Frou Frou created an impressive brand of vocal-driven, electronic pop. After the British duo had been collaborating for years without a record deal, the group's debut, Details, was completed for American release on MCA Records in 2002.
Heap and Sigsworth first worked together on Getting Scared from Heap's 1998 solo record, I Megaphone. After completing the promotion for that splendid debut, Heap was ready to begin work on a new project and the two hooked up again as Sigsworth had privately been compiling music specifically for Heap while producing other projects. The first track, conceived by the new, more formal (but as yet unnamed) pairing, eventually turned into Flicks from Details, which is perhaps Frou Frou's most Björk-reminiscent number.
Sigsworth grew up listening to eclectic female artists like Kate Bush, and along with Heap, developed an appreciation for classical music. He has specifically worked with Björk (Homogenic, Vespertine) and Madonna (What It Feels Like For A Girl) among many other significant '90s pop and electronic artists. Far from being the kind of campy moniker one might expect from a more sugary pop outfit, the name Frou Frou was decided upon when Francophile Sigsworth noticed the phrase in a Baudelaire poem. Apparently, when uttered in French, the phrase is meant to approximate the swishing of skirts as they swirl about the legs of comely dancing women, as in a burlesque performance.
Born composers, multi-instrumentalist Heap and studio/sound/producer/musician Sigsworth are credited with many side appearances in support of other artists, especially Sigsworth, who was often used as a bit of a song-fixer. While those aren't bad jobs to have, artists of Frou Frou's caliber need to step out on their own, and while Heap worked as a solo artist for a majority of her career, Sigsworth had never been so strongly identified with any previous project. Instead of relegating the male producer/writer to a barely credited back seat, as often happens with a female-fronted team effort, Frou Frou was conceived and honestly portrayed as a true collaboration, making it significant for its marketing truthfulness if nothing else.
Details has some relatively conventional pop moments like "It's Good to Be in Love", but more experimental cuts like "Only Got One" display a more definitive quality. The true accomplishment of Frou Frou (which is in evidence on just about every track the "band" created) is their uncanny ability to infuse highly manipulated, digitally crafted music with a warmth quite rare in pop and almost unheard of in music so technologically progressive. In the studio, Frou Frou achieved unique sounding beats for Heap's luscious voice via more-than-would-be-expected acoustic and natural instruments. These actual instrumental performances were recorded first, then heavily manipulated in an editing stage, giving the duo their own process and thus, their own sound. This approach made their music lush, dynamic, and more earthy when compared to typical electronic/dance and canned pop.
In November 2017, it was announced that Heap and Sigsworth would be reuniting to tour as Frou Frou in conjunction with an Imogen Heap solo tour in 2018. The duo released a live recording of "Guitar Song" on April 19, 2019. "Guitar Song" is one of two singles not released at the time of the band's initial break-up.
Hear Me Out
Frou Frou Lyrics
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And all I am is holding breath
Just pick up, I know you're there
Can't you hear, I'm not myself
Well go ahead and lie to me
You could say anything
Small talk will be just fine
We owe it to love and it all depends on you
So listen up, the sun hasn't set
I refuse to believe that it's only me feeling
Just hear me out, I'm not over you yet
It's love on the line, can you handle it
So how do I do normal
A smile I fake
A permanent wave of
Cue-cards and fix-it kits
Can't you tell, I'm not myself
I'm a slow-motion accident
Lost in coffee rings and finger prints
I don't want to feel anything
But I do, and it all comes back to you
So listen up, the sun hasn't set
I refuse to believe that it's only me feeling
Just hear me out, I'm not over you yet
It's love on the line, can you handle it
So listen up (Hear me out)
Look at me straight (This time you gotta listen to me)
Just hear me out (This time you gotta listen to me)
Don't make me wait (This time you gotta listen to me)
I'm not myself (This time you gotta listen to me)
I can't take this (This time you gotta listen to me)
Love's on the line
Is that your final answer?
I join the queue on your answer phone
And all I am is holding breath
Just pick up, I know you're there
So listen up, the sun hasn't set
I refuse to believe that it's only me feeling
Just hear me out, I'm not over you yet
It's love on the line, can you handle it
So listen up, the sun hasn't set
I refuse to believe that it's only me feeling
Just hear me out, I'm not over you
It's love on the line, can you handle it
So listen up, the sun hasn't set
I refuse to believe that it's only me feeling
Just hear me out, I'm not over you yet
It's love on the line, can you handle it
The lyrics to "Hear Me Out" by Frou Frou express the feeling of longing for a lost love. The singer is desperate to connect with their former partner, but they are met with silence when they call. They plead for a response, asking their ex-lover to simply "pick up" the phone and acknowledge them. The singer is not their usual self, struggling to cope with the aftermath of the relationship's end.
The chorus of the song is the singer's declaration that they are not over their former lover yet. They are still in love and willing to fight for the relationship. The repetition of "just hear me out" emphasizes the singer's need to be heard and understood by their partner. The lines "I refuse to believe that it's only me feeling" assert that the singer believes their ex-lover may still have feelings for them as well.
In the second verse, the singer describes their attempts to appear normal to the outside world but is unable to hide their true feelings of being lost and broken-hearted. The image of being a "slow-motion accident" emphasizes the feeling of being unable to control the situation of the failed relationship. The singer's final plea "is that your final answer?" leaves the listener with a sense of uncertainty and hope for the future of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I join the queue on your answer phone
I called you and left a message
And all I am is holding breath
I am worried and waiting for your response
Just pick up, I know you're there
Please answer the phone, I know you're available
So listen up, the sun hasn't set
Pay attention, it's not too late in the day yet
I refuse to believe that it's only me feeling
I don't want to accept that I'm the only one feeling this way
Just hear me out, I'm not over you yet
Please listen to me, I still have feelings for you
It's love on the line, can you handle it
Our relationship is at stake, can you deal with it?
Well go ahead and lie to me
You can tell me anything, even if it's not true
You could say anything
I'm open to hearing whatever you have to say
Small talk will be just fine
We don't have to discuss anything important, casual conversation is enough
Your voice is everything
Just hearing your voice is comforting to me
We owe it to love and it all depends on you
Our relationship is important, and its success or failure is up to you
So how do I do normal
How can I act like everything is okay?
A smile I fake
I pretend to be happy when I'm really not
A permanent wave of Cue-cards and fix-it kits
I rely on tricks to get me through the day and deal with my emotions
Can't you tell, I'm not myself
I'm really struggling and it's obvious to everyone
I'm a slow-motion accident
My life is falling apart slowly and painfully
Lost in coffee rings and finger prints
I'm stuck in a cycle of drinking coffee and leaving marks on everything
I don't want to feel anything
I am numb and trying to avoid my emotions
But I do, and it all comes back to you
Despite my efforts, my feelings keep leading me back to you
Look at me straight (This time you gotta listen to me)
Pay attention to me and take me seriously
Don't make me wait (This time you gotta listen to me)
Please don't keep me waiting and wondering
I can't take this (This time you gotta listen to me)
I'm at my limit and need you to understand how I feel
Love's on the line
Our relationship is at stake
Is that your final answer?
Are you sure about your decision regarding our relationship?
Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Brian Peter George Eno, Lee Bennett, Imogen Heap, Guy Sigsworth, IMOGEN JENNIFER HEAP, LEE STEPZ BENNETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind