not in full) I must admit that after loving their debut Chaleur Humaine, I was kinda disappointed by the 80s tinged singles that were released ahead of this album being released. As such, I didn't actually get around to listening to the album. I understand the need to reinvent your sound, but it wasn't in a way that excited me. On listening to this today, we have two sides - one in English and the other of the same songs in French. Honestly, the French versions work so much better and I wished they'd stuck with one and not the other. Musically, I don't mind it, but never got engaged as much as the debut.

Pretty harmless French pop.

That wasn’t bad. The throwback 80s synth was well used (if a little odd to be on a list with anything from the actual 80s). It sounds better in French

Decided to listen to the French version. It took me a few songs to get into this album - it is pop but not pop built around hooks, if that makes sense - but by the fourth song I was really liking the vibe. Intelligent and interesting. The soundscape is immaculately sculptured and Rahim's vocals are excellent. The production is perhaps a bit too slick in places but I am guessing that's the Japanese City Pop influence (I struggle with JCP, admittedly). An easy 3.

I saw that the album was a double disc, but when I realized it was just English & French versions of each song I was cool with that. I don't get a newer band releasing a 90 minute double disc. You can cut out a few songs and make it a single disc. Anyway, the music was okay. I could tell there was a hint of auto-tune, the singer's voice was not very distinctive otherwise. I liked when they had her voice in the background, it was a bit more ethereal. Having a song called Goya Soda is like doing a song called RC Cola. It feels like you are restricting your audience just a tinge. It was pretty good electronic pop, but it's just not something I could totally get into. I was bopping my head to the first track or two, but the autotune and the sameness kinda took me out of it. Top tracks: "Comme si," "Girlfriend", "Damn (what must a woman do)"

Released in 2018 but sounds like an 80's album. Pretty fun listen. This is a high-3 for me.

Fairly clunk 80s-synth pastiche made only a little more interesting because of the artist overt tackling of gender identity issues.

I don't have a lot of faith the writer truly picked this album because it was THE stand out representative of throwback pop by a Euro singer within the past 10 years. I mean, Tove Lo, Lykke Li, and Tove Stryke are right there. So Sad So Sexy even came out the same year. Shit, you want a French singer? Try Angele or Charlotte Gainsbourg. This wasn't bad, it was just mediocre - and there's so much other better throwback pop music out there. But I think the writer was checking a box and so here we are.

It has a good vibe, I liked the instrumentation. It’s catchy, but none of the songs were very memorable. It’s an album I’d put on at a pool party in the summer, but it wouldn’t be a feature. It would just be for the vibes.

Meh. Really not for me. It's not horrible. I don't think it's bad. But I just don't care for this type of music.

I really like this, surprisingly. Some of it feels repetitive, but he has a great voice, and the beats are awesome. Oddly, I liked the French versions better than the English. I'll definitely check out his other stuff.

Um...yeah. Distinctly average pop songs. Might get a bonus 0.1 stars for being partially in French, but it's still Mid.

I liked it!

Decent pop. Better than anything Gaga has done

Pleasant, unremarkable except in how slavishly they capture an 80s R&B flavor in a few songs.

Immediately went for the French version since I don't take in lyrics anyway, c'est super. But, actually, it got very boring and a lot of the tracks toward the end felt like alt takes or bonus tracks.

Came out in 2018 but its got some real 80s vibes. But also kinda similar vibes to earlier Charli XCX.

good for the eighties, not now

Eh, this was okay, but a poor choice of backing music to demo a bathroom to. I feel like this didn't impact me significantly, but I did enjoy a few of the songs along the way. So I guess this is 3 territory.

Wasn't really into the first song but Girlfriend is catchy as hell. Really reminds me of Michael Jackson. Really really hate Make Some Sense. The production on this was pretty great I gotta say. Not really my favorite type of music but it was a bit better than expected. Low 3.

I didn't expect to like this album as much as I did or at all. Made me realise how much I had heard them throughout my childhood (especially tilted give it a listen if you havent already). The album was a mostly welcome blend of overproduced pop and 80s but by 5 songs became rather monotonous in its vibe. A good example of don't judge a book by its first 30 seconds. Was not a fan of their attempt at k-pop as it came across as rather jarring and forced and ruined the mostly fluid concept of the first half.

Solid three-and-a-half album. The only thing missing from this album is one "larger-than-life" single.

Reviews seem to be a bit harsh on this one and I’m not sure why. This was enjoyable. I’ve always had a soft spot for 80s Synth Pop and this album is very much in that same vein. The release had 2 versions available to stream: an English and a French version. I chose English so I didn’t have to listen to the same album twice in 2 different languages. If I'm still feeling adventurous later today, I may listen to the French version.

Solid pop album with enjoyable songs. I love the synth-pop style that flows through things. This was a pleasant surprise.

I have previously heard of Christine and the Queens, but that was when she was first getting popular, when this album came out. After that, I dont think she was ever on my radar again. It was a nice way to be reintroduced to her music. The band has a good feel musically. Christines singing is good, although not always in styles that I prefer. This was not bad, but also probably not something I would get back to.

