Ingénue Times Two

Last night I got reacquainted with a compilation from 1980s Europop princess Lío and thought I’d share a few of her vintage videos here. I’d say her music is like a French version of Madonna’s stuff from that period, very strident and “of its time” but completely irresistible. The gorgeous “Mona Lisa” comes from her 1982 album Suite Sixtine. The song’s lush and romantic production came courtesy of Ron and Russell Mael, better known as New Wave duo Sparks.

And here is Lío looking her jailbaitiest while singing 1980′s “Amoureux Solitaire” from a hammock. This synth-driven gem must have been one of her biggest hits in Europe, since there are five or six different performances of this song on YouTube. Lío’s hit streak continued all the way through 1991, after which she turned to acting. Apparently she now earns her Euros as one of the judges on the French edition of American Idol. C’est la vie, as they’d say over there.