Though she's often best known as the wife of French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, in France, Carla Bruni had already carved out a career as a model and singer before becoming the country's first lady. Her sound owes an obvious debt to female French songstresses of the past—particularly names like Françoise Hardy, France Gall, Jane Birkin, and Chantal Goya—but her musical output has been surprisingly diverse, ranging from classic torch songs to upbeat pop anthems.