Columnist Victoria Abraham defines one artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Coeur de Pirate, a silky smooth French-Canadian songstress.
You don’t need to speak the language of love to love this artist’s music. Nor should you let her blonde hair and doe eyes fool you. With arms full of tattoos and thick black eyeliner she’s bringing a tough edge to her sweet as pie voice. And stay tuned, as she goes on tour in France on March 22.
Origins: Montreal, Quebec
Known for: This 22-year-old crooner is known for her unique indie pop sound.
Used in a sentence: Coeur de Pirate is a doll-faced rebel with just the right amount of sexy and sweet.
File next to: Indochine, Carla Bruni
Notable lyrics: Martin sings about love and saying goodbye to a bad relationship in the following lyrics from her song “Adieu,” mixing her rebel attitude with characteristic sexy/sweet charm. Translated, she sings:
You laugh so badly/You laugh emptily/Wine stains on your shirt/That have two exploding spots/On your body that pushed me away/You make love in two thrusts
Download now: Listen to “Comme des Enfants” and “Adieu” and you’ll fall in love, just like I did. Even if you don’t understand the lyrics, it will put a smile on your face.
Watch Adieu here:
Fun facts:
Her real name is Béatrice Martin and her stage name means “Heart of a Pirate.” She began playing the piano when she was three years old, and until 2010 she only sang in French. Her first English song was “Brutal Hearts” with Bedouin Soundclash. She’s expecting her first child this summer.
Career highlights:
Her first album, Couer de Pirate, came out in 2008 and her single “Comme des Enfants” eventually rose to the Top Five in France. In 2009, her debut album was nominated for Francophone Album of the Year at the Juno Awards and for the Polaris Music Prize. Her second album, Blonde, was released in 2011.
