Christophe Willem

Christophe Frédéric Durier (August 3, 1983), better known as Christophe Willem, is a French singer-songwriter who rose to fame after winning the fourth season of the singing competition Nouvelle Star in 2006. Raised in the Parisian suburb of Deuil-la-Barre in Val-d'Oise, he began studying piano at the age of 7 and later sang in the gospel choir Young Voices while pursuing a communications degree. During that time, he also landed a supporting role in the musical comedy film Alive (2004) alongside Richard Anconina and Maxim Nucci. In 2005, he was encouraged by his family and friends to participate in the music reality show Nouvelle Star, the French version of the Pop Idol franchise. After wowing the judges with a passionate rendition of Des'ree's "Strong Enough," he asserted himself as one of the show's strongest contestants, eventually taking home the grand prize. Christophe Willem quickly capitalized on his newfound fame and, in 2007, he released his studio debut Inventaire, which climbed to the top of the French Albums Chart. Thanks to hit singles like "Double je," "Jacques a dit," and "Quelle chance / September," the album was certified double-platinum in France and sold over 1 million copies. A second full-length titled Caféine hit retail in 2009 and became his second consecutive Number 1 record, receiving two NRJ Music Awards for Artist of the Year and Album of the Year. Preceded by the single "Cool," third full-length Prismophonic (2011) peaked at Number 3 while Paraît-il (2014) and Rio (2017) reached Number 17 and Number 7, respectively. "PS: Je t'aime" (2022), his first single in almost five years, enjoyed moderate success in the European charts, bowing at Number 43 in Belgium.