Saturday, November 1, 2008
Christophe - Duet with Kylie Minogue??
After months of rumours, Kylie Minogue's producer Steve Anderson confirmed on his official myspace that he is working with Christophe on his new album. And many sites are now reporting that Christophe and Kylie Minogue will record a duet! The duet is said to be a reworking of the song "Sensitized", which appeared on Kylie's latest album, X.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Christophe's New Look!
Christophe recently sang "One" by U2, at a tribute concert to Pavarotti.... and surprised more than a few people with his new look!
Check out the song (and the hairdo!) here:
Check out the song (and the hairdo!) here:
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Concert memories
Check out Christophe working his English as he impersonates his (black, female!) back-up singer.
Christophe’s next scheduled appearance is at the September 13th tribute concert to the late Pavarotti.
Christophe’s next scheduled appearance is at the September 13th tribute concert to the late Pavarotti.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Christophe on Nouvelle Star: A star is born
On June 8 2006, Christophe Willem was crowned France’s fourth Nouvelle Star, or French Idol. While the show’s previous winners went on to moderate success, Christophe had the entire country under his spell in a matter of weeks. I’ve put together a retrospective of Christophe’s time on Nouvelle Star – from an improbable audition to a tearful acceptance speech six months later. Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Poll #2
Thanks to everyone who voted on the first poll here at Christophe Willem International! The second poll is now open, and asks what musical style(s) you would like to see on Christophe's sophomore album. Dance/electro like Double Je? Ballads like Des Nues? Please note that you can select more than one option.
Tomorrow I will be posting video highlites of Christophe's run on Nouvelle Star 2006. Stay tuned!
Tomorrow I will be posting video highlites of Christophe's run on Nouvelle Star 2006. Stay tuned!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Album news!
At a recent press conference in Belgium, Christophe discussed his second album, which is scheduled to be released on April 16, 2009. He had some very interesting things to say about the possibility of recording in English. The original interview (in French) is here.
Some of the most interesting soundbites were as follows:
"We’re currently working on the second album… All the [songwriting] teams have been assembled. Of 14 songs, there’s about 8 that are in place, that have really taken shape."
"The people I’m working with right now are British, so we only speak in English. And we’re working with English demo's of the songs because the songwriters are anglophone. They keep telling me, "It’d be a shame if the songs were French-only, because they could work really well in English-speaking countries."
"If I were to record in English, it wouldn’t be with the intention of suddenly exploding onto the international scene. Not at all. We would release the album in French in francophone countries, regardless. That would be the main version of the album. But, we’re considering also recording an English version of the CD. Then if the French version took off, we’d have the English one ready. Because with "Double Je", especially here in Belgium, people have said it’s too bad there wasn’t an English version, because we could have brought it to people and countries that weren’t francophone."
Some of the most interesting soundbites were as follows:
"We’re currently working on the second album… All the [songwriting] teams have been assembled. Of 14 songs, there’s about 8 that are in place, that have really taken shape."
"The people I’m working with right now are British, so we only speak in English. And we’re working with English demo's of the songs because the songwriters are anglophone. They keep telling me, "It’d be a shame if the songs were French-only, because they could work really well in English-speaking countries."
"If I were to record in English, it wouldn’t be with the intention of suddenly exploding onto the international scene. Not at all. We would release the album in French in francophone countries, regardless. That would be the main version of the album. But, we’re considering also recording an English version of the CD. Then if the French version took off, we’d have the English one ready. Because with "Double Je", especially here in Belgium, people have said it’s too bad there wasn’t an English version, because we could have brought it to people and countries that weren’t francophone."
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Talk show highlites
Just a couple highlites from a cute talk show appearance. Discussing marriage proposals and learning how to drive... too funny!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Jacques A Dit - the English translation
While "Double Je" was the runaway success of Christophe’s album Inventaire, the follow-up single "Jacques A Dit" is in many ways the heart of the album.
Written specifically for Christophe by singer-songwriter Zazie, the song captures the disillusionment that we feel when we grow up and realize that adults aren’t perfect… and that they can cause us just as much pain as the children who bullied us in the schoolyard. The title refers to a children’s game similar to the English "Simon Says". Zazie uses this game as a metaphor, since 'Jacques' tells children that it’s easy to fly or to run, but when they grow up, they realize this was just a dream.
I’ve added English subtitles to the music video above. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to capture all the nuances of the original text. Zazie’s lyrics contain many double meanings and plays on words. Still, it’s a beautiful song even on a literal level.
