Violette Wautier (Thai: วิโอเลต วอเทียร์; born October 10, 1993), nicknamed V (Thai: วี), is a Thai singer-songwriter and actress. She made her singing debut with the audition on season 2 of The Voice Thailand in 2013, then started off her career in both singing and acting. She has starred in the films Heart Attack, A Gift, and Die Tomorrow. She has won multiple awards for her acting including the Suphannahong National Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Thailand (2016)
Violette Wautier | |
|---|---|
 Violette in 2022 | |
| Born | October 10, 1993 |
| Citizenship | Thailand |
| Alma mater | Chulalongkorn University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Organization | The Wautier |
| Partners | Jirayu La-ongmanee (2018–present) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels |
|
Wautier is also the most-streamed English language Thai artist. Her track "Smoke" was the number-one song on the Apple charts in multiple Southeast Asian countries. She released her first English album Glitter and Smoke in 2020.
Early life and education
editViolette Wautier was born on October 10, 1993 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.[1] Her father, François Wautier, is Belgian and worked as a software engineer. Her mother, Associate Professor Dr. Ruchira Taprap, was a professor at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang's Department of Agro-Industry.[2] She has one younger brother, Khan.[1]
Wautier grew up in Thailand, as her family moved there from Japan when she was two years old.[1] As a kid, she watched Disney movies and Luc Besson's The Fifth Element, which inspired her to become a storyteller. When she was 14, she authored a fiction novel.[3]
Violette attended Marialai School, remaining there until 2009, before transferring to Debsirinromklao School. She was also an AFS exchange student in Canada. She was then inspired by Taylor Swift to become a songwriter and she started performing at her high school and listened to more English songs.[3][1]
Career
edit2013-2018: The Voice and career beginnings
editViolette first appeared on a music video of the band C-Quint.[4] She then joined season 2 of the singing competition The Voice Thailand in 2013, when she was 19 years old. She auditioned with the song "Leaving On a Jet Plane", and got all four coaches to turn their chairs for her and chose the team of Joey Boy.[5][3] She didn't make it through the Knockout round.[5]
| Round | Song | Original Artist | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blind Audition | "I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane" | John Denver | September 29, 2013 | All four chairs turned; joined Team Joey |
| Battle Round | "คุกเข่า" | Cocktail | November 3, 2013 | Saved by Joey |
| Knockout | "99 Problems" | Jay-Z | November 17, 2013 | Eliminated |
After The Voice, she got her first acting role in the horror film The Swimmers, for which she received harsh criticism for her performance.[5][6] She went on to record more songs for several films and television series, some of which she also acted in. She appeared in productions with studio GTH/GDH, winning the Suphannahong Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Heart Attack (2015) and co-starring in A Gift (2016).[6] In 2017, she also starred in the indie movie Die Tomorrow, which was directed by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit.[7] While acting, she also released the pop single "Gor Kai Mai Me Chan (Just Without Me)" and was also for a time, a radio DJ for Cat Radio.[8] After several years under Universal Music Thailand, she left to become an independent artist and launched her own record label in 2018, The Wautier Record.[5][9]
2018–2019: Success as an independent artist, Endless Love
