Learn French With GIMS with these 23 Song Recommendations (Full Translations Included!)

GIMS
LF Content Team | Updated on 2 February 2023
Learning French with GIMS's music is fun, engaging, and includes a cultural aspect that is often missing from other language learning methods. It is also great way to supplement your learning and stay motivated to keep learning French!
Below are 23 song recommendations by GIMS to get you started! Alongside each recommendation, you will find a snippet of the lyric translations with links to the full lyric translations and lessons for each of the songs!

GIMS, born Gandhi Djuna in 1986 in Kinshasa, is one of the biggest stars in French music. His family left the Democratic Republic of the Congo for Paris when he was just two years old, and he grew up in the French capital.

He first made his name as the masked frontman of the rap collective Sexion d'Assaut, one of the groups behind France's rap revival around 2010. Since going solo in 2013 he has become a chart-topping, stadium-filling artist who blends rap, pop and R&B, and he has worked with international names like Sia, Sting, Maluma and Pitbull.

CONTENTS SUMMARY
CIEL (SKY)
Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne
Ça m'étonnerait pas qu'elle me fasse des siennes
J'ai fait un cauchemar, j'étais à découvert
J'ai retrouvé la vue dans le Ferrari vert
Sky, you didn't tell me she was a sorceress
I wouldn't be surprised if she played her tricks on me
I had a nightmare, I was overdrawn
I regained my sight in the green Ferrari

In CIEL, hitmaker GIMS talks directly to heaven, sounding both amazed and terrified by a woman who just appeared in his life. He sings, "Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne" ("Heaven, you didn't tell me she was a magician"). Right away, he suspects trouble with the great French idiom "faire des siennes" ("Ça m'étonnerait pas qu'elle me fasse des siennes" / "It wouldn't surprise me if she plays tricks on me"). The lyrics swing wildly between luxury and total anxiety: one minute he wakes from a nightmare about being broke ("j'étais à découvert" means his bank account was overdrawn), and the next he snaps back to reality inside a bright green Ferrari ("J'ai retrouvé la vue dans le Ferrari vert").

Beneath the shiny cars and magical hooks, the relationship is a mess of broken glass and bad decisions. GIMS gets bluntly honest about faking feelings: "Tu lui dis que tu l'aimes mais c'est pour de faux" ("You tell her you love her, but it's fake"). He even admits to lying during a quiet moment watching the sea, stuck in his own "galères" (a handy French slang word for struggles or chaotic troubles). Even when things crash beyond repair, he chooses to keep only the good memories: "C'est fini mais je garde les plus belles images" ("It's over, but I'm keeping the best pictures"). It is catchy, slightly chaotic pop about falling for someone who feels out of this world while your real life is falling apart.

NINAO
Dès, dès
Dès, dès, dès qu'j'arrive, ça regarde de travers
Capuché parce que j'suis trop cramé
J'avance avec équipe armée
Hneď, hneď
Hneď, hneď, len čo dorazím, zazerajú
V kapucni, lebo som príliš opozeraný
Idem vpred s ozbrojeným tímom

GIMS v tracku NINAO servíruje čistý nočný život plný luxusu, napätia a typického rapového sebavedomia. Hneď v úvode priznáva, že na seba púta príliš veľa pozornosti, a preto sa radšej skrýva: „Capuché parce que j'suis trop cramé“ (V kapucni, lebo som príliš opozeraný/známy). Výraz „cramé“ je skvelý francúzsky slang – doslova znamená „spálený“, ale v hovorovej reči to značí, že ťa už každý spoznáva a nemáš pokoj. Aby toho nebolo málo, nočným mestom sa premáva na čiernom Ferrari s modrými brzdovými strmeňmi („Étrier bleu ciel, Fé'Fé' noire“ – Fé'Fé je skratka pre Ferrari) a svojej láske len stroho odkazuje: „Mon amour j'vais rentrer tard“ (Láska moja, prídem neskoro).

Text je prepletený parádnym pouličným žargónom. GIMS použije verlan (obrátený francúzsky slang), keď povie „Té-ma l'équipe, redoutable“ (Pozri na tú obávanú partiu), kde té-ma vzniklo otočením slova mater (pozerať sa). Taktiež hádže vtipné prirovnanie k slávnemu DJ-ovi Davidovi Guettovi cez riadok „J'connais la nuit comme les Guetta“ (Poznám noc ako Guettovci), aby dal jasne najavo, že po zotmení je pánom situácie. Medzi rýchlymi románikmi na jednu noc („On s'est vu le temps d'une soirée, encore un petit cœur à réparer“ – Videli sme sa len na jeden večer, ďalšie malé srdce na opravu) a plným kalendárom na celý rok ukazuje život hviezdy, ktorá jednoducho nikdy nespí.

