Charlotte Cardin has mastered the art of the smolder. Her voice manages to sound smoky, yet smooth, as it hugs the stark beat of her tracks. Her songs carry a distinctive vibe that marries a jazzy delivery with hip-hop aesthetics. It's a combination that's equally haunting and enthralling.

After trading a career in modeling for music, Cardin has been on a tear, appearing on La Voix, the French Canadian version of The Voice, and releasing her debut Big Boy EP over the summer. We chatted with the bilingual chanteuse about her love of '90s pop, her career switch and how instinct leads the way.

Hometown/Homebase: Montreal, Quebec

How would you describe your sound?

My sound is a mix of jazz, electro and R&B, in a pop envelope.

What records did you grow up on?

All Celine Dion records! I also loved NSYNC and other '90s pop bands. Later on, I really got into Radiohead and I'm still obsessed with them.

What inspired your Big Boy EP? 

Relationships and human contact in general inspired the record. Big Boy isn't about someone in particular, rather than about how certain people have made me felt at specific times. I get inspired by my personal experiences, but I also base my stories on things I am told or shown.

You sing in English — is that a conscious decision? 

It's not really a conscious decision. My family is French Canadian, but I was brought up in Montreal, which is a super bilingual environment. I was always surrounded by both French and English. Making music in both languages is therefore a natural instinct rather than a conscious choice.

How would you compare and contrast music and modeling as creative outlets? Have either benefited the other?

Music is a much more creative outlet for me. It has always been. Modeling certainly has its good sides (for example, it has taught me how to feel comfortable in front of a camera, which came in quite handy lately), but has never been a passion or a way of expression for me. I think they can both go hand in hand, but I'm choosing to focus on music simply by preference.

What led to you decision to commit to music full-time?

Being on La Voix and then spending more and more time writing music showed me what my true passion was. It just became clear that nothing called to me as much as music did.

How would you describe the Montreal music scene?

It's very effervescent. You have amazing Québécois singer-songwriters as well as English speaking ones, rock bands, jazz, indie, grunge, just everything. It's so cool and inspiring to be surrounded by a small, yet super active cultural scene.

What's it like to be a creator in Canada?

It's wonderful because you get support from different crowds and the people that follow your career (from what I have experienced so far) stay faithful to the artist.

What's been a recent memorable response to your music? 

I've had people from all over the world send me videos of them dancing to my music. It's always touching to see that your music can inspire other people to create. That artistic cycle is so strong and important and it makes me proud to see that I'm a part of it.

What are your career goals as a musician?

I'd love to play and share my music with people from all over the world. For a shorter-term goal, I also want to learn how to play guitar properly.