Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
singer-songwriter Béatrice Martin, released under her stage name
Cœur de pirate
Béatrice Mireille Martin (; born 22 September 1989), better known by her stage name Cœur de pirate (; French for ''Pirate's Heart''), is a Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist. A francophone from Montreal, she sings mostly in French and has ...
, on November 7, 2011. It featured a musical shift from the primarily piano-based sound of Martin's first record into a more "retro-pop" sound, inspired heavily by the music and style of the 1960s.
''Blonde'' was well received by critics, and was nominated for Francophone Album of the Year at the 2012 Juno Awards and longlisted for the
2012 Polaris Music Prize
The 2012 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 24, 2012self-titled debut, which launched her career and transformed her from "the invisible teenager to a bit of a star" in both Quebec and France. In September 2010, Martin was featured on "Brutal Hearts" on the
Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band based in Toronto and consisting of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, bass player Eon Sinclair, and various session musicians. Their sound has been described as a combination of reggae and ska. Bedouin ...
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'' as a "surprise standout" of the album. In February 2011, Martin and Bedouin Soundclash singer Jay Malinowski collaborated under the name
Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...
to release a five-song self-titled EP. The album's "blaring horns, woozy strings and skipping rhythm" was described as "aural equivalent of dusty desert", already reflecting a change in Martin's music.
Production
Martin co-produced ''Blonde'' with Montreal's
Howard Bilerman
Howard Bilerman (born September 25, 1970) is a Canadian musician, sound engineer, and record producer based in Montreal, Quebec.
, known for his previous work with
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Jeremy Gara. The band's touring line-up includes former core ...
and
Basia Bulat
Barbara Josephine Bulat, known professionally as Basia Bulat (), is a Canadian Folk music, folk singer-songwriter. She is known for performing with an autoharp.
Early life and education
Bulat grew up in Etobicoke, Ontario where her mother was ...
, and recorded all but one of the album's songs in his Montreal studio,
Hotel2Tango
The Hotel2Tango (sometimes referred to as Thee Mighty Hotel2Tango and abbreviated H2T) is a 24-track Analog recording, analogue recording studio situated in the Mile End, Montreal, Mile End district of Montreal, Quebec. The current facility is th ...
.Leijon, Erik (November 3–9, 2011). http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/Mirror/mir_111103/2011110201/10.html "Blonde ambition". Montreal Mirror 27 (21): p. 10. She chose to work with Bilerman based on his experience with
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
, and though her album "didn't turn out that way" she praised him for " eeingthings in my songs that other people don't see". In addition, Martin worked with
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
singer-songwriter
Michael Rault
Michael Rault (born 22 January 1989) is a Canadian producer, engineer, singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was born in Edmonton, Alberta.
Career
Rault released ''Living Daylight'' in 2015. The album received a rating of 7.3 on Pitchfork. The sin ...
in order to achieve a more "sixties sound". The album production was praised for "hold ngback" on arrangements and not going "over-the-top orchestral" on the tracks "Cap-Diamant" and "Place de la République".
Music and lyrics
''Blonde'' displays a stylistic change from Martin's first album, which was characterized primarily by a
piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
-based sound. Stating that the instrument was previously "the skeleton to all of my songs", she wanted to show that she was "actually more of a singer-songwriter than just the girl and the piano", though she clarifies that the change was not an attempt to disassociate herself from her first album but rather an "evolution" of her sound.
Many reviewers noted a contrast between the positive and cheerful tone of the music and the relatively "heavy subjects" and even negative subjects of the lyrics. As one critic expressed, "there's a melancholy that lingers just beneath the surface... even though sonically the album is arguably one of the happiest, swingy-iest, warmest kiss-offs yet".
The album was inspired stylistically by the work of numerous artists, especially from the 1960s, which led one reviewer to describe Martin's music as "straddl nga line between dated and timeless" The album draws inspiration from the genres
surf rock
Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is inst ...
and
yé-yé
''Yé-yé'' () or ''yeyé'' () was a style of pop music that emerged in Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe in the early 1960s. The French term ''yé-yé'' was derived from the English "yeah! yeah!", popularized by British beat music ban ...
, and specifically the music of
France Gall
Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, at the age of 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest 1965, tenth edition of the Eurov ...
,
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French singer-songwriter, actor, composer, and director. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provocative rel ...
,
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English Rock music, rock band formed in St Albans in 1961. Led by keyboardist/vocalist Rod Argent and lead vocalist Colin Blunstone, the group had their first British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the U ...
,
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer, actress, film producer and author. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato) and is known for her 1965 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walki ...
and
Lee Hazlewood
Barton Lee Hazlewood (July 9, 1929 – August 4, 2007) was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s ...
.