Zombie
Ma raison somnolait
Ma conscience me conseillait
Mon subconscient m'déconseillait
Mais mon esprit veut s'envoler
My reason was dozing
My conscience advised me
My subconscious warned me
But my spirit wants to fly

GIMS kicks this song off with a classic case of overthinking. He describes a battle inside his own head: "Ma raison somnolait / Ma conscience me conseillait / Mon subconscient m'déconseillait" (My reason was dozing / My conscience was advising me / My subconscious was advising me against it). While all these internal voices are arguing, his spirit just wants to break free and fly away. It's a feeling of being pulled in a million different directions by your own thoughts.

He feels completely disconnected and numb, like he's just going through the motions. He says he's trying to build a life but it feels like he's "construis dans l'vide" (building in the void). When people offer him simple advice like "L'espoir fait vivre" (Hope keeps you alive), he just asks, "Comment faire vivre? Je suis un zombie" (How can I live? I am a zombie). He feels like he's lost his true self, that he's become "l'ombre de toi-même" (the shadow of yourself), manipulated and paranoid. The song is a powerful look at feeling emotionally dead inside while the world keeps turning around you.

CIEL (HIMMEL)
Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne
Ça m'étonnerait pas qu'elle me fasse des siennes
J'ai fait un cauchemar, j'étais à découvert
J'ai retrouvé la vue dans le Ferrari vert
Himmel, du hattest mir nicht gesagt, dass sie eine Zauberin war
Es würde mich nicht wundern, wenn sie ihre Mätzchen mit mir macht
Ich hatte einen Albtraum, ich war im Minus
Ich bekam meine Sicht zurück im grünen Ferrari

In „CIEL“ spricht GIMS direkt mit dem Himmel, als wäre er ein Freund, dem er die Schuld gibt. Er singt: „Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne“ (Himmel, du hast mir nicht gesagt, dass sie eine Zauberin ist). Er beschreibt eine Frau, die so unglaublich ist, dass sie „tombée du ciel“ (vom Himmel gefallen) sein muss. Sie ist eine „Zauberin“, die sein Leben auf den Kopf stellt. Einerseits rettet sie ihn aus einem Albtraum, in dem er pleite ist – „J'ai retrouvé la vue dans le Ferrari vert“ (Ich habe mein Augenlicht im grünen Ferrari wiedergefunden). Andererseits ahnt er, dass diese Magie auch gefährlich sein könnte.

Der Song handelt aber auch von einer schmerzhaften Erkenntnis. Es geht um eine Beziehung, die vielleicht nicht ganz ehrlich war – „Tu lui dis que tu l'aimes mais c'est pour de faux“ (Du sagst ihr, dass du sie liebst, aber es ist nicht echt). GIMS singt über das Ende dieser Beziehung und die Einsicht, dass das Leben nicht so ist, wie man denkt, und dass alles eine Frage von Entscheidungen ist. Obwohl es vorbei ist, bleibt eine bittersüße Erinnerung: „Va leur dire que c'était une belle histoire“ (Geh und sag ihnen, dass es eine schöne Geschichte war).

APPELLE TA COPINE (CALL YOUR GIRLFRIEND)
Poum, tcha, tcha, poum, tcha, tcha
Poum, tcha, tcha, poum, tcha, tcha
Poum, tcha, tcha, poum, tcha, tcha
Poum, tcha, tcha, poum, tcha, tcha
Boom, cha, cha, boom, cha, cha
Boom, cha, cha, boom, cha, cha
Boom, cha, cha, boom, cha, cha
Boom, cha, cha, boom, cha, cha

“Appelle ta copine” (Call Your Girlfriend) throws us straight into a neon-lit night out with GIMS, the Congolese-French hit-maker who knows how to turn any city street into a dance floor. The pulsing poum, tcha, tcha beat is the soundtrack to a smooth invitation: tell your friend to tag along, because tonight is all about chilling in style. GIMS compliments a mysterious “beauté assassine” (killer beauty), cruises in a Ferrari, and casually reminds us that his music is so catchy it makes “even the racists dance.” It is playful, boastful, and irresistibly upbeat.

