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Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier (French pronunciation: [elɔiz adelaid lətisje]; born 1 June 1988), known professionally as Christine and the Queens or occasionally simply Chris, is a French singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Nantes, she started learning piano at the age of four and found inspiration in one of London's clubs while studying. Christine released a series of extended plays throughout 2011–2013.
Her debut album, Chaleur humaine (2014), received critical acclaim, reached number 2 on both French and UK charts.
It took a while to introduce Christine and the Queens' self-described "freakpop" to the world. The group's debut album first arrived in 2014 as Chaleur Humaine in frontwoman Héloïse Létissier's native France, then it was issued in the United States in 2015 as Christine and the Queens, and finally as a deluxe U.K. edition of Chaleur Humaine in early 2016.
The acclaim for the album -- whatever its title -- only grew with each release, and rightfully so: on Chaleur Humaine, Christine and the Queens don't just embrace differences, they see them as beautiful. Within the album's lovely synth pop, there's strangeness and strength; "I'm doing my face with magic marker," Létissier sings on "Christine," a subtly irresistible track with the power of an anthem in the making.
A similar independence pulses through the gorgeous "Saint Claude," which depicts the moment of walking away or committing entirely with heart-stopping beauty. As Chaleur Humaine unfolds, Christine reveals herself as less of a disguise and more of a prism for Létissier's distinctive outlook.
She addresses her pansexuality throughout the album, subtly on songs like the aforementioned "Christine" and more directly on "Half Ladies" and "iT," a call-and-response track with the Queens where her backing band sings "She's a man now/And there's nothing we can do."
This fluidity extends to the ease with which Létissier blends French traditions with contemporary pop, hip-hop, and R&B.
She mixes all of the above on "Paradis Perdus," an interpolation of Kanye West's "Heartless" and Christophe's 1973 hit "Les Paradis Perdus," transforming them into something with its own emotive power. Elsewhere, the band balances the urgency of songs such as "Safe and Holy" and gentler moments like "Nuit 17 à 52" with a grace reflecting Létissier's former life as a dancer.
Indeed, Christine and the Queens' emotional and musical agility only makes Chaleur Humaine's heartfelt, thoughtful pop that much richer and rewarding.
Chaleur humaine - French edition
1. iT - 3:38
2. Saint Claude - 3:59
3. Christine - 3:54
4. Science fiction - 3:39
5. Paradis Perdus (Christophe, Jean Michel Jarre) - 3:35
6. Half Ladies - 4:18
7. Chaleur humaine - 3:57
8. Narcissus Is Back - 3:28
9. Ugly-Pretty - 3:25
10. Nuit 17 à 52 - 4:22
11. Here" Letissier - 4:27
Companies, etc.
- Mixed At – The Mix Room
- Recorded At – RAK Studios
- Recorded At – 123 Studios
- Recorded At – Smokehouse Studios
- Mastered At – Alchemy Mastering
Credits
- A&R – Julien Bescond
- Arranged By [Strings] – Andy Waterworth (tracks: 11), Bridget Samuels (tracks: 2), Christine And The Queens (tracks: Except 2)
- Artwork By – Uncle 0
- Backing Vocals [Italian] – Gabriel Stebbing (tracks: 4)
- Bass Guitar – Gabriel Stebbing (tracks: 10), Michael Lovett (2) (tracks: 1, 4)
- Cello – Gabriel Stebbing (tracks: 7)
- Composed By – Christophe (tracks: 5)
- Cymbal – Gabriel Stebbing (tracks: 11)
- Drum Programming – Christine And The Queens (tracks: 5)
- Drum Programming, Synthesizer [Bass], Producer, Mixed By – Ash Workman
- Electric Guitar – Gabriel Stebbing (tracks: 6, 9, 11), Michael Lovett (2) (tracks: 4, 8)
- Management – Flavie Jaubert
- Mastered By – Matt Colton
- Orchestrated By [Strings], Directed By [Strings] – Andy Waterworth
- Organ [Hammond] – Gabriel Stebbing (tracks: 11)
- Percussion – Michael Lovett (2) (tracks: 3)
- Photography – DR
- Piano – Cicely Goulder (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10), Gabriel Stebbing (tracks: 7)
- Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Gabriel Stebbing (tracks: 5, 6, 10), Michael Lovett (2) (tracks: 1)
- Recorded By [Assistant] [Strings] – Mike Horner
- Recorded By [Strings] – Richard Woodcraft
- Saxophone – Ash Workman (tracks: 6)
- Shaker – Gabriel Stebbing (tracks: 9)
- Synthesizer – Gabriel Stebbing (tracks: 6, 7, 9, 10, 11), Michael Lovett (2) (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 8)
- Synthesizer [Bass] – Christine And The Queens (tracks: 9)
- Tambourine – Gabriel Stebbing (tracks: 6)
- Written By – Jean-Michel Jarre (tracks: 5)
- Written By, Composed By, Arranged By, Vocals, Producer – Christine And The Queens (tracks: Except 5)
Notes
Released: 2 June 2014
Recorded at: Studio: RAK Studios · 123 Studios · Smokehouse Studios
Genre: Synth-pop, Electronic, Leftfield
Length: 47:03
Label - Because
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