Chloé French is creating her own world. Now at 24 years old, the Geneva-born, New York-based artist is back with her second release, “Messy,” a glossy, glamorous re-imagining of Lola Young’s original. Where the London artists take foregrounded raw soul, Chloé French flips the script, reinjecting the song with sparkling sophistication, calling across both 1960s French disco and chanson.
From the very first note, “Messy ” in French is an exercise in alternating modern edge, evoking all the smoky Parisian cabaret in the world. In contrast with the song’s subject matter, at least a small dose of deep, underlying sadness is present. Sung in French from beginning to end, the song’s genderless, over-the-top drama and title lend to both the raw sensuality of chanson and its more happily ambiguous approach to identity. At the same time, there’s certainly just a hint of disco beat to the tune and vocal delivery that floats on top. It’s at once retro and refreshingly new, a bridge between eras that explains why cultural revival can feel so timeless.
Chloé French’s artistry lies not just in her voice, but in her evocation of atmosphere. Each word oozes with attitude and intention, a challenge to the listener to see the song through her eyes. In choosing to rework “Messy” in French, she makes its emotional weight her own, romantic, larger than life, cinematic. This is not a cover that mimics; this is a cover that reinvents.
With just two songs released, Chloé French is already claiming her own lane, one of glamour, edge, and an exciting new take on timeless French artistry. Chloé French is making it known by creating her own world. The Geneva-born, New York-based artist is only 24, and she’s back with her second release, “Messy (but French),” a bold and glamorous take on Lola Young’s song of the same name. Chloé French flips the script of the London artist’s version, injecting the song with the twinkling elegance of 1960s French disco and chanson.
“Messy (but French)” is like sinking into a smoky Parisian cabaret club immediately. Sung entirely in French, the track doesn’t just invoke the unapologetic drama and magnetic sensuality of chanson so much as layer it with disco-flecked rhythm and sultry delivery. It’s somehow both vintage and fresh, a bridge between epochs that shows us why a cultural revival can resonate so timelessly.
‘Messy (but French)' establishes her as an artist determined to carve out her own sound, one that honors her roots without surrendering her global perspective. With just two tracks to her name, Chloé French is already creating a lane of her own, one founded on glamour, edge, and a modern interpretation of classic French artistry. “Messy (but French)” is a manifesto of style, identity, and vision.
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