Rahim Redcar | |
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 Redcar performing in 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Born | Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier (1988-06-01)1 June 1988 (age 37) Nantes,Pays de la Loire, France |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels |
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| Awards | Full list |
| Website | rahimredcar |
Rahim Claude Redcar (sometimes shortened toChris[1] orRedcar;[2] bornHéloïse Adélaïde Letissier; 1 June 1988)[3][4] is a French singer and songwriter, best known under the pseudonym ofChristine and the Queens.[5] Born and raised inNantes, he started learning piano at the age of four and found inspiration in one of London's clubs while studying. Redcar released a series ofextended plays (EPs) throughout 2011–2013.
Redcar's debut studio album,Chaleur humaine (2014), received critical acclaim, reached number two in the French and UK charts, and was certified diamond in France; it was also a best selling debut record in the United Kingdom. In 2018, he released his second studio album,Chris, to further critical acclaim. It was ranked album of the year byClash,The Guardian, andThe Independent, and placed in the top-ten of nine other year-end lists. "Girlfriend" was recognized byTime as song of the year. In reaction to his mother's death, Redcar released an EP in 2020La vita nuova, with some critics calling it his strongest work up to that point.Time again named his song, "People, I've Been Sad", the song of the year. Ensuing years saw the releases ofRedcar les adorables étoiles (prologue) (2022) andParanoia, Angels, True Love (2023), which were met with critical acclaim but did not achieve the commercial success of his previous releases.[4] In 2024, he releasedHopecore, a more dance-inflected album.
In 2016, Redcar was ranked number one inVanity Fair's list of most powerful and influential French people who "promote French ingenuity", ahead of the country's president.[6] The next year,Forbes placed him on its list of 30 most influential and talented people under 30, andTime included him on its list ofNext Generation Leaders twice – in 2016 and 2018.[7][8] Hisaccolades include fourVictories of Music awarded by the FrenchMinistry of Culture. Christine and the Queens has been signed to the independent record labelBecause Music since 2012.[9]
Rahim Redcar was born Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier on 1 June 1988 inNantes.[10] His father, Georges Letissier, taught English literature at theUniversity of Nantes and specialises inVictorian era literature.[11] His mother, Martine Letissier, taught French andLatin at a local middle school.[12] Martine died suddenly from a heart infection in April 2019, in the week between Redcar‘s two scheduledCoachella performances on13 and 20 April. The latter performance was cancelled because Redcar travelled back to France to be with his mother.[13]
Redcar began learning to play the piano at the age of four, learnedclassical dance at five, and thenmodern jazz.[14] His parents recommended to him writers such asSarah Waters andJudith Butler, whose works served both as inspiration and reference in Redcar‘s youth.[12] He attendedLycée Clemenceau learning theatre and thenLycée Fénelon secondary school in Paris learning literature.[15] He later studied at the Department of Arts ofÉcole normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS Lyon) and studieddrama at the Lyon Regional Conservatory.[15][16]
Redcar's first performance as Christine and the Queens was at a small Lyon club in 2010. That same year, Redcar dropped out of thedrama conservatory he was attending out of frustration at not being allowed to direct, as well as feeling depressed after a romantic break-up.[17] He made a trip to London and was inspired by the work of localdrag queen musicians, includingRussella, at theSoho nightclubMadame Jojo's.[18] Thequeens then became 'the Queens' in his stage name as a tribute.[19] As soon as he returned to France, he left the ENSLgrande école in the middle of the second year to devote himself fully to the musical project now called "Christine and the Queens".[20] He dedicated many of his creations to them, and to alltransgender individuals, describing his genre as "freakpop".[20]
He released his debutextended play,Miséricorde, in 2011, with Marc Lumbroso (Jean-Jacques Goldman's producer).[17] His second EP, titledMac Abbey, followed in 2012, with minor hits "Narcissus Is Back" and "Cripple". The same year, he was the opening act forLykke Li,the Dø, andWoodkid. Redcar won the Best Discovered Act award, known as "Découverte", at thePrintemps de Bourges music festival and also won the "Première Francos" award at theLes Francofolies de La Rochelle festival. Then he signed with the independent labelBecause Music.[21][22][17]
In 2013, Redcar was the opening act forLilly Wood and the Prick andGaëtan Roussel. On 3 June, he released the single, and also an EP of the same name, titled "Nuit 17 à 52", which garnered him his first charting on the official FrenchSNEP albums chart. The song was the first single of his forthcoming studio album.
