REVIEW: Charlotte Cardin’s Sophomore Album ’99 Nights’

Charlotte Cardin has been dropping music since 2016. As a former contestant on NBC’s The Voice, this multi-JUNO-winning Canadian singer/songwriter is a natural beauty with a voice that is soft with confident artistry. Continuing to sell out big stages across the globe, she is showing zero signs of slowing down.

“It feels good to finally put the album out. I’ve been holding onto songs that I put so much work into, and I’m ready to share it with people,” she says of her sophomore album 99 Nights, released via Cult Nation/Atlantic Records.

With a new sound that feels unmistakably familiar in the most excellent form, 99 Nights is Charlotte’s route to musical stardom.

One key aspect that sets Charlotte’s music apart is the unique collaboration with a slew of artists from Montreal. From DFA, who is linked with Dua Lipa, to Rob Grimaldi associated with BTS, and even Mr.Hudson, known for his work with Kanye West. The list goes on, showcasing a unique diversity in her creative process.

99 Nights is not just an auditory experience; it’s a physical one, too. Not above using metaphors to highlight her spirit and emotions, in “Daddy’s a Psycho,” she proudly sings that she’s “just out of F#cks to give.” With precision and control, Charlotte sings like a woman caught up in heightened circumstances and is not hesitant to sing about any of it. From each of the twelve featured tracks, you can tell that Charlotte writes from the heart and sings with her soul. Defiant and relatable, 99 Nights provides enough of a center to make Charlotte Cardin someone you need to know right now.

With talent that is clearly undeniable, Cardin manages to give the word music a contemporary definition with 99 Nights and brings with her a whole new depth to her artistic repertoire. Charlotte’s well-oiled machine of a voice nimbly transitions into funk, hip-hop, and house as the LP progresses. Some cool undercurrents of rap and hip hop are featured in “Looping,” a particular favorite of mine with its Lauren Hill vibe, with Barbara Streisand’s “Memories” humming hypnotically in the background. Also featured is the “great rap hope of Montreal” known as Skiifall on her “Enfer” track. 99 Nights confirms that Charlotte is set to raise the creative bar even higher and redefine music norms with incredible anthems like “Jim Carrey” and “Confetti.” 

As her shows continue to play to sold-out crowds and deepen everyone’s appreciation of her music, Charlotte Cardin and her 99 Nights don’t demand attention. They command it.