Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In his song "Zombie," Maître Gims wants to wake up from his Zombie state and take charge of his destiny by removing the chains that hold him back: warding off the darkness, confusion, and paranoia surrounding his life.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Oldelaf, aka Olivier Delafosse, sings "Je mange" (I Eat). This darkly humorous video paints a portrait of a modern man's dysfunctional relationship with food. If it sounds a little too familiar to you, that could mean it's time for a game of table tennis (with a partner)!
Difficulty: Intermediate
Belgium
In the music video for "Tous les mêmes" (All the Same) Stromae impersonates both the man and the woman in a stormy relationship. He wants children. She doesn't want any because she thinks "men are all the same" and can't be trusted to raise them. Stromae concludes the song with a beautifully choreographed dance equal to none—except for the late Michael Jackson, perhaps.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
In "Inch'Allah" (Arabic for "if God wills" or "God willing"), French slam poet Grand Corps Malade and Algerian singer Reda Taliani team up to promote a message of love and acceptance of people of all cultures and colors. In the video, two people are lucky enough to have the song performed at their wedding!
Difficulty: Intermediate
Belgium
In his brilliant song "Papaoutai" (Dad, Where Are You?), Stromae depicts the endless game of hide and seek that some children play with their fathers. Stromae (né Paul Van Haver), who was raised by his mother, lost his own father in 1994 to the Rwandan Genocide.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In this powerful music video, Grand Corps Malade puts a modern twist on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and even gives it a happy ending. You'll find a good amount of argot (slang) in the song lyrics, including some verlan, a form of slang that's very popular among French youth.
Difficulty: Beginner
Belgium
Belgian singer-songwriter Stromae's lyricism and creativity are well on display in this video for "Ta fête," a single off his chart-topping album Racine Carrée. "Ta fête" was the official song of the Belgian Red Devils at 2014's World Cup, and Stromae had some fun preparing with the team...
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Maître Gims's hit "J'me tire" (I'm Outta Here) reached the top of the French music charts in 2013. In the song, the rapper expresses his frustrations with being famous and a desire to leave it all behind him and escape to a place where he "won't be the suspect."
Difficulty: Beginner
France
Featured in the animated film Un monstre à Paris, this duet from Vanessa Paradis and -M- is a tribute to Paris's most famous waterway, the Seine. Gorgeous, bewitching, and, according to Vanessa's character Lucille, "clairvoyant," the Seine has such a powerful presence in Paris that it's almost as if the city is submerged under it just as much as it's organized around it.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In her first hit single, "Dernière Danse" (Last Dance), Indila shares her troubles, her loneliness, and her sense of rejection in the big city of Paris. Her sweet suffering (douce souffrance or douce France) is a melancholy echo of classic French songwriting, underlining her struggles and lending pathos to her courage.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Oldelaf turned his abhorrence for rough stucco walls that scrape your skin into a funky song, "Le crépi" (Stucco).
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In his song "Le monde est beau" (The World Is Beautiful), Oldelaf's ironic take on social networking is bittersweet and not without humor.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Enjoy Duel's spooky new single "Vertigo," set against a particularly impassioned, vengeful scene from an old film. It will definitely give you the chills!
Difficulty: Beginner
France
Colonel Reyel professes his love for his "one and only" in a lovely song, his single "Toi et Moi" (You and Me) from his album Soldat de l'Amour, (Love Soldier). Enjoy this live acoustic session!
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Parisian duo Julien Boulfray and Brieuc Carnaille sing a colorful song, "Hey, tu ne me manqueras plus" ("Hey, I won't miss you anymore") from their album "Vertiges." Enjoy their quirky retro pop/rock/electro style of music.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment? You will not be able to recover it.