Album: Christine and the Queens (2015)
Charted: 20
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Héloïse Letissier is a French singer who performs under the name Christine and the Queens. She visited London after a breakup, where she was inspired by a trio of drag queen musicians. They convinced Héloïse to channel all her uncertainty into music and accompanied her in one of her early concerts. Those drag queens are "the Queens" in her stage name, though she now performs solo.
  • This gently pulsating track was the first song to be released from Christine and the Queens' introductory US EP, Saint Claude. She explained the song title to Genius: "The whole song is built around this very image of being tilted. I chose this word because it's ambivalent : am I talking about falling? About being twisted? Is it playful or dangerous? I guess I like you to inhabit the song with your own mood, so I kept it deliberately open. I also love that the word implies a move – Christine is a dancer, so she performs the song literaly trying to keep her balance."
  • The song topped the Belgian singles chart (both Flanders and Wallonia) and peaked at #3 in France. It was also ranked by Time magazine's as the second best song of 2015.
  • This song was titled "Christine" on the original French language version of the album, Chaleur humaine. She translated the lyrics into English for the self-titled US edition of her record. Christine told Time magazine: "I liked translating this song because the idea is the same in French and in English. It's about making a pop song with a subject that's not really funny or cool. It's about making an easy song with an uneasy subject. It's about feeling out of place, not finding your balance, or being depressed even, but with playful images, with a song you can dance on.

    I didn't really suffer translating the song. The French song is talking about the same difficulty of turning on your feet. I was searching for lots of images or words that could fit, and I just stumbled upon this word, to tilt or be tilted, and I was exactly trying to find this image. It's literally talking about not finding your balance with a playful image."
  • This won Best Track at the VO5 NME Awards 2017. Christine Letissier also picked up the award for Best International Female Artist at the same ceremony.
  • Heloise Lettissier explained the song's meaning to NME. "It's about feeling out of place, not finding your balance, or being depressed even, but with playful images, with a song you can dance to. I was searching for lots of images or words that could fit and I just stumbled upon this word, to tilt or be tilted, and I was exactly trying to find this image. It's literally talking about not finding your balance with a playful image."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.