Chris (album)

Chris is the second studio album by French singer Christine and the Queens, released on 21 September 2018 in both English and French versions through Because Music.[5] It was preceded by the release of two singles, each of which were released in both English and French versions: "Girlfriend" / "Damn, dis-moi", featuring Dâm-Funk, and "Doesn't Matter" / "Doesn't Matter (Voleur de soleil)".[5] An English-language single, "5 Dollars", was also released alongside an S&M-inspired video,[6] followed by the French version of "La Marcheuse".[7]

Chris
Studio album by Christine and the Queens
Released	21 September 2018 (2018-09-21)
Studio	Atlas, Paris Studio 45, London Band House, Los Angeles 10 Feet Under, Los Angeles
Genre	Pop[1][2][3][4] pop-funk[3] electronic pop[4]
Length	44:28
Language	English French
Label	Because
Producer	Christine and the Queens Cole M.G.N.[lower-alpha 1]
Christine and the Queens chronology
Live From Spotify London (2016) Chris (2018) Spotify Singles (2018)
Christine and the Queens studio album chronology
Chaleur humaine (2014) Chris (2018)
Singles from Chris
"Girlfriend" / "Damn, dis-moi" Released: 17 May 2018 "Doesn't Matter" / "Doesn't Matter (Voleur de soleil)" Released: 5 July 2018 "5 Dollars" Released: 16 August 2018 "La Marcheuse" Released: 23 August 2018 "Comme si" Released: 20 May 2019

On iTunes and other online streaming and download services, the album includes 23 tracks, with 11 in English and 12 in French, most of which are versions of the same song.[8] The album is available physically in individual French and English versions and sets including both.[9]

Background

Although still credited to Christine and the Queens, Héloïse Letissier explained before the album's release that she had adopted the simplified moniker Chris, saying "it had to be Chris at some point because I was bolder and stronger and had more muscle [...] it was natural for me to shed the rest of the stage name and to cut my hair."[5]

Music and themes

In a track-by-track interview with Letissier, Pitchfork said the album "bounces from horny consumerism to melancholic machismo to stark vulnerability".[10] It contrasted Chris with Letissier's debut album Chaleur humaine, saying that album's "warmth was slow-burning, [while] Chris is red hot, sweaty, and insatiable".[10] Letissier later elaborated: "The first album was born out of the frustration of being an aberration in society, because I was a young queer woman. The second was really born out of the aberration I was becoming, which was a powerful woman—being lustful and horny and sometimes angry, and craving for this will to just own everything a bit more and apologise a bit less."[8]

The Fader stated the album is "less starry-eyed than its predecessor", calling the lyrics more direct and sharp than before.[11] It also claimed the album "explodes" Letissier's queer, feminist identity.[11] Letissier named some of her references for the album were "immediate, catchy pop productions" by the likes of Cameo and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, also specifically naming Michael Jackson's Dangerous and Janet Jackson's The Velvet Rope as influences.[11] The track "Goya Soda" references the Spanish painter Francisco Goya.[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.3/10[12]
Metacritic	89/100[13]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[14]
The A.V. Club	A−[15]
The Daily Telegraph	[16]
The Guardian	[4]
The Independent	[1]
NME	[2]
The Observer	[17]
Pitchfork	7.9/10[3]
Q	[18]
Rolling Stone	[19]

Chris received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 89, based on 26 reviews, signifying "universal acclaim".[13] Robert Steiner of The Boston Globe called the album a "refreshing, empowering record" and complimented its "stellar production and contagiously danceable jams", as well as Letissier's "engrossing lyricism".[20] Although he felt that the album "loses steam" in its second half, Steiner named "The Walker" as a highlight for its "poignant" portrayal of a victim of domestic violence.[20] In her review for AllMusic, Heather Phares concluded that "As she examines what masculinity, femininity, strength, and vulnerability mean to her, Christine has never sounded more exposed -- or in control. A triumph, Chris reaffirms just how masterfully she engages minds, hearts, and bodies."[14]

Accolades

The album was ranked best album of 2018 by The Guardian,[21] the fifth by Mojo[22] and the tenth by the NME.[23] AllMusic included it on their list of the best albums of the decade.[24]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Christine and the Queens, except "Girlfriend" / "Damn, dis-moi", co-composed by Christine and the Queens and Dâm-Funk.

