‘Chris’, the sophomore album by Christine and the Queens, is a genre-bending masterpiece of synth pop. Weaving a euphoric utopia of sounds and experience throughout its eleven tracks. Moments of joy and moments of sadness, the album is startlingly sincere and absolutely remarkable; a truly human record.

Harkening back to sounds of the 80s, the record is far more self-assured than Christine and the Queens already stellar debut ‘Chaleur humaine’. Christine’s mastery over emotive lyrics perfectly complements the tick-tick of the analog drum machines and swelling synths. A nostalgic record that feels right at home today, a triumph of songwriting.

The Record begins with ‘Comme Si’, an auditory portmanteau of English and Christine’s native French. An intimate banger, staccato beats and choruses uttered in French present Christine and the Queens in a divine light. The pace is kept up with the whisper of “Chris” at the beginning of ‘Girlfriend’, an exploration of sexuality and gender. Complemented by the hype from Dâm-Funk, the song is dripping in poise and groove. ‘The Walker’ sees the first truly exposed moment on the album – led in by clapping 808 snares, Christine is fully exposed baring her vulnerabilities and disconnect from her sense of self in the face of abusive relationships. The orchestration is perfectly balanced with punctuating harmonies against the legato vocals, layering up and up.

Next up is the incredible single ‘Doesn’t Matter’: self-described as a crisis song, the track turns tender topics such as abuse, depression and reconciliation of unrealistic patriarchal expectations of beauty into a defiant anthem spitting in the face of them all. Juxtaposing positive hopeful imagery with helpless statements finds Christine highlighting the desperation that feminism faces against toxic masculinity and abusive people. This theme of hope in desperation is apparent in the next track ‘5 Dollars’; an affecting and empowering ballad about sex work and the shame that accompanies it. Beautiful piano melodies create a swelling and optimistic feel to the track, validating the experiences of sex workers and giving them courage to carry on.

Watch the video for ‘Doesn’t Matter’:

Explicit displays of emotion are prominent throughout the record, often framed in other languages. ‘Damn (What must a woman do)’ fits this category very well. Against a backdrop of analog stabs and beats skirting on the fringes of early house, Christine makes no apologies for the overt sense of desire in the song, with the hook playing on coy Spanish turns of phrase obscuring its true meaning. However, the confidence on this track is completely contrasted on ‘What’s-her-face’ – a slowly ever-growing bop dealing with the difficulty of never feeling like you’ve arrived and yet still existing as your fragile teenage self in your head. ‘It’s been so long since that playground’ sings Christine, vocalising many of our deep-down anxieties about popularity and belonging.

Toward the end of the record, ‘Feel so Good’ is an incredible pop song with haunting harmonies and clashing synth stabs shatter the edges of the track. Defiant in the face of fear. Ending on a high ‘The Stranger’ closes out the LP with ever-shifting beats and striking organ sequences. The song has a sense of urgency and sentiment that creeps its way to resolution.

‘Chris’ finds itself a brilliantly innovative record, capturing an incredibly fierce sound with absolute ease. The record is masterfully crafted and stunning, Christine and the Queens however find themselves glowing in the lyrical content of the album. Not only is it incredibly personal and vulnerable, it is relatable and important, respectfully commenting on issues that affect women and people who do not identify as cis-male on a daily basis. To summarise how affecting ‘Chris’ is in a short article does not do it the justice it deserves, so go give it a listen.

‘Chris’ by Christine and the Queens is out now – get it here: iTunes | Amazon | Google Play | Spotify

See Christine and the Queens on tour this Autumn, get tickets here.

20 Nov – London – Eventim Apollo – Sold Out
21 Nov – London – Eventim Apollo – Sold Out
23 Nov – Glasgow – Royal Concert Hall
24 Nov – Edinburgh – Usher Hall
26 Nov – Birmingham – O2 Academy
27 Nov – Manchester – O2 Apollo – Sold Out
28 Nov – Manchester – O2 Apollo