How I Translated a French Song "Amour Plastique" Using AI Translation

Music has always held a special place in my heart. It speaks to me in a way that few other things can. But sometimes, the songs that resonate with me the most are the ones I don’t fully understand — songs in languages I don’t speak.

There’s something undeniably enchanting about being pulled into the melody and emotion of a song when the meaning of the lyrics remains just out of reach, like a puzzle that’s waiting to be solved. One such song that captivated me was Amour Plastique by VIDEOCLUB, a French duo whose nostalgic, dreamy pop took me on an unexpected journey. It wasn’t just a journey of sound, but of understanding, translation, and discovery.

What is "Amour Plastique"?

The first time I heard Amour Plastique, it was late at night, one of those serene moments when the world felt quieter. The gentle synthesizers, combined with Adèle Castillon’s ethereal voice, transported me to another place. I didn’t understand a word of the lyrics, but I could sense the emotions dripping from every note. The wistfulness in the melody made me think of first love, fleeting moments, and nostalgia for something I’d never experienced myself.

This particular song became popular due to the unique combination of its dreamy sound and the emotional resonance it evoked, which aligned perfectly with the aesthetic trends of the internet. "Amour Plastique," performed by Videoclub, captured the imagination of a generation immersed in retro-inspired visuals, introspection, and a love for lo-fi, vintage vibes. The song's success can largely be attributed to its rise on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where users paired its melancholic yet romantic tone with personal, cinematic, or nostalgic video clips.

The title alone piqued my curiosity. Amour Plastique — "Plastic Love" — was it about something fake or fragile? Was it a love story that didn’t last, or maybe something deeper, something bittersweet? I needed to know. But as someone who speaks barely any French beyond “bonjour,” I knew I had to rely on translation tools to uncover the story hidden behind those beautiful lyrics.

Read more: The Top Ten Reasons Why Studying Foreign Languages is More Important Than Ever

A Dive into Translation: MachineTranslation.com vs. Genius.com

To know more about what Amour Plastique really means, I turned to technology. MachineTranslation.com is a tool I’ve used before for quick translations. It might not always be perfect, but it’s fast and gives me a general sense of what’s being said. So, I copied the French lyrics and pasted them into MachineTranslation.com.

Here’s the link for you to explore and see how this tool works:

The results were... intriguing. The translation was simple, even mechanical at times, but it gave me enough to piece together the storyline. The song spoke of a romantic relationship — there was passion, yearning, and a sense of something ephemeral. It was about love, but not the everlasting kind; more like the fleeting, fragile sort that one might remember with fondness but also a touch of regret. The translation output from Amazon (8.5 rating) focuses on clarity and flow, with terms like "everything is rambling" and "the wave of your loving gaze" maintaining a poetic tone.

It simplifies complex expressions while retaining the emotional essence of the original French. However, there are instances of overly literal phrasing, like "I only want your soul wandering on my skin," which slightly disrupts the romantic nuance. ChatGPT (8.4 rating) offers a similar rendition but opts for terms like "everything wanders," which feels less impactful than "rambling." Both translations maintain the melancholic and ethereal quality, though Amazon's is marginally more cohesive.

The Amazon output offers a largely accurate interpretation of the original lyrics, emphasizing emotional depth and smooth phrasing. Lines like "I resonate in kisses along your chest" convey an emotional and heartfelt tone. However, some phrases—like "lost in the avalanche of my lost heart"—lean heavily into abstraction, which could puzzle readers less familiar with poetic language. Meanwhile, elements like "Roméo" and "the tormenting breath" effectively retain the themes of romantic longing and emotional intensity present in the original text.

I consulted one of our in-house French translators, Sylvia, to assess the accuracy of the translations. She pointed out that phrases like "I sound with kisses" and "I am ringing with kisses" don’t quite make sense in English. According to her, a more fitting word choice would be "resonate." Interestingly, the English translation on Genius.com uses the phrase "I resonate on kisses," which aligns closely with MachineTranslation.com's alternatives, "I resonate on kisses" and "I resonate in kisses."

Other than that minor issue, Sylvia said that the ones generated by MachineTranslation.com were accurate. When I asked which was better between the two translations presented here, he stated they were both fine. Both of them presented interesting perspectives on the song that tries to convey the complicated yet relatable experience of young love.

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What’s lost in translation

Translation is always an imperfect art. Like any language, French has idioms and expressions that don’t always transfer seamlessly into English. Take the phrase “Nos corps s’entrelacent”—both translations rendered it as “Our bodies intertwine.” While accurate, the French language carries a certain intimacy and delicacy that’s hard to replicate in English, leaving something subtle but meaningful behind.

These small imperfections in translation serve as a reminder that some emotions are meant to be felt rather than fully understood. One of the joys of listening to music in a foreign language is the freedom it offers—you’re not fixated on dissecting every word. Instead, you experience the emotions directly, unfiltered by linguistic analysis.

For me, Amour Plastique became a bridge to this realization. Tools like MachineTranslation.com provided me with a glimpse into the lyrics, helping me uncover layers of meaning I couldn’t access on my own. While translation tools strive to stay faithful to the original, they can only take us so far. Yet, with every iteration, they’re getting closer, helping us connect with songs that transcend language barriers.

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Conclusion

Exploring Amour Plastique through translation was like peeling back the layers of a beautiful painting. Each translation offered a different perspective, revealing new details and emotions. MachineTranslation.com gave me the outline, the basic framework of the story, while Genius.com added color and depth, bringing the story to life in a way that only a human touch can.

Besides using MachineTranslation.com, try out the many free AI translation tools developed by Tomedes! Whether you’re writing, designing, or working on any creative project, these tools will help you bridge language gaps, discover new ideas, and reach a global audience.

Looking to take your creative projects global? Partner with Tomedes for all your multilingual needs! Our expert translation services and cutting-edge AI tools will help you seamlessly adapt your work for diverse audiences, ensuring your creativity shines across languages and cultures. Whether you're crafting content, music, or art, Tomedes is your trusted ally in bringing your vision to the world.