editIn 2018, Violette released her first English-language single, "Drive". She released it with a music video directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya.[5] She followed up on the success of the hit with a second track named "Smoke" in the same year. "Smoke" went on to break the record for most views for an English song performed by a Thai artist on YouTube with over 90 million views as of August 2024, and making her the most-streamed English language Thai artist in history.[9][10] The single also ranked No. 1 in 8 countries, including Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.[3] That year, she also starred in Club Friday The Series 10: Ruk Rao Mai Tao Garn.[6]
In 2019, Wautier played the lead role in the Thai remake of the Taiwanese drama series Endless Love.[3]
2020–2021: Glitter and Smoke
editFollowed the success of "Smoke" and reunited with Universal Music Thailand after more than a year away from the recording studio, Violette released her long-awaited third single in March 2020. Named after a small town in the south of France, "Brassac" is an alternative pop anthem inspired by Violette's own short-lived summer romance which what she called a "Call Me By Your Name" vibe.[9] Her single "I'd Do it Again", an anthemic electro-pop which reminisces about her past love was set to be the lead single for her debut all-English album Glitter and Smoke, dropped on June 19, 2020.[3] It was an album she co-produced with all nine tracks written by her.[11] Glitter and Smoke was chosen by NME Asia as one of the top 10 albums from Southeast Asian artists for 2020.[12]
Wautier was then seen in the film One for the Road, which won an award at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.[12] On August 19, 2021, she released the music video for her new single "This Time". Earlier that month, she collaborated with Mew Suppasit for the track "Love Hate".[13] She then collaborated with Indonesian electronic music trio Weird Genius for the single "Future Ghost".[14]
2022–present: Your Girl
editOn October 31, 2022, Wautier released her second album "Your Girl".[15] Her first Thai language album, it contained 10 tracks about her experiences with love as she grew up.[16][17] A day later, she released the music video for ‘ระวังเสียใจ (Warning)’.[15] She closed out 2022 as one of Thailand's Top 5 Female Artists on Spotify Wrapped and performed at CentralWorld's New Year's Eve countdown celebration.[18][19]
On June 24, 2023, Wautier staged her first concert, "YOU BETTER LOVE ME".[16][20] On October 11, 2023, she released "Turn Back Time", her collaboration with Filipino singer Zack Tabudlo in which she wrote the second verse.[21][22] A music video was then released that featured them and Thai actor Bright Vachirawit.[21]
In 2024, Wautier performed at the 555 Thai Music Festival, the first-ever all-Thai artists event held in Singapore.[23] In May of that year, she released her comeback single "Dancing on a Graveyard".[24] On August 8, 2024, she released another international single "Favorite Mistake".[25]
Artistry
editInfluences
editTaylor Swift is one of Wautier's first inspirations to become a songwriter.[3] When she was younger, she was influenced by Thai singer Sarunrat Deane.[1] Other songwriting influences include Lana del Rey and Lauv.[3]
Musical style
editVogue Thailand once described her style as "appealing for hipster teenagers".[26]
When writing songs, she focuses on her experiences.[5] She prefers writing in English to cater to an international audience and to express herself better.[9] She has also written songs in her native Thai and French.[8][9]
Personal life
editWautier is a luk khrueng, meaning her parents are of different nationalities.[9] She is Thai-Belgian; her father is Belgian while her mother is Thai.[6][27]
When Wautier was 14, she was diagnosed with scoliosis, which required surgery, and has since been vocal about her experiences with the disease.[9][28] She has also been mocked for her height, as she is 158 cm tall (5 ft 2 inches).[1]
In 2015, Wautier graduated from Chulalongkorn University with a Faculty of Communication Arts degree in Motion Pictures and Still Photography.[3]