Beneath the swagger, the song celebrates confidence and freedom. GIMS puts the listener “on the top of the pile,” promising VIP treatment and urging everyone to drop their worries, show their best moves, and seize the moment. The result is a flirty anthem of nightlife, luxury, and unstoppable rhythm—perfect for practicing French while you imagine city lights flashing past the windshield.

La Même (The Same)
Mes amis, entendez la vie que j'ai eue
Où les gens m'attendaient, je ne suis pas venu
Si je les emmêle, si je dérange
C'est que je suis un pêle-mêle, un mélange
Friends, hear the life I've had
Where people waited for me, I didn't show up
If I confuse them, if I bother them
It's because I'm a jumble, a mix

Gims and Vianney unite their very different voices in La Même to create a fearless anthem of individuality. The Congolese-French rapper and the French singer admit they are “un pêle-mêle, un mélange” – a jumbled mix of influences, tastes and contradictions. Instead of squeezing themselves into tidy little boxes, they zigzag through life, shaking hands with everyone, loving both Jacques Brel and American R&B, and wearing dark glasses so no one can guess their next move. The catchy hook “Si je vous gêne, bah c’est la même” roughly means “If I bother you, tough luck – it’s all the same to me,” and it turns the song into a playful shrug at anyone who tries to judge or categorize them.

At its heart, the track is a celebration of freedom. The lyrics insist that envy comes before opinions and that true liberty enters your life when you stop worrying about what others think. By blending rap, pop and Afro-inspired rhythms, La Même doesn’t just preach openness – it sounds like it. The result is an uplifting reminder that every human is made of “mille boîtes” – a thousand little boxes – and none of them can ever be big enough to hold our full, complicated selves.

NINAO
Dès, dès
Dès, dès, dès qu'j'arrive, ça regarde de travers
Capuché parce que j'suis trop cramé
J'avance avec équipe armée
As soon as, as soon as
As soon as I arrive, they look sideways
Hood up 'cause I'm too hot
I roll with an armed team

NINAO puts you right in the passenger seat of GIMS's high-speed, chaotic lifestyle. From the first line, heads turn and rivals stare: "Dès qu'j'arrive, ça regarde de travers" ("As soon as I arrive, they look at me sideways"). He moves around hooded because he is "trop cramé" (slang for "way too recognizable" or burnt out by fame), cruising in a black Ferrari ("Fé'Fé noire") with sky-blue brake calipers ("Étrier bleu ciel"). When he says "Ils font tous des petits pas / Dès qu'ils aperçoivent la guitare" ("They all take baby steps / As soon as they spot the guitar"), he uses "guitar" as street slang for a firearm, mocking enemies who suddenly back off when things get real.

Between dodging trouble and traveling nonstop, his personal life turns into collateral damage. He texts his partner "Mon amour j'vais rentrer tard" ("My love, I'm coming home late"), but his schedule is completely packed: "T'façon j'suis booké sur toute l'année" ("Anyway, I'm booked for the whole year"). He drops French street slang with "Té-ma l'équipe" (verlan slang where té-ma flips the verb mater, meaning "check out the crew") and flexes his nightlife credentials by boasting "J'connais la nuit comme les Guetta" ("I know the night like the Guettas"), nodding to famous French DJ David Guetta and his party scene. It is flashy, slightly reckless, and full of quick flings that leave "Encore un petit cœur à réparer" ("Another little heart to fix").

CIEL (CER)
Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne
Ça m'étonnerait pas qu'elle me fasse des siennes
J'ai fait un cauchemar, j'étais à découvert
J'ai retrouvé la vue dans le Ferrari vert
Cerule, nu mi-ai spus că era o vrăjitoare
Nu m-ar mira să-mi facă din ale ei
Am avut un coșmar, eram descoperit
Mi-am recăpătat vederea în Ferrari-ul verde

În piesa asta, GIMS vorbește direct cu cerul, de parcă ar fi o persoană. Se plânge că cerul nu l-a avertizat despre o femeie care i-a apărut în viață, numind-o o „magicienne” [vrăjitoare]. Ea a „tombée du ciel” [căzut din cer], apărând de nicăieri și schimbându-i complet lumea. Există un amestec de admirație și teamă în vocea lui; el este fascinat de ea, dar se și așteaptă să-i facă probleme, spunând „Ça m'étonnerait pas qu'elle me fasse des siennes” [Nu m-ar mira dacă mi-ar face-o lată].