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Christine and the Queens' debut studio album,Chaleur humaine, was first released in France on 2 June 2014.[12] He wrote it and co-produced with Ash Workman; the track "Paradis perdus" is a cover of a 1973 French song byChristophe. Besides "Nuit 17 à 52", three singles were released: "Saint Claude", "Christine", and "Paradis Perdus". "Christine" is the French version of "Cripple" earlier released in 2012. After the album reached number 2 on the French chart and was certified diamond there,[23] Redcar toured France.[14]
For the American market, the single "Tilted", English version of "Cripple"/"Christine", was released on 3 March 2015 under theNeon Gold Records label. Redcar then toured in the US for promotion withMarina and the Diamonds. Exclusively for this market,Saint Claude EP was released on 14 April, including five songs fromChaleur humaine in English versions. On 16 October, the full album, entitledChristine and the Queens, was released viaBecause Music.[24] Many tracks were reworked with English lyrics and revamped beats by producer Ash Workman.[25] Two tracks were replaced with three new songs, and two of these new songs were collaborations – "Jonathan" withPerfume Genius, and "No Harm Is Done" with rapper Tunji Ige. These two new collaborations were released as additional singles, the latter on 11 September, and the former on 16 October.[26] On 11 November, Christine was warmly received in his first performance in large venue, theWebster Hall, New York; the next day, he appeared onThe Daily Show.[27][28] In 2015 top-ten lists byTime, "Tilted" was included as one of best songs of the year.[29]Pitchfork listed the song in its 2010 best-of, "defining tracks of the decade" list at number 106.[30] At the end of the year, he was back home, and, on 10 December,Madonna invited Christine to dance with her on stage during her concert at theBercy Arena, Paris.[31]
In the United Kingdom, "Tilted" was released on 15 January 2016 and peaked at number 20 on theUK Singles Chart. An English version of the album was released there on 26 February, under the original French title. The record received universal critical acclaim.[24] In April, Redcar performed for the first time, and twice, at theCoachella Festival.[32] In May, he was added to theBBC Radio 1 main rotation playlist, and on 17 June, he appeared onThe Graham Norton Show.[17][33]The Guardian called his performance at theGlastonbury Festival on 24 June, the day after theBrexit vote, one of the festival's "unequivocal highlights" and later described it as "career-launching".[34][1]Chaleur humaine reached number 2 on theUK Albums Chart in July and was the best selling debut studio album of 2016 there.[35] It was featured on some year-end lists and ranked 3rd byNME and 8th byThe Guardian, among other accolades. In the decade-end 'top albums of the 2010s' listings, the record was ranked No. 40 byThe Independent and No. 81 byNME.[36][37] In September, he put together a cover version ofBeyoncé's "Sorry" in theBBCLive Lounge; for arrangement and rendition he was included in the "6 Best New Songs of the Week" list byVulture.[38] The same month, when he was performing at theCamden Roundhouse,Elton John sang "Tilted" with him on stage; John had earlier bought Redcar‘s French album and praised him greatly. In November, Redcar performed in London, Manchester, and Glasgow, selling 16,000 seats in a few hours each time.[17] In October, he was chosen as one of BBC's 100 Women.[39] He appeared twice on theJools' Annual Hootenanny TV show, on 31 December, and on 1 January 2017. Having toured intensively during 2014–16, he stopped at the end of 2016, saying later, "I didn't want to burn out on the first [studio album]".[1]
For his second studio album, Redcar had early sessions with bothMark Ronson andDamon Albarn, but eventually decided to work alone, withCole M.G.N. as co-producer on some tracks.[1] "Confident in [his] decision to go it alone, [he] cut [his] hair short and started again as Chris. 'I wanted to risk it all,' [he] said, smiling."[1] In April 2018, he announced a tour across North America and Europe, planned for the autumn.[40] In July, Christine also announced details of an upcoming studio album titledChris.[41][42] It was preceded by the release of two singles, each in an English and French version:"Girlfriend"/"Damn, dis-moi" on 17 May, and"Doesn't Matter"/"Doesn't Matter (Voleur de soleil)" on 5 July. He also released the English-language "5 Dollars" single on 16 August, which was followed by the French-language single "La marcheuse" on 23 August.Chris was released on 21 September 2018 and received universal critical acclaim.[43]AllMusic editors summarised: "the singer/songwriter's triumphant second album borrows from '80s R&B and questions gender roles, engaging minds, hearts, and bodies along the way."[44] Robert Steiner ofThe Boston Globe called the album "a refreshing, empowering record" and complimented its "stellar production and contagiously danceable jams", as well as Redcar "engrossing lyricism". 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 ofdomestic violence.[45]Chris peaked at number 2 on theFrench and at No. 3 on theUK chart. The record featured at the top of many year-end best-of lists, ranked number one byClash,The Guardian, andThe Independent, and placed in the top-five of five other lists, for a total of 12 positions in top-ten. "Girlfriend" was named song of the year byTime.[46] In the 'top pop albums of the 2010s' listings,Chris was ranked No. 15 byConsequence, ahead ofRihanna'sAnti andAriana Grande'sThank U, Next, and No. 24 byPaste, ahead ofLady Gaga'sBorn This Way andAdele's25.
