Sébastien Tellier

Sebastien Tellier is a French singer, songwriter and producer from Le Plessis-Bouchard, near Paris, who has spent two decades blending French house, orchestral pop and synth-heavy new wave. 'La Ritournelle,' from his 2004 album 'Politics,' is his best-known song, a seven-and-a-half-minute slow build of strings and drums, featuring Tony Allen, that became a downtempo standard. A genuinely notable credential: France selected him to represent the country at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Divine,' the first French Eurovision entry performed largely in English. He was named a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in April 2025 and released the album 'Kiss the Beast' on Because Music in January 2026.

From the notes for Episode 05 · fact-checked Sep 23, 2026.