Weekend French Playlist #6: Mylène Farmer Edition
Plus: A look at French "chansons."
Happy weekend!
Before moving to France, I had never heard of Mylène Farmer. In fact, I only first learned about her existence when I saw a trailer for a 3-part documentary about her 2019 concerts in Paris on Amazon Prime in 2020.
As it turns out, Farmer is one of the world’s most popular singers that most Americans likely have never heard of. According to Wikipedia, Farmer is the French female singer “who has sold the most records since the 1980s (over 30 million). She is also the artist who has the most No. 1 hits in the Top 50 (21 songs No. 1) as well as in the Top 10 (58 songs).” That includes duets with Sting and Seal.
Born in Quebec in 1961, Farmer is massive in French-speaking countries and across much of Europe. She is also a whole, mysterious vibe. Imagine Celine Dion and Kate Bush and Blader Runner had a French-speaking daughter. That would be Farmer.
To give you an idea, here is the official summary for Part III of her Prime Video documentary:
“This disobedience to myself seems to be a new form of freedom conquered over the years. I surrender because I am no longer afraid of being abandoned.” A week before the first concert, Mylène Farmer is on a wire. You have to find the resources to overcome your own fears. To disobey. Throw yourself into the void to feel again the ecstasy of loving and being loved.”
The documentary goes behind the scenes of the preparations for a series of concerts she gave in 2019 at Paris La Défense Arena. Though they are more spectacles than concerts. The show started with her being lowered onto the stage in a giant glowing ring, which is a thing that people still talk about today.
Farmer tends to vanish and then return with a flourish. Last fall, she released her 12th album, L’Emprise, complete with the standard enigmatic cover.
It’s been a media frenzy ever since. Le Parisien newspaper welcomed her back with a 5-part series on her life. A few weeks ago, the hype kicked up another notch when Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez, co-stars of the new Dungeons and Dragons movie, giddily announced that Farmer would be featured on the soundtrack.
And then this month, Farmer announced her new tour, dubbed “Nevermore.” The poster for the concerts features Farmer’s image being reflected in the eye of a black raven. (As in, “Quoth the raven…)
So, to introduce you to the legend that is Farmer, this week the French Crossroads playlist is a sampler of Farmer’s songs from across her 5-decade career.
Chanson française
A little bonus this weekend: The Local had a nice history of the more classic French music of the 20th century, dubbed, “Chanson française”:
“Chanson singer Charles Aznevour, who had a chart-topping career that stretched right from the 1930s until his death in 2018 - is most commonly credited with the saying that French music prioritises the words over the music, while English-language pop music focuses on the tune over the lyrics.”
The Local’s playlist is a great introduction to the classics:
Enjoy!
Chris O’Brien
Le Pecq