Lyrically, the album focuses on what Martin describes as "all the seasons of a relationship, from when you meet someone to the break up and whatever happens after", including "loving from a distance". This is referenced directly in the title of the album, ''Blonde'', a
double entendre
A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...
that refers not only to Martin's blonde hair but also to the slang word for "girlfriend" in
Quebec French
Quebec French ( ), also known as Québécois French, is the predominant variety (linguistics), variety of the French language spoken in Canada. It is the dominant language of the province of Quebec, used in everyday communication, in education, ...
.
Songs
Tracks 1–6
The album opens with "Lève les voiles", which roughly translates to "Raise the
Sail
A sail is a tensile structure, which is made from fabric or other membrane materials, that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may b ...
s" or '"Set Sail", an
a cappella
Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
song written in a
traditional
A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...
style. Though the words and melody were written by Martin, she does not sing on the track, which features instead singers from the
boys' choir
A boys' choir is a one made up of boys who have yet to begin (or are just in the early stages of) puberty and so retain their high-pitched childhood voice. Members are known as trebles ("boy sopranos") or meanes ("boy altos"), depending on their ...
''Les Petits Chanteurs de Laval'' (Young Singers of Laval) and the girls' choir ''Les Voix Boréales'' (Boreal Voices), directed by Philippe Ostiguy. Martin's inspiration for the song came from her own years in elementary school where she "had to sing traditional songs that meant nothing". Though the unaccompanied choral sound of the song is described as somewhat "musically incongruous" with the rest of the album, its lyrics of freedom and "setting sail onto new ways" set a tone for the rest of the album.
"Adieu" ("Farewell"), is a 1960s-inspired pop song, featuring a double bassline and "stomping" percussion in the vein of
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...
. It was released as the album's first single on September 19 and topped
CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3 is a Canadian digital radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which plays a relatively freeform mix of indie rock, indie pop, alternative hip hop, folk, country and electronic music.
The service, which la ...
's ''
The R3-30
CBC Radio 3 is a Canadian digital radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which plays a relatively freeform mix of indie rock, indie pop, alternative hip hop, folk, country and electronic music.
The service, which laun ...
'' singles chart for two consecutive weeks in November. Lyrically, "Adieu" deals with what Martin describes as the phase of "the break-up where you really just want the other person to disappear... you want to stop thinking about them", though she also clarifies that "it's a general break-up song, it doesn't talk about one person in particular". A
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for the song, directed by Jérémie Saindon, features
Niels Schneider
Niels Schneider (; born 18 June 1987) is a French-Canadian actor. He had his breakthrough role in Xavier Dolan's film '' I Killed My Mother'' (2009), and gained international recognition in Dolan's '' Heartbeats'' (2010). In 2011, he won the T ...
as Martin's boyfriend whose
infidelity
Infidelity (synonyms include non-consensual non-monogamy, cheating, straying, adultery, being unfaithful, two-timing, or having an affair) is a violation of a couple's emotional or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, se ...
provokes her to enact revenge on his various partners, and eventually him as well. The concept was inspired by the 1960s
sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
''
Bewitched
''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typi ...
'' and styled with touches of both
retro
Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from the past, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. It has been argued that there is a nostalgia cycle in popular culture.
Definition
The term ...
and modern.
The third song on the album, "Danse et danse", features a "wonderfully groovy" melody with a "dramatic tango" feel, backed by strings and a "thumping" beat. Lyrically, it deals with what Martin describes her generation's tendency to "try to numb ourselves" and move on after a break-up by "sleeping with different people but not really caring about them", alluded to in the refrain with the phrase ''"Mais danse et danse sans que j'aie à t'aimer / Je ne t'aurai plus quand ce sera demain"'' ("But dance and dance without me having to love you / I will no longer have you tomorrow").
"Loin d'ici", meaning "far from here", is a duet sung by Martin and
Juno Award
The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
-winning singer-songwriter
Sam Roberts Samuel or Sam Roberts may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Sam Roberts (journalist) (born 1947), American journalist for ''The New York Times''
*Sam Roberts (singer-songwriter) (born 1974), Canadian singer-songwriter
* Sam Roberts (radio personal ...
electric
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
, and
slide guitar
Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...
, it has a distinctly
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
feel that prompted one reviewer to compare it to the sound of Martin's side project Armistice. The contrast between Martin's "softness" and Robert's "rough, dusty gruffness" was praised as complementary and "subtle and distracting in the best way imaginable".
Tracks 7–12
"Place de la République" is a slow, "melancholy" song with a similar sound to Martin's debut album, featuring her vocals with a piano and an "emotive" and "subdued chamber-pop string adornment". Its name comes from the public square of the same name in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. Written almost immediately after the release of her first album, Martin said that it "became a symbol for whatever I was feeling afterwards ... It was defining for me". After adding it to her regular performance
repertoire
Repertory or repertoire () is the list or set of works a person or company is accustomed to performing. Whether the English or French spelling is used has no bearing, but it was the French word, with an accent on the first e, , that first took ho ...