Wautier is currently dating Jirayu La-ongmanee, an actor and lead singer of the band Retrospect.[29] They started dating in 2019.[30]
Awards and nominations
edit- Popular Female Thai Pop Singer Award from Siam Dara Stars Awards 2015
- 25th Suphannahong National Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress from Heart Attack[26]
- 6th Thai Film Directors Association Awards for Best Supporting Actress from Heart Attack[26]
- The 13th Kom Chad Luek Awards for Best Supporting Actress from the movie Heart Attack[26]
- Thai Film Awards, 24th Entertainment Critics' Association, Best Supporting Actress category, from the movie Heart Attack[26]
- Nominated for Best Southeast Asian Act at the 2020 MTV EMAs[31]
- Nominated for the Thailand Social Awards 2022 Best Entertainment on Social Media, Female Artist category
- 2023 Tatler Asia's Most Influential[32]
- 2024 Best Female Artist from Guitar Mag Awards[24]
- 2024 Best Drama Song from Guitar Mag Awards[24]
Discography
editAlbum
edit| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Glitter and Smoke[33] |
|
| Your Girl[34] |
|
Singles
editAs lead artist
edit| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | อัลบั้ม | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IW chart | Billboard Thai[35] | |||
| 2015 | "อยากฟัง" (I Want to Listen) | — | * | Non-album singles |
| 2017 | "ก็แค่ไม่มีฉัน" (Just Without Me) | — | ||
| "ไม่เป็นไร...เข้าใจ (Goodbye)" | — | |||
| 2021 | "กักตัว" (Self-Isolate) | — | Your Girl | |
| "ตั้งแต่มีเธอฉันมีความสุข (This Time)" | — | |||
| "ดูดฝุ่น (home)" (ร่วมกับ Morvasu) | — | In a relationship with_ | ||
| 2022 | "จินตนาการ (IMAGINE)" | — | 76 | Your Girl |
| "ระวังเสียใจ (Warning)" | — | — | ||
| International Singles | ||||
| 2018 | "Drive" | — | * | Glitter and Smoke |
| "Smoke" | — | |||
| 2020 | "Monster" | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Brassac" | — | Glitter and Smoke | ||
| "I'd Do It Again" | — | |||
| 2021 | "Future Ghost" (ร่วมกับ Weird Genius) | — | Non-album singles | |
| 2024 | "Dancing on a Graveyard" | |||
| "Favorite Mistake" | ||||
| "—" means that the song is not on the chart / IWChart launched in 2010 / Billboard Thailand Songs launched on February 17, 2022 | ||||
As featured artist
edit| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "รักแรกเจอ" (First Love)
(Joey Boy featuring Violette Wautier) |
No album |
| 2018 | "ดวงจันทร์กลางวัน" (Afternoon)
(Getsunova featuring Violette Wautier) |
NEXTPLORER |
| "เพียงพอ" (Enough)
(Potato featuring Violette Wautier) |
No album | |
| "Let’s Start Tonight"
(KITB featuring Violette Wautier) | ||
| 2019 | "Spirit Bomb"
|
Neon West |
| "Deep Down"
(DABOYWAY featuring Violette Wautier) |
DABOYWAY | |
| 2020 | "SELFMADE"
(URBOYTJ featuring Violette Wautier) |
SELFMADE |
| 2021 | "Drowned"
(babychair featuring Violette Wautier) |
No album |
| "Break U Down"
(DABOYWAY featuring Violette Wautier) |
DABOYWAY | |
| 2023 | "ย้อนแชท(Your Chat)"
(Sarah Salola featuring Violette Wautier) |
No album |
| "Clouds"
(Defying Decay featuring Violette Wautier) | ||
| "Turn Back Time"
(Zack Tabudlo featuring Violette Wautier) |
3rd Time’s A Charm | |
| "AI"
(Slot Machine featuring Violette Wautier) |
No album |
Soundtrack appearances
edit| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | ฝากไว้ | The Swimmers OST |
| 2015 | อยากรู้หัวใจตัวเอง | Ab Ruk Online OST |
| สะดุด | Nang Sao Thong Sroi (2015) OST | |
| หากฉันตาย | Kor Pen Jaosao Suk Krung Hai Cheun Jai OST | |
| Vacation Time | Heart Attack OST (with Apiwat Ueathavornsuk) | |
| 2016 | ยามเย็น | A Gift OST |
| พรปีใหม่ (with Thongchai McIntyre) | ||
| 2017 | จังหวะจะรัก | Heartbeat OST |
| 2018 | The Love I Never Knew (Thai Version) | The Legend of Muay Thai: 9 Satra OST |
| 2020 | Follow Me | Bad Genius: The Series OST (with Paris Intarakomalyasut) |
| 2022 | One Last Cry | F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers OST |
| ถ้าเธอ | One for the Road OST (with Apiwat Ueathavornsuk) | |
| 2023 | ข้ามเวลา (Time Travel) | Love Destiny 2 OST |
Promotional singles
