In an Olympics closing ceremony that saw Tom Cruise jumping off the Stade de France roof, H.E.R. rocking out to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Phoenix, Air, and Ezra Koenig bringing back 2000s indie, one performer stunned audiences above all others.
The lady dressed in head-to-toe Haute Couture Dior delivering a showstopping rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” (originally a French song by Claude François titled “Comme d’habitude”) was Yseult, a 29-year-old singer-songwriter and model who has become one of the leading voices in French music despite mostly releasing music independently.
On Sunday, she climbed atop the closing ceremony stage to wrap up the 2024 Paris Olympics, with soaring vocals matching the equally explosive fireworks as “My Way” came to a head. Despite lip-syncing debates, Yseult’s unique timbre and impressive range were still undeniably memorable, making her name the talk of the town.
An introduction to Yseult’s career and music
Yseult got her start in 2013 on the French version of American Idol called Nouvelle Star where she came in second. She reportedly sneaked out of classes to audition for the show, going against her father’s wishes.
Fresh off the show’s success, Yseult signed with Polydor France, but following a lackluster debut album performance with 2015’s Yseult, the two parted ways and the musician went on to create her own independent label. Along with her budding music career, the Tergnier native also successfully ventured into modeling (becoming a fashion icon diva in the process) and even served as a fan-favorite judge on Drag Race France.
Yseult’s biggest hits to date have been the 2019 self-love anthem “Corps” and the 2024 global four-language collaboration with Dutch-Iranian artist Sevdaliza and Brazilian drag queen Pabllo Vittar titled “Alibi,” which became a major summer hit in Europe, amassing nearly 65 million views on YouTube and 152 million plays on Spotify.
It really is the summer of Yseult.