Tag: Celine Dion

Charlotte Cardin Kicks Off ‘CAN You Hear Me,’ Spotify’s New Series Dedicated to Canada’s One-of-a-Kind Music Scene

May 31, 2023

In celebration of Canadian artistry, For the Record is launching CAN You Hear Me, a series championing the music, unique talent, and diverse cultures found in the Great White North—from the jazz bars in Québec to the dance clubs in Ontario all the way to the powwows in the west.

Kicking off our series is French-Canadian artist Charlotte Cardin. Charlotte’s smoky and sensual voice, genre-defying pop sound, and deeply vulnerable songwriting have made her one of the most notable breakout artists from Canada in recent years.

The 28-year-old performer grew up in the French-Canadian music mecca of Montréal, Québec, where legends like KAYTRANADA, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and the queen of divas herself—Céline Dion—got their start. Charlotte made a strong first impression in 2016 with her debut release, Big Boy. Creating a deeply atmospheric-yet-minimal vibe, the bilingual EP quickly rose the charts and earned her a nomination for the 2017 SOCAN Songwriting Prize. In the process, Charlotte became the first artist in SOCAN history to be nominated in both the French and English categories.

Charlotte continued to build on that momentum, and she hit a career milestone in 2021 when her debut album, Phoenix, spent two weeks at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart. In the months that followed, the album was longlisted for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize, and Charlotte was the most-nominated artist at the 2022 Juno Awards, where she won Album of the Year, Pop Album of the Year, Single of the Year (for “Meaningless“), and the highly coveted Artist of the Year.

Charlotte shows no signs of slowing down. The singer has performed for fans all over the world, and she participated in Spotify Singles, where she delivered an incredible Spanish/English mixed cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Back 2 Black” and a French version of “XOXO” from Phoenix.

Most recently, Charlotte surprised fans with the release of “Confetti” and “Looping,” the first singles from her upcoming album, 99 Nights. She also announced plans for a 40-date world tour kicking off at the end of August.

For the Record sat down with Charlotte to talk about life growing up in Canada, the Montréal music scene, and what songs she’s got on repeat.

Tell us a bit about your journey into music.

I started doing music when I was very young. While neither of my parents were professionally into music, we were a musical family. My dad was—and still is—a huge rock fan, and my mom always encouraged us to have a bit of musical knowledge. When I was eight years old, I started taking singing lessons and it was a total love-at-first-sight situation. I had always enjoyed singing, but to learn how to do it properly and control my voice was like being in a massive playground. 

Growing up, I discovered all these people from my small city who were doing these really beautiful, creative things. Seeing them made me want to both follow in their footsteps and explore my own path. After taking singing lessons for 10 years, I finally started writing music, which also doubled as a way to process my emotions.

How would you describe the music scene in Montréal?

Extremely eclectic and creative. I think that comes from the fact that the city is bilingual, so you have these bubbles of Francophone and Anglophone singer-songwriters with their own little ecosystems who coexist beautifully. They’re always moving and merging and doing new things across so many genres. And when you combine that with all the different international cultures that exist in Montréal, you get something so beautiful, diverse, and stimulating.

Can you tell us about the unique balancing act required to bring both Québécois and English into your music?

It’s always come pretty naturally to me, especially when I’m singing. It’s hard to explain, but growing up bilingual, I feel certain parts of my personality are better expressed in one language or the other, depending on how I experienced the story I’m telling. It all just kind of coexists inside of me. Most of my music is in English, but singing in French is important to me because, being French Canadian, I feel like there’s a huge appreciation from my Francophone fans. And ultimately, that allows me to connect even more to them.

Can you tell us a little bit about your new album, 99 Nights?

I’m very excited about releasing 99 Nights this summer. It’s an album that’s very meaningful to me and was written in a time when I was going through a lot of personal stuff. So the creative process behind the album was very much an escape mechanism, which fans will hear in the extremely vulnerable songwriting and storytelling. It’s called 99 Nights because, for the first three months or so that I spent writing the album, I was just trying to reconnect with the important stuff in my life and make some big changes. It was pretty therapeutic and helped me cope with a lot of big things and make some huge life changes.

Honestly, I just hope that some people can just relate to the experiences I’ve shared on the album and have it help them. 

What was it like working on Spotify Singles?

It was so cool to have so much creative leeway with the music I wanted to cover. I love listening to Spotify Singles because it’s nice to hear artists cover other artists and find a fun way to merge different genres. That really inspired me to be extra playful with my song choices and the styles I performed them in.

