Difficulty: Beginner
France
For the opening of the show "Dans l’Œil des Enfoirés" (In the Eye of the Bastards) in 2011, Jean-Jacques Goldman sang the song "On demande pas la lune" (We Aren't Asking for the Moon). French singers and artists Patricia Kaas, Maxime Le Forestier, Lorie, Maurane, Mimie Mathy, and many more joined in the singing in honor of the late comedic actor Coluche, who founded the soup kitchen "Les Restos du Cœur" (Restaurants of the Heart).
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In "Le long de la route" (Along the Road), Zaz invites us to join hands and take charge of our futures without looking back. Both inspiring and catchy, the song is a great example of Zaz's vocal prowess and poetic writing style.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Héloïse Letissier took on the stage name Christine and the Queens in honor of the drag queen performers she met in a London club at a low point in her life. They helped her reinvent herself as Christine, a powerful, confident persona that she took on to counteract her shy offstage self.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In "J'ai plongé dans le bruit" (I Dove into the Noise), the French trio Baden-Baden depicts a relationship through impressionistic imagery and poetic language. The video's water-themed visuals might be a reference to the group's namesake, the German spa town Baden-Baden.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Yseult makes her debut after being discovered on the talent quest "Nouvelles Stars" (New Stars). Later that year, she released her first single, "La Vague" (The Wave). A song about hope and overcoming trials and disappointment, it's an invitation to ride a new wave of hope and optimism.
Difficulty: Beginner
France
Zaz sings "Belle," a dreamy love song from the film Belle et Sébastien. Enjoy its haunting melody and simple message of pure, patient love.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Louane Emera sings "Jour Un" (Day One), in which she reminisces about the heady days of new love. Sadly, it's not long before she discovers that love is a fleeting emotion as she finds herself alone, having been replaced by another. Amidst the heartache, she consoles herself by saying that "day one" will always be remembered.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Canada
Sally Folk is a young Québécois singer who released her first album "Heureux Infidèles" (Happy Unfaithful) in 2013. In the title song, she sings about an affair she is having. Although she feels a twinge of conscience, being unfaithful holds too much excitement for her to stop and confess.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Zaz sings a very catchy tune, "Comme ci comme ça," from her album Recto Verso. "Comme ci comme ça" usually means "so-so," but in her song, Zaz chooses to give it a more literal meaning, "like this, like that." She wants others to accept her as she is. And to press her point, she never actually appears as herself in the video!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Louane Emera (aka Anne Peichert), semi-finalist in the French talent competition "The Voice," released her second single "Avenir" (Future), which topped the official French Singles Chart in March 2015. She sings about overcoming a breakup and sends a hopeful message: although "it's all over," she still has a future.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Maître Gims' song "Bella" (from his solo album Subliminal) is an epic tale set in Spain where beautiful Bella wrecks havoc in all the villages she visits. Lovelorn men are falling for this "femme fatale" everywhere, and Maître Gims doesn't heed the locals' advice to stay away from her but instead falls for her too. You'll notice that Maître Gims uses a form of slang known as verlan, in which a word's syllables are reversed.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Few people can escape Oldelaf's imaginary death sentences: from children who wake up too early, to people who wear socks with sandals, to people who copy the music from the film Drive (such as Oldelaf himself), to people who actually support the death penalty. It's a good thing this video is just satirical!
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Slam poet Grand Corps Malade sings "Comme une évidence" ("Like an Obvious Fact" or "Like it's Meant to Be"), in which he tries to write a love song for his beloved who wreaks sweet havoc on his life. He is anxious to find the right words for her. As in his previous song, "Les Voyages en Train" ("Train Rides"), which he alludes to, he includes multiple double entendres and clever turns of phrase that you will enjoy.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Indila sings "Love Story" from her debut album Mini World. In her song, Indila celebrates enduring love through the eyes of an old man reliving his past.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
In "Éducation Nationale," the slam poet Grand Corps Malade gives us his opinion on the shortcomings of the French national education system through the eyes of Moussa, a fifth grader in Épinay. It's a touching song and a call for change in the name of equal opportunity.
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