Cântecul explorează apoi complexitatea acestei relații. Nu este o poveste de dragoste simplă. GIMS vorbește despre minciuni, cum ar fi „J't'ai menti le jour où on regardait la mer” [Te-am mințit în ziua în care ne uitam la mare], și despre coșmaruri în care era falit. Apoi, brusc, își recapătă viziunea într-un Ferrari verde, sugerând că succesul material îi oferă o anumită claritate sau poate doar o distragere. Relația pare să se fi încheiat, lăsând în urmă cioburi de sticlă și amintiri, dar l-a forțat pe cântăreț să se confrunte cu propriile greșeli, realizând că „la vie n'est pas comme tu crois” [viața nu este așa cum crezi].

Tout Donner (Give It All)
Tu m'entends?
Réveille toi
Regarde moi
Ne me demande pas la Lune
Can you hear me?
Wake up
Look at me
Don't ask me for the Moon

Gims isn't messing around in this song. He lays all his cards on the table in a huge, dramatic declaration of love. He tells his partner, "Ne me demande pas la Lune / J'ai beaucoup mieux pour toi" (Don't ask me for the moon / I have much better for you), promising something more real than clichés. This isn't a light-hearted crush; he says his steps are heavy because he's carried a lot of burdens, and now she is everything to him. The chorus is a powerful, repeated promise: "Allez je t'ai tout donné / Tu es tout ce que j'ai" (Come on, I gave you everything / You are all I have).

He mixes intense devotion with a bit of swagger. He claims her heart completely with the line "Ce que t'as dans la poitrine, c'est à moi" (What you have in your chest is mine). He even suggests a wild, ride-or-die partnership where "tous les deux on foncera dans l'mur" (together we'll crash into the wall). He sees their love as a powerful force, wanting to be her "allié" (ally) and an "alien" to their enemies. It's a song about giving absolutely everything to one person, the one who is both his sickness and his cure.

CIEL (NEBO)
Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne
Ça m'étonnerait pas qu'elle me fasse des siennes
J'ai fait un cauchemar, j'étais à découvert
J'ai retrouvé la vue dans le Ferrari vert
Bože, nisi mi rekao da je čarobnica
Ne bi me iznenadilo da mi napravi neku smicalicu
Imao sam noćnu moru, bio sam u minusu
Povratio sam vid u zelenom Ferrariju

U pesmi „CIEL“, GIMS se obraća nebu, skoro kao da se žali prijatelju na ženu koja mu je ušla u život. On peva: „Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne“ (Nebo, nisi mi reklo da je mađioničarka). Ona je neko ko se pojavio niotkuda, „tombée du ciel“ (pala sa neba), i potpuno ga opčinila. Međutim, ova magija ima i svoju mračnu stranu. On oseća da će mu ona praviti probleme i peva o sumnjama, lažima i strahu od gubitka.

Priča se kreće između fascinacije i razočaranja. GIMS priznaje sopstvene greške i laži, kao u stihu „J't'ai menti le jour où on regardait la mer“ (Lagao sam te onog dana kad smo gledali more). Pesma govori o kraju jedne veze koja je bila lepa, ali i puna iluzija. Na kraju, sve je slomljeno kao „les bouts de verre“ (komadići stakla), ali on i dalje želi da sačuva lepe uspomene i kaže svima da je to bila „une belle histoire“ (lepa priča).

Est-ce Que Tu M'aimes? (Do You Love Me?)
J'ai retrouvé le sourire quand j'ai vu le bout du tunnel
Où nous mènera ce jeu du mâle et de la femelle
Du mâle et de la femelle
On était tellement complices, on a brisé nos complexes
I got my smile back when I saw the end of the tunnel
Where will this male-and-female game take us
Male and female
We were so close we smashed our hang-ups

Ever been so obsessed with someone that you swore you would tattoo their face on the inside of your eyelids, only to wake up later and wonder who you are even looking at? That dramatic spiral is the core of Gims's track. He describes devotion pushed to the absolute extreme: "J'étais prêt à graver ton image à l'encre noire sous mes paupières" ("I was ready to engrave your image in black ink under my eyelids") so he could see her even in an "éternel sommeil" ("eternal sleep"). But the grand romance soured fast. Once things turned, a single blink changed everything: "J'étais censé t'aimer, mais j'ai vu l'averse / J'ai cligné des yeux, tu n'étais plus la même" ("I was supposed to love you, but I saw the downpour / I blinked, you weren't the same").