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In May 2019, Redcar performed during the season finale for theeleventh season ofRuPaul's Drag Race held at theOrpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.[47] The same month, he headlined theAll Points East festival in London, marking his first UK headline festival appearance.[48] His performance was well received;The Independent gave the concert five stars, calling it "a tiny tour de force".[49] On 17 July,Charli XCX released the single "Gone" alongside the music video, a joint effort with Redcar, which they debuted earlier together at the end of May during thePrimavera Sound festival.[50] The track was shortlisted by BBC Radio 1 DJAnnie Mac for the Hottest Record of the Year, voted for by the public, and finished in third position.[51]Pitchfork listed the song at number four on its list of 2019's 100 best songs and at number 145 for the 200 best songs of the 2010s.[52][30] In September, the duo performed the song again at theElectric Picnic festival, onThe Jonathan Ross Show to promote the release of Charli XCX's studio albumCharli, and onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[53]
On 5 February 2020, Redcar released "People, I've Been Sad", the first single from his forthcoming extended play.La vita nuova ('The New Life'), containing five tracks and one bonus track, was released on 27 February. Again, he was the sole writer, with Ash Workman as co-producer.[54] Redcar simultaneously released a conceptual short film directed by his longtime collaborator Colin Solal Cardo. It takes place at the famed historical Paris landmarkPalais Garnier, features Redcar and a group of dancers dancing to the songs from the EP, and concludes with a guest appearance from featured artistCaroline Polachek.[54] The EP was met with widespread critical acclaim upon its release.[55]NME's El Hunt gave a rave review, summarizing; "conceptually, 'La Vita Nuova' is an astonishing feat – but even better than that, it also oozes an intensity of feeling that punches right in the gut."[56]Variety called the EP "arguably [his] best work to date".[57] "People, I've Been Sad" was recognized byTime as song of the year and also placed in the top-three of year-end critics' lists byNPR,Pitchfork, andThe Guardian.[58] The short film was included inPitchfork's list of "The 20 Best Music Videos of 2020"; Ryan Dombal wrote: "this is art-pop cinema that's both steeped in history and gloriously unafraid to blaze its own way."[59] Two more singles were released fromLa vita nuova: "I Disappear In Your Arms" on 8 June andthe title track featuring Caroline Polachek on 14 August; an EP with remixes of the latter was released on 28 August.[60] During the 2020COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Redcar shared a series of theatrical performances onInstagram.[61] Also, in April, he contributed toLady Gaga'sOne World: Together at Home event, and in May, he performed "People, I've Been Sad" via livestream from his Parisian home forThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[62] In June, Redcar performed "I Disappear In Your Arms", recorded in an empty music venue, onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and then "La vita nuova", filmed inside the empty Grand Palais, onGlobal Citizen'sGlobal Goal: Unite for Our Future virtual benefit concert.[63][61] On 2 July 2020, he debuted "Eyes of a Child", a track created for the second season of theAmazon Prime Video seriesHanna; the single had been released earlier tostreaming platforms on 25 February.[62] On 25 November, Frenchnew wave bandIndochine released "3Sex" as a collaboration with Redcar, "asynth-pop dance reworking" of the band's song "3e sexe [fr]" from their studio album3 (1985).[64]
On 26 September 2021, Redcar released the two-track EPJoseph, containing a cover version of theGeorge Michael song "Freedom '90", and the French classic song "Comme l'oiseau".[65] On 4 November 2021,Charli XCX released "New Shapes" featuring Redcar andCaroline Polachek as the second single from her fifth studio albumCrash (2022).[66]
Redcar first mentioned work on a third studio album in April 2020, saying that he was "looking for something very vast and hopeful" for the project.[67] In May 2022, he collaborated with American rapper070 Shake on "Body", a single from the latter's second studio albumYou Can't Kill Me.[68] On 24 June 2022, Redcar released the lead single from his third studio album, "Je te vois enfin". The track is sung entirely in French and sees Redcar embody a "suave and sophisticated"alter ego named Redcar.[69] His third studio album,Redcar les adorables étoiles (prologue), was released on 11 November 2022.[70]
