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.