Chris is the second full-length album from Christine and the Queens, also known as just "Chris," who is now known as Rahim Claude Redcar. Redcar is a French singer that makes electro-pop. The release includes English and French versions of the songs. The album includes "Girlfriend," which was an international hit. It's a catchy, nu-disco dance track, and was near the top of several of "Best Song of 2018" lists.

Not my thing at all

Kind of cool French pop not totally for me

Felt like a basic art pop album from 2018. It has some catchy songs like “Comme-si”, “Girlfriend” and “The Stranger”. Everything is fine but nothing is really great. My main gripe with this is the number of similar albums that also were released in 2018. Robyn’s “Honey” is a great album in the same vein. So is Mitski’s “Be the Cowboy”. Both these albums were also released in 2018, have similar direction, and are clearly better albums in my opinion. Still, a newish album that is not somebody who got famous in the 90s is rare for this list. Mid 3.

behind on albums so i didn’t want to finish this. not bas. probably a 3/5.

Doesn't do much for me.

These songs are not bad. But they're also not spectacularly good, especially for the year 2018 when there was much better material on offer. The music here offers little in the way of instrumental/textural variation, virtuosity on any particular instrument (including vocals), or really even creativity in terms of style or ideas. Though 80s-style music doesn't get as much traction these days, it's not like nobody's making it. It just isn't as popular – and justifiably so, being a relic of a bygone era. I feel that praise on account of Chris's distinctly 80s atmosphere is kind of empty. The meat of this album lies not in the style, skill, or creativity of the music, but in the magical, floaty galaxy you're sent to when you close your eyes. Great for when you're tired and don't want anything overly complex or stimulating. In that sense, every individual track is fairly good (except for The stranger – that one is pretty terrible). But if your goal is to find a pot soundtrack, you can definitely do better than this (see: Pink Floyd). "Comme si" is a peppy opener that I'm surprised isn't the most listened-to song here. It must not have been a single. The following track, "Girlfriend", is sonically near-identical to Comme si, but without the nifty melody to back it up. The song "Doesn't matter" has ABBA-like vocal harmony and an awful drumbeat – but something about it still spoke to me. And Goya Soda sounds like it was plucked straight off Thriller, complete with the twangy synth-bass, Dorian mode, and glass-clear vocals. It could well be the best song here. In the song "Damn (what must a woman do)", man really said "damn what must a woman do? more like deh wah mashta poomadoo." 3/5 Key tracks: Comme si, Doesn't matter, Goya Soda

I didn’t know what to think at first, and when I saw it was a “double album” with all the songs in English, then again in French, and it was 90 minutes, I was like, damn. The English version was good. But the French side…way better. Should have just put out the French version! I liked it so much more. And I don’t know why, because lyrics going one ear and out the other.

Horny French pop

Pretty fun, though I thought it ran really long, which I found grating. It reminded me of things I like about a small number of female pop artists, and I obviously listened to both albums, so didn’t find it that terrible. I could see a few of these tracks making it on to my workout mix.

HAIM if they were French Favorites: Doesn't Matter, Make Some Sense

Beautiful clean vocals a solid synth-pop album. I think if I didn't know the work on either side, I would like this even more. I want to listen to this more, though.

The singles are excellent. Drops off slightly for other tracks. Having the same album in both French and English is fine. But makes it a tad exhausting if you listen to both back to back. Would have preferred if they just picked 12 tracks and lived with it I enjoy her sound though. Solid 3/5

This album has some very impressive, cheerful singles where Christine is able to get across his incredible force of personality. When it settles into more of a groove it becomes pleasant but less exceptional. Spotify put the English version of the record first for me, I wish it hadn’t because it’s not as good. I can see the ambitious commercial rational of releasing two versions, but I’d rather he selected the version that resonates best with him.

A high 3 for me, love the production style, first half is bangers then it drops off a bit

Clean production. Did not understand most of what she sang. Not too bad

A perfectly fine pop album. Chris really has the vocal chops to elevate this to something better than average, but the songs themselves just kind of wash over me so I’m kind of left with no lasting memory of what I’ve just heard.

Not bad, but not really to my taste. I didn't realize I initially was listening to the double album of both English and French versions, but the French version was my preference. I think it is the same effect as watching a sub vs dub, where when you aren't picking up small surprising bits of audio you didn't expect, you will smooth over any imperfections because you don't notice them. A solid background album for the right audience.

It’s fun but also a bit esc vibes

It's okay, better in French though

A nice voice and cool beats. If I knew the second disc was the same songs again in french, I think I would have listened to that one instead.

Its pretty good. Some slick poppy tastyness here and there. Some tracks feel a little aimless though

Fun, solid pop album. Will revisit

When I saw that this album had 23 songs, I was immediately concerned about it keeping my attention. Fortunately, this was hardly an issue. Firstly, the first half of the album is in English and the second half is the same songs in French. Secondly, Rahim's voice was so clear and gorgeous, and I was thoroughly entertained and impressed by his talent. There is a back and forth between English and French lyrics that I really enjoyed as I am a big fan of French pop artists. The lyrics were great, and I was pretty impressed with Rahim as an artist. Where this lost some points for me was in the music. It was good, but electronic beats aren't really my preference in most cases.

