Tant que le sang coule dans nos veines

Ever since Digital Technique introduced me to Julian Cely and his single "Pour Elle," I've half-followed him; as arguably shamelessly designed to "appeal to young girls" as "Pour Elle" was, it was still a completely adorable catchy mid-tempo piano-featuring pop song, one that stole my musical heart. Last year's "Billy" (also good, though musically not quite as much so) was both a lyrical and musical switch for Julian--a song about a boy in love with a boy who doesn't love him, who sees him as a just a friend, it was a little darker and more electronic. It was an interesting direction for him, but given the song's failure to properly take off in France (I think he's had a little more success in Indonesia)--fully in keeping with Julian's track record there so far--we've yet to hear anything more from him on the commercial release front...unless you count the more R&B "Plus fort," which was scheduled to be his next single. I'm not sure if it ever got a proper release beyond inclusion on a compilation album. It and "Mantra," presumably another song from his planned more R&B next album (edit: French Wikipedia says "Mantra" was released in Indonesia), can be heard on his MySpace.

Luckily, in Julian's attempts to establish himself, he landed a small-ish role on Sous le soleil, a soap opera which has given him the opportunity to make a few more songs (though chronology wise they aren't post-"Billy"). My favorite of those is like neither "Pour Elle" nor "Billy," but rather that upbeat-yet-gentle pop-with-guitars I seem to keep mentioning these past few weeks.

Pour le présent--kind of pop-rock, but maybe more properly just pop with guitars, "Pour le présent" has this lovely melodic feel to it. Upbeat, uptempo, and uplifting (even if arguably cheesy), it's very pop, very accessible, and exactly the sort of thing I can never get enough of. It's absolutely not a song to change the world, not a song with an exciting new sound, but for me, it's a song that makes the sun seem like it's shining just a little brighter on a gray day, as well as the sort of thing I'd absolutely be singing along with if I knew any French at all.

I know of nowhere where you can buy "Pour le présent," but you can buy a few singles of his here (physical) and a few songs of his here (digital).

Next up: maybe something British and amazing but very well-known.

Billy, cette chanson est pour toi

Oh Julian Cely...

I wrote about him in early July, and apparently he released a new single in late July that completely passed me by until now. Now, normally a new single from him would be a good thing because I really liked "Pour elle," and I guess it is, but I do have a bit of an issue with it. The song, "Billy," apparently (and I say apparently because I don't speak French) implies that he's gay (which would shock no one), that he's speaking to a friend who's gay (possibly who loves him), or says nothing of the sort, depending on how you look at it. My problem with this? Well, I'm having trouble seeing it as much more than marketing--"well, our big 'for the girls' single 'Pour elle' underperformed...so let's switch to a new market!" or even just counting on the ambiguity to increase publicity.

Oh well, at least we get another pretty cover to look at, even if it's not from a new photoshoot.

In other Julian news, apparently a second album should be out in early 2008 (possibly with a different version of "Billy"--though it's currently available for purchase from legal download sites, that might not be its final version) and could possibly include a more electro style. Despite that "possibly electro" news, his MySpace is featuring three new songs (in addition to "Billy") that don't sound very electro at all. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, because "Pour Le Présent" is very good--I think I may love it. Sort of light pop-rock, but more just pop. Simple pop, but good pop. I hope I'll get a chance to buy it from somewhere. I think it and the other two have been featured on a TV show he's in, but I'm not sure.

Anyhow, I'm not even sure that "Billy" is that good of a song, and if "Pour elle" and "Tant que tu n'es pas là" couldn't take him beyond "that guy that featured on 'Cargo de nuit'" status, I don't see this doing that either, but because I really want to know if this song reminds someone else of something--every time I hear it, it reminds me of something (at least in parts--could be sampling/interpolation...or nothing), but I can't place it--here it is.

Billy--the other new songs on his MySpace may not show much electro influence, but in comparison to his earlier work, I could see how you could apply that description to this song. It's maybe more minimal and poppy than that description makes it sound, though, and it doesn't have the strong bass that I expect most electro to have (come to think of it, there could be a great remix of this song). It's mid-tempo with a sort of loping feel to it. I can see myself listening to it pretty frequently for a couple of days and then moving on (watch me end up loving it). I think I'd just like it to be more hard-hitting or something, and there are some elements I like that could be played up more to create more drama. Still, I change my mind on things all the time.

As far as I know, the single "Billy" is only available for digital purchase, and then only from sites open only to French customers (though I think it's available on the Asian release of his debut album), but you can buy (the French edition of) his self-titled debut album--which doesn't have it--here (physical). "Pour Le Présent" is very good (and better than "Billy" for me; it's got a stronger melody)--I hope it ends up getting released on the soundtrack or on his new album or something.

Next up: maybe back to Norway.

Ma vie, ma lumiere a tout jamais, mon océan, ma mélodie

I was introduced to Julian Cely back in one of the old versions of The Digital Technique, something for which I'm very grateful. Julian is French and I think he first notably entered the music scene with "Cargo de nuit," a cover (/reworking) with Stereo Blackstarr of an '80's song by Axel Bauer. His next single--possibly his most successful, though he's never exactly set the charts alight--though, is the one I'm posting. Actually, it could very well not be his second single; I can't make out much information about him. I think he released an earlier song in Indonesia, and his actual debut album in France may have been preceded by lots of changed decisions and failed attempts to get a single with some traction out there. If anyone knows, please let me know! Tentatively, I'd say he released something outside of France, then, in France, "Lâche-Toi," "Cargo de nuit," the song I'm posting, and then "Tant que tu n'es pas là." Since his album's release, he's done some small bits of acting in a TV series and released some music in association with it, but I'm not really sure what he's doing beyond that. Probably running around fixing cars, from the looks of his promo pictures.

Pour Elle--it'd be easy to write this off as just sort of a clichéd for-the-girls song, and the title alone gives away that it is probably trying to appeal to girls, but it really is a great poppy song. It may be sappy, but, since it's in French, I can't tell, and if it is, at least it's not a sappy ballad--it'd be a sappy mid-tempo song! I really do love it, though; take a sweet melody, throw in some lovely piano, and I'll take it. It may be "just" a cute, feel-good song, but those are an art of their own.

To buy Julian Cely's debut album Julian Cely, go here (physical). I haven't purchased it yet, but it's definitely on my to-get list.

By the way, if you're thinking the above picture seems at odds with the song, that's probably because it's from the promo for the "edgier" "Cargo de nuit" (which I do really like); "Pour Elle" and the accompanying album had photos like this:


Next up: probably that Swedish group.