Written specifically for Christophe by singer-songwriter Zazie, the song captures the disillusionment that we feel when we grow up and realize that adults aren’t perfect… and that they can cause us just as much pain as the children who bullied us in the schoolyard. The title refers to a children’s game similar to the English "Simon Says". Zazie uses this game as a metaphor, since 'Jacques' tells children that it’s easy to fly or to run, but when they grow up, they realize this was just a dream.
I’ve added English subtitles to the music video above. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to capture all the nuances of the original text. Zazie’s lyrics contain many double meanings and plays on words. Still, it’s a beautiful song even on a literal level.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Fête de la Musique Medley
Christophe recently performed a medley of his greatest hits at the 2008 Fête de la Musique in Paris. I think this was one of his best tv appearances ever! You can watch the performance here:
The dancers are dressed as construction workers because, as per the title of his concert dvd, Christophe is now “Closed for Renovations” as he works on his next album.
The dancers are dressed as construction workers because, as per the title of his concert dvd, Christophe is now “Closed for Renovations” as he works on his next album.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Double Je: the English translation
One of the most common questions among international fans is "what is he singing about?" In particular, many people are curious about the lyrics to "Double Je" (Dual Me), Christophe Willem’s biggest single so far.
"Double Je", written by French superstar Zazie, talks about the difficulty of defining ourselves as one single thing. As the title suggests, the singer feels there is a split in his personality, that he is several different people at once. It’s about all the different 'costumes' we try on as we’re growing up and trying to figure out what kind of person we’ll become. The music video takes the concept one step further, as Christophe enrols himself in a self-help group where he confesses his problem to a group of strangers.
I’ve added English subtitles to the music video below, so that fans can follow along with the lyrics. The translation is the best I could come up with, but please feel free to post any suggestions!
Translations of Christophe’s other songs, including “Jacques A Dit” are coming soon!
"Double Je", written by French superstar Zazie, talks about the difficulty of defining ourselves as one single thing. As the title suggests, the singer feels there is a split in his personality, that he is several different people at once. It’s about all the different 'costumes' we try on as we’re growing up and trying to figure out what kind of person we’ll become. The music video takes the concept one step further, as Christophe enrols himself in a self-help group where he confesses his problem to a group of strangers.
I’ve added English subtitles to the music video below, so that fans can follow along with the lyrics. The translation is the best I could come up with, but please feel free to post any suggestions!
Translations of Christophe’s other songs, including “Jacques A Dit” are coming soon!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Christophe and his fans: A love story
Christophe is extremely generous with his fans, and makes every effort to be in close contact with them. He maintains a myspace page that he (and not his record company!) updates semi-regularly. During his concerts, Christophe also thrives off of interacting with the audience. In an interview earlier this year, he said "When I'm onstage, I want to allow people to let go completely. I want them to use me for that! So that over the course of a 2 ½ hour concert, they wind up letting loose and climbing on their seats… I talk a lot on stage, sometimes for three or four minutes between each song so that people can say to themselves: 'I wasn't just at a Christophe concert, I really spent an evening with him.'".
In the video below, Christophe's fans surprised him in the middle of a concert with a reworked version of his song, "Jacques A Dit". The ovation that followed lasted more than 3 minutes, and moved him to tears! When Christophe finally spoke, he gave one of the most touching and heartfelt thank you speeches I have ever seen. The video below (taken by Christelle, and used with her permission) has been subtitled:
Christophe also endorses and did a series of publicity ads for a fan-made magazine, Otake Mag. The magazine features exclusive interviews and photos of Christophe, as well as articles written by his fans. While most of his fans are of French or Belgian origin, Christophe's international popularity has been growing, through strong word of mouth, and thanks to the success of his single Double Je.
Which is where we come in! Tell your friends. And if you speak any French at all, join the fun on Christophe's official forum. The fans there are very welcoming and excited at the international attention he is getting.
As always, feel free to contact me if I can be of any help. :)
In the video below, Christophe's fans surprised him in the middle of a concert with a reworked version of his song, "Jacques A Dit". The ovation that followed lasted more than 3 minutes, and moved him to tears! When Christophe finally spoke, he gave one of the most touching and heartfelt thank you speeches I have ever seen. The video below (taken by Christelle, and used with her permission) has been subtitled:
Christophe also endorses and did a series of publicity ads for a fan-made magazine, Otake Mag. The magazine features exclusive interviews and photos of Christophe, as well as articles written by his fans. While most of his fans are of French or Belgian origin, Christophe's international popularity has been growing, through strong word of mouth, and thanks to the success of his single Double Je.
