Tess (singer)

Not to be confused with TESS (musician).

Tess
Born
Tess Océane Joffroy

1994 (age 30–31)
Saint-Denis, Réunion
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Years active2013–present
Musical career
OriginBiscarrosse, France
GenresElectropop
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Labels
Websitetessofficial.com

Tess Océane Joffroy (born 1994) is a Réunionese singer-songwriter. After posting song covers on Facebook and YouTube, she was discovered by Lilly Wood and the Prick's manager and producer. He signed Tess to record label Choke Industry and she later signed another record deal with Polydor Records. Her first extended play (EP), Tess (2016), peaked at number 145 on the French singles chart. It was supported by the single "Love Gun", which reached number 131 on the same record chart.

Life and career

Tess Océane Joffroy was born in 1994 in Saint-Denis, Réunion.[1] Her mother is Réunionese and her father is French.[2] She took dance classes when she was 4 and she practiced guitar when she was 14 for 3 years. At 15, Tess began writing songs.[3] She started uploading song covers on Facebook for her friends and later on YouTube.[2] On the latter platform, she was noticed by the French music duo Lilly Wood and the Prick's manager and producer Pierre Guimard in 2013 after she posted a cover of the duo's single "Prayer in C".[3][4] While she was holidaying in Paris in 2014, he invited her to a music studio in the city where they both began working on her first extended play (EP), Tess.[3][5][6] Soon after, Guimard signed Tess to the label Choke Industry after listening to her compositions.[4][6] She also signed a record deal with Polydor Records.[4] To pursue her career, Tess moved to Biscarrosse and split her time between Biscarrosse and Paris.[3][7]

Tess released her first single "Endlessly" in 2015.[8] She briefly performed as Tess Zucchini after releasing it and she was an opening act for Israeli-French singer Tal at Stade Jean-Ivoula.[9] Tess studied physical therapy in Saint-Pierre, Réunion and obtained her degree in 2016.[2][10] She worked as a physical therapist for only one month in Réunion and after she relocated to France, she chose to "put [her degree] aside" so she could "devote [herself] to music".[6] Her second single, "Love Gun", was released in June 2016.[8] It reached number 131 on the French singles chart.[11] Also in June, she sang at music festival Sakifo Musik Festival.[2] In December 2016, she re-released "Endlessly" alongside Peruvian singer A. Chal.[12] Tess was digitally released on 20 January 2016 by Choke Industry, although it was re-released on the same date in 2017 by Polydor.[10][13] The EP peaked at number 145 on the French singles chart.[11] In April 2017, Tess performed at Lollapalooza France.[14] She sang at the opening of shopping center Cap Sacré-Cœur in November 2018.[15] Her first album, Scars and the Moon, was released on 21 December 2019 by Choke Industry.[16] The aforementioned label distributed Tess's second EP, Origin, on 7 May 2021.[17] Tess moved back to Réunion after living for two years in France and she began teaching yoga.[7] Tess released her second album, 11:11, independently on 11 November 2022.[18]

Artistry

Music critics labelled Tess's main sound as electropop,[4][5][8] containing elements of pop and R&B.[4][5][19] Her musical influences are Lorde and The Weeknd.[5] Tess's music has been compared to that of artists Bat for Lashes,[9] Björk,[19] Ellie Goulding,[19] Grimes,[9] Hannah Reid,[5][19] Hyphen Hyphen,[4] Jain,[4] The Knife,[19] and MØ.[5] Elle's Florence Tredez called Tess the "new electropop sensation".[5] France Télévisions named her a "breath of fresh air on French pop".[14] Laura Philippon of La Première, wrote that Tess has a "bewitching, deep, sometimes hurt" voice with which she "creates powerful and thrilling melodies".[2] Les Inrockuptibles writer Morane Aubert described her voice as "soft and sensual".[8] Reviewing "Hard to Forget", Billboard's Bryan Kress noted that the song allows Tess "to showcase her vocal abilities" which are "equally sultry and pop-ready".[20]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums
Title Album details
Scars and the Moon
11:11
  • Release date: 11 November 2022[18]
  • Label: Independent
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected chart positions
Title EP details Peak chart positions
FRA
[11]
Tess 145
Origin
  • Release date: 7 May 2021[17]
  • Label: Choke Industry
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
 —
"—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
FRA
[11]
"Endlessly"[21][22]
(solo or featuring A. Chal) 		2015 — Tess /
Scars and the Moon
"Love Gun"[23] 2016 131
"Hard to Forget"[24] 2017 —
"Dark but Beautiful"[25] 2018 — Non-album single
"The Lake"[26] 2019 — Scars and the Moon
"Poison"[27] —
"It's You"[28] 2022 — Non-album single
"Time Stops"[29] — 11:11
"Ynyb"[30] —
"Not Human"[31] —
"Royaume (The Silent Princess)"[32] —
"Kali"[33] — Non-album singles
"My Tender Love"[34] —
"New Moon"[35] 2023 —
"Comme un soleil"[36] —
"—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

