Once upon a time, there was a Franco-Algerian artist, born in France and having lived in Geneva, Valencia, New York, and finally (for now?) in Paris. In this second solo album, Nesrine tells stories that are often her own but always concern the Other. French mingles with Arabic and English, each language bringing its own musicality, each word its own sound. As a singer-songwriter, Nesrine creates music and lyrics (co-written with her mother when in Arabic) from memories and encounters, whether they are friendly, literary, or musical. There are influences, some more hidden than others, from Khalil Gibran (‘Fear’ uses one of his poems) to Gainsbourg (‘Bonnie and Clyde’), as well as from Beethoven to Erykah Badu, from Nietzsche to chaâbi. The common thread, the travel companion, is the cello. From composition to stage, from bass to fully deployed solo (‘Dalala’), to the almost symphonic stand (‘Sortilèges’), the instrument is present in every track, in every register, mirroring the musician’s voice, which can be powerful and captivating (‘Kan Ya Makan’) as well as gentle and moving when the song becomes a confession (‘Flou’). To create this album, which starts from the intimate but aims to reach the world, Nesrine surrounded herself with producer and guitarist Vincent Huma (with whom she had already worked), Grégoire Musso, and Bruce Keen, whose co-production work gave a collegial aspect to this creation. Percussionists Rhani Krija and Anissa Nehari provide their indispensable rhythm. Driven by an inner urgency to create and express herself, Nesrine chose to offer a dense album of 11 tracks that reflect the musician she is – intense and generous, demanding and mysterious.