Sébastien Tellier

Biography

Sébastien Tellier (French: [sebastjɛ̃ tɛlje]; born 22 February 1975) is a French singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with his song "Divine×Divine21 May 2008 · EP · RemixSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Divine Vision2:532Divine3:083Divine (Kasper Winding remix)3:194Divine (Midnight Juggernauts remix)4:305Divine (Danger remix)6:18". He has also produced songs for Dita Von Teese and composed music for the French films Narco and Steak, among others. Tellier is currently signed to Record Makers, a French independent record label. He sings in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Biography

Tellier is the son of rhythm guitarist Alain Tellier, who is known to have played with the band Magma. Tellier attended the École Saint-Martin-de-France in Pontoise, Val-d'Oise.
Tellier's first album, L'incroyable Vérité (English: The Incredible Truth), was released in 2001. Tellier went on tour with Air in support of the album and was joined on stage by theremin player Pamelia Kurstin. L'incroyable Vérité is a pop album featuring styles from lo-fi electronica to bizarre cabaret tunes.
The same year, he appears, alongside Vincent Belorgey, also known as Kavinsky, in Nonfilm, directed by Quentin Dupieux.
His second studio album, Politics×Politics5 January 2004 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 11 tracks1Bye‐Bye2:192League Chicanos3:123Wonderafrica5:084Broadway4:035La Ritournelle7:346Benny3:107Slow Lynch1:208Mauer3:199La Tuerie2:5810Ketchup vs Genocide3:4611Zombie3:22, released on 31 January 2004. Politics included the popular song "La Ritournelle×La RitournelleSeptember 2005 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1La Ritournelle7:352La Ritournelle (Mr. Dan’s Magic Wand mix)3:213La Ritournelle (Jack Bullit mix)5:264La Ritournelle (Metronomy mix)4:18", a string-led tune with Nigerian drummer Tony Allen.
The same year, he composed the soundtrack for the film Narco, directed by Tristan Aurouet and Gilles Lellouche. The soundtrack released two years later, on 9 November 2007.
Since the release of Politics, Tellier has also recorded an acoustic album of his more popular songs, Sessions×Sessions3 April 2006 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Bye‐Bye2:112La Ritournelle5:383Black Douleur2:344League Chicanos4:105La dolce vita4:146Fantino3:317Kissed by You3:128Broadway4:229Universe4:1510Classic2:44 (2006). The album was repackaged for the British market as Universe×Universe18 September 2006 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1La Ballade du Georges4:242La Ritournelle (Mr Dan’s mix)3:213Black Douleur2:334Dixi2:235Broadway4:196Le Long de la rivière tendre3:057La dolce vita4:148Le Démon Pupkin3:349Universe4:1410Fantino3:3011League Chicanos4:0812La Ritournelle5:3613Classic2:4514Bye‐Bye2:06 (2006), to include both highlights from the French CD, as well as compositions from Tellier's score for the film Narco. This compilation included a cover of "La Dolce Vita", a song originally by French singer Christophe.
In 2007, he composed a few songs with Quentin Dupieux, also known as Mr. Oizo, for the soundtrack of the film Steak, directed by Mr. Oizo himself. Also co-composed by Sebastian, the soundtrack was released by Ed Banger and Because Music the same year. Tellier also appears in the film as Prisme, the man with the electric wheelchair.

His third studio album Sexuality×Sexuality19 February 2008 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Roche5:012Kilometer4:183Look4:344Divine3:095Pomme3:316Une heure3:517Sexual Sportswear7:178Elle4:389Fingers of Steel5:1610Manty3:3211L’amour et la violence5:23 was produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk. Like his previous album Politics, Tellier used a single term as title and theme of the album. Tellier's label Record Makers collaborated with retailer American Apparel for an exclusive three-month pre-release of the album, whilst American Apparel sold limited edition versions of the Sexuality CD, LP and "Divine×Divine21 May 2008 · EP · RemixSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Divine Vision2:532Divine3:083Divine (Kasper Winding remix)3:194Divine (Midnight Juggernauts remix)4:305Divine (Danger remix)6:18" 7" and 12" single through their North American stores and website.
On 7 March 2008, it was announced by Bruno Berberes, head of EBU delegation in France, that Tellier would represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. It was held in Belgrade on 24 May 2008. Tellier sang "Divine". This was the first time in the history of the contest that the nominated French entry was to be performed largely in English, which caused controversy, leading to Tellier pledging to increase the amount of French in the song prior to the competition itself. In total, the entry received 47 points.
His fourth album My God Is Blue×My God Is Blue16 April 2012 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Pépito bleu2:492The Colour of Your Mind5:053Sedulous4:244Cochon ville3:105Magical Hurricane4:316Russian Attractions2:587Mayday3:328Draw Your World1:549My Poseidon4:3210Against the Law4:4911My God Is Blue3:0812Yes, It’s Possible5:44 was released on 23 April 2012. As the name suggests, the concept of this album is religion. Tellier is presented in this album as a guru, founder of a fictional sect called "Alliance Bleue". The album is entirely produced by Mr. Flash and Pavle Kovacevic.
His fifth album Confection×Confection14 October 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracksA1AdieuA2CocoA3L’Amour naissantA4Adieu mes amoursA5HypnoseA6WaltzB1Adieu comme un jeuB2Delta romanticaB3CuriosaB4L’Amour naissant IIB5Coco et le labyrintheB6L’Amour naissant IIIB7Curiosa IIB8Le Delta des amours was released in October 2013. This was partially inspired by the death of Tellier's grandmother. Some of the music on the album was intended to appear on a film soundtrack, but ended up not being used. In an interview with artistxite, Tellier noted: "You can say my grandmother's death as well as this nonexisting soundtrack had an impact on “Confection“. To me this has been a super strange situation. I was full of love for my grandmother and full of dedication to this soundtrack; Confection is the result of both of these emotional conditions." In Spring 2014, Tellier performed a medley of tracks from Confection at the Chanel Haute Couture show at the Grand Palais. Tellier recounts that Karl Lagerfeld invited him to perform, having listened to the album himself.

