David Bowie was and always will be a singular figure in music. He’s often imitated yet never duplicated, and remains an inspiration for many artists, both emerging and those who were in his circle. Bowie had a vibe about him, and there are only a couple of artists who emulate that vibe. The list may be short and sweet, but Bowie is a hard act to match. Here are just two of the only artists who can match David Bowie on artistry, creativity, and musical flexibility.
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Christine And The Queens
Christine And The Queens is the stage name of Rahim Redcar, a French singer-songwriter who describes his style as “freakpop.” Through various albums and projects, Redcar has explored gender, identity, sexuality, loss, hope, love, and life in a similar style to David Bowie. Notably, the comparison is in the continuously changing identities and acute sense of creative curiosity.
Redcar explores life through music, almost in a mirror of Bowie. Where Bowie played with gender identity in ways that often had people shaking their heads, so too does Redcar. His first project, Christine And The Queens, was inspired by experiences at the London club Madame Jojo’s. Inspired by music acts and drag queens there, Redcar created the project Christine and the Queens.
Debuting in the United States in 2015, the project spawned the hit single “Tilted” as well as many others from the debut French album Chaleur Humaine, recorded in English. These were included on Christine And The Queens, Redcar’s debut English album. Overall, Rahim Redcar creates deeply personal and inspiring music exploring identity and expression. His style and vibe are reminiscent of David Bowie in a definitive freakpop approach.
Tyler, The Creator
While Tyler, The Creator doesn’t strictly match David Bowie’s vibe musically, their approaches to creation and persona are similar. In this way, it’s possible to lift them both onto the same pedestal.
Bowie had eras and personas, distinct styles and narratives to go with them. He was constantly changing his sound, methods, and processes. Through the ebbs and flows of his storied career, Bowie made music for the sake of creativity. Making music was what it was all about, putting those creative projects out into the world and not really caring if anyone wanted to listen.
Tyler, The Creator possesses a similar process and mindset. He has the guts to constantly change his persona depending on what project he’s working on, and his focus is on the artistry of it all. Tyler is bold and unafraid, similar to David Bowie in that regard. He’s also constantly working to elevate his genre and scene, no matter where he falls on the charts. It seems that, for both Tyler and Bowie, chart success never mattered. What’s important, overall, is the art.
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