  1. ^ "J-9 avant le K6FM Live #7: Découvrez Tess!" (in French). K6FM. 13 September 2017. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Philippon, Laura (19 January 2017). "Séduisant et envoûtant, le premier album de la Réunionnaise Tess sort ce vendredi" (in French). La Première. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Bureau, Éric; Marolle, Emmanuel (2 May 2017). "De Juliette Armanet à Last Train, la nouvelle vague musicale française". Le Parisien (in French). Archived from the original on 16 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Marolle, Emmanuel (6 April 2017). "Revivez le live de la révélation Tess en direct du Parisien". Le Parisien (in French). Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Tredez, Florence (8 January 2017). "Tess: la nouvelle sensation de l'électro-pop est française!". Elle (in French). Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Qui es-tu: Tess, nouveau visage électro-pop de la Réunion" (in French). Clique. 20 January 2017. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  7. ^ a b Coralie (23 March 2021). "Tess – voix d'or et yogini passionnée". Réunionnaises (in French). Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d Aubert, Morane (8 June 2016). "'Love Gun', le nouveau clip envoûtant de Tess". Les Inrockuptibles (in French). Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  9. ^ a b c "Les Inrocks envoûtés par la Réunionnaise Tess Zucchini". Le Quotidien de la Réunion (in French). 12 June 2016. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  10. ^ a b c Yepes, Manuel (20 January 2017). "Sortie du 1er album de la chanteuse Réunionnaise Tess ce vendredi" (in French). Antenne Réunion. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d "Discographie Tess [FR]" (in French). lescharts.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  12. ^ Goncalves, Julian (15 December 2016). "'Endlessly': Tess crève l'écran dans un nouveau clip hypnotisant". PureCharts (in French). Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Tess – EP by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 20 January 2016. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Lollapalooza: première grande scène pour Tess, la nouvelle coqueluche de la pop" (in French). France Télévisions. 24 July 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  15. ^ Magnien, Marine (10 November 2018). "Tess: 'Pour moi c'est une fierté d'être Réunionnaise'" (in French). Antenne Réunion. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Scars and the Moon by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 20 December 2019. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Origin – EP by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 7 May 2021. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  18. ^ a b "11:11 by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 11 November 2022. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  19. ^ a b c d e Zupko, Sarah (22 May 2017). "Tess – 'Love Gun' (video) (premiere)". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  20. ^ Kress, Bryan (14 July 2017). "Tess Takes a Night Out That Will Be 'Hard to Forget' in New Video: Exclusive". Billboard. Archived from the original on 16 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  21. ^ "Endlessly – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 6 November 2015. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  22. ^ "Tess – Endlessly (feat. A.Chal)". Spotify. 4 November 2016. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  23. ^ "Tess – Love Gun". Spotify. 3 June 2016. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  24. ^ "Hard to Forget – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 23 June 2017. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  25. ^ "Dark but Beautiful – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 11 January 2018. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  26. ^ "The Lake – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 4 October 2019. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  27. ^ "Poison – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 29 November 2019. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  28. ^ "It's You – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 3 June 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  29. ^ "Time Stops – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 5 July 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  30. ^ "Ynyb – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 9 September 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  31. ^ "Not Human – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  32. ^ "Royaume (The Silent Princess) – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 4 November 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  33. ^ "Kali – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 22 November 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  34. ^ "My Tender Love – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 15 December 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  35. ^ "New Moon – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 20 January 2023. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  36. ^ "Comme un soleil – Single by Tess on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 3 March 2023. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.