advertisement
FYI

Jill Barber: Summer Nights in Montréal feat. Yann Perreau

A love letter to Montreal as sweet and light as a July gelato.

Jill Barber: Summer Nights in Montréal feat. Yann Perreau

By Kerry Doole

Jill Barber: Summer Nights in Montréal feat. Yann Perreau (Outside Music). BC-based pop-jazz chanteuse Jill Barber released a new French album, Entre nous, last Friday, preceded by this single, available in both English and French versions.


In a label press release, Barber explains that "on Summer Nights in Montréal, I savour the memory of a past encounter: a sweet recollection of a steamy evening in Montréal. But more than that, it is a love letter to Montréal, to the intoxicating effect it has on me, and the “joie de vivre” that I feel each time I’m there. I loved the idea of this song being a duet, a back and forth “dance” between a woman and a man, so I approached Yann Perreau about singing it with me. He is a coup-de-coeur of mine and I am thrilled to have him as my duet partner on this song.“

advertisement

The song begins with the pair trading lines, then joining together on sweet harmonies. The result is a frothy and light confection, as refreshing as gelato in July. 

Barber's love affair with Montreal is mutual, as she is one of the few Anglo-Canadian artists to cross over successfully in la belle province. Over a decade ago, at a sold-out show at the Montreal Jazz Festival, she surprised her audience with a French translation performance of one of her songs that earned a standing ovation. That reaction prompted a debut French album, Chansons (2011), which became a hit in Quebec and fared well internationally.

Entre nous is her first collection of original French songs, written with Francophone collaborator Maia Davies and produced by Montreal born- NYC based Gus Van Go. Barber's success in the francophone world is no great surprise, for the sweet purity of her voice evokes classic French chanson pop. That style is cited as an inspiration for the new album, one we expect to do well for her.

advertisement

Links

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

PR: Beth Cavanagh, What's the Story?

advertisement
Aya Nakamura
Marion Gomez/Billboard France

Aya Nakamura

Pop

Aya Nakamura: Inside the Worldwide Rise of France's #1 Popstar

Nearly a year after her record-breaking performance at the Paris Olympics, France's most-streamed pop star — now fully independent — continues to challenge conventions and captivate audiences around the globe.

How does one reinvent themselves after becoming, in under a decade, a cornerstone of the French music scene, with over six billion streams and 24 diamond certifications (16 in France and 8 internationally, according to the National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing)?

“I’ve asked myself that question,” Aya Nakamura admits.

keep readingShow less
advertisement