Last month, the iconic L’Olympia in central Paris buzzed with a sold-out crowd, all there to witness 25-year-old French pop sensation Zaho de Sagazan. Mid-set, she paused to share a profound thought about emotions.
Dressed in black cycling shorts, with her blonde hair playfully tousled, she declared from the stage: ‘I once believed being overly emotional was a flaw. But now, I see it as a superpower – and I urge you to embrace yours too.’
This declaration served as a manifesto for the artist known for her fiercely honest songs about embracing vulnerability. To a roar of approval from the diverse Parisian audience, she dove into the title track from her 2023 album, ‘La Symphonie des Éclairs’ – a captivating mix of classic French chanson and pulsing electronic rhythms, largely penned during her teenage years.
Over the last two years, de Sagazan has skyrocketed to stardom in French pop. She’s ingeniously reinterpreted the timeless chanson genre, once championed by legends like Édith Piaf and Jacques Brel, for a modern, dance-driven generation. This innovative approach has earned her five Victoires – France’s answer to the Grammys – including the prestigious Female Artist of the Year award.
Her success shows no signs of slowing down; after a string of sold-out concerts across Europe, her fan base is set to grow even more this autumn. Last week saw the release of an orchestral version of her album, preceding a major tour that includes grand European venues like Berlin’s Philharmonie and Paris’s Grand Palais.
The album’s expansive orchestral arrangements perfectly complement the raw, heightened emotions woven into her songs. ‘I thrive in the eye of the storm,’ she shared in a backstage interview in Paris, explaining how her music channels the intense feelings that have been a part of her since childhood.
It’s a trait, she believes, she shares with much of her audience. ‘If there’s one thing that brings them together, I think it’s their hypersensitivity.’ Indeed, moments later, she teared up while sharing a personal family anecdote.
Having achieved platinum status in France, ‘La Symphonie des Éclairs’ delves into classic adolescent themes: burgeoning crushes, emotional rollercoasters, and body image struggles, all wrapped in clever lyrics. While rooted in her distinctive gravelly voice and piano, reminiscent of classic chanson, she masterfully integrates techno and New Wave sounds, creating a grand production that perfectly amplifies her lyrical narratives.
Jean-Jacques Toux, a programmer for Les Vieilles Charrues, Brittany’s renowned music festival, recalled his initial impression of de Sagazan’s singing. He was struck by her remarkable ability to convey profound emotions of romance and yearning, even though, as she publicly stated for a long time, she had never actually experienced being in love. (However, by October, this had changed, as she announced she was dating a member of her crew.)
“Many artists create electronic music,” he noted, “but her songwriting possesses a unique precision that truly resonates with listeners.”
French critics have consistently lauded her intelligent songwriting. Le Figaro, a prominent newspaper, highlighted her song ‘Les Dormantes,’ which explores a toxic relationship with ‘grace’ and ‘sensitivity.’ Public broadcaster France Inter has even hailed her as ‘the voice of the new generation.’
With her fresh interpretations of traditional French music, she has become an enchanting cultural ambassador. She performed an Édith Piaf classic at the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony and captivated online audiences with an uninhibited cover of David Bowie’s ‘Modern Love’ at the Cannes Film Festival opening. There, she famously kicked off her shoes, dancing with raw emotion in her socks before a crowd of tuxedo-clad and gown-wearing movie stars.
Growing up in Saint-Nazaire, on France’s western coast, to a literature professor mother and acclaimed artist father, Olivier de Sagazan, she often felt her intense emotions were a family burden. ‘I’d ruin every dinner,’ she recalled, ‘because I’d just start crying.’
Music became her refuge. Teaching herself piano, and drawing inspiration from her mother’s adoration for chanson artists like Barbara and her father’s passion for electronic music, she started composing and sharing snippets on Instagram.
During her business administration degree in Nantes, she met Pierre Cheguillaume, a musician from the band Inüit, who offered to co-produce her album. Cheguillaume explained that they crafted the album by largely weaving together elements from her Instagram content, transforming short reels into full-length songs. ‘La Symphonie des Éclairs,’ the album’s title track, originated from a mere 30-second clip, evolving into a seamless creative process.
Eventually, she transitioned from her role as an elder-care assistant to performing her new music at festivals. This former job, she reflected, grounded her perspective on fame. ‘It was similar to being an artist – your job was to bring smiles to people’s faces,’ she noted, ‘but with far less recognition. You’re washing their poop and their pee.’
This experience, she shared, served as a potent reminder that ‘being a famous artist is, in essence, absurd. Without a connection to real life, you can quickly become quite foolish.’
Having performed approximately 500 live shows in recent years, she firmly believes, ‘The only path to excellence on stage is through relentless practice.’
Her goal onstage, she explained, is to create a fusion of intimate artistry and a club-like catharsis. At L’Olympia, the grand finale of her show saw de Sagazan instructing her band to unleash an extended techno set, prompting her to dive into the audience, dancing freely among her fans.
The evolution of her performances, from chanson-rooted beginnings to electronic climaxes, beautifully mirrors her personal journey from an anxious teenager to a self-assured adult and captivating artist.
‘It’s as if we’ve processed enough emotions, shed enough tears,’ she concluded. ‘Now it’s time to release, to let our bodies speak – and to simply dance.’