We all love French pop now, but the country's more eccentric, satirical stars such as Philippe Katerine are too often overlooked
France's music scene has enjoyed a particularly rich harvest so far this year, with critically acclaimed albums from artists such as the sublime Discodeine currently enjoying a surge of success not only in France, but throughout Europe. Also to be heard bursting out of French radios are the sensual, illuminating tones of The D�, as well as the dizzying discoth�que sounds of Yelle. But among these diverse styles, there's one genre of French pop that the country has consistently nurtured, but which has been seldom appreciated abroad ? a gently ribbing, wickedly funny variety of anti-pop.
Humour, satire and eccentricity have long been prevalent features of French chart music, with Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot's Comic Strip and Jacques Dutronc's Les Cactus being perfect examples. This light-hearted, comedic viewpoint is still very much alive and well, and one man in particular is considered to be exceptionally gifted at producing it: the undisputed king of off-kilter French pop, Philippe Katerine.
A stalwart figure in the sector since appearing in full make-up, purple hot-pants and a floor-length fur coat for the promotion of his 2006 hit single Louxor, J'adore, the eccentric, mischievously humoured 42-year-old singer, actor and author has been flaunting his flamboyant self on stages and cinema screens ever since. Having become a household name with the apparition of his breakthrough album, Robots Apr�s Tout in 2005, Katerine is now famed for his distinctive take on life in France. His songs stretch from the gently absurd to the derisively anti-political ? on a track called Libert�, �galit�, Fraternit� for example, Katerine's delicately high voice utters each of the three words of France's national motto followed by the phrase "mon cul" (my arse). The significant success of his 2010 album, Philippe Katerine, featuring the single Ma Banane ? the story of Katerine eating a banana naked on the beach - saw the unlikely icon sell out France's most prestigious venues, star in the recent film Je suis un No Man's Land and reinstate himself as an influential musical force not only in France, but also in Canada.
Like Gainsbourg before him, Katerine is a keen collaborator who has instilled his cheekily humoured views into the work of many French artists, including the 2007 winner of Nouvelle Star, (France's answer to the X Factor), Julien Dor�. Adored by reality television-loving masses for his playful nature, crooning vocals and boyish good looks, Dor� scored a number one with his first single Les Limites and another with his 2009 collaboration with C?ur de Pirate, Pour un Infid�le. This week sees Dor� release a second solo album, Bichon (the name of a particular breed of poodle, but also a trendy term of endearment akin to "kitten"), featuring the Katerine-penned track, Homosexuel. Already known for an offbeat, quietly humorous approach to his work, the video for his latest single, Kiss Me Forever shows Dor� further removing himself from the mainstream pop in which he began his career, and moving deeper into the world of gentle satire.
Strutting down a residential street lined with llamas and goats, clutching a bichon and flanked by two men wearing nothing but red short-shorts, Dor� presents a more comic, tongue-in-cheek side to his work and character in his latest video, which is very much in line with the general ethos of this brand of music. The main aim of the genre is arguably to remove some of the self-consciousness saturating the world of pop, and these artists are doing exactly that by making music to raise eyebrows, to muster smiles and to underline the superficiality found throughout the industry. By adding a gloriously playful viewpoint to what is otherwise quite a serious business, Katerine, Julien Dor� and others such as Sebastien Tellier are keeping the tradition of ribbing, colourful pop music thriving in the extremely vibrant, flourishing French music scene.
Francine Gorman is a writer for French rock magazine Les Inrockuptibles.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/mar/23/france-undiscovered-anti-pop-katerine
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