Madonna, Yves Montand, Iggy Pop, Donna Summer... Before Aya Nakamura, they sang Édith Piaf

No, she doesn't regret anything. “Thank you for the support, especially to my community. I have the impression that I introduced you to Édith Piaf and that she was reincarnated in me. The rest, whether they like us or not, is their back (problems),” declares Aya Nakamura on the social network great voices of French song to his audience, often quite young.

According to an article from L'Express published on February 29, Aya Nakamura dined discreetly with Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée on February 19. During this interview, the president reportedly asked the artist: “Which singers or songs from the French repertoire matter to you?” To which she replied that she loved Edith Piaf “very much”. Without confirming that she will cover songs from “Môme” on July 26, the Franco-Malian singer has faced a tidal wave of criticism since this announcement. Long before her, other big names in French song had covered certain titles by the singer of La Vie en rose.

Used in more than 50 films, covered by more than 350 artists according to France Musique, La vie en Rose is one of Edith Piaf's first creations as an author and one of her first successes. In 1950, the African-American jazz singer published his cover. The title will become a great classic.

On June 6, 1964, Yves Montand in turn took over the most famous title from his former partner. Édith Piaf allowed him to launch his career at the time when they had a romantic relationship.

Also read: The secret history of La Vie en rose by Édith Piaf

Composed in 1936 by Raymond Asso with music by Marguerite Monnot, Mon Légionnaire was the success of Édith Piaf. In 1986, Serge Gainsbourg recorded his cover of the title, without modifying anything from the original text and singing: “He loved me all night my legionnaire”. Very ambiguous, this cover concludes his album You're under arrest.

In 2009, the album Thank You Edith brought together covers of Edith Piaf songs by twelve singers and musicians, most of them of American origin. Among them, the rocker Leon Russell, the singer Ann Wilson and the disco queen Donna Summer.

In 2012, Iggy Pop released his album After. In this project, he includes several classics of French song such as La vie en rose by Édith Piaf, La javanaise by Serge Gainsbourg and Les passerantes by Georges Brassens.

Also in 2012, it is not a title but the entire repertoire of Edith Piaf that Patricia Kass appropriates in a tribute album. Released on November 5, 2012, by EMI, the album contains covers of Edith Piaf's greatest hits, such as La vie en rose or La Foule. The album allows Patricia Kass to go on a world tour.

On Saturday November 14, 2015 in Stockholm, the queen of pop sang La Vie en rose in French to pay tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks that occurred the day before. Madonna subsequently included this cult title, known throughout the world, in her setlist and sang it during other concerts.

For her eighth album released on January 20, 2023, Chimène Badi exclusively chose covers of songs performed by Édith Piaf. Faced with the success of her album, in October 2023 the singer published a reissue with eleven new unreleased songs or duets including Les 3 cloches.

Compared to her debut with “La Môme Piaf”, Mireille Mathieu also released her tribute album. The singer, who will celebrate her 60th career in 2025 with a series of concerts at the Olympia, wanted to say once again: “Thank you, Madame Piaf,” she told AFP.

One of Edith Piaf's latest covers is used for the soundtrack of the series The New Look, released in early 2024 on Apple TV. Commissioned from Australian rocker Nick Cave by producer Jack Antonoff for his series set during the Second World War. The music adds covers of Lana Del Rey and Florence and The Machine.