What Canadian artists have inspired you?

There are so many, but the first name that comes to mind is Patrick Watson, who has become a very dear friend of mine. I grew up respecting his music immensely and still do. He has such a talent for painting beautiful pictures with his music, so it was wonderful to collaborate with this artist, who it turns out lived just a few streets down from me when I was in Montréal.

And it may be a cliché answer, but as a French-Canadian girl growing up in the late ’90s, Celine Dion is the reason I started singing. There are so many home videos of me singing her songs in recitals and talent shows. Listening to her now as an adult, I feel this deep, nostalgic connection that’s always been a part of my life.

What songs would we find on your On Repeat playlist?

It’s funny because I feel like I’ve been curating this one playlist for the last 10 years, and it’s almost all I listen to. But I feel like one song that comes to mind is “Sideways” by Citizen Cope. It’s just like one of my ultimate favorite songs. Other songs in heavy rotation include “House of Cards” by Radiohead and “I Try” by Macy Gray. 

 

Get ready for 99 Nights by hitting play on Charlotte Cardin’s latest singles.

Parties, Playlists, and New Year’s Bops: The Music the World Is Playing to Ring in 2023

December 29, 2022

As the year comes to a close, we can’t help but be amazed at what a landmark year 2022 was for music. But now it’s time to look ahead and ring in 2023 with style.

New year, new hub

We’ve got plenty of music to kickstart your celebration, and it’s all in our freshly launched New Year’s Hub. At this one-stop destination you can find classic party playlists and special takeovers from artists like Charli XCX, Rita Ora, N-Dubz, and Madame Canada herself, Céline Dion. And whether you want a low-key night or a heart-pounding dancefest, we have you set with featured playlists to match the vibe you’re channeling. Plus, on Home starting January 1, you can find content to help you set your resolutions.

So that’s what Spotify is doing . . . but how do Spotify listeners like to ring in the new year? The best way to predict the future is to look at past results, so we checked the data archives to see how the world was celebrating in December 2021.

What the world is playing

There’s always some level of anticipation around the new year and that shows in the playlists fans put together. Last year 82,000 New Year’s Eve playlists were created between Christmas and January 31, with nearly 40,000 created on the night itself. 

When it comes to genres, as expected listeners went straight for the uplifting bops and hits. Pop, hip-hop, trap, k-pop, and indie pop were the top genres played worldwide. Genres that saw the most significant rises in listeners were cumbia, discofox, volksmusik, schlager, and partyschlager (for those who think regular schlager isn’t festive enough.)

NYE 2021 was all about the tracks you could sing and dance along to. “Hey Ya!,” “Uptown Funk”, and “Mr. Brightside” all received plenty of attention. Many of the songs that gained more streams were New Year-specific tracks like Mariah Carey‘s rendition of “Auld Lang Syne – The New Year’s Anthem” and ABBA’s “Happy New Year,” which led the pack with an approximately 2,000% increase in plays.

Whatever your plans are for ringing in the new year, we hope that 2023 is just as fantastic for listening as this one was. 

Plan your party now over on our New Year’s Hub or with the featured New Year’s Eve 2023 playlist.

‘Cheer’s’ Monica Aldama and Andy Cosferent Take Us to the Mat and Behind the Music

March 12, 2020

Audiences have flipped for the Navarro College cheerleading team in Netflix’s new hit docuseries Cheer. At the heart of the show is Head Coach Monica Aldama, who prepares the team for the national title competition in Daytona, Florida through her fierce leadership. Of course, this wouldn’t be possible without Assistant Coach Andy Cosferent. The pair’s ability to inspire excellent performances while also nurturing the team through the highs and lows of life is a sight to behold and one likely to tug at your heartstrings. 

We recently caught up with Monica and Andy for an inside look at life on Cheer. Read on to hear their take on the show, the role that music plays in cheerleading, and the team’s unique practice playlist.

Cheer has proven to be a massive success. Why do you think the show has resonated with so many viewers? 

I think there’s a few different reasons. One is the fact that some of these kids have overcome obstacles and struggles in their lives, and Cheer shows that your past doesn’t define you. You can overcome it. You can be successful if you put your mind to it and if you have a strong support system.

I think another really important reason is that Cheer illustrates that it doesn’t matter what country you come from, what color skin you have, or what your sexuality may be. As long as you come together as a team in a specific environment—as long as you have each other’s back—you become a family, and you can achieve anything. Because at the end of the day, we’re all in this together. And, like most things in this world, it’s about teamwork.

