Christine and the Queens: ‘The violence of the patriarchy is everywhere’

French popstar Christine and the Queens is known for being a little Avant-garde and in his latest album the musician talks about angels, samples a seventeenth-century composer and collaborates with Madonna.
He talked to our culture correspondent Minnie Stephenson earlier this week about gender, his music and curating this year's Meltdown festival at the Southbank Centre.
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[@aldoingermany]

What an absolutely lovely, eloquent, intelligent and reflective artist. I have been a fan of Christine And The Queens since day 1 - now I understand why!💕

[@staceywashington3580]

I was thinking the exact same thing. ❤

[@spinglasshydra]

Chris is a complete revolutionary for a perfect time - One huge swirl of confidence, joy, and freedom; The line between male and female isn't simply "blurred", there's only a sense of oneness; A passions flame that has many voices within one body. A Poet ― The Philosopher ― And a Theologist ..... !!!!

[@pattip1413]

Yes!!

[@rhiannonh5202]

This is one of the best interviews of any artist I have ever seen. Thoughtful questions and responses.

[@neilkristopher4798]

Funny, articulate, intelligent and downright talented. Her performance at Glastonbury 2023 was mind blowing!

[@0bserver44]

Chris uses he/him pronouns now. I know it's a bit confusing with the music still being produced under Christine and the Queens. But I completely agree with you 🙂 that glasto footage is one of the greatest performances I've ever witnessed.

[@TERRYTODD-ig6ob]

Thankyou Amazon Prime, for the commercial...I went straight to Google, and found Chris! I am A SUPER FAN!

[@daniellankford7125]

Meeeee toooo!!! 😅😅. I hate that I've been without Chris for soo long 😩😩

[@nance73]

Same !❤

[@MostlyLoveOfMusic]

music heals

[@MoniquePolden]

Such a beautiful person with the most wise/deep energy. Would give anything to spend a day walking around Paris talking about life with them.

[@jakecreighton9039]

I’m a man and I enjoy her androgynous style, wtf is this patriarchy Christine is talking about? I get the impression it’s a perceived struggle that open and honest dialogue with men, instead of misinterpreting micro-aggressions, would dispel.

[@JonathanVanEtten-ot3pg]

every day should be a celebration of love.

[@clarabow11]

Such enlightenment, intelligence, so inspirational. An utterly refreshing person. Talent in abundance, i am in awe of this angel, what magnificence embodied in pure form, respect!!! ❤

[@YoSmoked]

To the person reading this: Even though I don’t know you, I wish you the best of what life has to offer ❤

[@liammurphy2725]

If you're human then you know a part of me. It might be the part that hopes, or the part that wakes screaming in the small hours. Thank you though, person unknown to me. Words, not grunts, take us forward.

[@nannyofmany8315]

To both the above wordsmiths. Lovely. You describe how humanity should be. Instinctive bonding among strangers. What a marvellous conception it could be if everyone could feel that warmth! Thank you both @ ItsCrazy and Liam Murphy 🤗🤗

[@spiegelscherbenwald2580]

Dito.❤️

[@alexd1121]

What a brilliant and authentic artist. She’s an alien in the pop landscape. She’s much more a Laurie Anderson than a Madonna for sure and maybe that’s why Madonna worked with her. I wonder if she does drugs or if she’s really like that.

[@mindbodysaul4382]

So well described 😊 🙌 And many people today sadly won't know who Laurie Anderson is!

[@alexd1121]

@@mindbodysaul4382 hopefully those who search can find beyond the mainstream pop creative realm.

[@bollywoodoverhollywood8139]

She identifies as “he” now. ❤️

[@alexd1121]

@@bollywoodoverhollywood8139 I just can’t help seeing her as a girl but of course you’re 100% right 🙏🏻

[@thfc1984]

@@bollywoodoverhollywood8139you can’t identify as a man or a woman. You were either born male or female. It’s not a choice.

[@GData37]

I absolutely adore the music and am so excited to finally see Christine and the Queens live in September, but I really love the interviews with him. His attitude, shared thoughts, choice of words... He's just always so smart, funny and charming. Lovely!

[@heleneferron5533]

contre le patriarcat, alors pourquoi vouloir devenir un homme ?!?

[@amandabrandt3471]

yesss the colour yellow and poetry!!

[@Jenny19Marie]

I love Chris. His existence and honest expression give me hope in this mean world 🙏🏻❤

[@mrbirdie3003]

He?