edit| Year | Title | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "จังหวะจะรัก (Heartbeat)" | In collaboration with Central Department Store |
| 2018 | "ปลายทางคือคุณ (Sound of places)" | In collaboration with Thai Airways |
| 2020 | "จังหวะจะรัก (Joyful Holiday Mix)" (ร่วมกับ แสตมป์ อภิวัชร์) | In collaboration with Spicy Disc |
| 2021 | "Taste Your Love" | For NESCAFE Barista |
| "ก่อนรักกลายเป็นเกลียด" (ร่วมกับ มิว ศุภศิษฏ์) | In collaboration with Garena Free Fire | |
| 2022 | "เต้นรำกับปัจจุบัน (This Moment)" | With Shiseido |
| "เป็นเธอ (Brighter Sky)" | With Banpu[36] |
Other songs
edit| Year | Title | Other artists | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "It has to be better than before." | Modern Dog | No album |
| "Delirious" ( Original Paradox ) | Thanapob Leeratanakajorn | ||
| "New Year's Blessing" | Thongchai McIntyre |
Songwriting credits
edit| Year | Song name | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Walk You Home" | Surasee Itthikul | No album |
Music videos
edit| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | หายใจออกก็เหงา หายใจเข้าก็คิดถึง
(Breathe Out and Be Lonely, Breathe In and Be Missing) |
C-Quint |
| 2018 | Drive | Violette Wautier |
| 2019 | Smoke | |
| 2020 | Brassac | |
| I'd Do It Again | ||
| 2021 | กักตัว (Quarantine) | |
| Future Ghost | Weird Genius featuring Violette Wautier | |
| 2023 | Turn Back Time | Zack Tabudlo featuring Violette Wautier |
| 2024 | Dancing on a Graveyard | Violette Wautier |
Filmography
editFilms
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Swimmers | Mint | Supporting role |
| 2015 | Heart Attack | Je | |
| 2016 | Lost in Blue | Pim | Main role |
| A Gift | Pang | ||
| 2017 | Die Tomorrow | Lek | |
| 2021 | One for the Road | Prim | Supporting role |
| 2022 | Faces of Anne | Anne |
Television series
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | O-Negative | Prim | Main role | GMM 25 |
| 2018 | Club Friday The Series 10: Ruk Rao Mai Tao Garn | Jah | ||
| 2019 | Endless Love | Min | ||
| 2021 | Blackout | Mew | AIS Play YouTube channel: Nadao Bangkok |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Panyalertwutthi, Witawat (April 23, 2020). "สัมภาษณ์ วิโอเลต วอเทียร์: ชีวิต ความรัก ดนตรี กับบทเพลงที่ไม่ได้ทำเพื่อเอาใจใคร (Interview with Violet Wautier: Life, Love, Music and Songs That Don't Make Anyone Happy)". thepeople (in Thai). Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ ""วี วิโอเลต" กับ "คุณแม่" เผยความสัมพันธ์ใกล้ชิด แม้มีเส้นทางอาชีพต่างกันสุดขั้ว (V Violet" and "Mother" reveal close relationship despite having very different career paths)". www.sanook.com/music (in Thai). August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Chua, Cristy (July 9, 2020). "Asia Spotlight: Beneath the Glitter and Smoke, Violette Wautier shares her journey from The Voice Thailand to the regional stage". Bandwagon Asia. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "กว่าจะมาเป็น "วี วิโอเลต วอเทียร์" จากเวที The Voice สู่หนัง ฟรีแลนซ์ฯ (Before becoming "Violet Wautier" from The Voice stage to the movie Freelance". www.sanook.com/music (in Thai). September 14, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Rodsom, Sopida (May 23, 2018). "Everybody Loves Violette". Time Out Bangkok. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Chaiyong, Suwitcha (November 4, 2018). "Moving on up". Bangkok Post. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Interview with Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit". timeout.com. November 17, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Sumatchaya, Khwankaew (August 5, 2017). "My space". Bangkok Post/Student Weekly. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g Thaitrakulpanich, Asaree (March 11, 2020). "WHY I SING IN ENGLISH: AN INTERVIEW WITH VIOLETTE WAUTIER". Khaosod English. