Chris

A cool, queer pop album by Chris, but it's not one that strikes me as particularly essential. The sound here is basically minimalistic electropop that manages to have fun like a pop album while maintaining a kind of sparse, odd atmosphere. But I also don't think this lens is leaned into *that* heavily. This more or less just functions as a solid pop album, and if that's what you're looking for, you'll be happy. But at the same time, I don't really know why this is on here. If it's the pop lens, there are more important, recent pop albums in this niche that I would have went with. And if it's the queerness, there are more important modern trans pop albums that I would have gone with first (No shade to Chris, but the absence of Oil Of Every Pearl's Uninsides on the list is utterly insane). But, if you are willing to overlook this aspect; it's really solid.

Not a genre I’m particularly fond of, but it didn’t make me cringe AS MUCH as some modern pop (still wondering how Lana del Ray escaped containment). Interesting artist story. But if you remove his story from the music itself, not great. Nothing novel or that much different from a lot of other post-Michael Jackson pop music. Interesting androgynous voice.

Ich war vom Albumcover schon genervt, dachte ich ahnte was kommt. Aber hat mich positiv überrascht. Fand ich gut.

I’ve been brushing up on my French skills, so I decided to listen to the French version of this album, which was kind of a fun way to practice listening to French. And that’s about all the positive things I have to say about this album.

Love Christine and the Queens. Glad they’re on the list. This is one that has wandered into my algorithm many times and that I eventually sought out on my own. Not sure if I had listened to this particular album all the way through. Not in my top albums of all time but one I’d happily put on any day.

French is my main language. It' far from the best record you can find from that period. Even her first record is better than that. It's simply not good.

Decent, but I'd have preferred if it was fully in French. That way it had a unique thwang to it.

I think my biggest surprise with this was realising it’s a modern album, given that the cover looks like it’s firmly rooted in the 80’s; but that style of whispering, minimalist pop production feels very modern. That said, where some albums in this style can grate for me, this one was pretty fun. I liked the use of synths, and there were some actual grooves to latch onto.

I’d say it’s slightly unremarkable in general, in that there’s nothing that’s really grabbing or exciting me within it, but it IS still solid pretty much all the way through for what it is.

I started listening to Chris and ended up liking its weird, stylish vibe. It’s definitely got those catchy '80s synth-pop echoes, channeling major MJ and Prince energy with a cool, gender-fluid twist. The production is super clean, and honestly, the French version hits way harder and feels more authentic than the English one. Songs like "Girlfriend" and "Doesn't Matter" are total bops and show off some really fun, experimental pop instincts.

But, essential? I'm not totally sold. Even though I dug some of the hooks, a lot of the record just felt like a generic, polished throwback. Plus, the double-album thing where its doing the same tracklist in two languages just makes the whole experience drag, and after a while, the synth beats just kind of fade into background noise.

eu to bolado que o emotion da carly rae jepsen nao tá aqui, mas esse aqui tá. se o synthpop oitentista voltou, foi por conta da carly pô
enfim, eh xoxo. nao curti mto nao e ouvir no onibus me deixou bolado

I actually didn't mind this for what it is. It's a modernist take on the glossy styles of the late 80s to early 90s – like a fusion of dance pop, R&B, disco and funk, with a very current sheen and clarity to it. Vocally there are some pleasant melodies on offer here, even if few of them really stick in your mind, and I think that's ultimately where the main problem lies. It's a pandora's box of pastiches without offering anything particularly unique or memorable.

Favorite track(s): Damn, dis-moi, Goya ! Soda !

Music with no distinguishing elements.

Decided to listen in French since all the previous music I had heard from this artist had just horrible lyricism...did it help??

I guess? The music still felt like less good Michael Jackson or Carly Rae worship but just in a different language. Which reminds me that she is not on this list. WTF? Oh well. This wasn't awful like I was expecting when it showed up on "next."

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4.

Rahim Redcar, formerly known by “Christine and the Queens” when recording this album, is our main man here. He’s mostly displaying a more aggressively masculine side to his work here; one that, at the time, I imagine felt pretty liberating, at least from a gender-driven perspective. Given that Rahim now treats his old pseudonym as sort of a deadname (he has released some current projects as “Christine and the Queens”) & a different persona from who he is now, I think it’s a little fair to say this album might’ve jumped the gun with being put on the list, at least in terms of gender identity / comfortability.

However, I think it earned its place on the list, as listening to the actual album itself reveals a pretty solidly textured project – this is an ‘80s throwback style akin to The Weeknd, and Rahim’s voice reminded me a LOT of The Weeknd throughout most of these tracks, especially on some layered / higher notes. That ‘80s throwback style is generally good, though there are points here where some of the more creative soundscapes give way to somewhat repetitive pulses that leave a track in a slight limbo. It’s not too often, but it’s often enough that the entire album does sort of blend together as a result – there’s very few definitively memorable riffs, choruses or hooks here from a pop standpoint.

That said, the album generally picks up that slack in its storytelling. Since Rahim’s first language isn’t English, there are some clunkier songs here that don’t quite grasp the storytelling with the precision he’s looking for, but I think the intent of exploring gender dynamics in a more neutrally-driven way & coping with the events in his past that have led him to this exploration of “Chris” as an identity are done well. I think the most affirming tracks here are tied between “The walker” & “5 dollars”. The former is a message saying that fighting through your pain to validate yourself is a lot more fruitful than backing away from it. The latter, to me, feels like a statement of empowerment. The money is material & the sex work is a means to an end; the part that feels empowering entirely comes in being seen & recognized without prejudice that lies behind it. The track that got me the hardest was probably “What’s-her-face”, if only because the idea of being so forgettable that your name (or some botched form of it) becomes a shorthand slur for being that forgettable is utterly brutal. This album’s modus operandi is finding the balance between that affirmation & that brutality, and yet finding ways to use both as a strength.

So, why a 4.5 bumped down to a 4 then? Admittedly, it’s just a pile of little things that build up; some tracks feel a bit harder to parse (namely “Goya Soda”), some tracks linger a bit long, and a few of them feel like slight retreads (namely “Feel so good”). Past that, I found “Make some sense” to be a little lacking in execution, & I’m not super sold on “The stranger” as a closing track. It’s got a great message, don’t get me wrong, but I think it doesn’t end the album with quite the right bombast for someone trying to make a statement about needing to continue the fight so that complacency doesn’t let the sludge of the world end a movement. It could’ve been punchier, basically. That lack of an extra punch just applies to a lot of the album for me.

Make no mistake though; I did like this one a lot. I think it’s a very welcome addition to the list, and if nothing else, I might just need to add a bit of pansexual pop into my musical diet to begin with, as I can only assume Rahim’s stuff has evolved more since this album came out & as he’s evolved in terms of exploring his own identity. I do wish it had a little more conviction overall behind it, and a catchier kick to cling onto, but it’s a pretty well envisioned 44 minutes. It’s a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4, but one I’d recommend regardless.

This was interesting but probably not something I would call essential. The synths and drums are punchy and her vocals are good in both English and French. It’s just not really my kind of music. What’s-Her-Face reminds me of Wandering Star by Portishead and I like that.

Nice pop

Another lovely surprise. Some proper good songs on here. Great chord changes, decent attitude and a kind of happy/sad feeling to a lot of the music. I imagine this would sound great on a European car journey. The sun's shining and Christine is singing her bittersweet pop songs.

This was ok pop. I didn't mind it at all, but it has french on it so, instead of a 3, I give it a 2.

Boring