Unpacking Charlotte Cardin's diaristic Polaris-shortlisted album, 99 Nights

Pop singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin's album, 99 Nights, is one of this year's 10 Polaris Music Prize-nominated albums, and CBC Music's Shortlist Shortcut series is back to help music fans learn the key details about the shortlisted record.

Dig into the stories behind the album, the tracks you need to know, and the perfect summer activities to complement your listening.

You can also listen to The Ten radio special on 99 Nights here.

Artist:

Charlotte Cardin.

Album:

99 Nights.

Polaris Music Prize history:

This is Cardin's first time on the short list. Her debut album, Phoenix, landed on the long list in 2021.

Story behind the nominated album:

The title of the album represents the passage of time, as chapters in Cardin's life opened and closed. She wrote the record over the course of a summer, which spans approximately 99 nights. The record is a diary-like glimpse into Cardin's mind as she navigates heartbreak, an existential crisis and a move — Cardin left her hometown of Montreal to settle in Paris — while also looking inward. "It felt good to let the songwriting express certain things that I might not be able to observe myself if I was just talking about them," she told the Globe and Mail of the project. "The DNA of the album is tinted by all the feelings that I was feeling and all the baggage I was carrying that summer, but it's also tinted with a lot of fun, playful, super grounded moments in the studio." 

Tying all of those moments together are infectious melodies, clever hooks and Cardin's soaring voice. There's a tenderness to her turning the page and becoming a more self-actualized person, and by the final song she sounds healed and confident. "It's nostalgic because there's an ending, but it's very hopeful since I'm starting over," she shared in a press release.

Unlike Cardin's first album, Phoenix, she embraced having fun while making the songs, rather than looking at sadder moments in her life. In Range magazine, she explained that she wrote the album in her friend's unfurnished apartment in Montreal, and it was a much more collaborative process — instead of writing songs on piano and guitar first, she said there were more layers in between the first draft of each song and the final product. She also told Cult MTL that the summer of writing 99 Nights was when she could escape reality, adding: "It was therapy for me, this album." 

Notable players:

Cardin previously worked with fellow Montreal singer Lubalin on her first album, Phoenix. The two teamed up again on 99 Nights, with Lubalin co-writing and co-producing a number of songs including "Confetti," "Daddy's a Psycho" and more.

Jason Brando, the founder and president of Cardin's label Cult Nation, also co-wrote and co-produced numerous songs on 99 Nights. Brando was integral to Cardin's track "Jim Carrey," as he shared Carrey's inspirational speeches with her, leading to her penning the song about marrying the actor to break free of her ego. 

Both Lubalin and Brando were nominated for the Jack Richardson producer of the year award and songwriter of the year award at the 2024 Juno Awards for their work with Cardin on the album.

Standout songs:

'Confetti'

A pulsating anthem for introverts who would rather be wallflowers than the centre of attention at the party — that is, if they attend the party at all — "Confetti" is a sharp, addictive track with one of the catchiest hooks Cardin has penned to date. "I feel like a zombie, I'll die at the party/ Yeah, you'll find my body fully covered in confetti," she sings on the chorus, painting a sullen yet glittery image. It's her biggest hit to date, with more than 40 million streams on Spotify.

'Jim Carrey'

A proposal in song form that's one of the most upbeat tracks on 99 Nights, Cardin explores the downsides to ego on "Jim Carrey." "Goodbye my worthless ego," she sings, as she attempts to get outside of her self-importance, after asking the comedian and actor to marry her. Cardin has said that penning the shiny tune is the most fun she's ever had in the studio and that joy of casting vanity aside is evident — the addictive chorus and clever lyrics caught the attention of Carrey himself, who called Cardin to chat about it. "It was the biggest validation I could have ever gotten for the song, because he's the one who inspired it," she told Cult MTL.

'Next to You'

The album's closing track, "Next to You" is a sweeping ballad about heartbreak and finding oneself outside of a relationship: "Now I have to leave, just so I can breathe/ Please don't tell me that you miss me," she sings. The song was co-written with Patrick Watson, and Cardin revealed it took the longest to finish out of all the others. It's also the most personal song on 99 Nights, with soul-bearing lyrics such as "I want it faster, chasing a disaster/ just so I can pick up all the pieces." The time and care taken to shape "Next to You," results in a moving, delicate track that brims with optimism. At the end, there's a soaring moment of catharsis that comes when Cardin realizes that not being with this person is the key to setting herself free.

Recommended if you like:

Gracie Abrams, Birdy, Reneé Rapp.

Summer activity pairing:

With songs that would work perfectly against a backdrop of sky and sea, 99 Nights is the ideal album to play on a solo boat ride or with a group of friends this summer.

Don't miss Shortlist Summer: a season-long showcase of the 10 albums shortlisted for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize. Read the weekly Polaris Shortlist Shortcut feature at cbcmusic.ca/polaris and tune into The Ten radio special every Sunday night at cbc.ca/listen.