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

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Edie Brickell

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Grateful Dead Characters

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?

Angelo Moore of Fishbone

Angelo Moore of FishboneSongwriter Interviews

Fishbone has always enjoyed much more acclaim than popularity - Angelo might know why.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."