Gims gets wonderfully blunt about the reality check that followed. He compares putting a wedding ring on her finger to locking handcuffs on his own wrists: "Quand je t'ai mis la bague au doigt, j'me suis passé les bracelets" ("When I put the ring on your finger, I put handcuffs on myself"). In French slang, "les bracelets" literally means bracelets, but here it clearly means handcuffs. Suddenly, the deep understanding where she only had to raise an eyebrow ("lever le cil") to communicate vanishes under empty nonsense ("balivernes"). He hits a glass ceiling trying to soar, admitting that if he loved her the way she demanded, she would just find him boring anyway ("Tu me trouverais ennuyeux si je t'aimais à ta manière"). The song loops endlessly around the central question—do you love me, do I even love you?—and honestly lands on a bitter "J'sais pas si je t'aime" ("I don't know if I love you").

Parisienne (Parisian Woman)
L.A M.A.N.O
Rien à tter-gra
Bande de haineux
T'inquiète
L.A M.A.N.O
Nothing to gain
Bunch of haters
Don't worry

In "Parisienne," Gims paints a very specific picture of his ideal woman. He's not interested in a tourist or someone impressed by clichés. He wants a real Parisian girl, one who is so at home in her city that she "traverse au feu vert" (crosses at the green light) and "s'en fout d'la Tour Eiffel" (doesn't care about the Eiffel Tower). This isn't just any woman; she's confident, a little rebellious, and completely unimpressed by the things that dazzle outsiders. She's the kind of person who is beautiful, maybe even "Artificielle" (artificial), but is also the one who "tire les ficelles" (pulls the strings).

Their life together sounds like a movie. One minute they're cruising down the "Champs-Élysées," the next he's telling her, "Prends le volant, j'suis alcoolisé" (Take the wheel, I'm drunk) because the police have found them. It's a life of luxury and danger. But she's loyal, sticking with him "quand c'était la misère" (when things were miserable). Even though their relationship can be unstable—he sings, "Parfois, comme l'oseille / Tu t'en vas" (Sometimes, like money / you disappear)—he's all in, ready for a wild night where they "Sort les gros billets" (Take out the big bills) and "Appelle les pompiers" (Call the firefighters).

NINAO
Dès, dès
Dès, dès, dès qu'j'arrive, ça regarde de travers
Capuché parce que j'suis trop cramé
J'avance avec équipe armée
De cum, de cum
De cum, de cum, de cum sosesc, toți se uită urât
Cu gluga pe cap fiindcă-s prea recunoscut
Înaintez c-o echipă înarmată

GIMS vine cu un ritm alert și o atitudine plină de încredere în NINAO, descriind viața agitată a unui artist care e mereu pe fugă. Încă de la început ne spune că atrage toate privirile („Dès qu'j'arrive, ça regarde de travers” [De îndată ce sosesc, se uită strâmb la mine]) și că trebuie să poarte glugă pentru că este mult prea cunoscut („Capuché parce que j'suis trop cramé” [Cu gluga pe cap pentru că sunt prea recunoscut/ars]). În versuri găsești mult argou franțuzesc: cramé înseamnă la propriu „ars”, dar aici arată că nu mai poate trece neobservat, iar Fé'Fé este prescurtarea relaxată pentru un Ferrari („Étrier bleu ciel, Fé'Fé' noire” [Etriere bleu-azur, Ferrari negru]).

Întreaga piesă pendulează între lux, nopți lungi și avertismente subtile pentru cei din jur. GIMS își avertizează partenera că va întârzia („Mon amour j'vais rentrer tard” [Iubirea mea, voi ajunge târziu acasă]) și se laudă cu programul lui plin pe tot anul. Îmi place mult referința la familia celebrului DJ francez David Guetta când zice „J'connais la nuit comme les Guetta” [Cunosc noaptea ca familia Guetta], o rimă directă și amuzantă despre viața de club. Chiar dacă lasă în urmă „encore un petit cœur à réparer” [încă o inimioară de reparat], el rămâne concentrat pe drumul său, înconjurat de o echipă loială și de mașini rapide.

