Les Cowboys Fringants' JF Pauzé Debuts In the Top 10 of the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart with First Solo Project

A key member of Les Cowboys Fringants is breaking out on his own.

JF Pauzé — also known as Jean-François Pauzé, guitarist and lyricist for beloved Québec folk-rock band Les Cowboys Fringants — has a new solo album, and it's a hit on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart.

Les Amours De Seconde Main arrives at No. 10 on this week's chart, dated October 18.

His first album as a solo performer, Pauzé’s 11-track project follows the 2023 death of Les Cowboys Fringants frontman and fellow co-founder Karl Tremblay.

While Pauzé says he initially struggled to move forward, he remembered that one of his strongest attributes was writing songs — a skill he previously exercised on the regular, writing some of the band’s biggest tracks.

“It wasn't part of my life plan to become a solo artist, but hey, you emerge at any age. I'm an emerging singer at 50,” he tells Radio-Canada.

But he hasn’t forgotten Tremblay. The album’s lead single, “Ballon-Sonde,” is a folk-rock track written in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s re-election and the uncertainty that followed. It reminded Pauzé of previous conversations with his former bandmate. It debuts on this week’s Billboard Canadian Hot 100 at No. 94.

“We would have heated discussions in the tour van or on the porch at Karl's house over a beer, watching everything that was going on in the world,” he shared with the publication. “It's a nostalgic nod to my oldest friend, with whom I could discuss these things.”

"Ballon-Sonde” has also been a Canadian airplay chart hit, spending 13 weeks on the roster, now sitting at No. 20 on the Canada AC airplay chart.

Les Cowboys Fringants also continue to be a force on the Canadian Albums chart, with Pub Royal, their first album since Tremblay's death, debuting at No. 3 last year.

It's a full Taylor Swift takeover at the top of the Canadian charts.

The star pop singer’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, debuts at No. 1 on Canadian Albums and the U.S. Billboard 200. In her home country, she made history, selling four million copies in the album’s first week. In North America, the album knocks the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack to No. 2 and is Swift's 15th No. 1, following 2024’s The Tortured Poets Department. Time will tell if Showgirl beats the former’s 12-week reign in Canada.

The top 12 entries on the Canadian Hot 100 are all of the 12 tracks on the album, with “The Fate of Ophelia,” at No. 1. That song knocks out HUNTR/X's “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, which spent five consecutive weeks at the top after dethroning Alex Warren's record-setting "Ordinary."

Swift's other entries are: “Opalite” (No. 2), “Elizabeth Taylor” (No. 3), “Father Figure” (No. 4), “Wood” (No. 5), “The Life of a Showgirl,” featuring Sabrina Carpenter (No. 6), “Cancelled!” (No. 7), “Actually Romantic” (No. 8), “Eldest Daughter” (No. 9), “Wi$h Li$t” (No. 10) and “Ruin the Friendship” (No. 11) and “Honey” (No. 12).

A decent amount of Swift’s back catalogue is featured on this week’s Canadian Albums chart too, including The Tortured Poets Department (No. 14), Folklore (No. 22), Midnights (No. 35), Lover (No. 42), Reputation (No. 45) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which rises from No. 89 to No. 74.

It's a big week for Canadian artists on the chart.

The Weeknd has three albums on the Canadian Albums chart. The compilation The Highlights rises 21-5, while Hurry Up Tomorrow climbs 34-30 and After Hours rises 73-63. Justin Bieber’s Swag drops 6-9, and Tate McRae’s So Close to What moves down two spots to No. 12, while her sophomore album, Think Later, sits at No. 41. Karan Aujla’s P-Pop Culture drops 23-24 following its historic run last month. Plus, Nickelback’s The Best Of Nickelback: Volume 1 re-enters at No. 64.

Drake is seeing the love, as his collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, climbs 22-21, while Take Care moves up to No. 33, alongside Views and For All The Dogs at No. 48 and No. 49, respectively. Certified Lover Boy rises 64-62, while Scorpion drops 87-89.

After hitting last week’s charts at No. 24, Cameron Whitcomb’s The Hard Way drops to No. 71, alongside fellow country star Josh Ross, who descends to No. 96 with Later Tonight. Following Daniel Ceasar’s string of pop-up shows, two albums re-entered the charts — Freudian and Never Enough. The latter has maintained a spot on this week’s charts, dropping 80-92.

Check out the full Canadian Billboard Hot 100 here and find all of Billboard Canada's charts here.