English version

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Comme si"	3:52
2.	"Girlfriend" (featuring Dâm-Funk)	3:20
3.	"The Walker"	4:16
4.	"Doesn't Matter"	4:24
5.	"5 Dollars"	3:28
6.	"Goya Soda"	5:25
7.	"Damn (What Must a Woman Do)"	3:37
8.	"What's-Her-Face"	5:03
9.	"Feel So Good"	3:45
10.	"Make Some Sense"	3:20
11.	"The Stranger"	4:03
Total length:		44:28

Target (US) bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Comme si on s'aimait"	3:52
13.	"Doesn't Matter (Voleur de soleil)"	4:24
14.	"5 dols"	3:28
15.	"Bruce est dans le brouillard"	3:38
Total length:		59:49

French version

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Comme si on s'aimait"	3:52
2.	"Damn, dis-moi" (featuring Dâm-Funk)	3:20
3.	"La Marcheuse"	4:16
4.	"Doesn't Matter (Voleur de soleil)"	4:24
5.	"5 dols"	3:28
6.	"Goya ! Soda !"	5:25
7.	"Follarse"	3:37
8.	"Machin-chose"	5:03
9.	"Bruce est dans le brouillard"	3:38
10.	"Le G"	3:55
11.	"Les Yeux mouillés"	3:20
12.	"L'étranger (Voleur d'eau)"	4:03
Total length:		48:16

Notes

• All English and French track titles, except "Goya Soda" / "Goya ! Soda !", are stylised in sentence case capitalisation.
• The French tracks "Bruce est dans le brouillard" and "Le G" have no English counterparts, while the English track "Feel So Good" has no French counterpart.

Personnel

Only English track titles listed, except for French-exclusive tracks.

Musicians Héloïse Letissier – arrangement, performance; drum programming (except on "What's-Her-Face"), bass (on "Comme si", "5 Dollars", "Goya Soda", "Damn (What Must a Woman Do", "What's-Her-Face", "Bruce est dans le brouillard", "Make Some Sense" and "The Stranger"), Neuron (on "Comme si", "The Walker", "Doesn't Matter", "Goya Soda", "Damn (What Must a Woman Do", "Bruce est dans le brouillard", "Feel So Good" and "Make Some Sense"), keyboards (on "5 Dollars", "Goya Soda", "Damn (What Must a Woman Do)", "What's-her-face", "Bruce est dans le brouillard", "Make Some Sense" and "The Stranger"), Emu (on "Damn (What Must a Woman Do)"), harpsichord (on "The Stranger" and "The Walker"), drums (on "What's-Her-Face"), piano (on "5 Dollars" and "What's-Her-Face"), additional synths (on "Doesn't Matter") Cole M.G.N. – additional arrangement (on "Damn (What Must a Woman Do)" and "The Stranger"), drum programming (except on "Comme si" and "What's-Her-Face"), bass (on "The Walker", "5 Dollars", "Damn (What Must a Woman Do)", "What's-Her-Face" and "The Stranger"), Moog (on "Comme Si"), drums (on "What's-Her-Face"), keyboards (on "The Stranger"), additional drum programming (on "Damn (What Must a Woman Do)"), additional synths (on "Doesn't Matter") Dâm-Funk – keytar (on "Girlfriend" and "Le G"), vocals (on "Girlfriend"), bass (on "Damn (What Must a Woman Do)"), drum programming (on "Le G") David Frank – keyboards (on "Girlfriend", "Goya Soda" and "Le G"), bass (on "Doesn't Matter"), piano (on "Goya Soda") Marlon McClain – guitars (on "Girlfriend", "Le G" and "Feel So Good") James Manning – bass (on "Girlfriend", "Goya Soda" and "Le G") Lance Tolbert – bass (on "Feel So Good") Daniel Aged – pedal steel (on "What's-Her-Face") Bastien Doremus – additional drum programming (on "Make Some Sense")

Technical Manny Marroquin – mixing (at Larrabee Studios) Chris Galland – mix engineering Robin Florent – mix assistance Scott Desmarais – mix assistance Felix Rémy – recording assistance (at Studio de l'Atlas) Michael Tainturier – recording assistance (at Studio de l'Atlas) Chris Steffen – recording assistance (at Band House Studios) David Davis – engineering (at 10 Feet Under Recording Studio) Chab – mastering Artwork Jamie Morgan – photos Tracy Ma – artwork Laurent Antoine – design Auriana Beltrand – design

