Montreal-based singer and songwriter Charlotte Cardin has been working wonders on her minimal pop journey, finding her direction with her original and confident vocals since 2016.
Cardin, who effortlessly navigates from trip hop to jazz, electro to hip hop in her soul-soothing songs, released her first album Phoenix in early 2021.
* Charlotte Cardin, who started her career as a model at the age of 15, realized that she did not want to continue her career in the fashion world and started her musical adventure in 2013. Being one of the finalists of the singing competition called La Voix, which was broadcast on television in her hometown, Canada, made her realize that her true passion was music.
* Growing up in a family surrounded by music also had an impact on this passion. Charlotte, the child of a piano-playing mother and a rock'n'roll-loving father, met her first microphone at the age of 7, at a school concert, performing covers of Led Zeppelin and The White Stripes. When talking about the music that changed her life, she also says that Radiohead's song "No Surprises" has a special place in her heart. She heard this song for the first time in her best friend's car when she was 13 years old. Charlotte, whose relationship with Radiohead had not gone much beyond “Karma Police” until that day, was very impressed by the “simple but powerful” feeling of “No Surprises” and added it to her list of lifelong inspirations.
* She released her first solo EP, Big Boy, in 2016. The EP, which included songs with lyrics in both French and English, had a great impact in Canada and went global with its second EP, Main Girl, released the following year. Cardin, who introduced her impressive voice to many new ears with her interpretation of the Chris Isaak classic "Wicked Game" at her piano, also became a big hit with the song "Dirty Dirty" from Main Girl. She embarked on a very successful two-year tour, performing at sold-out concerts and occupying major festival stages around the world. She was on stage as the special guest of Sting and Peter Gabriel at the Festival d'Été de Québec.
* At the 2018 Juno Awards, she has nominated for Best New Artist as well as Best Songwriter (“Main Girl”, “Paradise Motion”, “The Kids”) category.
* The story of her addictive hit "Dirty Dirty" is based on her reminiscing about the feeling of jealousy she felt at the age of 15. In the video for the song, which is about “jealousy, lust, and desire,” we see Charlotte with her real-life friends in Montreal, in the neighborhood where they actually hang out.
* It is noteworthy that Charlotte Cardin delicately touches upon life and the emotions around which life is based in her songwriting. She says that she follows her emotions a lot when writing songs and is most inspired by the people around her. But it is not possible to assume that the autobiographical approach in “Dirty Dirty” is valid for all her songs. She explains that in her songs, she often creates and talks to unreal people based on her real experiences.
* Charlotte Cardin describes her debut album Phoenix as evidence of her learning to trust her instincts. Shaped around the theme of "giving second chances", the album draws strength from working on oneself and making peace with oneself; It also symbolizes Charlotte Cardin's personal journey in this process.
* We learn that she co-wrote Phoenix with producer Jason Brando and that the co-writing process was a very refreshing experience for him. It is truly impressive that most of the songs on the album were recorded all at once during the production phase.
Second album
99 Nights does not continue where Phoenix left off. On the contrary, the two albums are different from each other, a harsh transition, a lot of happiness. Phoenix's passionate side, full of sex and love, does not bleed into 99 Nights.
Charlotte Cardin (born November 9, 1994) is a Canadian pop, electro and jazz singer and songwriter from Montreal, Quebec. She has been nominated for 14 Juno Awards. In 2022, she received four awards for Artist of the Year, Single of the Year for her song "Meaningless", Pop Album of the Year and Album of the Year for her 2021 debut album "Phoenix". Her second album 99 Nights was released in 2023.
There is a calm, lively Charlotte Cardin who keeps her ego in closed drawers. Phoenix had a courage that in many ways resembled Lana Del Rey's early years. Maybe this was necessary. She is free and knows what she wants to say, not the market; The number of artists who do things as they please is few. Charlotte Cardin created a magnificent album in which she put her passionate love life into songs. However, we cannot see the same fire in 99 Nights.
Charlotte Cardin dedicates the song "Jim Carrey" (shout out to Ricky Gervais), which she released before the album's release date, to one of the best talents in history. The playful vibe of the song makes it impossible not to dance. Saying goodbye to her ego in this song, Charlotte Cardin does not hesitate to tell us that she feels freer.
This album is never, ever sad. There is no painful, heartbreaking rhythm. It doesn't drag you into trouble. She has a light demeanor, coquetry, and, of course, coyness. I think Charlotte Cardin is like this too.