Throughout Season 1, you cheer with and without music. What role does music play in your competitions and tryouts?

We love the musical aspect of cheerleading. When we get to compete with music, it’s more entertaining.

When we do tryouts, however, we don’t use music because we look specifically for skills. I think a lot of people assume it’s like the movie Bring It On, where they press play on a song and do a little routine as their tryout. But it’s not really like that.

The phrase “mat talk” is used frequently on Cheer. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, how would you define it? Is there a song that exemplifies it? 

I’d say mat talk is giving your energy 100% to someone else in order to benefit them. Maybe someone is struggling or hurting, so I will yell and be extra happy for them. The energy they get will then get them through the routine, through life, anything that they’re struggling with on that particular day.

One song that’s been on our team playlist for quite a few years now is “Get It Ready” by DJ Jubilee, and it reminds me of mat talk. It’s so fun to listen to because it makes you have an extra little bit of energy. You just can’t help but dance when that song comes on, and it just puts everyone in a better mood.

What song would you say sums up your experience filming Cheer?

We would probably have to go with “Incredible” by Céline Dion. I think that every time we go somewhere—every time we go through an interview or an appearance—people ask, “How has your experience been?” Everybody looks at each other, and we all just pretty much say incredible.

Walk us through the process behind curating the team’s Spotify playlist.

Every year, we make a playlist that we can use to get ourselves mentally prepared, inspired, or pumped up, and that’s what we used for Spotify, too. The team members made it. Every individual picked their favorite song—some are hip-hop, some EDM, some rap. Meanwhile, others picked slower songs.

When we practice, we only listen to that playlist. We put it on shuffle, and no one is allowed to skip a song, because we want everybody to have the opportunity to listen to their favorite jam. Every individual has a different way of getting motivated, and I think each song, just like each team member, has something special.

Stream the Cheer team’s exclusive practice playlist, only on Spotify.

Céline Dion on Her New Album, ‘Courage,’ and How She Chose the Songs for Her Spotify Singles

February 26, 2020

You probably know Céline Dion’s iconic song “My Heart Will Go On” from the 1997 movie, Titanic. But what many may not know is that the French-Canadian singer has seen a music career that goes on… and… on.

Céline was discovered at just 12-years-old when her brother, Michel—one of her 13 siblings—sent a tape of her singing to Artist Manager René Angélil. As a teenager, she released several French-language albums throughout the 1980s that gained traction all over the world. She started recording her first English studio album, Unison back in 1990. Since then, she’s created hit songs like “Because You Loved Me,” “Taking Chances,” “Miracle,” and consistently recorded new albums.

This past November, Céline released her latest album, Courage. But she also recorded some personal firsts—two Spotify Singles—including a new take on her own “Imperfections” and a cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” Listen to them now, only on Spotify. 

Can’t get enough of the Canadian creator? We sat down with Céline to get an inside look at her Spotify Singles and new album Courage.

When you were approached to record the Spotify Singles, how did you select your song “Imperfections,” and then the cover of “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak featuring Chris on backing vocals?

I chose “Imperfections” because at first, when the song was proposed to me, it was more simple than the production that ended up on the album. I wanted to kind of give fans a bit of the album, but make it more the way that I heard the song the first time.

I chose “Wicked Game” [for my Spotify Singles] because it’s one of my favorite songs of all time for many, many, many reasons. But also I love the black and white music video for the song, of Chris Isaak and Helena Christensen on the beach. It makes me think the whole world wants to be them.

What should your fans be looking for in your cover that’s different than the original “Wicked Game?”

Sometimes you take a song that’s not yours and you make it your own. But sometimes you decide not to. I’ve loved this song so much for so long that I decided to not change it much, I wanted to just respect the original version, which I still think is perfection.

What are you hoping that Chris Isaak’s reaction is going to be like? What about your fans’? 

I hope he’s going to like it. And I hope my fans are going to like it. Obviously I sing for myself because I love it, but at the end of the day, I sing for my fans.  

Why are you especially proud of your new album, Courage? 

I was so involved in the creation and the creativity of it. I’ve never taken so long to record an album, and the new writers, songwriters, and producers were all phenomenal. It’s the same Celine, but there are some different sounds and I’m trying different things that might be new for fans.

What’s your go-to karaoke song?

I don’t really do karaoke much, but I have to admit that during sound check, when I’m trying to get myself comfortable on stage, I like to make people laugh and just laugh myself. So I pick a Cher song, usually “Believe,” to sing during that.

Take a listen to Céline Dion’s Spotify Singles and latest album Courage, below.