Learning a new language in school can be kind of boring when your teacher only teaches you vocabulary and grammar straight from a book. In order for you to have a little bit of fun while learning, we’ve compiled 12 French singers and French-speaking singers you should include in your next studying playlist.
You might already know some French singers. But we thought we could offer you some choices… We’ve got a little bit of everything: some old school classics, rap, electro pop, and alternative music. Something for everyone!
Classic and Modern French Singers You Can Listen To
Dalida
Dalida was a French, Italian, Egyptian singer and is one of the biggest singers in the history of French music. She was born in Egypt but lived most of her life in France. She won Miss Egypt in 1954 and started singing a few years later. She sang in 11 languages (French, Italian, German, Spanish, English, Egyptian and Levantine Arabic, Japanese, Hebrew, Dutch and Greek) and sang pop, disco, reggae, and the twist. Unfortunately, she committed suicide at 54, unable to live out the rest of her life.
Céline Dion
Surely, you know her… Céline Dion is one of the most iconic singers in Canada. And she’s one of the most famous French singers (well, French Canadian singers). Her worldwide popular started with The Titanic’ iconic song My Heart Will Go On. She started seeing singing in her teens and since then has accumulated dozens of French and English hits. She’s had two Vegas concert residencies where she’s performed more than 100 shows. She’s won 5 Grammy Awards and her influences range from rock, R&B, gospel, to classical music.
Indila
This French singer-songwriter is relatively new on the music scene. Her first single, Dernière danse, came out in 2013, and her first album was released in 2014. This single was a great success, especially in Greece and Romania and Turkey. She won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best French Artist of 2014. Her music influences are Michael Jackson, Ismaël Lo, Buika, Warda Al-Jazairia, Brel, Lata Mangeshkar. She has collaborated with many rappers.
Lara Fabian
“J’y crois encore, On est vivant tant qu’on est fort, On a la foi tant qu’on s’endort, La rage au ventre, J’y crois encore…” Lara Fabian was born in Etterbeek, Brussels, Belgium but moved to Canada in 1996. She is one of the best-selling singers of all time in Belgium. This pop rock, dance singer’s breakthrough album was Carpe Diem in 1994: it went gold after three weeks after its release. She was hired to voice the French version of Esmeralda in Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She recently released new music in 2015 and 2016 with Ma vie dans la tienne and Camouflage. She sings in French, English, Spanish, and Italian.
Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour was one of the greatest French singers. This Armenian-French tenor has recorded more than 1,200 songs and written more than 800. His career has spanned more than 70 years (he died at 94 years old) and has sold over 180 million records worldwide. He still toured in 2014 at the age of 90. He could be compared to the French Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin.
Stromae
Stromae, a Belgian musician, rapper, singer and songwriter is known for his hip-hop and electronic genres. He started his musical career in 2001 but his real success came in 2008 when he recorded his first single Alors on danse aired on NRJ (a radio station in Brussels). A few weeks later it became number 1 in Belgium. He even collaborated with Kanye West for an Alors on danse remix. His music will make you dance whatever your mood!
Coeur de Pirate
French singers are great, but do you know French-Canadian singers? Coeur de Pirate is a French-Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist. She attended the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal for 5 years. Her first album came out in 2008, her second in 2011, her third in 2015. She released her 6th studio album, Impossible à aimer, in 2021. Her folk-pop musical style often expresses her various personal issues from love to her personal values. She has won numerous awards from the Juno Awards and the GALA l’ADISQ.
Edith Piaf
This artist is one of the most famous French singers. This singer, songwriter, cabaret performer and actress is known for her songs La Vie en rose (1946), Non, je ne regrette rien (1960), and many more. She had a very interesting and sad life: she was abandoned by her mother at her birth, she lived with her grandmother in Normandy who owned a brothel, she was blind from the age of 3-7 years old and her only daughter died at age two. Her singing career really started in 1935 when she performed in nightclubs but it really increased during the German occupation in France. She died of liver cancer in 1963 after numerous addictions and alcohol abuse.
Christine and the Queens
Christine and the Queens is the stage name of Héloïse Letissier. This French singer, songwriter and producer’s career started in 2012 with two EPs Miséricorde and Mac Abbey. She was the opening act of Lykke Li, Woodkid, and many more. Her first album, Chaleur humaine, came out in 2014 won her 2 awards out of 5 at the Victoires de la musique awards. Her sound is a mix of pop, synth-pop, art-pop, electropop and freak-pop. Her song iT was featured on HBO’s hit television show Girls.
Françoise Hardy
This French singer-songwriter was part of the yé-yé movement, a style of pop music originating from Europe in the 1960s, and had a cult-like following. Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and Mick Jagger were all fans of this French beauty. At the end of the 60s, Françoise Hardy wanted to reinvent herself and shed her ‘girl next door’ image so she started working with Leonard Cohen, Serge Gainsbourg, and Patrick Modiano. She is still a fashion icon to this day and source of inspiration for many.
Booba
Elie Yaffa, known under the name of Booba, is a Senegalese and French rapper. He first started his rap career with the rap group Lunatic (with his friend Ali). Their first album in 200 was critically acclaimed but they disbanded in 2003 to work on their solo careers. Known as the most legally downloaded artist in the history of French music, he is known for his beats and flows. However, his lyrics are sometimes criticized because of their controversial nature. He is heavily influenced by rappers like Mobb Deep, the Wu-Tang Clan, 2Pac, and Biggie Smalls.
Yelle
This electropop French band, composed of singer Julie Budet and Jean-François Perrier, have been working together since 2000. Yelle published one of their songs on Myspace and it became so popular that it reached the top 5 in France. Their instant popularity got them a record deal, and their debut album Pop Up was released in 2007. Their two other albums were released in 2011 and 2014. They have a great international following, having played three times at Coachella.
Which French singers do you listen to? Listening to French songs is a great way to understand the rhythm of French words and sentences…
