5 books about music to read, from Britney Spears to Patti Smith

by Violaine Schütz.

Published on 6 November 2023. Updated on 11 May 2026.

1. Britney Spears’ scandalous autobiography

Before even making her musical comeback, aside from a duet with Elton John, the 44-year-old superstar narrated her tumultuous story. In her landmark book The Woman in Me, she looks back at defining moments of her career. Mental health issues, abortion, complicated love affairs, dramas, tabloids, slut-shaming, scandals like the “shaved head” era… The singer’s life is full of episodes worthy of being published.

Britney Spears sheds light on her father’s abusive guardianship, a much-discussed topic from which the star finally freed herself in 2021. On her Instagram account, she declared: “I think I’m gonna cry the rest of the day!!!! Best day ever of my life… Praise the Lord.” A press release billed the book as an “incredibly moving story of freedom, glory, motherhood, survival, faith and hope”, written with “candor and humor.” It highlights the “power of music and love, and the importance for women to tell their story in their own words.” Among many other things, we learn how her father, an alcoholic and violent man, belittled her as a child, and how Justin Timberlake broke up with her over a crude text message.

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (2023), published by JC Lattès.

2. Two beautiful books by Patti Smith, including one celebrating Rimbaud

American rock icon and poet Patti Smith never ceases to inspire us. In October 2022, she teamed up with the New York-based musical duo Soundwalk Collective. Together, they created an immersive installation entitled “Evidence” at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Until January 23rd, 2023, visitors embarked on a sonic and metaphysical journey following in the footsteps of three French poets, namely Antonin Artaud, Arthur Rimbaud, and René Daumal. The priestess of punk then published a beautiful edition of Arthur Rimbaud’s work A Season in Hell. This new version is enriched with her writings and drawings. Another publication entitled A Book of Days traces back a whole year in the life of Patti Smith through photographs.

A season in Hell 1873 and other poems — photographs, writings, and drawings by Patti Smith (2023) by Arthur Rimbaud, published by Éditions Gallimard. A Book of Days (2023) by Patti Smith, published by Random House / Éditions Gallimard. 

3. A harrowing collection of interviews with Nick Cave

Although the Australian singer, songwriter, and actor Nick Cave is known for his heart-breaking, soulful songs, he also writes novels and screenplays. Today, his poetic verve flourishes in a collection of transcriptions of more than forty hours of conversation between rocker Nick Cave and journalist Sean O’Hagan. Entitled Faith, Hope and Carnage – one of the most beautiful book titles of 2023 – the work gathers intimate and profound reflections on faith, music, love. It addresses the artist’s grief after the loss of his two sons… With great humanity and sincerity, these thoughts tinged with spirituality almost drive us into a state of mystical contemplation.

Faith, Hope and Carnage (2023) by Nick Cave and Sean O’Hagan, published by Canongate Books (UK) / Farrar, Straus and Giroux (US) / Table Ronde (FR).

4. The French Bible of rock’n’roll 

How do you sum up 60 years of French rock? The task may seem daunting, but journalists Patrice Bardot, Alexis Bernier, and Didier Varrod, alongside a host of various writers, have risen to the challenge with flying colors. Although inevitably subjective, the 300-page book offers an illustrated and comprehensive dive into the electric atmosphere of the “music of the devil.” A sound that was played in bars and concert venues by flagship bands, such as Téléphone, Bérurier Noir, or Mano Negra, but also by underground bands, like Poni Hoax, Bijou, or Jessica 93. The perfect gift for guitars and black leather jackets lovers.

Rock France – 60 years of guitar and electricity (2023) by Patrice Bardot, Alexis Bernier, and Didier Varrod, published by Marabout.

5. A passionate biography about Tricky

British musician Tricky is one of the most creative figures in the music industry from the 1990s and 2000s. Whether he worked by himself, as part of the band Massive Attack, or through his collaborations with Björk, PJ Harvey, and Neneh Cherry, the artist was a pioneer of the famous trip-hop movement. As a great fan of Tricky and of the Bristol scene to which the musician belongs, journalist Florine Delcourt traces back his career. In her book , she gathered a collection of interviews in the context of British society at that time.

Tricky, Anistar Superstar (2023) by Florine Delcourt, published by Playlist Society.

Translation by Emma Naroumbo Armaing.