2018 French pop sounds alot like 1980s American pop. But that’s not a bad thing! Still, i can’t give full credit when you’re copying off of a 30 year old paper 3.5

Good

Nice Sunday morning listen

Ok

Some good tracks on this, although didn't like the ones in French. Think I saw at Glasto a few years back. Was nice to hear something more modern.

There's almost enough synthesizer and drum machine to convince me this is a demo tape for the Eurovision tryouts.

My first thought of this album is that it kind of sounds like it would be playing quietly in the background of a semi-upscale hotel lobby check-in and lounge area on a weekday. It's not exactly challenging in any way and it's easy to sort of tune out what the lyrics are saying. And that's a shame because I actually like the lyrics for the most part. I don't really like the sort of 'electronic beats with singing on the top' style of music in general and this one didn't do anything to sway my opinion there. I feel like the English version and then the French version is too much. I would prefer to just have the French version, it seems more genuine somehow. This record was kind of just middle of the road - didn't love it, didn't hate it. Probably won't listen again or seek out anything else that he has done. 2.5/5

V pohode popík.

first time hearing it in english and i felt like i was in an insane parallel universe

The Michael Jackson influence is VERY strong here. But I dont think it reaches his heights - it's pleasant and ok to listen to. I'm torn on what to give this. 3 means it ok, but I wouldnt listen again. 4 means I would listen again.

Good background music

Pretty decent, just not really my style tbh. The Stranger slaps tho.

This was an interesting discovery. Very poppy, a bit too poppy for my overall liking. I appreciated the English and French versions of the songs. It was quite listenable although nothing in particular stood out to me.

french 2010's gay pop???? kinda iconic ngl, love the vibes but didn't fully hit the marks compared to some of my other goats in the genre. still a great choice for the 1001

Possibly my favourite French transgender electro funk album of the 2010s

7.5/10 Fave treack: Goya Soda

Ouarf, c’est genre. Ok, je connais tu que je le sais sur la radio. Moi? Non non non, pas top… tu sais? Voir et entendre, c’est top notch sur la note, sans voir la réponse.

It was fun having the album in french as well as english. But ultimately nothing really grabbed me. It was decent music, just nothing I am eager to revisit.

I get it, just not for me.

Interesting pop, albeit a bit indiscernible from the rest of pop. Still this was fun and the talent is apparent.

Just a pretty standard pop album, don't really have a whole lot to say about this one.

Some of the vocals throughout this remind me a lot of Caroline Polachek. It actually feels like Caroline Polachek was heavily inspired by this album/artist which is cool. I also really like the production on this album. This isn't really my vibe but for queer electronic pop, this feels really great and important.

This was fun euro dance pop! Not something I gravitate towards, but definitely enjoyable. I like how a lot of it was minor key or kind of intense and progressing. This was fun!

Musically this was really good, exactly the sort of thing I love discovering. I'm surprised I had no awareness of this at all. I read the wikipedia page for the album and then clicked on to the 'artist' page - fuck me, that is depressing, wish I'd remained ignorant to all that bollocks. Tbh, identify as whatever the fuck you want, it makes no difference to me - but I automatically think people like that are just trying too hard to be edgy and current, know what I mean? It's probably somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, musically closer to 4 - but all the bollocks about pronouns and identities makes me round down to 3.

This improved immensely once I switched to the French version. It’s pretty decent pop music. Definitely influenced by Michael Jackson. But the artist is a good singer, the music is upbeat and it’s nicely made. Not innovative. Just fine.

French justin timberlake and Haim vibes

At least it's musical? Sadly, the lack of definition makes the whole thing muddy and fine for blending into the background, but never edgy or clear enough to stand on its own, out front.

This isn’t really my preferred genre of music, so I need to approach it with more objectivity. That said, I actually enjoyed a few tracks, like ‘Goya Soda’ and ‘Doesn't Matter.’ However, I did find myself skipping a few others. I'm going 3 because I did put a song on one of my playlists.

Some decent grooves but mostly run of the mill pop. I understand and support what’s being communicated but musically it’s just not great. And stop it with the 2 disc releases.

catchy pop fluff.

7/10 Favorite Tracks: Comme Si, What's-her-face Least Favorite Tracks: Goya Soda

I liked it pretty well at first, but it kinda ran long and got a bit monotonous. Overall, kinda liked it. Prolly wouldn't listen again.

Surprisingly good

Fun French electro pop.

A few songs were ok

awesome

I’d give it 2.5 but that’s not an option so I’ll be nice and round up to 3

tæplega markhópurinn. er rafpopp og frekar einhæft. ekkert hræðilegt en ekkert spennandi.

Originally I was going to give it a 2 and skip the French version but the playlist kept playing and the French version sounded better to me (maybe because I don’t understand it lol). I would put it as some kind of party background music but wouldn’t sit down and analyse it.

Not bad. This is the closest we've come so far to something I would listen to normally so it rates decently just because of that.

Really enjoyed the production on this one, reminds me of Chic and Prince in places. The vocals are good, but I found some of the lyrics overly repetitive. For that reason, I preferred the French version, it allows me to focus more on the music. Overall enjoyable, but didn't really stick with me apart from the Girlfriend, Doesn't Matter and Goya Soda.