His sixth album L'Aventura (English: The Adventure) was released on 14 July 2014. The album was inspired by Tellier's childhood and Brazil, where the video to one of its songs, "L'adulte", is set. This album, consisting of 10 tracks, is sung entirely in French.
In 2016, Tellier composed soundtracks for the two French films Saint-Amour, directed by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern, and Marie et les naufragés, directed by Sébastien Betbeder. The same year, he composed the music for the credits of the comedy show broadcast on Canal+, Groland Le Zapoï. The next year, he composed the soundtrack for the series A Girl Is a Gun.
In 2018, Tellier composed all the songs from the eponymous album by Dita Von Teese.
In 2020, Tellier returned with a new single "A Ballet×A Ballet29 January 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1A Ballet4:46", released on 29 January, to promote his seventh album Domesticated×Domesticated29 May 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1A Ballet4:482Stuck in a Summer Love4:173Venezia3:134Domestic Tasks5:265Oui4:006Atomic Smile3:107Hazy Feelings3:248Won3:52, consisting of 8 tracks, which released on 29 May 2020. On 8 April, "Domestic Tasks×Domestic Tasks8 April 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Domestic Tasks5:262Domestic Tasks (radio edit)3:51", the second single released and "Stuck in a Summer Love×Stuck in a Summer Love19 May 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Stuck in a Summer Love4:172Stuck in a Summer Love (edit)3:06" the third single on 19 May. The concept on this album is domestic life and this concept was born following his marriage and the birth of his two children. The album is produced by Corentin "nit" Kerdraon, Mind Gamers (John Carroll Kirby and Daniel Stricker), Jam City, Varnish La Piscine and Philippe Zdar (who died in 2019). Apart from this album, on 14 February 2020, he appeared as a featured artist on "Boycycle" by Salvatore Ganacci.
The same year, Tellier released an album titled Simple Mind×Simple Mind13 November 2020 · Album · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Domestic Tasks2:462L'amour et la violence3:193Look2:544A Ballet2:395Divine1:456Intromission1:257Fingers of Steel3:158Stuck in a Summer Love2:299Comment revoir Oursinet ?3:1010Ricky l'adolescent2:5111Against the Law2:45, in which he covered several tracks from his previous albums, Sexuality, My God Is Blue, L'Aventura and Domesticated.
In 2024, Tellier performed La Ritournelle with Ensemble Matheus at the Paralympic Games opening ceremony in Paris.
In April 2025, Tellier was appointed as an Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

In September 2025, Tellier returned with a new single, "Refresh×Refresh3 September 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Refresh2:35", which marked his first single in five years after the release of Domesticated, and would later be revealed as the lead single to his next album. A month later, in October, he officially announced his eighth album, titled Kiss the Beast×Kiss the Beast30 January 2026 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Kiss the Beast3:292Naïf de cœur4:483Refresh2:354Mouton4:565Thrill of the Night2:526Romantic3:277Parfum diamant4:168Copycat3:059Animale3:4610Amnesia3:1111Loup4:2312Un dimanche en famille3:27, along with the release of the album's second single, "Naïf de Coeur". The third single, "Thrill of the Night", was released the next month, in November, and features Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers and singer-songwriter Slayyyter. In January 2026, Tellier performed the song "Parfum Diamant×Parfum Diamant5 January 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Parfum Diamant4:16" on the Colors YouTube channel, which would then become the fourth single from the album, released days later. The fifth and final single, "Amnesia", which features rapper and singer Kid Cudi, was released two days before the album's release. The album was officially released on 30 January 2026.

Influences

Tellier's musical artistry is inspired by Serge Gainsbourg, François de Roubaix, Antonin Artaud, Salvador Dalí, Lucio Battisti, and Stevie Wonder.

Personal life

Tellier is married to Amandine de la Richardière with whom he has two children.