A pop star, a rascal, and a provocateur, Serge Gainsbourg became well known outside his native France primarily for his shockingly frank take on sex in his music. At home, he achieved megastar status, thanks to his musical genius and artistic credibility. His songs travelled dark alleys of alcoholism, prodded at shifts in pop culture, and ruminated on mortality. Musically, he was a major innovator, moving rapidly from orchestrated chanson to world music, jazz, psychedelia, progressive rock, reggae, synthpop and even rap.