What's Up In France?

WHAT’S UP

IN FRANCE ?

Bilal Hassani, A « king » made of confidence

Karin Clercq, The comeback of a poet

He’s only 19 and he’s taking the country by storm. With his androgynous looks, colorful wig and his outspokenness, Bilal Hassani is slowly but surely making his way into stardom, seducing a whole new generation of fans with his soulful voice and positive outlook on life.

Originally, the young boy made sensation among a dozen of contestants on the show «The Voice Kids» with his fierce and incredible confidence for such a young age. Working his way to the top, his talent is now recognized by some of the greatest artists of all time such as Janet Jackson herself.

Lately, Bilal released «Roi» a song built on the hateful messages he received following his coming out. Written with Madame Monsieur, who represented France at the previous Eurovision contest, the song works like a self-portrait, putting upfront his courage and need to never back down : «I am the same since childhood, despite the looks, opinion, I cry, I go out and laugh (…). I don’t fit in and it bothers a lot».

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At time pop, at times rock, Karin Clercq is exactly what the French-speaking music needed. Through her strong texts and lyrics, the lady gives a voice to the women, celebrating everything that revolves around this soft subject: Feminism, sexuality, intimacy… With her eclectic universe, the Belgian singer manages to surprise us by showcasing different vibes and inspiration such as Alfred Musset on “On ne badine pas avec l’amour” or the tragic life and destiny of “Antigone”. Obviously, she also pays homage to one of the greatest French artists, Alain Bashung, by reinventing and rearranging one of his classic, “Madame Rêve”.

Nine years after her third album “La vie buissonnière”, she’s finally ready to put out some new content and share her thoughts and creativity with us. In 2015, a secret session (where a bunch of artists have two hours to create a song from lyrics to music) motivates her to create again and go back to the studio to give birth to a new track “J’avance” who then evolved to become a song about the migration crisis.

“La boite de Pandore” was released on November 16th. Don’t waste any more time and go check it out!

Carrying a strong message, this might be the song that helps France win the next edition of the European song contest - taking place in Tel-Aviv (Israel) this year, following the footstep of Amir who earned the 6th place in 2016.

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THE THOUSAND TALENTS OF CLAIRE LAFFUT

Juicy, It takes two!

Another jewel to add to the Belgian crown! Even if she’s pretty new on the music scene, you’d be surprised to know how many things Claire Laffut has already achieved in a 24 years time. From a very young age, she got interested in theatre, dance, piano and drawing, taking classes for it all. At 10, she started modelling alongside her brother, but really got spotted at around 16 to take her career to a professional level. An industry she didn’t exactly fit in -she confesses it herself- but that allowed her to travel and make precious contacts. At 19, Claire also created her own brand of ephemeral tattoos (Laclaire), which seduced a bunch of major fashion brands around the world. An early success she eventually chose to put a stop to, only to focus onto her two real passions : music and painting.

She made her musical debut in March 2017 by releasing «Vérité». A charming piece of retro-pop produced alongside the multiinstrumentist Tristan Salvani, and released under the Gum label (home for The Shoes or Woodkid). But do not sum Claire Laffut up to that apparent soft side... Her work holds a whole lot of nuances and references. In her debut EP «Mojo», you’ll find three other tracks as three other shades of her personality. : «every song has its colors and atmosphere», she says. «Mojo» is a catchy and empowering anthem tinged with warm accents of African music. «Gare du Nord» leans more into jazz territories - the lyrics refering to her sister’s troubled teenage years - while «La Fessée» is a groovy and reggae infused tune where Claire has a go with English language.

What pleases Claire so much in music is that « it encompasses everything [she has] already experimented. [She] can act in [her] own music videos, draw [her] own visuals...» and also paint a new ‘Miró-esque’ fresco for each of her track! You can enjoy her bright and bold pieces of work on Instagram : @studioclairelaffut. We really hope nothing will ever stop that fertile and inspiring creativity!

© Sarah Schlumberger

If you love peculiar artists, you’re in for a treat! Coming all the way from Belgium, Juicy is a strange hip-hop duo, made of Sasha Vovk et Julie Rens, ready to live life at its fullest. Earlier last year, the pair shook the music industry by posting various cover of timeless hit on the internet. From a French classic, “La Boulette” to some early 2000’s RnB track like “No Scrub” and “Bills Bills Bills”, Sasha and Julie paved their way to success with a good amount of talent and creativity, as well as some fun.

Their first EP, “Cast A Spell” showcases 5 songs, each [one] crazier than the other. At times subtle, at times frank and mature, Juicy is merciless! It’s a whole experience listening to the EP, traveling from various universes and inspirations. Colorful, crazy, inspired and incredibly daring, the two girls are definitely leaving their mark on the music industry!

WORDS by LÉNAELLE FONTAINE AND CORALINE BLAISE

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