We may have stated this once or twice before, but we really feel that music is a fantastic tool for language learning. Our goal in sharing non-English musicians with you today is twofold: first, to inspire you with bands and artists whose native tongue isn't English but who make music in it, and second, to present instances of non-English artists who could improve your own language learning journey. You have been forewarned that earworms may be in store.
Rammstein
For us to leave Rammstein off the list of "renowned musicians who don't sing in English" would certainly be a disaster. Since German is their mother tongue, Rammstein has garnered a sizable fan base made up of listeners who either mouth along or have been inspired to learn the language after hearing songs like Sonne and Ich Will.
Sigur Rós
This Icelandic group, which has been performing since 1997, crosses a variety of musical styles, from experimental rock to dream pop. Okay, so maybe learning Icelandic isn't the most popular language to do, but after listening to this band, you might start to wonder why. And if the term Sigur Rós is on your mind, it could be because of Game of Thrones; Joffrey tried to stop them from singing by throwing money at them just before he met his very timely demise in The Lion and the Rose.
Zaz Since 2001, this French singer-songwriter has been delighting us with her lovely voice and words. Similar to Ed Sheeran, Zaz began her singing career by panhandling and is now a global celebrity with a following. Zaz is recognized as having contributed to the transformation of the French music scene.
TFBoys
Despite the unflattering moniker "China's Justin Bieber," this boyband has since 2013 received appreciation from both their fans and China's mainstream media for their upbeat tunes that have developed with the band members. It's difficult to imagine a band that is more morally upright; you are much more likely to read about this Mandarin-speaking group's academic achievements than about any incidents of questionable behavior.
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English song singing
And now it's up to the performers who do that but who aren't themselves natural English speakers.
Of Monsters and Men
This Reykjavik-based band is one of those that frequently contributes to conversations that typically start with "they're not English? How can I tell that they don't genuinely speak English as their first language by the way they sound? The band was on tour to promote their album Beneath the Skin, and their song Little Talks briefly seemed to be featured in every commercial.
Tiffany
Tiffany is a member of Girls' Generation/SNSD, a tremendously well-known South Korean girl group that has been instrumental in the development of K-pop. Tiffany also has a very successful solo singing career, performing in both Korean and English. I Just Wanna Dance, her debut solo album and the lead song from the album, were released in May 2016 to acclaim from her global audience.
Björk
Really, there isn't much else that needs to be said about Björk. This Icelandic performer has a career that has seen her win several international honors as a singer, songwriter, producer, DJ, and actor. Björk is the personification of individuality, and although her English occasionally has a clipped aspect to it, there is no denying that she is comfortable using it both poetically and in conversation.
The Rasmus
The Rasmus first appeared on our MTV screens in 2003 with many different music videos for their song In the Shadows, but at that time, their fifth studio album, Dead Letters, had already been released. It is weird to hear Lauri Ylönen sing in his native Finnish when we are so used to hearing him in English because all of their studio recordings are created in English.
Tove Lo
Another one of those "I can't believe they're not English" musicians is the Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo. Her music is so flawless that it's impossible to tell that English isn't her first language. Since 2006, Tove Lo has been providing us with electropop to fill our clubs, and she doesn't appear to be in danger of losing popularity anytime soon.
So. Although we don't necessarily think that pursuing a career in music in your native tongue is the best way to improve your English, we do hope that the artists above have given you the motivation you need to pick up your language studies again—or at the very least, to find some music that will help you learn! You may contact an English language tutor online (https://livexp.com/skills/english) to improve your language abilities. Your career and ability to work anywhere in the globe can both benefit from learning English.
