Are you really a music enthusiast if you’re not spicing up your playlist with songs in languages you may not even understand? One sound I find myself really enjoying is African Francophone music. People always talk about how beautiful and intense the French language is, how much more the music?
We’ll do a quick rundown of five Francophone songs I think should absolutely be on your playlist. Don’t panic, it’s not all hard-core French. You’ll be surprised at just how well it blends with today’s Afrobeats sound. I’ve included some artists you might recognize here too, to ease you into the journey into Francophone sounds.
Maître Gims – J’me Tire
Firstly, two words; French rap. I know, right? Maître Gims is a Congolese-French rapper and songwriter who was a former member of the music group “Groupe sexion d’assaut” and is now a platinum record holder.
Now let’s talk about this song. He sings in French from beginning to end and from the first verse I was hooked. Gims raps with an unmistakable level of passion that doesn’t need you to understand what he says to feel the passion. The song starts out with beautiful guitar riffs and has a nice tempo that stays all through the four minutes. He isn’t speaking about love like you may assume, but about the woes of being an artist. His lyrics resonate with a certain raw honesty that I could feel even before I understood what it meant.
“Vos interviews m’ont donné trop de maux de tête” … Your interviews give me too many headaches.
Aya Nakamura ft Davido- Gang: Francophone song for party goers
This is your typical party jam from French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura who gave one of the hit Francophone songs, “Djadju”. It is also fast-paced, with Davido opening up and Aya following. Davido has a history of not shying away from international collaborations, and this is just one of the many proofs.
Like most party songs, you should not be too keen on the lyrics but more on the sound which is upbeat and fast-paced. They’re singing about what I can only guess would be being in a Gucci gang. I need to know who I can speak to, to be a part of that gang that sounds like nothing but luxury.
Tay C ft Adekunle Gold- Dodo; francophone song for lovers
See? I told you you’d recognize some names. This is a more recent banger from the Cameroonian-French singer Julién Franck Bouadjie, more commonly known as Tay C. And of course, you know AG baby. He recently entered his bad boy era, changing his sound to give us something we fell even more in love with.
This is one of the sweet Francophone songs, and I have to say that Tay C’s voice is so sublime I think I’ll be going to look for more of his work. The song has a catchy hook and chorus, and yes, I didn’t understand it but I sang along. If you’re wondering if the “Dodo” means what we think it means (plantain of course), then we’re on the same page. But no, Dodo here is talking about sleep… or the lack of it thereof. They are singing about no sleep because they would be up doing ungodly things to and with their partner, which is even more sensual than I had imagined. It’s a great song, you should check it out.
Soolking ft Niska- Balader
This is one of my favorite Francophone songs on this list. Another French rap song from Soolking. He is an Algerian singer who infuses a lot of Algerian Rai in his sound. He originally started out as MC Sool and is now known as Soolking. His debut album, “Fruit dé Demon,” released in 2018, is certified gold in France, further solidifying him as a hardcore artist with an unmistakable sound.
I also particularly like this song because the video gave me a UK rap vibe, standing around and rapping in front of an energetic crowd that keeps hyping you up. His feature of Niska on this song was a good choice too. If you’re a lover of rap, you’ll like this. Don’t try to learn the lyrics though, rap is already hard enough to learn on its own without the tongue-twisting French words. It’s a beautiful song and has a funny video I replayed quite a number of times.
DJ Arafat ft Davido- Naughty; A throwback francophone song
Finally, I needed to end this list with another artist you’d recognize. Dj Arafat is one of the most recognizable names of Coupe dé cale music, a really popular sound in French-speaking African countries. He, unfortunately, passed away in 2019 following a motorcycle accident.
This is one of the throwback Francophone songs that will remain evergreen if you ask me. It also has a typical 2014 Davido sound that will make you a little nostalgic. It is also another party jam that balances out French and Nigerian pop quite well. It’s giving makossa, it’s giving street and club at the same time. Party lovers, you should have this in your playlist for sublime throwbacks.
Speaking of Francophone songs, this barely grazes the surface. There are lots of sounds you’ll definitely fall in love with, as long as you recognize authenticity. I, for one, will be humming these songs throughout today.