Given that his parents are of American and Lebanese heritage and he's spent significant parts of his life in England and Italy,
Mika
could be seen as a citizen of the world. However, it's not surprising that France holds a special place in his heart. It's where he spent his earliest years, where he began writing songs and learned to play the piano, and where his albums consistently place in the Top Ten of the charts. That France has been so important to his life and career makes it somewhat remarkable that
waited until his sixth album to release a record of songs sung entirely in French, but
Que ta tete fleurisse toujours
is a loving tribute to his roots in more ways than one. He named the album for a phrase his mother often said to him while growing up ("may your head always bloom"). Though she passed in 2021, the music she inspired is more uplifting than mournful, with the tenderness of "30 Secondes" and "Passager" coming through clearly even to listeners who don't speak a word of French. He complements these pensive moments with pulsing ones like "C'est la Vie" and "Touche Touche," where the pounding pianos and synths, disco rhythms, and falsetto vocals are unmistakably
. He rounds out the album with some skillful homages to classic French pop, such the string-laden daydream of "Moi, Andy et Paris" and the stylishly bittersweet "Jane Birkin," a much more restrained celebrity homage than his breakthrough single "Grace Kelly." By
's usual standards,
may be understated, but its delicate ballads and feather-light pop make it a patisserie-worthy confection. ~ Heather Phares