, the song was well known by Martin's fans and became a catalyst for ''Blonde''; as Martin stated during an interview on the radio show '' Q'':
This album is only here today because I wanted to record 'Place de la République' ... I just had to record it for the fans, if anything ... I mean, I've got people that like my music now, so, I might as well do this, I might as well release a record.
Named for
Cap Diamant
Cap Diamant ( English: Cape Diamond) is a cape on an edge of the Promontory of Quebec and on which Quebec City is located, formed by the confluence of a bend in the St. Lawrence River to the south and east, and the much smaller Saint-Charles River ...
("Cape Diamond"), the promontory on which
Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
is located, the song "Cap-Diamant" is a piano-driven track that features Martin's vocals.
Co-written by Martin and Malinowski, "Saint-Laurent" is named for the boulevard of the same name, a major commercial street and heritage site in Montreal.
Release
The album's first single, "Adieu", was released on September 12, 2011, along with a music video. The album itself was released on November 14, 2011 with a launch concert at the Rialto Theatre in Montreal. The second single, "Golden Baby", was released on February 27, 2012 along with an accompanying music video released shortly after.
Deluxe edition
A deluxe edition of the album was released concurrent with the standard edition in a limited run of 5000 copies. The edition includes a small hardcover book of about 30 pages, the album CD with two bonus tracks ("Hôtel Amour" and "Prince-Arthur"), and a collection of photographs and images. Designed by Catherine D'Amours with photography was by Clara Palardy, the package was awarded the 2012 Concours Grafika ''grand prix'' for best CD/DVD packaging design in Quebec.
Reception
''Blonde'' was well received by music critics, who described it as "sophisticated", "enjoyable", "radiat ngwith jubilance and youthful verve" and containing "beautiful songs and dreamy delivery".
Martin was mostly praised for progressing beyond the simple, piano-centric sound of her first record.
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
called the album as "a brave leap forward from a hugely gifted songwriter" and "perhaps one of the most enchanting and authentic retro-pop efforts of the year", while Bernard Perusse at '' The Gazette'' wrote that she "continues to develop an enchanting artistic voice of her own" and "makes few false moves" with the album, concluding that "it would be a mistake to bet against her ultimately becoming a bona fide pop treasure". In his review of the album for ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'', critic
Stuart Henderson
Stuart Robert Henderson is a Canadian historian, culture critic, filmmaker, and musician. He is the president of 90th Parallel Productions, a multiple award-winning film production company. He is the author of the Clio award-winning book ''Making ...
made similar remarks, commenting:
''Blonde'' is, overall, a very fun, very amusing record. It has a jumping-around-singing-into-your-hairbrush kind of girlish abandon to it that is utterly compelling... Yet, for all of this effervescence, a superior or more tightly constructed series of pop tracks hasn't appeared this year, for my money.
However, one reviewer did express a desire for "more emphasis on artin'sextraordinary piano playing" and hoped that "on her third release she embraces that instrumental talent more and it isn't tossed aside for pure pop".
Awards and year-end rankings
''Blonde'' was named the best francophone album of 2011 by the Canadian iTunes Store, voted the 22nd best album of the year by the music critics at ''
Voir
''Voir'' was a francophone alternative weekly newspaper in Montreal, Quebec, published by Communications Voir. ''Voir'' was founded by Pierre Paquet in November 1986. The first issue of the newspaper was published on 27 November 1986. Later o ...
'' and ranked fourth by ''
Now
Now most commonly refers
to the present time.
Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to:
Organizations
* Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization
* National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization
* Na ...
'' magazine music editor
Michael Hollett
Michael Hollett, born 1955, is the founder and president of North by Northeast (NXNE) music festival which happens every June in Toronto since 1995. Hollett is also founder of the national print and online arts magazine, ''NEXT'', available in Toro ...
on his list of the top ten discs of 2011.
''Blonde'' was nominated for the Francophone album of the year at the 2012 Juno Awards, and was also named as a longlisted nominee for the
Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division.
...
'', June 14, 2012.
Commercial performance
''Blonde'' reached number 1 in the charts in Quebec and on the Canadian iTunes Store album chart, while in Europe it peaked at number 5 in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and number 2 in
Wallonia
Wallonia ( ; ; or ), officially the Walloon Region ( ; ), is one of the three communities, regions and language areas of Belgium, regions of Belgium—along with Flemish Region, Flanders and Brussels. Covering the southern portion of the c ...
, the predominantly French-speaking region of Belgium.
Track listing
# "Lève les voiles" – 1:12
# " Adieu" – 2:27
# "Danse et danse" – 3:10
# "
Golden Baby
"Golden Baby" is a song by Canadian singer Cœur de pirate, from her second studio album ''Blonde'' (2011). It was released as a single in France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Over ...
iTunes
iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...