A solid pop album with some enjoyable singing. Nothing really jumped out or rose to the top, but nothing was a miss either.

Enjoyable, but nothing special.

I really like her music, but i don't think this is her best work yet. Also 1.5h was a bit much

Started with the English version which was not particularly engaging. Then switched to the french where the songs had a different feel, probably not understanding the lyrics,. The performance came across as more invested. Although the sound seemed to hark back to the eighties the production is more modern and suggests that it will still sound OK in thirty years time. Catchy enough for replay.

This is a pretty chill album. Almost immediately, it slipped into “background music” territory while I was getting on with things around the house, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s very pleasant—both in terms of the vocals and the smooth, synth-heavy melodies. At times, it even reminded me a little of The Weeknd in its mood and atmosphere. The version on Spotify includes both an English and a French disc. I stuck with the English version, partly out of curiosity, and partly because listening to the same album twice over ninety minutes felt like a bit of an endurance test I didn’t particularly need. The album’s commitment to an ’80s synth-pop aesthetic is clear, and while it taps into parts of that genre I enjoy, it also embraces some of the tropes I’m less fond of. The occasional spoken-word moments feel unnecessary, and there were times when it seemed like someone had told him he didn’t need to try every single setting on his keyboard. Overall, it’s a pleasant and easy listen, but one that rarely demands attention. I liked it well enough while it was on, but it didn’t leave much of a lasting impression. I’m settling on a 3/5, though if decimals were allowed, I’d probably nudge it closer to a 2.75. Standout Songs: Doesn’t Matter, 5 Dollars, What’s-Her-Face Score: 3/5

I enjoyed this! Will listen again.

I used to like a few Christine and the Queens songs back in the day. This is decent, but a little too poppy for my tastes. 3/5

was expecting more! i love tilted era christine and the queens!

It was interesting, but quickly forgotten.

How is this on here - not that its bad but... Some cool catchy songs - I really like the first one. great vocal melodies, but I just think there could have been much more - more experimentations as it falls quite flat at the end. Favorite songs: first one, doesn't matter, 5 dollars. Overall around 6/10

The French Version is amaizng: 3.5/5

ganz nett, aber viel zu lang und nit soo special

Resulta un tanto agotador escuchar la versión en inglés y luego en francés. Girlfriend es una Buena y pegajosa canción.

Pretty good, pretty danceable pop. Didn’t particularly touch me and I am not sure what makes it something I “must” listen to. Not unimpressed - it sounds good and recording an album in two languages is a feat worth noting. Just not that blown away. I think including it is a bit unfair to it - not every album is hugely impactful and that’s fine. And if it is in a way that I don’t see, it might still be too early to tell.

Just ditch the English version of these songs and stick with the French version. She sounds so much better and more comfortable in those.

Mid pop. Interesting, but not really my thing. 3/5

Kind of generic pop.

Peppy. Sounds like something I’d hear in the food court of a mall. Fine. Not quite my thing.

Not really my thing, but I have to admit, he is very good at what he does. Some of this was very catchy, but not enough to put it over a three.

pretty good. surprised i dont hear about this one more

Better in French (2.5/5)

I wasn't brave enough to try and listen to the French version of this album but I do think that the English version is entirely likable. Coincidentally, the French word for 'bravo' is bravo, so when I use that word to describe my review, no translation needed for my French speaking audience. audience.

She certainly has a sexy, sultry sound But I’m a middle aged man I can’t keep that up for a full album Let alone doing it all again in French

ровненький альбом послушать фоном - что-то в духе попсы 80-90-х

This one definitely comes straight out of left field--I've never heard of her/him or this album, and I'm quite confident I've never heard any of these songs before. The music in many of the tracks doesn't really do all that much for me--a bit too semi-retro-80s-pop for my taste--but the videos are absolutely hypnotizing, largely from her/his physical strength and presence and an incredible variety of settings to "Comme si", "Girlfriend" and "The Walker" (not as much with "5 dollars"). I actually preferred the music more on the non-video tracks, especially "Doesn't Matter" and "Damn (what must a woman do)" (I kept hearing "what must a puma do"...), but I also enjoyed the seamless Franglais throughout, although I'll admit I chose not to listen to many of the French version of the songs. And kudos to Chris/Rahim C Redcar for earning 4 Victoires de la Musique!

I only listened to the French version. It's perfectly fine pop music, not something I would rush to listen to again.

I didn't have very high expectations when it came to reviewing Chris but i can safely say I'm pleasantly surprised at how solid this album turned out. First things first, this album is really weird and sounds like an 80s new wave album, except it was released 30 years late. However, this album did still manage to sound good and all the synths managed to sound melodic and unique. The album did feel a little long despite what it's 44 minute runtime states but i remained pretty interested for the most part. This is a pretty solid album that just happened to release at the wrong time. Best Song: The stranger Worst Song: Feel so good

Rather exemplifies the 3-star album.

Favorite Track: Comme si on s’aimait

Really enjoyed this album! Dancy, fun tracks. Especially loved the track Damn (what must a woman do). Definitely need to check out more music from Chris/Redcar!

