French Charts Update

Another country where Gaga finds herself looking up from the no.2 position....but it's a very unusual no.1. "Over The Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole seems to be having a resurgence in some of the European charts at the moment. I'm not sure why it's no.1 in France as I've been out of the loop with the French music/TV scene for a while, but it's still a very sweet and touching version of the song, which IMHO is preferable to the Eva Cassidy version which dominated every TV talent show audition back in the day. But I digress.

Inevitably it's the same old story, international r'n'b conveyor belt hits all the way. Nice to see Shakira's "Loca" doing so well over in France. I can't understand why it flopped over here, particularly with Dizzee Rascal on guest rapping duties.

"Celui" by Colonel Reyel brings a welcome little reggaeton/zouk feel to its otherwise predictable and well-worn autotuned r'n'b style. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyXW64L-XZA&playnext=1&list=PLAA7FC48EE21CD35C

"Toi et Moi" by Guillaume Grand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLNr3_YNeJc is an easy going acoustic number which takes a little bit of Gerald de Palmas, a little bit of Paolo Nutini and (worryingly) a little bit of James Blunt and mixes them up into something quite nice. The video is typically French :))

Could the next big musical trend be the Romanian dance-pop explosion? Inna took over the European charts last year with hits like "Hot" and "Amazing" which soundtracked many a 2010 summer holiday. She's back in the French charts with "Sun is Up" - but her fellow countrywoman Alexandra Stan has joined her in the top 10 with "Mr Saxobeat", which, if you can imagine, is like a cross between Inna and "We No Speak Americano". In other words: pan-European hit alert! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAhHNCfA7NI