Summary of French music genres
What kind of genres come to mind when you hear “French music”? If you like Western music, you might be able to name a few French bands or artists, but it’s not so easy to immediately explain the genres, is it? French music includes genres that originated in France, and even popular genres like rock and metal have developed in unique ways there—digging into them can be truly fascinating.
So this time, we’ve put together a summary of various French music genres, focusing mainly on popular music from the modern era onward.
Read this and you might become an expert on French music! Enjoy!
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Summary of French music genres (1–10)
One More TimeDaft Punk
If you like dance numbers or songs with a stylish vibe, you should definitely check out French house.
French house refers to house music that originated in France.
While American club music is often considered representative of house, French house samples and reworks those styles.
Overall, it’s not as intense as typical house music and tends to have a more relaxed feel.
La Vie En RoseEdith Piaf
Chanson is one of the musical styles that originated in the Middle Ages.
The word “chanson” means “song,” and in most cases it refers to pieces with lyrics.
In France, its definition has varied over the eras, but in Japan it has taken root with nuances like “French songs with lyrics” or “songs with an elegant atmosphere.” In fact, many artists in Japan have created chanson pieces in Japanese.
If you’re interested, try looking them up.
AFRO TRAP Part.7 (La Puissance)MHD
Afro-trap, to put it simply, is a new style of hip-hop that originated in France.
It’s like a blend of African traditional music and American hip-hop, characterized by tracks that use exotic-sounding beats.
It emerged around 2010, so its history is relatively short, but many classic songs have already come out of the genre.
Incidentally, the name “Afro-trap” is said to have been coined by the French rapper MHD.
Be sure to check out his tracks as well.
Summary of French music genres (11–20)
DésertÉmilie Simon
Songs that make more use of French pronunciation and a chanson-like tone are called “nouvelle chanson.” It is said to have emerged around the 1990s, and some regard it as a fusion of chanson with other musical genres.
The most common pairing is rock, and many nouvelle chanson tracks have a more pop-leaning feel than traditional chansons.
Also, when combined with electronic music it is referred to as trip hop, and when combined with African music it is sometimes called nouvelle vague.
There are many other subgenres as well, so try looking into them.
Minor SwingDjango Reinhardt
Jazz Manouche is a form of jazz developed uniquely by the Romani people.
It incorporates elements of chanson and musette, and has two defining characteristics.
First, it does not use drums or trumpets.
Second, it uses instruments like the accordion and clarinet instead.
As a result, it has a pop-like feel not found in American jazz and the like.
Incidentally, works that reinterpret classical music have also become popular in recent years.
AmazoniaGOJIRA
In recent years, a music genre that has been drawing intense attention worldwide is “French metal.” This refers to heavy metal from France.
Heavy metal bands began to emerge around the 1980s, but for many years none achieved major hits.
However, in the 2000s, Gojira started releasing a string of hit songs, and the French metal scene itself began to gain momentum.
Why not start by checking out Gojira, the act that ignited its popularity?
Infernal Galop / Orpheus in the UnderworldJacques Offenbach
Infernal Galop (Orpheus in the Underworld), which is well-loved in Japan as a sports day tune, is actually music in the cancan genre.
The cancan is used for dance performances where women kick their legs high, and it was often enjoyed in venues like restaurants and cafés.
It’s similar to the gallop, but it’s characterized by an even faster tempo and higher leg kicks.
You can find performance videos on YouTube and elsewhere, so be sure to check them out.