Changer (Change)
Mon ami, mon avenir
Ma vie, pardonne moi
Ce visage inexpressif rempli de tristesse
De nombreuses fois j'ai du te mentir
My friend, my future
My life, forgive me
This blank face full of sadness
So many times I had to lie to you

“Changer” is GIMS’s late-night confession booth, set to music. The Congolese-French superstar drops the show-business mask and speaks directly to a loved one, admitting to lies, temptations, and the distance between his words and actions. Fame, money, and endless desires have pulled him away from family life, yet whenever darkness falls he sits alone, counts his flaws, and clings to a tiny spark of hope. In that stillness he promises himself one thing: I’m going to change.

Behind the catchy melody lies a universal struggle. GIMS shows how easy it is to lose yourself in success, to mistake enemies for friends, and to let greed “destroy the heart of others.” At the same time, he reminds us that self-awareness is the first step toward redemption. The song is both a heartfelt apology and a motivational anthem, inviting listeners to pause, reflect, and believe that transformation is always possible—even if it starts with nothing more than an “atom of hope” in the dark.

Jusqu'ici Tout Va Bien (So Far, So Good)
Malgré le temps qui passe, j'espère
Pourquoi je gagne et puis je perds
Comme un enfant à qui l'on raconte une histoire
Je dois y croire
Despite the time that's passing, I hope
Why do I win and then I lose
Like a child being told a story
I have to believe

“Jusqu’ici Tout Va Bien” is GIMS’ motivating pep-talk to himself and to anyone feeling tossed around by life’s highs and lows. Over a catchy, mid-tempo beat, the Congolese-French star admits that wins and losses chase each other like scenes in a storybook, yet he refuses to give up on the happy ending. Each verse is a checklist of resilience: hope despite passing time, courage despite doubt, and the strength to stand back up when fate knocks him down.

The chorus – “Je crois qu’tout va bien jusqu’ici” (I think everything is fine so far) – is a calming mantra. GIMS recognizes there are no shortcuts to peace of mind, but by pausing, catching his breath, and inviting listeners to “Suis-moi” (follow me), he shows that dignity, perseverance, and a clear head can guide us through the race. The song’s message is simple yet powerful: keep pushing, keep believing, and until proven otherwise, assume that things are going to be all right.

SOIS PAS TIMIDE (DON'T BE SHY)
Attention, j'arrive, téma le charisme
Mets pas dans ta story, j'suis blacklisté sur Bérize
Sur le côté VIP, que des dix sur dix
J'suis dans la zone à risque
Watch out, I'm coming, check the charisma
Don't put it in your story, I'm blacklisted on Bérize
On the VIP side, only tens
I'm in the danger zone

Sois Pas Timide is GIMS’s playful invitation to drop the shy act and dive into the high-energy world he inhabits. Over a pulsing beat, the Congolese-French star pulls up in a six-figure car, walks past the velvet rope into the VIP zone, and catches the eye of someone who pretends to be timid. He teases her: he can see through the modest smile, knows the attraction is mutual, and uses his undeniable charisma to prove it.

Beneath the swagger, the song hides a sweeter core. All the flashy lines — the enemies, the bulletproof windows, the roaring engine — exist for one reason: to keep his “bébé” close. He calls her his “oasis in this arid capital,” promising eternity at each other’s side. The message is simple yet irresistible: don’t be shy, step into the spotlight, and enjoy the ride together.

Brisé (Broken)
Encore une fois, j'ai dû disparaître
Des fois, je t'aime, des fois, je te hais
Pour ne pas dire que j'ai tout donné
J'ai donné tout autant que toi
Once again, I had to disappear
Sometimes I love you, sometimes I hate you
Not to say I gave it all
I gave just as much as you

Gims takes us on an emotional roller-coaster in Brisé – a track whose very title means “Broken.” The Congolese-French star sings from the raw perspective of someone who has been betrayed by a lover yet still struggles with conflicting feelings of love and hate. Throughout the lyrics he paints vivid images: secret stabs “in the dark,” tears falling on his shoulders, and the haunting smile that gives away a lie. These snapshots show how easily trust can shatter when the heart leads the brain.

Behind the catchy melody lies a powerful message about self-deception and awakening. Gims admits he “veiled his own face,” choosing not to see warning signs, because “the brain follows the heart.” By the end of the song, he is ready to extinguish the flames of pain “by the flames” themselves – hinting at reclaiming strength through the very fire that burned him. Brisé is a bittersweet anthem for anyone who has loved blindly, been hurt deeply, and still hopes to heal.

