Credits: Studio Harcourt / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 3.0.
Julien Clerc, whose real name is Paul-Alain Leclerc, celebrated his 77th birthday in May 2025 with a new musical release: Une vie. This album is the 28th in a career that began more than half a century ago. Indeed, it follows an introspective and melancholic approach. Under the artistic direction of Benjamin Biolay, it explores the major themes of existence without artifice: love, grief, memory, the passing of time. Each song acts like a page from an intimate diary. In this way, it reveals the vulnerability of a man looking back without bitterness. But it does so with great intensity.
The track Saint-Nazaire is one of the album’s high points. Written by Paul École, this song pays a moving tribute to Gérard Leclerc, the journalist and the singer’s half-brother, who died tragically in 2023. The lyrics evoke the image of two brothers. One is alive, while the other is gone. Nevertheless, they are brought together by music and memory. "One at the piano, the other in the sky": this simple metaphor captures the depth of the album, balancing restraint and tenderness.
A National Tour To Embody Emotion
To accompany the release of Une vie, Julien Clerc will embark on a tour spanning two years, from 2026 to 2027. Named after the album, this series of concerts will travel across France, with dates scheduled in Paris, Lille, Lyon, Nantes, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Nice, and Boulogne-sur-Mer. On October 9, 2027, he will perform at the Accor Arena. This legendary venue will host the celebration of nearly 60 years of career and nearly his 80th birthday.
His approach to the stage remains exacting. He compares maintaining his voice to a sport. For several years, he has taken singing lessons every day. This discipline allows him to preserve the integrity of his voice while adapting the keys to his age. He describes this practice as "sound yoga," a way to reconnect with himself and with what matters most.
A Pen Loyal To Great Collaborations
Since his first hit with La Cavalerie in 1968, Julien Clerc has never stopped reinventing his repertoire. At the start of his career, he teamed up with Étienne Roda-Gil, whose flamboyant lyrics marked a generation. Later, he worked with major figures in French chanson: Jean-Loup Dabadie, Maxime Le Forestier, Carla Bruni, Didier Barbelivien, Serge Lama, to name just a few.
On Une vie, these partnerships continue. It includes Carla Bruni, Serge Lama, and Gaëtan Roussel, who sign stripped-down, sharp, and moving lyrics. The songs address aging, seeing one’s children grow, loneliness, but also gratitude and tenderness. This is not an album of reckoning, but a mosaic of authentic feelings.
A Stripped-Down, Meditative Visual Aesthetic
The album cover stands out for its simplicity. It shows Julien Clerc standing on the beach in Ault, in the Bay of Somme, facing the horizon. The image is by Anton Corbijn, a photographer internationally known for his work with Depeche Mode and U2. No heavy-handed symbols, no artificial staging: just a man facing the wind and the sea.
This visual choice is no accident. The beach at Ault, regularly chosen for film shoots, embodies a raw and open beauty. It is a place of passage, silence, and reflection. The photo sums up the spirit of the album: a clear-eyed look at oneself, in a world in constant motion.
An Embraced Musical Lineage: Vanille
Music runs in the family. Vanille, whose real name is Elisa Clerc, is pursuing a distinctive musical career. Born in 1988, she will release her third album, Regarde, on June 13, 2025. It blends influences from bossa nova, French pop, and world music. The themes are intimate: motherhood, love, passing it on.
Vanille embodies a cosmopolitan generation. The daughter of a singer and a horsewoman, she grew up between travel, nature, and vinyl records. She claims her heritage while also breaking away from it. In the studio as well as on stage, she asserts a voice that is gentle, but determined.
A Constant, Quiet Commitment
Throughout his life, Julien Clerc has tied his art to his convictions. In 2003, he became a UNHCR ambassador (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) for the French-speaking world. He advocates for the right to asylum, the dignity of exiles, and tolerance. In 2012, he publicly backed marriage for all, defending equal rights.
In 2023, he began a new radio venture on Nostalgie. Every Thursday, he hosts a show in which he shares memories, plays songs that shaped him, and welcomes artists from all backgrounds. This familiar voice now accompanies thousands of listeners.
On June 20, 2025, he will appear on Taratata 100% Live on France 2. That evening will bring together artists from many genres: Morcheeba, Oxmo Puccino, Vincent Delerm, M, in a celebration of live performance.
An Artistic Legacy In Motion
Julien Clerc does not like talking about legacy. He prefers the words "sharing" and "passing it on." He does not theorize the bond that unites him with his audience. He lives it. Each of his songs seems to answer a shared emotion. Far from wanting to freeze his career in place, he continues to create, sing, and commit himself. Une vie is much more than an album: it is a musical meditation, an elegance without pomp, a song of continuity.
In an era dominated by the immediate and by mockery, Julien Clerc’s path recalls core values. Duration, respect for the lyrics, and the search for simple and sincere beauty remain essential. His work speaks to every generation. It accompanies, it illuminates, it soothes.