2023-08-24 04:00:00
As she prepares to travel the globe with her highly anticipated second album, Charlotte Cardin tells us about summer, or rather the intense 99 nights (99 Nights) which led to his liberating songs.
Charlotte Cardin is far from being a new name in the Quebec musical landscape. The one we knew at The voice in 2013 has since created a craze thanks to his EPs Big Boy (2016) et Main Girl (2017), as well as with magnificent covers by Karim Ouellet, Justin Bieber and Britney Spears, among others. In April 2021, finally, Charlotte Cardin launched her first album, Phoenixvery well received by critics and the public.
• Read also: Release of “99 Nights”: Charlotte Cardin’s career in 12 photos
Shortly after, the 28-year-old artist returned to the studio. Performance pressure after this home run that led her to the ranks of the greats?
“In the summer of 2021, we were hardly filming and I was very inspired, she says. I felt at a crossroads on so many levels of my personal life. I had a lot of decisions to make… And I wasn’t over all not so good in my head. I lived a little disconnected from myself. The moments in the studio, which was in fact my friend’s apartment in the middle of a heat wave, took on the air of escape, of liberation. My only goal was to let myself go and laugh with my friends. 99 Nights is a kind of diary in which I wanted to encapsulate these emotions.”
To carry out this creative process, Charlotte Cardin knew how to surround herself well, with in particular her long-time friend Jason Brando and many renowned collaborators: DFA (Dua Lipa), Rob Grimaldi (BTS), Mr Hudson (Kanye West ), Jorgen Odegard (Justin Bieber), Jennifer Decilveo (Miley Cyrus), Ryan Linvill (Conan Gray) and Felix Joseph (Jorja Smith).
break free
The result is a catchy pop album with electro and R&B accents, often dancing, which swings between spontaneity and depth. “I allowed myself to expand my musical playground, to be more instinctive, explains the artist. I wanted to find new ways of connecting with the public, which didn’t necessarily involve vocal power, but more storytelling. 99 Nights is more organic with a vibe the band, where we find more guitar.
The artist pauses, smiles. “It’s a very bittersweet, because you can hear the playful side of the creative process there… But taking a step back, I realized that there were less light themes. It looked like very, very healthy therapy.”
The authenticity of the approach can be seen right down to the visual aesthetics of the song promotion. On the album, we find a completely naked Charlotte Cardin. “This photo was taken by my lover, in a motel in Greece. I’m vulnerable to it, true. All images associated with the launch are from my real life, without photo shoot.»
Cover of “99 Nights” – Photo credit: Aliocha Schneider
In addition to confiding in his social anxiety on Confetti and his haunting thoughts about Loopingthe artist offers the poignant excerpt Next To You, co-written with his friend Patrick Watson. In this love letter to her hometown, Montreal, she recounts her choice to move away from it. The young woman also has an apartment in Paris. “I understood that I had to leave a place that I love in order to be able to fully blossom,” confided the artist when presenting the piece.
Vulnerable, the artist even broaches his relationship with his father for the first time on Daddy’s a Psycho. “I hesitated before releasing this song, she reveals. I have a very good relationship with my father, but it is complex and far from easy. It comes with a lot of challenges. I decided to put the song on the album, since it’s important to be true in music. When it’s inconvenient, and if I’m a little uncomfortable…that’s where I have to go.”
A reflection that can resonate with the song Jim Carrey. The actor, discovering the piece in his name, also wanted to drop her a phone call to congratulate her! “One morning, my producer Jason offered to write a song about the ego, before recommending videos of Jim Carrey talking about it. I fell into a vortex [rires]! Carrey has such an eloquent way of talking about the ego, which he says keeps us from connecting with who we really are.”
As if freed from her torments, the artist seated in front of me displays a peaceful air reminiscent of the earworm Puppy, which opens the opus. Who is Charlotte Cardin today? “If you knew how many times I’ve been asked this question [rires]! Since the creation of 99 Nights, I evolved at least 500 times. I want to allow myself to always be open to new music, ideas and versions of myself. As an artist, I have to remember that I have the right to change.”
Taking on the planet
Charlotte Cardin, who has never hidden her international ambitions, will present 99 Nights between Canada, Europe and the United States. Already, several shows are sold out. Passing through New York this weekend to promote his album, the artist even had the honor of seeing 99 Nights featured by YouTube and Spotify on the Times Square Billboard.
How does she view her rising stardom? “I am ready. From The voice, my career follows an organic evolution that allows me to adapt and improve at each new stage. I can’t wait to present the album,” she says enthusiastically.
Always rigorous, the artist intends to give his maximum to his fans. “The touring life sometimes reminds me of the life of an athlete. It’s hard! I have to be at my best. All in fun, of course. After the more difficult period that led to this album, I am doing very well today. It’s clear, I can say that I’m going to go on stage happy! And we suspect that the world is waiting for it.
The Scrapbook 99 Nights is available August 25. The tour 99 Nights will begin on August 30 at the Cogeco amphitheater in Trois-Rivières. To discover all datesit’s here.
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