Printemps à Paris
On Wednesday, I wrote about Stromae and his influence on both French and world music. I noted in that post that his video for “Papaoutai” is the second-most-played French-language video on YouTube. That song is both clever and meaningful. But there is one French song that has exceeded its play count, actually released in the same year, 2013.
I introduce you to Indila and her smash hit “Dernière Danse,” or “Last Dance” in English.
This song is also brilliant, but for very different reasons than Stromae’s. It starts off almost sounding like Gotye and Kimbra’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” which was #1 in almost every country in the world in 2011 (can you believe it’s been 15 years?!) Indila’s alto voice is sweet, rich, syrupy, and expressive. At the 0:50 mark, she begins the first chorus and the song starts to grow. The orchestral nature of the song continues to grow through the next verse. By the time the second chorus starts at 1:40, she adds a thumping backbeat. Halfway through this chorus, you finally can understand the full impact of this song: its vastness; its profound depth; its huge sound. As the song ends, it crumbles back into the void from whence it came, crackling with static at the end of a vinyl record.
I try not to talk about artists’ looks, except in positive ways. But we have to talk about Indila herself. The best way is to watch the music video for this song, so here you go! Make sure to press the “CC” button in the top-right corner for the English lyrics.
Yes, all women in Paris are this beautiful. It hurts. The men ain’t bad either. But more than that, this video is remarkable because she appears to be an integral part of the city of Paris that surrounds her, as she walks directly into the eye of a storm that is engulfing the city, still beautiful. The video also has the added bonus of live translated lyrics, which helps the comprehension for non-French speakers.
“Dernière Danse” has over 1.4 billion views on YouTube alone, which, for the record, is more than Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda.”
I am going to make an attempt to explain this song’s significance. It is super cute, catchy, fun, with a gorgeous singer and smart lyrics; all of those things are true. But, the reason for its popularity goes deeper than that. French musical legacy is formidable and much-beloved by the French people. While “Dernière Danse” is decidedly modernized for the 21st Century, listening to the song as many times as I did today reminded me of songs by some of France’s most beloved singers: Édith Piaf and Charles Aznavour. I present for your consideration: Édith Piaf’s “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” (1960) and Charles Aznavour’s “Je t’Attends” (1963). The sounds are different, of course, but the orchestral growth, the quiet strength, the meaningful lyrics, the vocal power—all the same. Indila reminded France of the power of the French ballad, and it clearly resonated deeply with the Francophone world, and beyond.
Unfortunately, the success of her debut single and album seemed to affect Indila, who, to date, has only released this one album. But here is hoping that she continues making this top-tier music!