French Female Singers in 2023 : they lead the game !

French female singers have carved their own unique niche, captivating audience with their enchanting melodies, powerful vocals and profound lyrics. 

I don’t want to talk about the weight they have in the French music industry and how much they bring to producers. No. I want to showcase the talent and French songs. Let’s celebrate the work of French women gifted in writing and composition. Some already have a Name, for others I bet on them.

Discovered on television, on Youtube or in concerts, these French female singers make modern French Music. They are the new nuggets ! Why this assumed choice ? Many other French music blog always talk about the same French artists. I offer you something new.

 

1. J’aime toucher vous by Hélène Sio – 2023

This French female singer won us over with her voice. She doesn’t need to scream into a microphone to be noticed. No, she enters the stage and knows how to occupy the space like her elders. She also enjoys interacting with her audience during her concerts. Hélène Sio is in the arena ! 

Spotted in The Voice France and after a good run in Zazie’s team (until the semi-finals), the French artist remained discreet. It was without counting on what she was « cooking » ! I like metaphors with cakes.

Her first songs sound like classic French songs. The musical arrangements, the lyrics and the visuals make her almost an anachronistic artist from the 60s. Nice title with « J’aime toucher vous » – « I like touching you » which is a pun with « J’aime tout chez vous » – « I like everything about you ». And what a beautiful colorful music video ! 

Her singles promise a great album and who knows ? A long career ? That’s all we wish for Hélène Sio ! She’s also the first artist of the month of your French music blog !

 

2. Lampadaire by Anabel – 2023

She doesn’t often make video clips but delivers incredible conceptual live performances… Discover the talented Anabel ! I found her French song “Soleil” by chance on Spotify while searching for “Un coup de soleil” by Richard Cocciante.

She talks about her doubts about her life, her insecurity feeling like she doesn’t have enough time to achieve what she wants. She hopes “the sun” will eventually find her. Unfortunately many people can recognize themselves in this text. Who has never had an all-nighter?

With “Lampadaire” Anabel confirms to be a golden French singer. The subject of the song is street harassment; it is brought in a fine and poetic way. Everything is perfect ! These two songs predict a bright future for the young singer.

I appreciated seeing in interviews and on social networks that she is a simple artist, always smiling. It contrasts a bit with his songs and I understand ; the music helps to exteriorize the wounds.

 

3. Le reste by Clara Luciani – 2021

We no longer present Clara Luciani, first known with “La grenade“. In France, she is part of this new wave of French artists who have become iconic for our generation. With a flawless retro style, she is also a fashionista inspired by her idols and cinema.

« Le reste » is a masterpiece! It’s a perfect French song for the summer. The clip is like taken from a movie and that’s what she wanted ! Shot in the South of France, it is a tribute to Jacques Demy. She’s a real fan ! She also covered “La Chanson de Delphine” with Vladimir Cauchemar from “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort“.

Her voice and lyrics sometimes make me think of Françoise Hardy, I love her writing ! She manages to create an identity to her albums with the different songs without it being repetitive. I love “Les fleurs” or “On ne meurt pas d’amour”. There is a lot to discover.

 

4. Moins joli by Iliona – 2021

What planet is Iliona from? The 23-year-old French singer delivered “Moins joli“, a French piano song, to us in 2021. It’s a nostalgic title about an ended love story. France has talents and unfortunately they are not the most publicized French artists !

Whether simply with her piano or computer music, Iliona captivates us with her voice and her words. She does not hesitate to experiment with various effects : “Reste“, “Garçon manqué“, “Une autre vie“. It may come as a surprise but they are very often pleasant surprises. It is a melancholy that makes us smile when listening.

 

5. Vérité by Claire Laffut – 2018

We continue with a second Belgian singer, also straight out of a film from the 60s. It’s funny to see how much this era marked the new generation. Claire Laffut is a multidisciplinary artist : music, drawing, video… She never stops producing !

“Vérité” reveals the singer to the French public. Apple and Badoit use her song “Mojo” for their commercial. “Hiroshima” is another song and music video that I love ! She also collaborated with Yseult, the next one I want to talk about.

 

6. Corps by Yseult – 2020

Here is a French female singer who made an impression : Yseult. Known as much for her music as for her rants, the French artist has established herself as a figure of French song. And the path has not been easy !

Arrived in the semi-finals at the Nouvelle Star, Yseult released a first French pop album in 2015. The songs are effective but do not convince the public. Maybe it’s due to non-personal songs, which any artist could have sung? The producers took advantage of her notoriety following the TV show. Unfortunately that was not enough.

Yseult took time to work, found her label Y.Y.Y. and returned in 2019 with “Rien à prouver“. The singer met with success; she won a Victoire de la Musique (French award) in 2021 and performed her song “Corps” at the ceremony. She left a magnificent trace in the history of TV performances.

 

7. Tout ou rien by Marie-Flore – 2019

Marie-Flore has a unique voice. Whether it’s covers or her own songs, we recognize the artist instantly. She doesn’t need tremolo or other effects to make us feel anything.

She started writing in English with “By the Dozen” and “More Than Thirty Seconds if You Please” hiding her writing talent in French. Maybe she didn’t even suspect she had one.

Her album “Braquage” is noticed, pushed by singles like “Tout ou rien“, “QCC“, “Braquage“. I love the concept of the music video for her track from her second album “Je sais qu’il est tard” : mobile friendly, it takes place in a telephone booth with an adapted framing.

 

8. Tristesse by Zaho de Sagazan – 2023

This French female singer has the voice of a woman who has had a thousand lives but she’s only 23 years old. Despite the melancholy, she’s my revelation of the year ! Zaho de Sagazan is a mysterious and sensitive French artist with her own universe. Her first album is very good, landed on earth like a magnificent meteorite.

I really like her texte and I advise you to look into them. My favorite one is “Langage” ; its fits perfectly into her musical proposal. This is almost a statement to an alien ; what Love may seem to us to be.

 

9. Le dernier jour du Disco by Juliette Armanet – 2023

Johnny lit the fire, Juliette burns it! “DRACARYS” (Do you have the reference ?) Her second album has a classic French song “Le dernier jour du Disco“. Her clip is magnificent : the French artist dancing in a warm canvas on her piano. This is not the first time that she has distinguished herself with the instrument ; it’s like her lover.

I think about “L’Amour en solitaire” which reminds us Véronique Sanson : the clip was in black and white. Juliette Armanet invites us to discover different parts of her personality and her art.

“Tu me Play” makes me want to go rollerblading on Road 66. Ready ? I will take a year to cross it! Time to listen to her entire discography and rediscover “L’indien“, her first hit.

 

10. Un peu plus souvent by Alexia Gredy – 2021

Alexia Gredy’s voice sounds like a caress. Follower of spoken singing style, the French artist gives us a cinematographic atmosphere with her songs. “Un peu plus souvent” is a merry-go-round in which we go up and we don’t want to come down. The French female singer even made an Italian version ! She has more than one string to her bow to seduce Europe and the United States.

The visuals still invite us to another era. Françoise Hardy is still on our minds ! Especially with the song “Paradis“, I note a reference to the movie “Grand Prix“, 1966.

 

Settle into your room and take the time to listen to these 10 French female singers. Immerse yourself in their universe and replay the songs you like ! Coming soon, new French artists to enrich your French music playlist.