This is a good modern pop album, just not really my personal taste, but worth a listen

I'm not a huge fan of pop and of music from the 80s (the production being generally awful) but Chris has a great voice, even though there's a 80s influence, it kinda keeps the best of it (it's pretty minimalistic overall). I probably won't listen to it willingly again, but that was not so bad.

This was decent pop music. Too long though. Should have been two albums. One in each language.

5/10 French Pop

It was just OK, gets a bit lifeless and repetitive after a while.

It was...fine?

I thought this album wasn't bad - dance alt rock

Promiscuous production underpins lusty bilingual lyricism in this discotheque dalliance.

Listening to the 23 track bilingual version was interesting but too long. Fun bouncy pop - very retro for 2018 but that’s fine.

I don't know if it's because of the cover, but I was not expecting to like this. However, I thought it was pretty chill and vibey. I dug the '80s-throwback aesthetic, even though that's not my usual wheelhouse. None of the songs really stood out for me, but I enjoyed the ride. I preferred the French version.

Not my type of thing at all, but the production is definitely really good.

Christineeeee Geweldige stem Leuk dat deze er tussen staat Voor de rest prima album

It was ok

A pleasantly surprising album. A nice modern take on 80s synth pop that didn't feel cheesy or over produced. Not something I'd actively seek out, but a good and entertaining listen. Top tracks: Comme Si, The Walker, Goya Soda

I really like 80s music, but not sure if I need more of it created in 2018. That said, it is well executed and cleanly produced. The 1001 Albums Generator is doing exactly what it promised, because there is no way I would have come across modern French pop music on my own. I would not put it in rotation, but not mad that I listened to it. 2.5⭐️ (rounded up to 3 for rating)

chris moment

2018? Sounds like it dropped out of the 80’s. But fuller sound than then.

It's some pop music, that's all I've got to say really.

First off, I just want to say that it's pretty cool that this album has both an English version and a French version. I only listened to the French version as it seems to be the version most people consider to be better, but it's cool that both options are there. Anyways, this album's good. Like a lot of the albums I've gotten recently, it's not really my thing personally, but I respect this album quite a bit. Is it the most essential album of 2018 that they could've put on the list? No, but it's not the worst pick they could've made. At least it represents a country and language that don't already have a crap ton of albums on the least. The sound is pretty good. The production has a good blend of classic synth-pop and modern pop production. The singing is pretty decent too. I translated the lyrics from French to English and they're pretty unique. Overall, this is a pretty decent album that I can see the appeal of. However, I don't really feel like going back to hear what the English version is like any time soon. High 3/5.

Kind of fun they did a French and English version. This would come off heavy handed if this album weren't a really fun, well produced, electro-pop effort. I think some of the criticism that it's a bit "self-involved" fall flat to me, as that works when it's thoughtful and well-written. Furthermore this is some catchy stuff! If this were just "wallowing in self-pity" I'd be done with it pretty quick, but in this event I'm looking forward to repeat listens.

Cool at somepoint, somehow

Let’s start by saying that “Chris” was mediocre to average at best. While it had one or two standout tracks, the majority of the album hovered around a two or three out of five. The decision to make this a double-disc album was a mistake, as it felt overly long and lacked any sense of adventure or journey. It maintained the same uniform, monotone vibe from beginning to end, never building up to anything substantial. Although it kept a consistent groove, it quickly became monotonous and boring, even for a Synthpop fan like myself. What baffles me even more is how this album made it onto the “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” list. It makes me wonder what timeless, artful classic was sacrificed to make room for this one. It’s a decision that leaves me scratching my head.

A good album, though a lot of the songs sounded similar. I mostly used for background music, though I did like Feels So Good and Goya Soda in particular.

Chris by Christine and the Queens offers a mix of electro-pop and mellow tracks. The album’s upbeat electro-pop elements are skilfully done, but I found the more subdued tunes to be more compelling. Songs like 5 Dollars and Doesn't Matter highlight Christine's strong, emotive vocals and introspective lyrics. Christine's voice stands out, adding depth to the quieter moments of the album. While the polished production and electronic beats are impressive, they overshadow the softer tracks that resonate more with me. Overall, Chris is a well-crafted album with standout mellow tracks, though the electro-pop elements did not appeal with me. It’s a solid listen, especially for those who enjoy a blend of energetic and reflective music. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 2 STAND OUT TRACK - 5 Dollars

French poppy vibe, not terrible.

Sometimes this list makes me question how. But occasionally it will make me wonder why. Sometimes I really have to think where the author of the book could have found some of these albums considering how little seems to be known about them. But sometimes I’m just at a loss for what he could have been thinking to justify the inclusions of these albums. I’m not going to claim to be an expert in synthpop and contemporary R&B music. But I know my fair share. And I’m aware of which ones are worth talking about. The omission of artists like Carly Rae Jepsen, and albums like The Velvet Rope or Power, Corruption & Lies continues to confuse me. These feel like shoo-in picks that fully belong here. And this is an issue in other genres too. Still haven’t forgiven him for leaving out Discovery and Animals. Instead, we are presented with records like this. I don’t want to completely lowball Christine here, and claim that he is some sort of hack, or a completely worthless artist. But I’ve never heard of him or his music. Looking at his most popular songs, he’s done some work with Charli XCX in the past. And I feel that people who take an interest in her, or pop artists adjacent to her will get a kick out of this. I’ll mention the production, which is by far the best part of this album. I found many of the techniques and sounds I was hearing being used to be genuinely impressive at times. But this seems to be the way that this kind of pop has evolved since the 2000s, and especially in the 2010s. I can recognize his effort to merge those ideas with ones of the past, and bring the pop feeling of the 80s into the modern era. The first track even led me to believe I was working with something really interesting here. But aside from a few highlights here and there, this doesn’t really do much for me. At the end of the day, this is a pop album I can do without, when there are so many others that really excel in their spaces. Rating: 5/10

