At the start of the 2000s, French television already offered numerous telecrochets and musical shows. The goal? Allow young talents to get noticed, thanks to a passage on the small screen. Of course, there were many called and few chosen. But certain candidates were able to convince the jury and delight the public. So, Chimène Badi rose to fame following her appearance in Popstars, on M6, in 2002. And unlike certain stars who have fallen into oblivion, she has managed to establish her success over time. Focus on his journey, from anonymity to recognition.
Childhood and beginnings of Chimène Badi
The singer was born in Melun on October 30, 1982. During her childhood, she grew up with her brother Karim, and her sister Déborah, and her parents of Algerian origin. Nevertheless, her family left Seine-et-Marne when she was only 3 years old, to move to Villeneuve-sur-lot. From the first years of her existence, Chimène Badi was already passionate about singing. But initially, she follows a traditional schooling, before obtaining her BEP, in an MFR establishment. Subsequently, she tries to embark on a professional baccalaureate, in the agri-food sector. This diploma was to allow him to become a hygiene inspector in catering. But quickly, the young girl understands that he doesn’t like this course.
A very present family
So Chimène Badi makes a radical choice: to abandon everything, to concentrate on music. Relentlessly, she trains, and applies for various competitions. She even sends recordings to the Graines de star and Star Academy teams. During this sometimes difficult period, the young artist can count on significant support: her family. Convinced that their daughter has a real talent, her parents encourage her enormously. They even thought of selling their property, to reach the capital, in search of a producer. But ultimately this will not be necessary.
Chimène Badi in Popstars
Indeed, in 2002, Chimène Badi heard about the Popstars program. She then decides to register for a casting, which takes place in Bordeaux. To try her luck, she chooses the song The desire to love, which she performed a cappella in front of the jury. Among the personalities who were there, we can mention:
- Valéry Zeitoun
- Elisabeth Anaïs
- Bruno Vandelli
The vocal performance of Chimène Badi seems to seduce them. Thus, they offer a unique opportunity to the young woman: to join season 2 of the show. She will remain in contention for a few weeks. However, the jurors will not keep it until the end of the adventure. Indeed, Popstars aims to launch a musical group. However, according to the experts of the program, it has a particular voice, and difficult to reconcile with those of the other participants. Despite everything, Popstars will change his life. And once the game is over, the conclusion is not a failure.
His solo career
Even if Chimène Badi did not win telecrochet in 2002, she was able to make a strong impression on Valéry Zeitoun. However, this juror of Popstars manages at the time a musical label, AZ. He will therefore help the girl, because he thinks she has a chance in the music industry. Thanks to this precious boost, she quickly signs with Universal, thus joining the AZ label. Things then follow one another very quickly for the beauty.
Valéry Zeitoun put her in contact with Lara Fabian’s producer, Rick Allison. The latter will then write the lyrics for the title Entre nous. This single was released in January 2003. And success was not long in coming. The song climbed to first place in the Top 50. Chimène Badi will thus sell 250,000 copies. Shortly after, she released the album Entre nous, which ended up certified plantin, with 450,000 recorded sales.
Just launched, the singer then continues with her first real performance on stage, in June 2003. In front of more than 100,000 peopleshe takes on the music festival show on the Champs-Élysées. A few weeks later, she even had the opportunity to sing a duet with Johnny Hallyday, during the big concert he organized at the Stade de France.
Chimène Badi: a confirmed and recognized artist
After this first burst of brilliance, the singer will manage to stay the course. From 2004, she received an award at the NRJ Music Awards, as well as at the Victoires de la Musique. She even has the opportunity to perform in concert with Michel Sardou. On the other hand, she began to get involved in major causes, in particular by participating in the Cœur des femmes album, the profits of which were donated to the Laurette Fugain association.
And we can say that Chimène Badi is not resting on her achievements. So in 2004, she also released her second opus, Tell me that you love me. The title I come from the South, a cover of Michel Sardou’s repertoire, will once again allow him to experience immense commercial success. In parallel, She also makes numerous appearances on the small screen.. Thus, she will have several times the opportunity to sing in duet with the students of the Star Academy.
In total, between 2003 and 2023, Chimène Badi released 8 albums. And among them, we find: 4 platinum discs and one diamond disc. A brilliant track record, which has made her a reference in French song. Moreover, the French and Belgian public has already been able to see her in the jury of The Voice.
Private life
In her youth, Chimene Badi had, according to some bad tongues, extra pounds. Over time, the singer managed to refine her figure. Thus, she gained a lot of self-confidence and ease. In recent years, she has experienced love with a musician. Unfortunately, in January 2023, the artist revealed that they had broken up.