French was never one of my core language projects. It was always a bit of a distant, side interest – something I dipped into now and again. That was, until all sorts of fun stuff started happening in France (cough, Olympics and Paralympics 2024), and I realised how easy it was to flit there for some cultural immersion.
As a returner learner with a newfound love of France – it was my very first foreign language at school, after all – it was always about reactivation, rather than systematic learning from scratch. And one of the nicest ways back in has been music (and not just Eurovision, although that features quite high on my francophone pop playlists!).
Here are my top ten French tracks – and not a Eurovision track in sight, I promise. Track titles all link to Spotify, so you can add them to your own playlists!
COMA IDYLLIQUE (THERAPIE TAXI)
Therapie Taxi spent just short of a decade spreading their edgy, alternative flavour of francopop. This existential, hypnotic ode to oblivious tipsiness is the best of a very good bunch.
LA FLEMME (NELL WIDMER)
I credit this one with teaching me a great colloquial phrase in French: j’ai la flemme de … (I can’t be bothered to…). It’s gloriously Gallic off-the-cuff, can’t-be-bothered apathy, wrapped in a catchy and infectious refrain I find myself humming for hours afterwards.
ENVOLE-MOI (MATT POKORA & TAL)
A feel-good French playlist couldn’t exist without some Matt Pokora, and you have two in my top ten. This track, a duet with TAL, featured on Génération Goldman, a homage to 80s superstar Jean-Jacques Goldman. Dare I say, the cover knocks the spots off the original.
CETTE ANNÉE-LÀ (MATT POKORA)
Matt Pokora really spoils us in terms of solo tracks to add. I went for this cover of Frankie Valli’s Oh, What a Night!, as it’s just incredibly cheery – I defy you not to foot-tap along to this! It’s been covered by other French artists, but Matt’s takes the prize for happy-clappy production.
LAISSE-TOI TRANQUILLE (MALO)
Malo almost breaks my non-Eurovision rule for this list – he was a contestant in Déstination Eurovision 2018, the show to select France’s entrant that year. He nearly made it, too, finishing in third, but it’s this follow-up song which is the standout for me. Quirky, cute and fun, it’s a always puts me in a good mood.
JE DANSE LE MIA (IAM)
This one is pure club, and effortlessly cool. Released in 1994, it has a familiar hook, thanks to the George Benson Give Me The Night resample, but blends hip-hop and rap to produce one of the biggest French hits of the decade. It still sounds as fresh as it did the year of its release – some feat.
DERNIÈRE DANSE (INDILA)
There’s a touch of chanson to this one, and its other-worldly, soporific vibe was clearly a recipe for success for singer Indila – in December 2023, ten years after its release, it became the first francophone track to reach a billion streams on YouTube.
VOYAGE, VOYAGE (DESIRELESS)
A French 80s classic, Voyage, voyage was given a huge public airing and second life as part of the Paris 2024 pre-event soundtrack. Absolutely timeless.
MOI… LOLITA (ALIZÉE)
Arguably the French breakout hit of the early noughties, this one stormed the charts across Europe. Alizée’s debut single still holds up as sultry, slick French pop.
COMMENT TE DIRE ADIEU (POMPLAMOOSE)
I’m old enough to remember Jimmy Somerville covering this evergreen. But Pomplamoose, a US alternative outfit with its heart (and now home) this side of the Atlantic, have turned it into something utterly dreamy. A warm, francophile hug of a track.
So there you have it – ten French bangers to bop (and learn) to. What would you put on your list? Feel free to share in the comments – always up for some extra choons!