by Laura
At just 22 years old, Irish-French lad Cian Ducrot (pronounced Kee-yan) writes, produces and sings his own songs. TikTok has helped to streamline his fame, and he’s also featured on several Spotify curated playlists. He’s the first Cian that’ll pop up in search (the only Cian that matters) so let’s see why. Disclaimer: no shade to other Cians out there, I’m just very fond of this one.
Who?
Right, so Cian Ducrot was born in Ireland and has been fascinated by music since childhood. He lives in London with his two flatmates and currently shares his day-to-day isolation adventures with fans on TikTok. Part of the Irish Pop scene, Cian produces songs that are honest and vulnerable, heartbreaking and uplifting. Most of his fanbase is in Europe, but I’m hoping to help change that (I’ve been spamming my friends with his singles and EPs).
Cian has total Ryan Mack/ Dodie/ Shawn Mendes/ Ed Sheeran vibes going on with his music. He plays a variety of instruments, including flute, guitar, piano, drums, saxophone and ukulele. His singles carry familiar tunes and sound pretty similar to each other (in a playlist, they sound like they could all be on an album together). He often uses social media platforms to share how he creates his music and, in true Virgo fashion, presents a caring, honest presence.
When?
In February 2016, Cian was featured on a televised episode of The Voice UK. I won’t go into detail about what happened, but he does open up about it in one of his YouTube videos, talking about his experience on the show and his disappointment. Two years later, Cian released his first single and has steadily risen in popularity ever since. When you compare his nervous 2016 stage moment to his current songs, his performance on The Voice UK doesn’t really do him justice and is not representative of his talent. Still, this is when Cian was put on the map, so to speak, and it’s cool to see how he’s grown since then.
“So I live with two girls and…”
I caved at the beginning of quarantine and downloaded TikTok. I thought I might get a few laughs, get bored and delete it; the last thing I thought would happen was finding new music. This is how I discovered Cian.
Cian currently has 545,000 followers on TikTok and posts a variety of witty stories, skits and jokes galore. Many videos feature his popular roommate situation, following weird things he discovers about girls and often poking fun at social inequalities and current issues. His TikToks are great for anyone who can appreciate some good-hearted, self-deprecating jokes and are ready to hardcore relate with this man’s brutal and hilarious honesty. Also, sneak peaks of new songs.
So what’s the lineup?
(To clarify, these songs are in order of release, not preference.)
"anyone but her" (May 2020) - anyone but her is Cian’s newest release. This song resonates with all the current emotions from the ongoing pandemic and is a total bop to listen to. Written about a true story, the song follows a fan who battled with drug addiction, struggled with her family and eventually overdosed. The title and lyrics voice her struggles with self-acceptance and the uplifting choruses symbolize the girl’s efforts towards recovery and a new life. Cian shared this story with his followers to spread messages of community and love. In a TikTok posted after the release of the song, he shared his hopes about his song saying, “never be afraid to be yourself, love yourself no matter what” and he “hopes this song helps” his followers.
"fucked up all the time" (2020) - Ah, my favorite song of this lineup. This is by far the most relatable tune he’s written and speaks to me on some very personal levels. "fucked up all the time" takes a turn from his normal melodies, eliciting a darker attitude in his music. The creation of this comes after Cian drops out of the Royal Academy of Music and is infused with the backlash and loneliness he faced. The key to this song is in the words, which is why the instrumentals are softer in the background for this one; they highlight his pain and sadness in a clear and very raw manner. This song is Cian’s first Vevo music video, which is all kinds of dramatic and heart-wrenching (and appropriately so).
"All That I Know" (2019) - This song is featured often on Cian’s TikTok, with the first line acting as a quick, relatable punch and excellent for meme usage. "All That I Know" is soft, almost whispery, peppered with bursts of louder emotion and gradually builds to a strong and emotive finish. This song speaks to the sad girl in me but is absolutely still danceable.
"21 Seconds" (2019) - This song has strong Mendes vibes, with more heartbreak/romance themes. As always, the chorus is a star in this song. I love the little voice break at 2:44, it makes the message all the more real.
"Midnight In Paris" (2019) - My second favorite bop. The sound effects grab me from the very first few seconds and the snapping featured throughout the song is just too dang good not to vibe to. Again, the blend of vocals and instrumentals is beautiful. Also, he speaks in French in this one (which I am a total sucker for).
"Clothes" (2019) - This one is top three for me. I love the acoustic guitar in this and the chorus is chef kiss. The breathy vocals are killing it here and is by far one of my favorites.
"Aftertaste" (2018) - A classic, his first song features piano, heartbreak, and a strong chorus. Another note of expression comes through his cover art, which has little hidden meanings that become clear during each song, which I haven’t seen before and is fun.
The Takeaway
So now we’re in love, right? Maybe just me. These songs are on repeat for me right now and have been my steadfast quarantine companions. I adore the lofty vocals, the strong choruses, and exciting mashes of musical instruments Cian skillfully produces. His relatability in both his lyrics and his TikToks make his music and messages feel personal for listeners. Be sure to watch out for his upcoming bops because peak Cian time is dawning.