[@westboundbadger]

@@mrbirdie3003 Yes.

[@excakehauler1381]

You are being fooled by Satan, he deceiveth the whole world

[@debroeglenn4924]

Yeah no, she’s still a woman. You can’t just choose what you want to be laugh😂

[@ColetteNicoll]

​@@debroeglenn4924who made you God?

[@WindowsOnWindows]

I love Christine. Such an interesting person...

[@richyorosun9187]

wow! Great interview and what an important witty voice in a very restrictive world

[@choc_chip]

I feel like he would perform Shakespeare very well, whether a male or female character...

[@ronniepye]

I saw his performance at Glastonbury which blew my mind. Absolutely incredible. I am a new fan! 🙏❤

[@benvanzant9695]

Her

[@dianelong8892]

I feel the same ! He is a real creative artist ! Mesmerising show !

[@L_Martin]

@@benvanzant9695 It will never stop being horrifically depressing that talented mesmerising charismatic women don't want to be associated with womanhood anymore because apparently women can't be those things, so they identify into being..."he/him". Don't other women find this depressing? It's like nowadays every time I discover some awesome women who is incredibly talented and invariably gender non conforming, they're identifying as...a man. It really saddens me so deeply. It's like they're saying "Well, I can't be these things and ALSO be a woman. These are things only men can be." Of course they would never phrase it that way, but that's exactly what "Gender identity" seems to boil down to. "My personality doesn't match my female body". Ughhh I dread what young lesbians are internalising from this kind of message. And in the same video where she's going on about "the patriarchy" - how dare you even speak about that when YOU'RE TURNING YOUR BACK ON US. You're hopping the fence because it was too hard being non conforming. You're basically spitting on girls and women by denying you're one of us "Oh, there's no way my personality can be part of what YOU are." I feel like I'm in the sunken place from the movie 'Get Out'. Good luck finding an awesome GNC (gender non conforming) woman to look up to nowadays, they're all becoming men. What a sick joke.

[@KM-bu7rg]

@@L_Martin I hear you, absolutely. I feel the same. I will always love the music of Christine and the Queens and appreciate the artistry and poetry but I can no longer feel any artist worthy of adoration in the way I might once have done. I don't feel that impacts my enjoyment of their output but I'm done with sanctifying any artist as some kind of mirror of myself. Maybe part of it is just my own ageing and not feeling the need to idolise anyone.

[@L_Martin]

​@@KM-bu7rg I know what you mean, but for me I still desperately want women to idolise because I know how important it is to women and girls, because we're pummelled by society if we don't conform, if we're not pretty and don't have "female-typical" (stereotypical) interests or ways of expressing ourselves. The message Christine and so many other butch or GNC women are now putting out is: "Hey, it was really brutal growing up not being a girly-girl soft fem female, and society WILL punish you for it, so I just decided to give up and give into society's limiting prescription of what a woman/girl is allowed to be. If my personality doesn't conform to regressive stereotypes of woman, I'll just become a man and I won't have to deal with society punishing me." I struggled so hard growing up to compile a list of amazing female authors / poets / artists / musicians / scientists, I made a special effort to seek them out so I could show myself "Being a girl/woman does not mean you have to be appeasing to men and care about make up and clothes and looking after kids and housework" -- I put together a collection of awesome women. Virginia Wolf, Sylvia Plath, George Eliot, Marie Curie, to name a few, and now I think "These women were not typical women of their time or of modern times even, so you can GUARANTEE that if they were around today, they'd all be identifying as men!" It's just...utterly demoralising. What, so women and girls can't be anything cool? If we stray outside of Barbie and the Kardasians, and use our brains in any way or do something amazing - oop! Must mean we're really men! You know, men, the only ones capable of being cool or intelligent or creative. It's such a betrayal. It's just...I can't even articulate how depressing I find this whole gender movement. "The Bullies Won" would be a better name for it. "Society Wore Me Down And I'm A Man Now". It's peak cowardice, and most perversely of all, it is dressed up as "progressive" and left wing and somehow pro-women. Old fashioned chauvinists were at least up-front about what they thought a woman's "place" was. I'll take that over this fake progressivism that hates GNC women and "fixes" us defective women by cheering us on into become men, all while pretending to love us. It's so insidious and disgusting. The amount of young women / girls who honestly truly think this is a civil rights movement... /rant over

[@RavenIconFireStar]

Chris is a beautiful person on so many levels ❤

[@mariahillier3822]

A ray of sunshine in a dark world love you ❤😇

[@aviationsongs]

Love this interview. The album is amazing!

