Christine & the Queens’ “Chris”: Pop at the Top of its Game

Heloise Letissier - Christine and the Queens. Photo by Vianney Le Caer/REX/Shutterstock (8389036d)

Chris is the second album from French singer-songwriter Hélöise Letissier aka solo musical group Christine & The Queens. The non-binary artist taps into the raw, electric and sensual power of both masculinity and femininity to create a powerful and captivating album that has earned its place in pop history.

The album’s opener “Comme Sí” grips you immediately. It has everything a good pop record should have: it’s catchy, it’s highly listenable and it’s refreshingly fresh. The free-flowing fluctuation between charmingly accented English and French is original and done tastefully. Fast forward to disc two and you will find an almost identical version of the song “Comme si on s’aimait” which switches to predominantly French. The double bi-lingual record embraces and celebrates internationalism and it does so not by making a political statement, but by making some damn good music.

“Damn (what must a woman do)” manages to be fiercely feminist while also retaining its playful pop feel. In the first two lines ‘Let me taste / On a butch babe in L.A’, they manage to draw attention to the fact that Chris is a progressive, liberated album while also declaring that they have given it its own lusty and bold personality. It is the later that the record is defined by.

The album also has some slower, chilled tracks like “What’s-her-face” and “Make Some Sense.” Here, Hélöise Letissier slows things right down but loses none of the energy that pulsates through every single track. Despite the measured tempo, however, the record remains reminiscent of huge pop icons like Prince and Madonna. The musical influence of the 80’s is there in the synth and the electropop beats but in Letissier is the potential to become an absolute pop icon. Not dissimilar to stars like Madonna, Bowie, and Prince, this is an artist who continuously challenges their self and breaks all boundaries for their art.

Chris is a forward-thinking, dynamic pop record and if you haven’t had the chance to listen to it yet, we suggest you do so now.

4.5/5