When Cannelle was 11 years old, she asked her father to paint her room entirely blue. This was long before the French model-turned-popstar had released a single song or adopted the signature pastel blue hair that has become her visual calling card. Yet, those formative memories of growing up in Aix-en-Provence—editing vlogs, navigating early heartbreak, and absorbing the musical tastes of her family—are the emotional bedrock of “BB Blue,” the tender centerpiece of her debut mixtape, CINNA.
“It just represents me perfectly,” Cannelle says of the track. “The lyrics are super personal.” Despite her penchant for nostalgia, CINNA is a forward-thinking exploration of the future of French electropop. Produced by a team including Oscar Scheller, Chicken, Warpstr, and Umru, the bilingual project invites listeners to shed their inhibitions and embrace a high-energy, dance-ready aesthetic.
Crafting the Vision for CINNA
The development of CINNA was a deliberate, iterative process. Cannelle notes that she began conceptualizing the project alongside its DIY-inspired cover art, which features a collage of personal family photos and cinematic Easter eggs. “I didn’t want it to be something that felt like a standard photoshoot,” she explains. “I wanted this mixtape to feel DIY. I didn’t want a high-quality picture of me; I wanted something that felt authentic.”
The sonic landscape of the tape is equally intentional. Tracks like “Stereo” and “Dis-moi” channel the brash, brawny energy of electroclash, while cuts like “Idole” lean into a 2010s-inspired French electronic sound. Cannelle emphasizes that her collaboration with producer Chicken was essential to finding this balance. “He just gets it,” she says. “His ability to make something that feels like me but also has his distinct sound is something I really respect.”
A Collaborative Approach to Production
Cannelle has taken an increasingly hands-on role in the studio, contributing to the production and co-production of the mixtape. “Sometimes I send specific drums or sounds that I want to the producers, or I pull up to the studio with my synth and start a melody,” she shares. This creative autonomy was particularly evident during her sessions with Oscar Scheller, with whom she recorded several tracks, including “Stereo” and “Sunshine.”
“Working with Oscar is always genial, super fun,” Cannelle adds. “We’re just screaming every time we have an idea. It felt super easy, and I didn’t feel pressured to have a perfect song. My thing is I hate feeling pressured; I just like making music that makes me happy.”
Visual Storytelling and Future Ambitions
The visual component of the project is just as vital as the music. The music video for “Stereo,” directed by Mathias Adam, features a striking, vampiric aesthetic that took months of meticulous planning. “It’s definitely my favorite music video so far,” she says, noting that the production involved everything from custom-made vampire teeth to coordinating with her close friends for the shoot.
Looking ahead, Cannelle is already preparing for the next phase of the CINNA era, including a forthcoming video for “Sunshine” filmed across four cities in Japan. As she continues to evolve, her focus remains on creating music that resonates with her own sensibilities first. “I think it’s super important to just create this for yourself first before anything else,” she concludes.