[@nance73]

Well said Chris ! ❤

[@user-ks8xz8lg7v]

the album is the best beirk ive heard in years... simply genius

[@trinket678d]

This talented individual is so real and down to earth. I wish I had such amazing talent! I do feel bad for persons in the LBGTQ group because I know there are feelings whether perceived or real of not being accepted. I don't fall in any of those realms at least not as of yet but I have an open mind so if I ever did I would embrace it. I have many friends and aquaintances in the LBGTQ community and I adore them completely and though I tell them how much they mean to me I hope they know how much they give to this world and are much more accepted and loved than they realize. Best attitudes ever. Be you, be the awesome persons that you are!

[@SteveDavis-gc2pp]

Wow she is amazing. A beautiful enlightened person

[@bluelotus369]

Fabulous and humble wot a glorious combination ❤

[@stopthegop4894]

She is fucking amazing 💖

[@superwhizz114]

Chris is a man, in case you didn't know

[@TheOctabreaker]

My wife has loved Chris for a long time, and I'm a new fan, sitting here and watching this has made me a fan even as a person and not just as an artist.

[@laurapope3685]

This was super informative and I really appreciated the upload! Can't wait for more awesome stuff from y'all! Thanks again and hope y'all are having a great day!

[@desdestiny2725]

, the song is MAGNIFICENT, a true masterpiece 💖just like all her work 🤍, although, I’m not gonna lie , it would’ve been just as great w/out Madonna end quote ..

[@bellabblossom]

Red is so interesting, kind and talented. He's a true gentleman.

[@thfc1984]

It’s clearly a woman.

[@lauredavid9320]

Humble and True to himself ... Et une Bretonne .. Comme moi 😀

[@pauliner0162]

I'm mesmerized, I'm in love.

[@JDMimeTHEFIRST]

I’m a woman who was told not to cry. That woman don’t cry. So it’s weird to me when people think only men hear this. I feel a bigger pressure as a woman to not show emotions I actually feel. People think women should just be cheery all the time. When a woman cries, she’s “hysterical”. When a man cries, he’s praised and called “brave”. I’m autistic, and feel like I have to bottle in all my emotions just to appease neurotypicals who think women aren’t allowed to be angry or sad. Huge fan of Christine. ❤

[@31tomcat]

Absolute rubbish. No man has ever been called brave for crying, and nobody ever criticised a woman for it.

[@karencampbell2410]

She is so humble and articulate. Love her ❤

[@uluengamotuliki5469]

Im on road

[@SorminaESar]

Madonna, Madonna is one legend singers, also Jon Bon Jovi

[@nicolecarterfitnesspoetry]

What a wonderful human! ❤

[@gonkymoukeeper]

Great music. Views are absolutely nuts

[@KarenSargeant-ph8jo]

❤

[@pattip1413]

How can you not love Chris! Thanks to an Amazon commercial. I found him and his art.

[@margaretcapoferri-bx8no]

👍🥂🌻

[@juliemarcos2240]

Detroit needs to hear you live, svp. You adore so many artists from here: Patti Smith, Madonna, Alice Cooper, Stevie Wonder and all MoTown icons.

[@1amybean]

Fantastic interview. Fascinating, intelligent, articulate artist. Invitation #1 to my "dream dinner party" 🌞❤️☮️

[@job7973]

She is a legend, Intranquilitte is one of the best songs ever made.

[@uluengamotuliki5469]

🖐

[@brooke3724]

I hear you

[@seangallagher8233]

‘The violence of the patriarchy is everywhere’? Reeeally? Is this a bigger problem than the the greed of the powerful, and the suffering of everyone else, or is it just another distraction intended to divide us?

[@Christinebanks11]

How can your country be a patriarchal society when there are 225 women in the house of Commons?

[@larissacatharineo]

This is how the powerful are able to execute their greed.

[@seangallagher8233]

@@larissacatharineo No doubt, it's part of it. However, the focus upon a something that is ultimately an integral part of society (men) is an intentional act designed to keep society divided, fighting ourselves, and distracted from directing our attention to the actual corrupt criminals.

[@AdoptedPoo]

@@Christinebanks11 rich middle class white women on tv whining again of course.