Sappy French pop

Modern pop. Sounds sexier in French.

As the 2nd record in a row I've listened to which is not entirely in English (albeit a much different style), I'm stoked. Even with a good portion of this album being in French, the similarities to other artists like Sia with electronic elements thrown in make this a catchy record in any language. Like I said with the Baaba Maal record, even when I wasn't able to understand the lyrics, the music and vibe of the songs is universal. Notable Tracks: - Comme si - The walker - Doesn't matter - Goya Soda - Feel so good - The stranger - Comme si on s'aimait 6/10

Light and poppy, but nothing really grabs me on this album. Not bad, but not outstanding as albums go. Good representation, though? 3/5

Interesting album and artist. Kept drifting into Sade territory for me. Lovely French pop.

This was an interesting listen. First, it was WAY too long, given the content (it was listening to the same album twice, essentially). I certainly prefer the second half of the album that is mostly in French. This is not the first case of releasing two versions of the same album in different languages, so I'm not sure why this is here. Side A: 3/5. Side B: 3.4/5. 3.2/5 -> 3/5.

I have no idea why this would be on the list. It's fine but nothing unusual.

Too much disco

I wanted to like it, but it was musically boring.

80's inspired electro-funk/r&b...often en français! I imagine this is huge in France. Musically, it fits in with a lot of radio-friendly r&b pop I have heard in the last ten years or so. Admittedly that is not my go-to genre, but I feel this kept my interest a little more than the average act of that type. There was more than a little taken from the MJ playbook here, but there was enough newer mixed in with the retro. Impressive indeed if everything done to create the album was done by just one person. 3.5

Su canción más conocida es Tilted, no incluida en este disco. Este artista es uno de los puntales del synthpop galo y una de las referencias a nivel global. Yo creo que, aunque estilistcamente poco tienen que ver, tanto Arca como Stromae están por encima de Christine and the Queens. Ethel Cain también, Charlie XCX no. Este disco cuenta con dos versiones, una en inglés y la otra en Francés, ambas muy similares (la edición inglesa no cuenta con Bruce est dans le brouillard ni con Le G pero sí con Feel So Good que no está en la francesa). Abre de forma brillante con Comme si. Girlfriend cuenta con el gran Dam-Funk (Hood pass intact) y es uno de los mejores cortes del álbum. 5 Dollars, The walker, todas ellas tienen el mismo patrón, pero eso no es una crítica sino un halago. Goya Soda es pop-syhnt-funk con un final estupendo. Damn (What Must a Woman Do), en la versión francesa Follarse, aporta menos a la causa femenina que Janelle Monae en su disco de ese mismo año. What's-Her-Face y Make Some Sense bajan revoluciones pero no el nivel. Son dos delicadas canciones , muy bien construidas y ejecutadas. Feel so good y The Stranger retornan a parámetros más pop, la última como broche en la edición inglesa. Otros discos mejores de 2018: Double Negative de Low, 7 de Beach House y sobre todo: El mal querer de Rosalía, Dirty Computer de Janelle Monáe y Anna Calvi- Hunter. También se publicaron: A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships de The 1975, And Nothing Hurt de Spiritualized, Joy as an Act of Resistance de IDLES, Little Dark Age de MGMT, Corazón de cerdo con ginseng al vapor de Putochinomaricón, Consagración de La Estrella de David, Lush de Snail Mail, Father John Misty – God’s Favourite Customer , Parquet Courts- Wide awake!, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs y también fue el año del debut de boygenius que suenan muy similares.

Like most 2010s/post-publication albums on this list this album feels like a stab in the dark, a wild guess as to what will stand up to the test of time. Don't get me wrong: I liked this album when it came out, and a few songs pop up on my algorithm, but when the same year brought us: Mitski's Be the Cowboy, FJM's self-titled divorce masterpiece, Snail Mail's Lush, SOPHIE's The Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides, Parquet Courts' Wide Awake, Blood Orange's Negro Swan, Robyn's Honey, Low's Double Negative, The Beths' Future Me Hates Me, Earl Sweatshirt's Some Rap Songs, etc etc etc ....and none of those make the list? You're just throwing darts, my man.

After starting the English version of the album, I switched to the French version. Overall, I think it is pretty good, but it also didn't blow me away or amaze me in any particular way. I can't imagine myself listening to it again, but it definitely wasn't bad, and I could see her making an album I did really get into, but this one just mostly passed without anything really hooking me.