BABY
Baby, je serai toujours là
Brûlant comme la première fois
Quand, quand j'vois tes yeux
Tout plein de charme
Baby, I'll always be there
Burning like the first time
When, when I see your eyes
So full of charm

“BABY” by Franco-Congolese powerhouse GIMS is a fiery love declaration wrapped in dance-floor energy. From the very first line, he promises “Baby, I will always be there,” lighting up the track with the same spark as the relationship’s first glance. The chorus repeats like a heartbeat, capturing that intoxicating rush you feel when passion and devotion collide.

But beneath the catchy hook lies a bittersweet confession. While GIMS is ready to surrender to love and “just stay in your arms,” he also admits that desire alone cannot keep a couple afloat. When he sings, “I opened my heart, but you lost the keys,” the mood shifts—suddenly the relationship feels like a haunted house echoing with past mistakes. In short, “BABY” is a pulsating mix of hope, vulnerability, and hard-earned wisdom, reminding listeners that love can burn bright, yet still needs more than fire to survive.

CIEL (CIELO)
Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne
Ça m'étonnerait pas qu'elle me fasse des siennes
J'ai fait un cauchemar, j'étais à découvert
J'ai retrouvé la vue dans le Ferrari vert
¡Cielos!, no me habías dicho que era una maga
No me extrañaría que me haga de las suyas
Tuve una pesadilla, estaba al descubierto
Recuperé la vista en el Ferrari verde

En "CIEL", GIMS nos habla de una mujer que parece haber caído directamente del cielo. La llama una y otra vez "une magicienne" [una maga], alguien tan increíble que su llegada parece un acto de magia. Esta persona lo cambia todo. Él cuenta que tuvo una pesadilla en la que estaba en problemas, "j'étais à découvert" [estaba al descubierto/en bancarrota], pero de repente todo mejora: "J'ai retrouvé la vue dans le Ferrari vert" [Recuperé la vista en el Ferrari verde]. ¡Qué manera de describir un cambio de suerte!

Pero la historia no es tan sencilla. A pesar de esta mujer mágica, la relación está llena de dudas y mentiras. GIMS admite que el amor que se profesaban era falso: "Tu lui dis que tu l'aimes mais c'est pour de faux" [Le dices que la amas pero es mentira]. La canción reflexiona sobre las malas decisiones y cómo la vida no siempre es como uno cree. Al final, parece que todo se ha roto, como "les bouts de verre" [los trozos de cristal], pero él se queda con los buenos recuerdos, insistiendo en que fue "une belle histoire" [una bella historia].

Je Me Tire (I'm Outta Here)
Je me tire
Me demande pas pourquoi je suis parti sans motif
Parfois je sens mon coeur qui s'endurcit
C'est triste à dire mais plus rien ne m'attriste
I'm out
Don't ask me why I left with no reason
Sometimes I feel my heart harden
It's sad to say but nothing makes me sad anymore

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by pressure and people that you just wanted to vanish? That is the whole point of "Je Me Tire" (I'm getting out of here). The French slang phrase "se tirer" literally means to pull yourself away, or to take off. In this track, Gims wants an immediate exit from the chaotic life of a famous musician. He is exhausted by invasive interviews, people treating him like a free place to stay ("je suis pas leur motel" / I am not their motel), and feeling constantly targeted. His heart is turning cold, to the point where he bluntly admits: "plus rien ne m'attriste" (nothing saddens me anymore).

Instead of dealing with the drama, he dreams of vanishing to a place where he can drop the microphone and nobody cares about his personal life ("où tout le monde s'en tape de ma life"). He even compares his desire for a total reinvention to the legendary boxer who changed his name: "Après je vais changer de nom comme Cassius Clay" (Afterwards I will change my name like Cassius Clay, who became Muhammad Ali). Throughout the track, he addresses himself by his real-life nickname, Meugui, telling his own brain to stop overthinking and just make a run for it. It is an honest, catchy escape fantasy about walking away without giving anyone an explanation.

Est-ce Que Tu M'aimes? (Mă iubești?)
J'ai retrouvé le sourire quand j'ai vu le bout du tunnel
Où nous mènera ce jeu du mâle et de la femelle
Du mâle et de la femelle
On était tellement complices, on a brisé nos complexes
Mi-am recăpătat zâmbetul când am văzut capătul tunelului
Unde ne va duce jocul ăsta dintre mascul și femelă
Dintre mascul și femelă
Eram atât de complici, ne-am depășit complexele

În „Est-ce Que Tu M’aimes?”, Gims pune sub semnul întrebării o iubire care părea sigură la început. Cei doi erau atât de apropiați, încât un simplu gest era suficient: „T’avais juste à lever le cil” [Trebuia doar să ridici geana]. El spune că era gata să-i păstreze chipul „sub pleoape”, ca să o poată vedea chiar și într-un somn veșnic, o imagine intenționat exagerată și foarte romantică. Apoi totul se schimbă brusc: „J’ai cligné des yeux, tu n’étais plus la même” [Am clipit, iar tu nu mai erai aceeași]. „J’ai vu l’averse” [Am văzut ploaia torențială] sugerează că peste relație a venit o perioadă întunecată, plină de probleme.

