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. :)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
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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