On 8 March 2023, Redcar released the song "To Be Honest" as the lead single from his fourth studio albumParanoia, Angels, True Love.[71][72] Returning to the name Christine and the Queens for the album, he described it as "the second part of an operatic gesture that also encompassed 2022'sRedcar les adorables étoiles".[71] Primarily in English,Paranoïa, Angels, True Love was co-produced byMike Dean.[71] Released on 9 June 2023, it features collaborations withMadonna and070 Shake.[73] In 2024, Amazon licensed the song "Full of Life" fromParanoia, Angels, True Love for a 60-second ad called "Concrete Jungle". It was released in 30-second and full minute versions.[74]
On 30 June 2023, Redcar was a guest celebrity judge in Episode 1 ofDrag Race FranceSeason 2 titledA Lé-Gen-Daire Return broadcast onFrance.tv Slash.[75]
On 20 February 2024,MGMT released the single "Dancing in Babylon" featuring Christine and the Queens ahead of their fifth studio albumLoss of Life. It is the first MGMT song to feature a guest vocalist.[76] On 26 April, Redcar released the French-language song "Rentrer chez moi".[77] It was followed by the English-language "That's Us/Wild Combination", anArthur Russell cover, on 8 June; the song was released under the two stage names Christine and the Queens and Rahim C Redcar, the latter of which was also added to the credits ofRedcar les adorables étoiles (prologue) that month.[4]
In July 2024, Redcar, expressing frustration with both his record label and not being invited to perform during the2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, leaked his fifth studio albumHopecore by sharing aWeTransfer link on his official social media accounts.[78] He performed at the2024 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony on 28 August, singing a remix ofÉdith Piaf's "Non, je ne regrette rien" near the beginning of the ceremony and a cover ofPatrick Hernandez's "Born to Be Alive" near the end.[79]Hopecore received an official release in September.[80]
On 7 April 2025, Redcar was featured on the song "I Did Not Forget You" by French electronic duoKompromat [fr] from their albumPlaying / Praying.[81] He returned to the name Christine and the Queens for his collaborative four-track EP with French producerCerrone,Catching Feelings.[82] The title track was released as the lead single on 23 May 2025, with a music video directed by Redcar himself,[83] and the EP followed on 4 July.[84]
Redcar prefers lyrics that are not immediately understandable. He explained that he enjoys "authors with difficult lyrics", such asAlain Bashung.[85] His music has been labelled by music critics aspop,[86]synth-pop,[42]electropop,[86]indie pop,experimental pop,[20] andart pop,[87] while he described his own work as "freakpop".[20]
Redcar emphasized the importance of his experience with Madame Jojo'sdrag club in London: "These drag artists have become my friends, they've inspired my creativity. They gave me the idea of creating a character, inventing another silhouette, another way of being in this world. Before it was a musical project, Christine was for me the answer to how to live properly. TheQueens inChristine and the Queens is my tribute to them. Without the queens, I wouldn't be here".[88]
He also said, "[he] does not want to choose between French music and English pop music" and takes influence from both.[89] In a November 2013 interview withBrain Magazine [fr], he cited artists such asChristophe,David Bowie (especially hisZiggy Stardust character),[90]Kanye West,Kendrick Lamar,Philip Glass,T. Rex as well as theSoul Train soundtracks as his musical influences. He also namedMichael Jackson as his favourite male singer and "eitherPatti Smith orKate Bush" as his favourite female singer.[91] Other influences includeBjörk,[18]Beyoncé,Daniel Balavoine,Fever Ray,Frank Ocean,[90]Janet Jackson,Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis,[92]Mylène Farmer,[93]Joe Jackson,Lou Reed,Serge Gainsbourg,[94] andMadonna.[95]