[@ColetteNicoll]

​​@@Christinebanks11re you saying that innocent women aren't beaten, raped & murdered in greater numbers than men - because of government representation?

[@fifi_byflowers]

Such a beautiful person with pertinent thoughts and talk a lot ! wow 🥰😀

[@supasoul]

Chris , merci 💎

[@ringadingding4431]

No need for the 'I'm not a woman' GIMMICK

[@uluengamotuliki5469]

✌

[@TheSupremeNPC]

I’m in love with her soul

[@Laura-we8wl]

Love how Christine embodies Madonna in her current performances! Very sculpted! As Madonna was in blonde ambition.

[@Sashphoenix]

Far better than Madonna ever was IMHO

[@Tatokun92]

@@Sashphoenix I know this comment is 6 months old but... Nan, Madonna still had it better.

[@Sashphoenix]

@@Tatokun92 6 months on and nooooooo!

[@Tatokun92]

@@Sashphoenix 😂 yeah still does.

[@uluengamotuliki5469]

Yes

[@alexd1121]

Is prideful a word? Isn’t is proud?

[@stephenwalker2924]

PRIDEFUL adjective: prideful having an excessively high opinion of oneself. "a stern and prideful schoolmaster"

[@alexd1121]

@@stephenwalker2924 Thanks. I had looked it up as well after making the comment. Funny how that word is rarely used.

[@ColetteNicoll]

​@@alexd1121I've never found it rare...but I used to read a LOT

[@helenfelton2845]

Love this woman -every day shd be a celebration!🎉

[@pantokrator1988]

Ah yes the patriarchy bullshit

[@cyberstiglette54]

Love him so. Mystical man ♥️🪽

[@jean-pierrehenrie8908]

J ai acheté ton triple CD, a time ago...you are wonderful ! Merci . Je vais acheté les autres...B R A V O !

[@desdestiny2725]

I love her views on things and life

[@mariefioretti9965]

A pleasure to listen to him

[@maybr]

I admire Christine as a truly unique artist & really moved by her 1st album however I'm sick & tired of this trend when pop artist changes their "pronounce" & talking about evil patriarchy, 'because the message I get from her is that womanhood is terrible and weak, so she switched the side to become this abusive patriarchy herself- "If you can't win them - join them" kind of thing. From my point of view, it's cowardness and betrayals caused by a brainwashing mass media machine and not some kind of bravery. She mentioned that she didn't want to be put in a box but this is exactly where she is - in the box, with a bunch of others who change their pronounce to get likes & points. Being a woman is not a curse & not an award, but a define biological existence, same as a to be a man.

[@bbbrucebaker]

meh

[@jennywolff2120]

She looked more like a man 4-5 years ago. Now she wants to be called `he` and looks more like a woman than ever before. This is all very confusing. I don´t really get her personality. She seems to have a very fluid (..and also troubled..) personality. She does not seem to rest in herself. Listening to her gets me very nervous and also a bit scared (..don´t ask why, but I feel a lot of anxieties, while she is talking).

[@ColetteNicoll]

Just because YOU don't understand, doesn't give you a reason to overstep his boundaries over & over. I could call you ignorant - & you wouldn't think that was MY right to say such a negative thing - if that's not how YOU see yourself . Identity is personal.

[@pauldryburgh6346]

@@ColetteNicoll Anyone can have an opinion, whether you agree with it or not. You can think or say about me, or anyone else, whatever you want to. Get a grip. Stop whining.

[@johncorner9295]

Big fan..😊❤

[@uluengamotuliki5469]

Ecuse me can I hop into your plane teach me to fly boom

[@littlecatfeet9064]

I guess the patriarchy is so bad she wanted to be on the winning side by pretending to be a man. Otherwise she talks like a regular French woman, which I appreciate.

[@angelahonan9395]

There are women who hold the patriarchy.

[@uluengamotuliki5469]

Really ❤

[@uluengamotuliki5469]

I met him why so great enough

[@rohypnotist6263]

One flew over the cuckoo's nest ...

[@yazooyazoo3201]

She's not the same that she was now she's really dark, no light at all since our mother death, she's talking about the beast, she's in the false light

[@missmythmyth]

Perhaps you yourself are struggling with your senses & discernment, like seeing & hearing & feeling.

[@marthapyneda]

Non seulement talentueuse mais très intelligente.