Which is where we come in! Tell your friends. And if you speak any French at all, join the fun on Christophe's official forum. The fans there are very welcoming and excited at the international attention he is getting.
As always, feel free to contact me if I can be of any help. :)
Friday, June 20, 2008
Christophe sings "Frozen"
Does it get any more beautiful than this? Christophe sang Madonna's "Frozen" on June 14th, in Paris.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Who is Christophe Willem?
Christophe Willem is a 24 year old singer-songwriter, and one of the most promising figures in French pop music. His musical influences include the Cardigans, Kylie Minogue, Daft Punk and Feist. Christophe first came to the public’s attention in 2006, when he won the fourth season of Nouvelle Star – France’s equivalent of American Idol. His warm personality, gorgeous voice, and atypical look charmed audiences young and old, and won him a record deal with Sony-BMG.
His debut album, “Inventaire” (Inventory) would go on to sell more than 700,000 copies, earning it triple-platinum status. Christophe co-wrote several of the songs on the album, and assembled a dream-team of French artists – including Zazie, Philippe Katerine, and Bertrand Burgalat – to write the rest. The album was well-received by critics, and even garnered some international attention.
The American blog popnography raved about Inventaire, calling it “the most artful record to come out of the Idol phenomenon,” and praising Christophe's “swoony vocals that swoop down from a frothy falsetto to an erotically anxious tenor with all sorts of soul and electro sounds swirling and bubbling in sympathy.” Christophe’s smash hit “Double Je” (Dual Me) was the best-selling single in France in 2007, and charted in several other European countries. He later released a live acoustic version of the album Inventaire, as well as the concert DVD “Fermeture Pour Renovation” (Closed for Renovations).
After selling out his seven-month concert tour, winning numerous industry awards, and becoming a sought-after guest on the talk show circuit, Christophe is currently preparing his second studio album, which is scheduled to be released on April 16, 2009. He has said that the new album will reflect his anglo influences, although it is expected to be in French.
Christophe has a very dedicated and diverse group of fans, who range in age from the very young, to 60 and 70-somethings. Christophe’s good naturedness and self-deprecating humour contribute a great deal to his appeal. Unlike many popstars his age, he takes his music very seriously, and isn’t concerned with the trappings of fame and stardom. He is a self-described perfectionist who is heavily involved in every phase of his career – from composing and selecting the material for his albums, to planning the concept and look of his stage shows.
I’ve started this blog so that Christophe fans who may not speak fluent French will be able to stay on top of all the latest news, as well as gain some insight into who he is as an artist and as a person.... Trust me, you won’t be disappointed! :D
His debut album, “Inventaire” (Inventory) would go on to sell more than 700,000 copies, earning it triple-platinum status. Christophe co-wrote several of the songs on the album, and assembled a dream-team of French artists – including Zazie, Philippe Katerine, and Bertrand Burgalat – to write the rest. The album was well-received by critics, and even garnered some international attention.
The American blog popnography raved about Inventaire, calling it “the most artful record to come out of the Idol phenomenon,” and praising Christophe's “swoony vocals that swoop down from a frothy falsetto to an erotically anxious tenor with all sorts of soul and electro sounds swirling and bubbling in sympathy.” Christophe’s smash hit “Double Je” (Dual Me) was the best-selling single in France in 2007, and charted in several other European countries. He later released a live acoustic version of the album Inventaire, as well as the concert DVD “Fermeture Pour Renovation” (Closed for Renovations).
After selling out his seven-month concert tour, winning numerous industry awards, and becoming a sought-after guest on the talk show circuit, Christophe is currently preparing his second studio album, which is scheduled to be released on April 16, 2009. He has said that the new album will reflect his anglo influences, although it is expected to be in French.
Christophe has a very dedicated and diverse group of fans, who range in age from the very young, to 60 and 70-somethings. Christophe’s good naturedness and self-deprecating humour contribute a great deal to his appeal. Unlike many popstars his age, he takes his music very seriously, and isn’t concerned with the trappings of fame and stardom. He is a self-described perfectionist who is heavily involved in every phase of his career – from composing and selecting the material for his albums, to planning the concept and look of his stage shows.
I’ve started this blog so that Christophe fans who may not speak fluent French will be able to stay on top of all the latest news, as well as gain some insight into who he is as an artist and as a person.... Trust me, you won’t be disappointed! :D
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to Christophe Willem International: the first English blog dedicated to singer Christophe Willem. I will be updating this blog regularly with bio and album information, providing links and translations to his interviews, and working to make the blog as interactive as possible. Until then, feel free to have a look at the links along the right sidebar.
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