Franglish - Monsieur

Franglish, upon releasing his first studio album in 2019, opts for a lyrical discourse that is rich and varied, supported by collaborations that reveal as many facets of the artist himself. The album is certified platinum, a sign of tangible success but also of a willingness to inscribe itself within a musical landscape in flux.

Featurings as Mirrors of Franglish's Lyrical Influences

Collaborations on Monsieur are not merely embellishment. They reveal a desire for dialogue, exchange, and even stylistic confrontation. Keblack appears on "Plus Rien," bringing a precise and rhythmic flow that fits within the register of Franglish without diverting its narrative force. His intervention is less a complement than an echo to the humor and lucidity of the text, strengthening the message without imposing his own voice. Soolking, meanwhile, contributes to "Déçu," a song where melodies take precedence over rhymes. His presence adds a subtle emotional dimension, as if music becomes a means of expressing what words sometimes fail to say. This is one of the album's major strengths: the ability to let the music speak for part of it, without making it a dominant element.

From Disappointment to Acceptance: The Emotional Journey in Déçu and Oui Ça Va

If "Déçu" explores the nuances of failure and regret, "Oui Ça Va", on which Vitaa adds a melodic and harmonic touch, offers a stark contrast. The track is less developed in its lyrics but gains strength thanks to Vitaa's voice, which seems to bring a sense of soothing or tacit agreement with the narrative. These two tracks mark a clear transition: from questioning to relief, from doubt to acceptance. This evolution is also palpable in other songs on Monsieur. One can feel Franglish finding his balance between several registers — introspective lyricism and pop singing, punchy flow and soft melody. It's not an album without flaws, but the evolution often expresses itself in the silences between words, in structural choices, rather than in a quest for absolute originality.

The dialogue between styles and narratives in key collaborations

Features aren't just add-ons; they're a lever to explore universes that don't necessarily belong to Franglish. On "Comme Ça," Dadju brings an urban, almost provocative dimension that fits well with the song's tone as well as the desire to stand out. Even though the collaboration is short, it adds a touch of tension and energy, like a necessary contrast in an album seeking to vary its textures. Baby Glish, on "Petit Diamant," brings instead a lighter flow, almost laid-back. His intervention doesn't dominate the track, but integrates naturally into its structure, as if both artists shared the same vision of music—simple, direct, and unpretentious.

My Salsa: A stylistic break that redefines the album

The single "My Salsa," featuring Tory Lanez, is the balancing point of Monsieur. It isn't the deepest track lyrically, but it is without contest the most striking song. The fusion between Franglish's flow and Tory Lanez's pop element creates a sharp break from the rest of the album. This is where the record reveals itself as an ambivalent project: rooted in traditional rap yet open to foreign influences. This willingness to experiment isn't without risk, but it is also what gives Monsieur a certain modernity. There is nothing revolutionary here, just a conscious choice to expose oneself to multiple styles at once—a gamble the record attempts to pull off, with varying degrees of success depending on the track.

Monsieur is an album that marks a clear step in Franglish's career. It isn't without flaws: some collaborations seem misplaced, while others are too short to have lasting impact. But it also shows that the artist has the breath necessary to attempt experiments, even if they don't always succeed. The record fits into a period of transition for French rap, where foreign influences are becoming increasingly present. Monsieur isn't a revolutionary album, but it embodies well the spirit of the moment—the time when local roots and international curiosity intertwine, sometimes in an unfinished way, but always with purpose.