Toronto-based Francois Klark is a Universal Music Award-winning artist who has opened for Grammy Award winner Jon Bellion, (Eminem and Rihanna’s “Monster” and Justin Bieber’s “Justice” album) and Canadian Pop artist Shawn Desman. After being discovered by Emmy Award-winning choreography icon, Mia Michaels, his music was prominently featured in the Netflix hit film, “Feel The Beat“ leading to his song “Always” being recorded in both Spanish and English by Hollywood Records’ Sofia Carson (Disney’s Descendants). Francois has performed studio sessions and arranged vocals for legendary record labels including Universal Music and Decca Records. He also sang back-up on Canadian Idol and, in the same capacity, shared the stage with R&B icon Ginuwine and Canadian artist Karl Wolf. With over 15,000,000 streams on Spotify alone and an ever-growing global fanbase, the immensely talented artist is gearing up to release his brand new single “Cecilia”, an uplifting feel-good ode to his childhood best friend, on Friday, May 20, 2022.
His debut single “Spaceman” garnered nearly 600,000 Spotify streams, leading to the explosive release of his debut album “Love” – a project considered to have reached considerable success in the mainstream music industry. A lifelong music student both inside and outside of the classroom, Francois focuses heavily on the sonic and audio integrity of his compositions. He has been awarded the Humber College music program’s most prestigious award, the Oscar Peterson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music, and recently signed a licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. With his sophomore album set for release later this year, Francois is truly a musical force to be reckoned with.
About “Cecilia”:Klark’s euphoric coming-of-age single ‘Cecilia’ enthrals with a beautifully crafted blend of slickly addictive pop production and traditional musical tapestries reminiscent of his native South Africa. Cecilia is an exuberantly joyful and uplifting song with vivid storytelling lyrics in which Klark reminisces and celebrates the treasured moments shared with his high school best friend. From walking home from school through the sun-drenched streets of his small hometown, Potchefstroom, to getting caught in the pouring rain on a beach by the Indian Ocean. Combining the invigorating sound of rhythmic guitars and deliberately textured percussion with Klark’s lush vocal and classic glowing harmonies, “Cecilia” paints the warm colours of his fondest high school memories onto a vibrant cinematic canvas. Both strikingly relatable and heartwarming, “Cecilia” is a captivating ode to youth, its formative moments, however momentous or seemingly mundane, and the invaluable lifelong friendships it gives us.
The idea for ¨Cecilia¨ came about as I was getting lost in a box filled with letters and old school film pictures of me and my high school best friend. We’ve been friends since the days of oversized surf T’s, baggy jeans, and Dawson’s Creek mix CDs, so when inspiration came knocking to write a song about the formative moments from our youth together, it seemed like the appropriate way to honour my friend and the friendship we’ve shared for so many years. I had a permanent grin on my face as all the memories slowly came back to life during the writing process, and couldn’t help jumping up and doing a little dance the first time the chorus groove in the production came together. One of my favourite elements in this song is the nod to South Africa in the guitar and background vocal parts towards the end of the tune – guitarist Heather Crawford took us in that direction during our guitar session, which in turn inspired me to lean into that world even further during the background vocal session. I had a blast making this tune – I hope it takes you back to amazing times spent with special people.
“Cecilia” was co-produced with Vancouver artist/producer Sean Wharton aka On Planets (Bitbird) who also played strings on the song along with Heather Crawford (Jessie Reyez) on guitar. “Cecilia” is the third single off of Francois’ upcoming sophomore album “Adventure Book” which can best be described as a wanderlust memoir that journeys through an ever-surprising world of slick pop production that dauntlessly ventures through awe-inspiring symphonic concert halls, cathedrals, and small villages.
Biography:
South African-born, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer, Francois Klark, is a Universal Music Award winner who has shared the stage with such acts as Grammy winner Jon Bellion. He has worked on projects with Universal Music Group/Decca Records, his songs have been recorded by the likes of Hollywood Records artist Sofia Carson, and his music prominently features in Netflix’s film ‘Feel The Beat’. In 2021 Klark also signed a deal with UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP (U-NXT) for his single ´This City’.
From pop anthems doused with provocative hooks, flickering synths, and cinematic soundscapes to delicate piano ballads, Klark contains a world of refreshing and familiar songs with a colossal amount of slickly addictive polish and an undeniable vocal, sharply dressed onto storytelling lyrics.
The launch of Klark’s career is marked by his independently released 2017 debut single ‘Spaceman’ which was followed by his 2018 debut album ‘Love’. He soon garnered tens of millions of streams across digital platforms and his songs appeared on several Spotify editorial playlists and the Viral 50 Singapore and Norway, the American Top 40, and US top 100 Charts. In 2020 his evocative ballad ‘Always’ played a pivotal role in director Elissa Down’s Netflix Film ‘Feel The Beat’ which propelled Francois onto a global stage. Klark has toured across the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, and Spain.