Redcar ispansexual.[96] In an October 2019 interview with the magazineAttitude, he explained that he isgenderqueer.[97] Having tweeted in June 2021 that he uses all pronouns,[98] he later toldThe New York Times in March 2022: "My journey with gender has always been tumultuous. It's raging right now, as I'm just exploring what is beyond this. A way to express it could be switching betweenthey and she."[99] In August of the same year, he stated in aTikTok video in French that his gender journey was "a long process" and explained that he had gendered himself in the masculine for about a year, which he had shared with family and close friends.[100][101] He subsequently updated his pronouns tohe/him across social media platforms.[101] He has stated that he is "in resistance to the approach of trans identity that there has to behormones andoperations", which he considers a form ofbinarism.[13]
Redcar has used numerous personal and stage names, and remarked that he just "has many names for all the layers".[13] He began his career as Christine and the Queens. For his second studio album, he shortened it to Chris, which was accompanied by a shift to a persona described as "a woman playing with masculine tropes".[13] In October 2021, he was using the name Rahim, which sparked a debate aroundcultural appropriation due to the name's Arabic origin.[102] He eventually began using a succession of different names such asSam le pompier (the French title ofFireman Sam) and afull stop[102] before settling on Redcar, sometimes shortened as Red.[13] He still occasionally uses his birth name, about which he said: "Héloïse Letissier is my parents' provenance and I love my parents. I sometimes use Héloïse to reconnect me to my childhood, but myinner child name is Manamané."[13]
In June 2024, he combined previous names into Rahim Claude Redcar and posted on social media that "[his] name and [his] path demand respect", expressing frustration that some of his work was credited to Christine and the Queens. Following this statement, the name Rahim C Redcar was added to streaming platforms as an additional artist alongside Christine and the Queens for the 2022 albumRedcar les adorables étoiles (prologue) and the 2024 single "That's Us/Wild Combination".[4] In September 2024, he released the single "Deep Holes" under the name Rahim Redcar.[3] He also updated his Instagram account to reflect the name and called for people to stopdeadnaming him, stating: "I don't know what problem you have to refuse to call me by my name, it's Rahim Redcar."[103][104]
In January 2025, he explained during a conference atESSEC Business School that his name changes were not "a legion of characters" as was the case with David Bowie, but rather "steps towards becoming". He stated that he sometimes thought about Christine and the Queens, but considered that identity to be part of his past and said that Rahim Redcar was the person he hoped to remain, expressing that he found the name "healing".[105] Nevertheless, his collaborative extended playCatching Feelings with Cerrone was released in July 2025 under the name Christine and the Queens.[82] Ahead of the EP's release, he toldLe Point that "Christine and the Queens, as a project, [...] is a whole story that I don't necessarily feel like abandoning" and that he now considered it an artistic project separate from his personal identity as Rahim Redcar. He views his use of his older stage name as "rewriting the legacy of Christine and the Queens while remaining who [he has] become".[106]
'Type "Christine and the Queens" in the search field and then press <Enter>'
The French singer-songwriter was a rare big UK breakthrough act in 2016
J'aime les auteurs de textes rugueux, il faut venir vers le texte. Quand on pense à Alain Bashung, ses textes sont une matière poétique qui se travaille, qui se mâche et qui se réfléchit.
Quelles sont tes influences musicales ?Les BO de Soul Train, Bowie et T-Rex, toute la discographie de Christophe, Kanye West et Kendrick Lamar, du contemporain (Philip Glass)... j'écoute beaucoup sans hiérarchiser. Ton chanteur préféré ?Michael Jackson. Ta chanteuse préférée ?Patti Smith ou Kate Bush.
Il s'agit d'un devenir. C'est pas vraiment une armada de personnages chez moi. C'est plutôt des étapes de devenir. Christine, j'y pense, mais c'est mon passé. C'est ma première itération, quoi. Et Rahim Redcar, c'est, j'éspère, la personne que je resterai. Je ne sais pas si j'aurai beaucoup de noms encore.[It's about becoming. It's not really a legion of characters for me. It's rather steps towards becoming. I do think about Christine, but it's my past. It's my first iteration, basically. And Rahim Redcar is, I hope, the person I will remain. I don't know if I'll still have many more names.]
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