France's Christine and the Queens is the electronic pop solo project of singer, songwriter, and dancer Héloïse Létissier. Born in Nantes, France in 1988, Létissier studied theater at École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (ENS Lyon) before embarking on a music career. Inspired by the drag queens who danced with her while she performed, Héloïse eventually adopted the Christine and the Queens moniker.
Influenced by the theatrical pop of David Bowie and Laurie Anderson, as well as the dance choreography of Michael Jackson, Létissier often combines her poignant, atmospheric music with computer-based multimedia presentations that blur the lines between theater, singing, and dance. She released her debut independent EP, Miséricorde, in 2011, followed by Mac Abbey and Nuit 17 à 52 in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
In 2014, Létissier delivered Christine and the Queens' debut full-length album, Chaleur Humaine, featuring the single "Saint Claude." Early in 2015, Létissier won the Victoires de la Musique for 2014's Best Female Artist; later that year, Chaleur Humaine was reissued on Atlantic in the United States as Christine and the Queens, featuring the English-language single "Tilted." The album was also reissued as a deluxe edition in the U.K. in 2016, a year that also saw Christine and the Queens cover Beyoncé's "Sorry" and the BBC choose Létissier as one of its 100 Women of the Year.
