Anna Ternheim

Guestpost! André on Anna:

Anna Ternheim? What is she doing here, you might ask. Sure, there are reasons enough to think of why she shouldn’t belong amongst the Filles Sourires. First of all she’s Swedish. A typical Scandinavian blonde. A very cute one, I might add. She covers Bowie (a very interesting take on China Girl) instead of Gainsbourg. She usually sings her self-penned songs in English with her lovely little Abba-accent. Not without success: her debut album Somebody Outside (2004) gained her a Swedish Grammy for best newcomer. The follow up Separation Road (2006) consolidated this success with Grammies for best female artist and best lyricist. Her live performances are mesmerizing, especially when she’s playing on her own, accompanying her pleasant vocals with only a guitar or piano. Still, all of this doesn’t explain her appearance on this blog. Just have a listen to the aptly titled A French Love, partly sung in French. “So we planned a secret rendez-vous / Toute la nuit / chez moi” should be reason enough. Still not convinced? I’ll throw in the French version of To Be Gone which Valérie Leulliot (of Autour de Lucie fame) translated into Oublie. This version appeared on a tiny 3” bonus disc that came with the French release of Somebody Outside. So there you have it: A girl. Singing in French. Making me sigh. Does this answer your question?

Anna Ternheim - A French Love
Anna Ternheim - A French Love (naked version)
Anna Ternheim - Oublie