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ Violette Wautier (October 25, 2018). Violette Wautier - Smoke (Audio). Retrieved August 8, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ ""วี วิโอเลต" ออกอัลบั้มเดี่ยวครั้งแรกในชีวิต "Glitter and Smoke" กับบทเพลงสากลมุ่งโกอินเตอร์". mgronline.com (in Thai). June 20, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ a b "Follow V: ติดตามความดื้อของ วี-วิโอเลต วอเทียร์ บนเส้นทางสายดนตรีและการแสดง". happening and friends (in Thai). Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Abanes, Mariel (August 20, 2021). "Violette Wautier opens up to new love in latest single 'This Time'". NME. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Singh, Surej (September 10, 2021). "Weird Genius and Violette Wautier share emotional new single, 'Future Ghost'". NME. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Ng, Scott (November 3, 2022). "Watch Violette Wautier's video for 'Warning', off her newly released album 'Your Girl'". NME. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "'วิโอเลต วอเทียร์' เส้นทางความสำเร็จในฐานะ Queen of Pop เมืองไทย และคอนเสิร์ต 'YOU BETTER LOVE ME'". VOGUE Thailand. May 5, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "Your Girl โดย วี วิโอเลต วอเทียร์ : อัลบั้มที่เติมพลังให้ผู้ฟังด้วยความรักและการเห็นคุณค่าในตัวเอง". plus.thairath.co.th (in Thai). Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Supateerawanitt, Arpiwach (December 2, 2022). "These are the artists and songs people in Thailand are obsessed with in 2022, according to Spotify". timeout.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "What we know so far about centralwOrld's NYE fireworks and countdown celebration". timeout.com. December 29, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "10 ปี จากจุดเริ่มต้น ถึงคอนเสิร์ตใหญ่ วิโอเลต วอเทียร์ 'YOU BETTER LOVE ME' ที่ทำให้ตกหลุมรักมากกว่าเดิม". workpointTODAY (in Thai). Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ a b "Zack Tabudlo, Violette Wautier, and Bright Vachirawit on 'Turn Back Time': "It was such a magical thing."". Bandwagon Asia. October 19, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Zack Tabudlo and Thai singer Violette Wautier drop collaboration single 'Turn Back Time'". GMA News Online. October 12, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "The organizer of 555 Thai Music Festival unveils details on Singapore's first-ever all-Thai artists event". timeout.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Step into the world of Violette Wautier's newest single "DANCING ON A GRAVEYARD"". Orange Magazine. May 24, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "'วิโอเลต วอเทียร์' ปล่อยซิงเกิลใหม่ 'FAVOURITE MISTAKE' ฉีกลุคเป็นสาวเซ็กซี่ แสนขี้เล่น". workpointTODAY (in Thai). August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Kaewkaew, Tawan (June 12, 2018). "แจ้งเกิดจากรายการเรียลิตี้ สู่การเป็นนักร้อง นักแสดง วี-วิโอเลต วอเทียร์ (From reality show to singer and actress, V-Violet Vautier)". Vogue Thailand (in Thai). Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "วิโอเลต วอเทียร์ น่ารักอย่างที่คิด พูดภาษาอังกฤษเพราะอย่างที่คิด แต่ไม่ได้หวานและบอบบางอย่างที่คิด". THE STANDARD (in Thai). July 11, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
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- ^ "Kao Jirayu Is Reportedly Dating Vee Violette". Thai Update. December 24, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
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- ^ "Agnez Mo, Ben&Ben, Benjamin Kheng, Violette Wautier, K-Clique, and more nominated for Best Southeast Asia Act at the 2020 MTV EMAs". Bandwagon Asia. October 6, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Asia, Tatler. "Violette Wautier". Tatler Asia. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
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- ^ "อันดับ 76 / Imagine / Violette Wautier / August 12, 2024". www.billboardth.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ เรืองโรจน์, อัญชิสา (December 12, 2022). "เบื้องหลัง 'เป็นเธอ (Brighter Sky)' เพลงรักที่เปลี่ยนโลกให้ดีขึ้นได้ด้วยพลังงานสะอาดจาก Banpu". a day magazine (in Thai). Retrieved August 12, 2024.