Cristina

Seductive gaze, elegant dress, an irresistible femme fatale aura.

The Cristina phenomenon, the stage name of New York singer Cristina Monet-Palaci, is wrapped in an aura of mystery. After meeting producer and future husband Michael Zilkha in the mid-Seventies, she debuted as a performer for the legendary no wave label ZE Records (Contortions, John Cale, Suicide, Lydia Lunch), releasing the ironic single "Disco Clone," a satire of disco rhythms seasoned with a knowing trivialization of nightclub atmospheres. The track won over August Darnell, a collaborator of James White, who agreed to produce the American singer's self-titled debut (ZE, 1980): amid retro settings and a mutant twist, the album amplifies her sensual charge, immortalizing her on the cover against a striking crimson-purple backdrop.

The author of the pessimistic dance-punk track "Things Fall Apart" (ZE Records, 1982), one of the most underrated Christmas songs in the history of pop rock, Cristina waited four years before releasing her second and final studio album, "Sleep It Off" (ZE Records, 1984), produced by Don Was, who had already worked with Bob Dylan, Elton John, and also Rolling Stones and The B-52's. Was enriches Cristina's musical vocabulary, wedding her thoroughly new wave voice (Cyndi Lauper, Madonna) to a radical deconstruction of aesthetic conventions, something Lizzy Mercier Descloux might have pulled off had she ventured into synth-pop. Worth mentioning is the excellent work of designer Jean-Paul Goude, who created the eighties covers for Jamaican popstar Grace Jones.

The gritty opener "Don't Mutilate My Mink" gives rise to powerful, almost domineering melodies. The new wave of "Quicksand Lovers" stands out for its dreamy synth arrangement, while the cynical synth-funk of "What's A Girl To Do?" ignites debate over women's role in Western society: the track features an incisive drum machine, a full-bodied bassline, and a memorable synth riff that steer clear of the atonalities typical of no wave — so chaotic they end up undermining themselves. The spoken-word attitude of "Rage And Fascination" shows Cristina's ability to move between multiple registers, from abstract nightmares to reality up for sale. Equally notable is the theatrical post-punk of "Ballad Of Immortal Earnings," a duet with Ben Brierley, bassist of London's Vibrators.

Despite attempts at a comeback, the album fails to achieve the success it deserved. Accusations of nepotism within the music industry led the singer to withdraw from the scene: after decades of recording silence, in March 2020 the no wave diva passed away due to complications from Covid-19, leaving an unfillable void among her fans.

In 2023, the aforementioned "What's A Girl to Do?" was featured on the soundtrack of the TV series "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off," finally giving the New York singer's work its due.

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09/05/2026