Kendji Girac | “Live…”
My fault. The return of Kendji Girac takes place in a particular context. While planning a special album to celebrate his 10th career, the former winner of “The Voice” made headlines after being shot following a chaotic argument with his partner. The details of this affair damaged his image as an ideal son-in-law. After taking a step back and apologizing to the public, the singer returns today with “Vivre…”, a sixth disc which was not planned, mainly written and composed by his close friends Vianney and Renaud Rebillaud. Surrounded by a fine team, also composed of Ycare, Emma Peters, Louane and P3gase, and helped by particularly careful lyrics, Kendji Girac tries to find the balance between his festive and gipsy sounds, and the ballads on the path to redemption. It is therefore the soft melodies that take (too much) precedence over the rest. He addresses the fans on the single “If only…”, in the form of a mea culpa, plays repentant on the midtempo and radio “J’ai change”, returns to his desire to end things on the intense and hit “Le Choix” (100% Vianney!), recounts a marital dispute on “Comme avant”, and even evokes his illiteracy on the very strong “Savoir dire”, making its interpretation evolve between power and beautiful nuances. If the rest is more uneven, Kendji Girac still takes out the guitars and reconnects with his roots on all-too-rare danceable tracks like “Je te salut”, unifying but soulless with his “shalom”, “salam” and “hallelujah” in these troubled times, the bouncy “Soy lo que soy” (very Soolking) or his covers of “Chiribi” or “Amor de mis amores” by the Gipsy Kings, a little lost at the end of the project. A slightly shaky album, a sort of first step towards a real return to turn the page. JG
To listen: “Le Choix” (the hit of the album!), the superb ballad “Savoir dire”, “Si Seul”, the festive “Soy lo que soy”
A zapper : the forgettable “Camila” and “I salute you”, a little naive
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Coldplay | “Moon Music”
The bright side of the moon. With Coldplay, it’s always been every other time for around ten years. Given the disappointment that “Music of the Spheres” represented, released in 2021, we could hope that “Moon Music” would be the right one! We were also reassured by the first single “Feelslikeimfallinginlove”, a good pop hit, not transcendental but rather nice. Less by its successor “We Pray”, a rather naive humanist plea. This dichotomy is the major problem of this “Moon Music”, constantly torn between good and bad taste, and whose tracklist constantly alternates between superb spacey pieces and big failed pop machine. In the first case, this gives the superb melancholic opening “Moon Music”, “Jupiter” or the very successful ballad “All My Love”. On the other, the totally dispensable “We Pray”, “Good Feelings” (a lazy retelling of the hit “My Universe” co-signed by Nile Rodgers) or the horrifying “Aeterna”, a dated attempt at EDM. Too bad because by relying on more demanding collaborators (Jon Hopkins and Little Simz), “Moon Music” offers a vibe soft and nostalgic autumnal, and could have been a kind of more colorful “Everyday Life”. Except that Coldplay is Coldplay, and the group regularly falls back into its firefighter foibles and its too easy FM pop, only designed to thrill stadiums. But why change a recipe that works so well? We are therefore waiting to see if the next one will (or not) raise the level… TB
To listen: the very beautiful introduction “Moon Music” – “Feelslikeimfallinginlove”, “Jupiter” very gently
A zapper : The calamitous “Aterna”, “We Pray” and its cutesy naivety
Stéphane | “The Prison of Unhappy Lovers”
Triangle scalène. Stéphane has been on our radar since the magnificent title “Douleur jefugis”, taken from a convincing first album called “Madame” (2023). The Swiss artist, with a deep and suave voice, explores polyamorous (mis)adventures on his second long format. At the heart of this autobiographical story in 13 compositions? The story of a double female romance that will bring many tears and words, to be leafed through in chronological order, song after song. First there are the emotions (“In my thoughts”), the sweet “Poison” in the veins then the trap, exposed in the little hit “Ma Chérie”: Stéphane loves a woman who does not love him while Another became infatuated with her. What follows, through guitar riffs sometimes acoustic, sometimes blues-rock, an impossible love that burns (“BBQoeur”), a stormy breakup (the superb “The last step”, “Pluie d’enfer”), questions , remorse… before time does its work (“It’s all for me”). “ This is the soundtrack to a love story that I will never forget » summarizes the singer who delivers, with the help of Alexandre Zuliani (Thérapie Taxi) and Valentin Marceau in production, an intense, poignant and embodied record. It perhaps lacks a hint of audacity, pushing the 80’s slider which suits it perfectly for example, to move up a gear. Note that a 12-minute short film accompanies the album. YR
To listen: “Ma darling”, an immediate anthem, the very beautiful “La nuit” with Cobalt, “The last step”, “Mauvais karma”
A zapper : “In my thoughts”, with a slightly easy melody