[@sharonsimpson8419]

I’ve a them crush. Mesmerizing

[@Lighteninglez]

His! 🙄

[@BlackBeautyV223]

no disrespect, but is she a she or a he? Im confused with the queens in the name, and caption to this interview? JUST CURIOUS. I LOVE THE SONG ON AMAZON PRIME, SO IM BRAND NEW TO THIS? I dont personally agree with *confusion*, even as confused as I AM RIGHT NOW, this individual is AMAZING, SUPER TALENTED, AND ALL THE WAY AROUND MY MOST FAVE RIGHT NOW. ❤💙

[@gregcarbonimaestri]

Mamma mia quanto irritante postmoderno egocentrismo

[@alicejohnmusic]

This is scary…

[@TidyShabs]

I love him even more now ❤

[@omardj13]

In love of his accent 😅

[@dustyrittenhouse7622]

She has a lovely speaking voice. The accent is lovely also!

[@omardj13]

@@dustyrittenhouse7622 He is a Man.

[@Xristoph77]

"j'aime sentir mes propres pets" ... interview in a nutshell

[@cockneyherbert5123]

Great bloke. Lol

[@chriswinston1223]

Another victim.

[@cockneyherbert5123]

Hahahaha Jesus Christ.

[@bigegg7170]

she has an amazing voice.

[@uluengamotuliki5469]

He is such a good but weird

[@Christinebanks11]

Uk is NOT a patriarchal society . There are 225 women in the house of Commons. I'm not even British Im American. Born and raised .

[@daps5984]

"She" sounds like a conspiracy theorist these days. Next up she'll say that the jews did brexit/russia war/ 9-11 and it wouldn't even faze me.

[@thfc1984]

Why is she pretending to be a man? And what is this mythical force called the patriarchy?

[@daps5984]

Patriarchy? ...yeah...."She" sounds like a conspiracy theorist these days. Next up she'll say that the jews did brexit/russia war and it wouldn't even faze me.

[@zenabraithwaite1934]

We can all be whoever we want to be. I am me. Currently Chris/Red is presenting as "male"- in a suit , showing a bare chest and muscles. Chris/Red is quite obviously an artistic/eccentric. So was David Bowie.

[@daps5984]

@@zenabraithwaite1934 Yes, yes, we know -- in the "Chris" era, when she was a masculine woman, Chris admitted that she was still a woman. I liked the whole aesthetic, and I can respect it. But this whole Stanislavski method acting has leaked out into real life and she's no longer acting -- she sincerely believes now that she's smth that she's not (the opposite gender). People should discern between fantasy and reality or it'll be worse for them down the road. > We can all be whoever we want to be/ Well in this case, my name is Princess Anastasia.

[@zenabraithwaite1934]

@@daps5984 good morning princess. Well I did see Chris/Red in an interview saying they have disassociation ( split personality disorder), so that can explain alot. Personally I'm not into labels. I think life becomes more challenging when you label yourself- you are then boxing yourself. I think we should all embrace the different facets of ourselves and steer away from boxing and labelling. If I had to pick a label it would be "eclectic" 😊

[@daps5984]

@@zenabraithwaite1934 Wait wait wait wait - whaaaaa? Christine has MPD ? I didn't know that, poor thing 😢 (Unless she's faking it like the Tiktokers fake their Tourettes LOL). Yes, I'm not into labels either. I agree with that. I just think there's a difference between an objective biological reality (gender) which is an objective truth, and personality which is more subjective.

[@ckiadii2]

‼️ NO ‼️

[@israeldiegoriveragenius2th164]

Do not comply. No to vaccine passports, no to mandatory vaccines. No to masks, no to tests, a total disgrace

[@nicopiubello]

What?

[@mac7040]

​@@nicopiubello Russia forgot to shut the bot off.

[@Christinebanks11]

Bot account

[@adamgreen1484]

This explains so much lol

[@JohnDoe-wb9ht]

🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@TheAArmstrong]

I ❤ the patriarchy because I’m a man and we are on top lol 😂

[@aclark903]

It's ironic the left keep talking about patriarchy yet keep voting in leaders like Biden & Kier over better more intelligent women. And after that shambles in Scotland, where a woman sent a rapist to a woman's prison, isn't this kind of language just a joke now?

[@thfc1984]

There’s no such thing as the patriarchy

[@aclark903]

@@thfc1984 Well, feminists use that term to describe "a society or government in which men hold the power & woman are excluded (Oxford)". Japan may answer that description, but in the UK only last year we had a Queen & female PM.