Christine and the Queens
Christine and the Queens (born June 1, 1988) is a French musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and performer whose work merges pop, dance, gender fluidity, and theatricality. Explore their biography, creative philosophy, discography, and evolving identity.
Introduction
Christine and the Queens is the stage name (and persona) of French artist Héloïse Adelaïde Letissier (now also known as Rahim Redcar) born June 1, 1988.
Their music blends electronic pop, art pop, dance, and theatrical performance, often playing with gender, identity, and emotional vulnerability.
Early Life & Formation
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Letissier was born in Nantes, France in 1988.
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From a young age, they studied piano (starting around age four), classical dance, and modern jazz.
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Their parents were educators: Georges Letissier taught English literature at the University of Nantes, and Martine Letissier taught French and Latin.
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Letissier initially studied drama in Lyon, but eventually left to focus on music and artistic expression.
Letissier has credited exposure to London drag performers and queer club culture (e.g. in Soho) as a formative influence on their aesthetic, performance, and identity.
Musical Career & Major Albums
Early Works and Breakout
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From 2011 to 2013, Letissier released EPs like Miséricorde and Mac Abbey, which allowed experimentation and early exposure.
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The breakout moment came with their debut studio album Chaleur humaine (released June 2, 2014).
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Songs like “Christine”, “Saint-Claude”, and the English version “Tilted” became signature tracks.
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The album was certified diamond in France and reached high chart positions both in France and in the UK.
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Subsequent Evolutions
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In 2018, Letissier adopted the persona Chris, with a more androgyne presentation, and released the album Chris.
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Later, as part of their ongoing evolution, they introduced the persona or project Redcar. The album Redcar les adorables étoiles (prologue) came out in 2022 under Christine and the Queens presents Redcar.
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In 2023, they released Paranoïa, Angels, True Love, which includes collaborations (e.g. with Madonna) and continues exploration of identity, autonomy, and emotional landscapes.
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In 2024, they released Hopecore, a project titled and released somewhat provocatively via leaking a WeTransfer link, reflecting tensions with labels and in creative ownership.
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In 2025, a collaborative EP Catching Feelings with producer Cerrone was released under both Christine and the Queens and Rahim C Redcar.
Christine and the Queens’ sound and performance often integrate choreography, theatrical staging, visual art, and dance, blurring lines between concert and performance art.
Artistry, Themes & Identity
Gender, Identity & Pronouns
Letissier’s work has long challenged binary gender norms. Over time:
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In 2018, they began emphasizing masculine presentation and adopted Chris as a performance name.
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In 2021, they stated pronouns he/him publicly, and gradually shared that they had been exploring more masculine identity.
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Their evolving identity (Christine ⇄ Chris ⇄ Redcar) is part of their art: an ongoing experiment rather than a fixed label.
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Letissier identifies as pansexual and nonbinary or genderfluid.
Their lyrical and visual work often explores alienation, desire, identity, transformation, loss, and self-creation.
They draw influences from David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, Michael Jackson, and various queer, performance, and pop traditions.
Musical Style
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Their music is often categorized as synth-pop, electropop, art pop, with elements of indie pop and alternative R&B.
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Vocals are delivered with emotional nuance—swimming between English and French, directness and abstraction.
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Rhythms, textures, and arrangements often blend minimal electronic beats, layered harmony, and restrained to dramatic dynamics.
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Performance is integral: dance, gesture, staging help embody the themes of identity and transformation.
Legacy & Influence
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Christine and the Queens is regarded as a leading voice in combining pop music with queer, theatrical, and identity discourse in contemporary France and beyond.
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Their debut Chaleur humaine was seminal in bringing French alternative pop to anglophone audiences.
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They have been recognized by major media: Vanity Fair named them among the most influential French figures in 2016, Forbes included them in its list of creative under 30.
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Their exploration of identity, especially pronoun shifts and personas, has contributed to wider cultural conversations about gender, non-binary identities, and performance in music.
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Their recent activism around creative autonomy (e.g. leaking their own album Hopecore in protest of label constraints) speaks to the tension between art, commerce, and self-determination.
Notable Quotes
Here are a few reflective or memorable comments by Christine / Letissier / Redcar:
“I kind of want to tear down that system that made us label genders in such a strict way.” “My journey with gender has always been tumultuous. It’s raging right now, as I’m just exploring what is beyond this.” (From iT in Chaleur humaine) — “I’m a man now. And there’s nothing you can do to make me change my mind.”
These reflect how their art and life are deeply intertwined in negotiating identity, transformation, and resistance.