‘5 Dollars’: The Christine and the Queens song inspired by Bruce Springsteen
Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier, better known as Christine and the Queens, began playing the piano when he was just four years old. This set Letissier up for a career in music, which has proved incredibly fruitful. Taking inspiration from a wide variety of musicians, from Björk and Kate Bush to Michael Jackson and Serge Gainsbourg, the musician has crafted a unique style of art pop, defined by ambiguity and constant experimentation.
Born in France, Letissier found a significant source of inspiration for Christine and the Queens while visiting London. A trip to Madame Jojo’s drag club proved instrumental in forming the musician’s creative persona. He told Elle: “These drag artists have become my friends, they’ve inspired my creativity. They gave me the idea of creating a character, inventing another silhouette, another way of being in this world. Before it was a musical project, Christine was for me the answer to how to live properly. The Queens in Christine and the Queens is my tribute to them. Without the queens, I wouldn’t be here.”
After releasing his EP Miséricorde in 2011, Christine and the Queens’ first album, Chaleur humaine, arrived in 2014, hitting number six on the French album charts before peaking at number two the following year. The record took a while longer to find success in the UK, with an English-language version eventually hitting number two in 2016. Still, Christine and the Queens has proven successful in various countries, with Letissier’s lyricism and innovative production approach marking his music as vital pop listening.
In 2018, Chris was released, which was similarly lauded. Lettissier’s sophomore album was more ambitious and lyrically daring, with the musician telling Zane Lowe, “It had to be Chris at some point because I was bolder and stronger and had more muscle […] it was natural for me to shed the rest of the stage name and to cut my hair.”
On ‘Chris’, the musician took inspiration from artists such as Janet and Michael Jackson, reflected in the effortlessly catchy pop soundscape. Yet, Lettisier also cited a less obvious inspiration for the song ‘5 Dollars’ – Bruce Springsteen. The all-American legend has been a consistent source of inspiration for many musicians since he rose to prominence in the 1970s. However, you would perhaps not connect Christine and the Queen’s alt-pop leanings with Springsteen’s heartland rock.
Yet, for ‘5 Dollars’, a sexually-charged track with an accompanying S&M-inspired video, Lettisier was inspired by Springsteen’s “tender, catchy melodies”, he told BBC, explaining that he wanted to capture a sound that was simultaneously “uplifting and sad”.
Elucidating on the song’s meaning, he explained in a press release, “The song is so tender, so dishevelled. It’s dealing with some kind of love – the kind you can buy. It’s a literal interpretation. A note for a shag – how surprisingly soothing this can be! The power ratio runs clear, like water in your hands; it becomes a pure gesture of love, of ultimate consent.”
Check out the Springsteen-inspired cut below.