Refrenul este direct și derutant în același timp: „Est-ce que je t’aime? J’sais pas si je t’aime” [Te iubesc? Nu știu dacă te iubesc] și „Est-ce que tu m’aimes? J’sais pas si je t’aime” [Mă iubești? Nu știu dacă te iubesc]. În a doua parte, el recunoaște că i-a spus „je t’aime” [te iubesc] ca să o ferească de suferință, deși și lui i-a făcut rău. „Quand je t’ai mis la bague au doigt, j’me suis passé les bracelets” [Când ți-am pus inelul pe deget, mi-am pus brățările] este un joc de cuvinte: inelul amintește de căsătorie, iar „bracelets” poate desemna cătușe, ca și cum angajamentul l-ar fi făcut să se simtă prins. Iar „le plafond de verre” [plafonul de sticlă] este o limită invizibilă pe care nu a văzut-o când încerca să se ridice. Cântecul rămâne astfel între dragoste, îndoială și senzația că relația a devenit o capcană.

CIEL (Cielo)
Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne
Ça m'étonnerait pas qu'elle me fasse des siennes
J'ai fait un cauchemar, j'étais à découvert
J'ai retrouvé la vue dans le Ferrari vert
Cielo, non mi avevi detto che era una maga
Non mi sorprenderebbe se mi facesse delle sue
Ho fatto un incubo, ero in rosso
Ho ritrovato la vista nella Ferrari verde

In "CIEL", GIMS ci parla di una donna che sembra quasi soprannaturale, una figura che descrive come una maga. Si rivolge direttamente al cielo, come se fosse sorpreso da questa persona: "Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne" (Cielo, non mi avevi detto che era una maga). Questa donna è arrivata all'improvviso, come se fosse "tombée du ciel" (caduta dal cielo), portando con sé sia fascino che problemi.

La canzone esplora le complessità di una relazione piena di bugie e dubbi. GIMS ammette di aver mentito, "J't'ai menti le jour où on regardait la mer" (Ti ho mentito il giorno in cui guardavamo il mare), e riflette su come la vita sia una questione di scelte. Nonostante la storia sia finita, come suggerisce l'immagine dei "bouts de verre" (pezzi di vetro), lui sceglie di conservare i bei ricordi, insistendo che è stata una "belle histoire" (bella storia). È un mix di rimpianto, auto-riflessione e il lusso di una "Ferrari vert" (Ferrari verde) che scaccia gli incubi.

CIEL (Himmel)
Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne
Ça m'étonnerait pas qu'elle me fasse des siennes
J'ai fait un cauchemar, j'étais à découvert
J'ai retrouvé la vue dans le Ferrari vert
Himmel, du hade inte sagt till mig att hon var en trollkvinna
Det skulle inte förvåna mig om hon ställde till med något
Jag hade en mardröm, jag var övertrasserad
Jag fick tillbaka synen i den gröna Ferrarin

I den här låten talar GIMS till himlen, eller "Ciel", som om den vore en person. Han är chockad över en kvinna som har kommit in i hans liv och säger: "Ciel, tu n'm'avais pas dit qu'c'était une magicienne" [Himmel, du sa inte till mig att hon var en magiker]. Hon är så otrolig att hon verkar ha fallit från skyn – "Elle est tombée du ciel" [Hon föll från himlen]. Men denna magi har en mörk sida. Relationen är fylld av lögner, tvivel och en känsla av att allt är på väg att gå sönder.

Låten växlar mellan bilder av lyx, som att återfå synen i en grön Ferrari, och känslor av ångest och självinsikt. GIMS medger att han har ljugit och att förhållandet är över, men han vill ändå att folk ska veta att "c'était une belle histoire" [det var en vacker historia]. Det är en berättelse om en förtrollande men destruktiv kärlek, där han inser att livet handlar om de val man gör och att saker och ting inte alltid är som man tror.

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