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2018) Peak position Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[25] 17 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[26] 38 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[27] 5 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[28] 1 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[29] 74 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[30] 32 French Albums (SNEP)[31] 2 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[32] 36 Irish Albums (IRMA)[33] 12 Scottish Albums (OCC)[34] 2 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[35] 55 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 5 UK Albums (OCC)[37] 3 UK Independent Albums (OCC)[38] 1 US Current Albums (Billboard)[39] 50 US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[40] 1 US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[41] 55 US Top Alternative Album Sales (Billboard)[39] 6

Year-end charts Chart (2018) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[42] 107 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[43] 59 French Albums (SNEP)[44] 68 Chart (2019) Position French Albums (SNEP)[45] 164

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[46]	Platinum	100,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[47]	Silver	60,000
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Notes

1. Vocal production; co-production on "The Walker" / "La Marcheuse", "5 Dollars" / "5 dols", "What's-Her-Face" / "Machin-chose", "Damn (What Must a Woman Do)" / "Follarse" and "Bruce est dans le brouillard"

References

1. Brown, Helen (20 September 2018). "Christine and the Queens – 'Chris' album review: Adding sweat and swagger to a perfect pop record". The Independent. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
2. Hunt, El (20 September 2018). "Christine and the Queens – 'Chris' album review". NME. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
3. Cox, Jamieson (21 September 2018). "Christine and the Queens: Chris". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
4. Petridis, Alexis (20 September 2018). "Christine and the Queens: Chris review – pop music that truly matters". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
5. Daly, Rhian (5 July 2018). "Christine And The Queens explains why she had to become 'Chris' on new album". NME. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
6. Bote, Joshua (16 August 2018). "Christine and the Queens Premieres '5 Dollars' Video". Billboard. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
7. Maine, Samantha (24 August 2018). "Listen to Christine and the Queens' new French single, 'La marcheuse'". NME. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
8. "Chris by Christine and the Queens on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
9. "christine and the queens – chris – resident". Resident Music. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
10. Moreland, Quinn (19 September 2018). "Christine and the Queens' Héloïse Letissier Breaks Down Every Song on Her New Album, Chris". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
11. Heaney, Katie (18 September 2018). "Christine and the Queens isn't afraid to be too much". The Fader. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
12. "Chris by Christine and the Queens reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
13. "Chris by Christine and the Queens Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
14. Phares, Heather. "Chris – Christine and the Queens". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
15. Zaleski, Annie (20 September 2018). "Christine And The Queens' swaggering Chris revels in fluid identities". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
16. McCormick, Neil (20 September 2018). "Christine and the Queens, Chris, review: stylish, smart and defiant, she's the pop star we need right now". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
17. Empire, Kitty (23 September 2018). "Christine and the Queens: Chris review – the triumph of a slick character". The Observer. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
18. Aroesti, Rachel (October 2018). "Crowning Glory". Q. No. 390. United Kingdom. p. 110.
19. Hermes, Will (21 September 2018). "Review: Christine & the Queens Sly, Seductive 'Chris'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
20. Steiner, Robert (19 September 2018). "On Christine and the Queens' 'Chris,' revelations you can dance to". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
21. Snapes, Laura (4 December 2018). "The 50 best albums of 2018: the full list". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
22. "MOJO's Best Albums of 2018". Mojo. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
23. Hunt, El (17 December 2018). "NME's Albums Of The Year 2018". NME. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
24. "Decade In Review". Retrieved December 15, 2019.
25. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
26. "Austriancharts.at – Christine and the Queens – Chris" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
27. "Ultratop.be – Christine and the Queens – Chris" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
28. "Ultratop.be – Christine and the Queens – Chris" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
29. "Christine and the Queens Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
30. "Dutchcharts.nl – Christine and the Queens – Chris" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
31. "Lescharts.com – Christine and the Queens – Chris". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
32. "Offiziellecharts.de – Christine and the Queens – Chris" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
33. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Christine and the Queens". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
34. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
35. "Spanishcharts.com – Christine and the Queens – Chris". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
36. "Swisscharts.com – Christine and the Queens – Chris". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
37. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
38. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
39. "Search Results: Christine and the Queens – Chris". Billboard. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
40. "Christine and the Queens Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
41. "Christine and the Queens Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
42. "Jaaroverzichten 2018". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
43. "Rapports Annuels 2018". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
44. "Top de l'année Top Albums 2018" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
45. "Top de l'année Top Albums 2019" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
46. "French album certifications – Christine and the Queens – Chris (Collector)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
47. "British album certifications – Christine and the Queens – Chris". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 May 2019.