Given my age, and being a Brit, I have a soft spot for funky 80's stuff similar to Janet Jackson. A couple of tracks here tickle that nostalgia bone - Girlfriend in particular is nearly groovy enough to be a song Prince might have given to whoever he was trying to bang that month. Worth a star on its own. Rest of the album is fine, without being amazing. Didn't listen to the french version, why would you?

I think I would buy the French version of this album, but I have no idea if I'm supposed to base my review on the English version, French version, or double album

A very 2010s/Trump-era pop album. A couple heavy hitters in the first half but some parts border on generic. Very well-produced but lacking in personality. Interesting vocal cadence and phrasing (though not always in a good way). Best song: The Walker

Generally, I am not looking for my pop tunes to harken back to an era of mediocre synths and instantly dated instrumentation, the late 80s, but I feel like this album balances it just enough for it to not be too egregious. However, this was a little bit of a slog to get through, just because the album is other an hour-and-a-half with both parts, and while some songs shine on one or the other more, it can still be tough to get through in one sitting. It leads a lot to the album feeling repetitive, because not only is it pretty similar throughout already, but listening to everything twice with slight delivery tweaks is not worth the time spent. You may say "then don't listen to both parts," but I feel if they spent the time to translate every song here, and put it all in one bundle, then the full thing must have been intended. It is an album that I think would've been enjoyable, but nothing special, but that length hurts it all the more. I could see myself liking something more by Chris, something more upbeat or darker in tone, but for now this is an okay dive into 80s synthpop nostalgia. If you're only going to listen to one side, do the French one, it is delivered better and was surely the intentional route.

I couldn't make it through all 22 Frenglish songs. a bit too much of a 2000s thing for me.

I like the positive poppy vibe with some cool slightly vintage sounding electronic beats. Very easy to listen to, though i didn't find too anything that was really catchy (which i would have hoped given the poppy nature). Consistently good.

This will sound peculiar, but the first few tracks, in English or at least with English parts, I found boring and uninteresting. Standard modern nothingness. I nearly gave up on it and went back to catch up on one I'd missed. But I left it on, and when it got to the obviously French ones it improved immensely. Only a moderate 3 but that is way ahead of where it would have been.

That was a beautiful surprise. Was never into synth-pop in the 80s really, so why I liked this caught me off guard! Great vocals and overall mood. Highlights were ‘Whats-her-face’ and ‘the Walker’

It's not my kind of music, for sure. But in such a decadent pop music scene, this album sounds like a breath of fresh air. Very well done and well produced. But as I said before: It's not something I'll hear every day.

I much preferred the french versions over the english versions but still it's not really my thing. Fave: No idea, they all sound the same.

80s

I enjoyed some of the music and disliked most of the singing/lyrics. I get the appeal, but it's just not for me.

Bien no es uno de mis estilos preferidos pero la escucha ha estado muy bien

I don’t get why this one is on the list. Sounds like standard dance club music.

songs weren’t too bad, some weren’t the most memorable, doesn’t matter was my favourite, find it cool how it was done in english and french

It was good, nothing mind blowing

Like Sign o' the Times in a female french sccent. Quite nice.

Quite a good album, never heard of the band or this singer before, but I wouldn't be against listening to other positions in band's discography. For now just an average note.

Very nice sounds. Makes 80s sound better and less tacky than actual 80s music. Album took too long though. Second disc was not necessary and I did not want to revisit all the songs again.

A fun album, french influences and nice rhythms. Still not super strong, so solid middle ground.

Goya! Soda! Such a unique and vibrant sound. Long but enjoyable

Good music but the album started to get really repetitive. Stopped listening half way through the album; however, it's an hour and a half long, so I still got in a full 45 minutes.

I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but it’s a lot of the same song on a very long album.

I always liked Tilted but stopped paying attention to CatQ around this album as I felt the new disco-funk direction wasn’t for me. Apparently I was a bit hasty; although it tails off towards the end I actually enjoyed the first half of ‘Chris’ quite a lot. There are some decent atmospheric pop songs on here, especially ‘The walker’. Not sure what qualifies it as a must-hear album though.

Not terrible at all

Best Song: Follarse. I like the slight Michael Jackson affectation that's being put on here. Worst Song: Bruce est dans la brouillard. The staccato delivery wasn't working for me. Overall: I listened to the French version, because that somehow seemed more "original", even if the two were released together. Good but not great modern pop that sounds like a slightly worse version of CHRVCHES with its big, atmospheric sound and a sort of retro-funk feel. Good to play in the background, though.

The most voted review says that album is too long. That's because the English version if followed by the French version lol.

Decent pop with electronic nuances

Interesting Frenchy pop.

In terms of being able to tune this album out, it is next to none. Technically speaking, the project is phenomenal. The production is impeccable and hits hard. The tracks are each solid in their own right as well as most of the lyrics, but it still fails to excite or, at least, stay exciting. 3/5

Pretty good overall. I much preferred the songs where she didn't try to sing in English since the ones in English were simplistic and hard to understand.

Intelligent pop music though, ultimately, disposable pop which likely works better on a dance floor than on a hi Fi.

It's French, it's poppy, it's not bad.

