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Hey everyone! Just to clear up any confusion on where I've been in June, I thought I'd give a little update on (now summer) life in France! The main reasons for my radio silence lately have been my increasingly busy rehearsal schedule for the American theater program I'm in (more on that in a sec) and also taking the real brevet!
So YATS (Young Actors Theater Strasbourg) is an American theater company run by Americans (!) that puts on a show every year. Due to COVID, last year's planned production of Oklahoma! was being constantly pushed back all the way until July. Thankfully, things have been opening up so we have been able to move forward with these show dates in mind however, this means the limited rehearsal time has caused a super packed schedule for me, especially with brevet stress and the end of school and preparing for next year. It was just a lot so I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to update here. Our opening night is next week with shows on the 9th, 10th and 11th of July so if you're able to, I would definitely encourage you to buy tickets and come see us*! We won't disappoint ;).
Second, I did pass my brevet exams! (If you're unclear on what that is exactly, refer to my other posts about the French school system, which I'll link at the end of this article.**) I had a week of intense studying (and plenty of distractions) but ultimately I think I did better than expected and I'm hoping to get my grades for that back soon.
Anyways, back to the post. After living in Europe for almost three years now I would definitely say I've been exposed to a lot of European culture including movies, TV, celebrations, mannerisms, and, of course, music. If you've ever wanted to feel exotic or spice up your playlist a little bit, here are my Top 8 recommendations for more "international" songs!
8. Paradise by Ofenbach
The only reason this song is at #8 is because it is in English, even though the duo are French DJs. I would describe this song as a dance/road trip song (adventure song?). It's definitely got a catchy beat and laid-back lyrics and even though it is in English, there is a faintly European feel to the beat.
7. Lo Vas a Olvidar
I do love this song, however, I categorized it as a #7 because Billie Eilish is in it and she's not really Spanish. The song is good; kind of haunting and eerie and the Spanish is definitely there. You do have to be in a certain mood to listen to it, though. This song also featured in the popular TV show Euphoria (don't ask me about the nails, though.)
6. Formidable
I discovered Belgian artist Stromae about two years ago when I first moved here. I had a friend who was super into him and she introduced me to a few songs of his, which are in French. Formidable has some simple piano in it and that dramatic French flair. There is some "talking singing" that's not quite rap but not quite singing either which isn't my favorite but it's not a bad song overall.
5. Alors on Danse
Definitely my favorite out of the two Stromae songs I listen to. This song has a stronger beat and better rhythm that will make you want to dance (as per the title) and while the "talking singing" thing is still there, it fits better with this song.
4. No Intentes Regresar
I actually discovered this song in California when my mom made me use this website to practice my Spanish. It would use songs and then stop and have you fill in the missing lyric. Anyway I quickly began to love this particular song by Valen Etchegoyen with it's easy pop sounds and quirky beat. The lyrics are actually pretty good too if you know what they mean!
3. Tombé
This song absolutely blew up in France around the time I moved here and for good reason. By now, it is overplayed but it's the first French song that made me question my "I hate everything French" mentality at the time. French artist M. Pokora definitely knows how to stick a song in your head.
2. LA NOCHE DE ANOCHE
Even though this song is by big popstars Rosalía and Bad Bunny, I feel okay putting it this high in the list considering Rosalía is Spanish and Bad Bunny is Puerto Rican. This song has a funky beat that's chill but also upbeat, plus, some light Spanish rap which is always pleasant to listen to.
1.Bad Boy
This song by French singer Marwa Loud also blew up fairly quickly after I moved here and it's been in my playlist for years. It's the only French (sorta) rap that I really like and it has a catchy chorus that isn't too much pop.
So anyway that's kind of my roundup of songs that make me feel international and cool because hey, I live in Europe and listen to music in other languages (insert laughter). Hopefully you guys can enjoy some strange music with me today and maybe learn some French or Spanish!
I can't promise a post next week since I'll be at rehearsals all day, every day until the show next weekend but I will definitely have two others out sometime this month. Enjoy your summer vacations and until the next article!
*For tickets, they can be purchased online here: https://yatstrasbourg.com/tickets/
As always, feel free to send any questions you may have and thank you for supporting my blog!
Loreleixx
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