This one was okay

generally solid electronic pop album

It’s fine but not exciting, and it is definitely too long. Lots of singing in French, which I did not like, but the music behind the words is nicely done, even if it is a little same-y through the album

This was very nice, if also weirdly forgettable very quickly after. A lot of people with good taste (i.e. taste similar to mine) like C and the Qs a lot, and I can see why. It's also an album where it's hard to pick out a specific favourite song. It's more, as the kids would say, a mood. Again, longer than it needs to be

A rare album on the list where I have a memory of its release, listened to it and formed an opinion on it very soon after. In 2018, I didn’t know a lot by Christine and the Queens, but had really enjoyed their single “Tilted”: the minimalistic dance-focused production, the effortlessly cool vocals, the androgynous look. “Chris” takes all of this further, leaning heavily into the stylings of 1980s synth pop. Four years from its release, I’ve not revisited it very much so it was interesting to see how it held up. It’s a solid record for the most part: driving and danceable in some places, tender and yearning in others. Lead single “Girlfriend” was lauded at the time for resurrecting Michael Jackson’s Thriller-era: it may have been a bit of an overstatement in a decade awash with 80’s revivalism, but it’s still a solid hook and the catchiest cut (for the rhythm guitar licks alone). “Doesn’t matter”, “Comme-si”, “The walker” are all good too: crisp and tight production, a sense of urgency where needed, liberating, headstrong. But “5 Dollars” is the album’s crowning achievement, one of my favourite pop songs of the last few years. The gorgeous post-chorus hook, high-register with layered vocals a-plenty, is the highlight of the whole album. After a good-to-great first half, things peter out somewhat in the last run of tracks. “Make Some Sense” is a refreshing ballad with a lovely chorus, but otherwise there isn’t much of note. The 80’s influences wear thin as we endure one repetitive hook after another; one farty synth line after another; one introspective and overlong ballad too many (“What’s-her-face”). It’s frustrating that “Chris” begins so well and doesn’t quite sustain itself to full album length, but at its best it deserves to live on as vintage-stock 2018.

I hadn't heard of this album or group and during the first song I feared the worse. Generic sounding 80's style pop, very dancey and sung in French, not the type of music I usually like. But, you know what, it wasn't bad. The grooves and beats were infectious and I didn't mind the "retro" sound that was modernized and quite accessible. The French language vocals were fine and I preferred them to the English version, which might be a good thing so I wouldn't focus too much on the lyrics which weren't strong. Overall, a pleasant listen to brighten up my day on an otherwise gloomy day outside.

3/5 goodish but no

80ish made it decent. Wasn't a huge fan of any particular song, but didn't hate it.

Really solid pop album. Great production and an enjoyable listen. Fav tracks: The walker, Damn, dis-moi, L'etranger (voleur d'eau)

not my type of music but i can see why it was included as an album. maybe iwouldve liked it better if i realized their was an english version before i listened to the entire french one

Album #22 Disclaimer – I am using he/him pronouns because that I what see on the Spotify profile. I was not familiar with the album, nor the artist, so this was a blind listen. An English-language pop album by a French artist seemed like it could go in just about any direction. It was clearly more artist-inspired than most American pop albums. There was a very pleasant ethereal sound to it, similar to an upbeat version of vaporwave – but better. Admittedly, I had no idea what he was singing about for some of it, but again, it sounded nice. It really felt like the music playing in a high-end retail shop, but I know that I could get lost in it if I was in the proper setting (good headphones, a nice cup of coffee and comfy seat). I also listened to some of the tracks in French, and it audibly sounded nicer. 3*

Kind of like generic pop music? I don't know, no songs stood out. 6/10.

This is a mostly catchy modern pop album with a 80's sounds. Which means a lot of bassy synth work and electronic drum beats. At many points this reminded me of Michael Jackson. All in all Chris has a good voice and the production was good but the songs all sound mostly the same. Individually they're fine but over the length of an hour and a half album it becomes repetitive. I grew less interested as the album went on especially when you consider the fact that both halves of the album are the same songs in two different languages. Also, the english translations are pretty rough. Half the time I had no idea what they were even trying to say in the sense that even though I understood the individual words the lyrics themselves sounded too abstract to have any discernible meaning. It's better when they're singing in French After looking into it I guess Chris is a transgender and this album is about they them trying to find they're place in the world. Even though musically its fine as far as pop music goes there is really no way to relate to the artist or the message of the album and I don't really care too. Not my world, not my type of music. It was catchy enough to listen to the entire thing but an hour and a half is just too long to listen to the same song that's been getting made for over 4 decades now over and over again. Its a 2.5 because of the repetiveness but the songs are well made and catchy enough that l'll round it up to a 3

Relatively recent, had never heard of this band. I kind of liked it and would re-listen to some of the tracks. I enjoyed the French versions more and I'm not sure why. Nice electro-pop vibe with some catchy hooks.

I nearly had a conniption on Spotify, until I realised the listing was the entire album twice, first in English then French. The English half is a hugely enjoyable slice of wonky pop anchored by Christine/Chris's great voice and magnetic presence.

Definite Michael Jackson vibes on several of these tracks. It's catchy enough.

This was really cool dance beats with a serious Michael Jackson influence.