“L’Emprise” by Mylène Farmer – RFI Musique
He is the best-selling French singer since the 80s. Mylène Farmer releases new album, The effect. And for his tour Never 2023, has already sold over 550,000 tickets, no relation to the artist. Strong and secretive, 61-year-old Mylène Farmer is as fascinating as she is intriguing. But what explains such great longevity?
If there’s one thing everyone agrees on, it’s that Mylène Farmer does great things. And like no one else. For 55-year-old fan Maxime, Mylène Farmer is a French star: “There is only him. In France we have stars, for example Clara Luciani. He is a star, but not a star. It’s very different. Mylène Farmer is unique. Like Madonna in America”.
The special one
The same observation for Lucie, a 21-year-old fan who couldn’t wait to see her favorite singer on stage in Lyon in a few months. “He had 45 semis last round, 90 there! So I’m expecting a lot. I think he’ll drop a bit.“41-year-old Julie also sees her concerts as an event that she talks about excitedly. “Her concerts have a meaning. The first song opens the beginning of the story and the last song closes it! Mylene’s concerts have no encores. The end is the end. Her choreography is so complex, it’s incredible. It’s unique.”.
Another unique phenomenon in France, its music videos. Conceived as real films, they are the longest films in French music. And a fascinating resource for Maxime. “Even the seniors are all very high-end and have mind-blowing budgets. to Tristan Where charming, eg unusual. It’s a neat scene: the costumes, the introduction… And then she’s an actress, she plays like someone else every time.”.
Otherwise, in principle, the same. Her concerts are always spectacular and her hair is always red, as her lyrics are more or less always about the same topics (sexuality, death, love, disappointment). For Benoît Cachin (author Mylène Farmer: on wordsGründ) this constant contributes to its success: “I’m not sure his fans will be ready to see him on the piano. They want Mylène Farmer. Mylène Farmer is a character, a pseudonym. He built a character and never wavered from it. To continue is also to question oneself, to look for new ways to surprise the audience. He also continues because he works hard and his shows are not amateurish.“
Definition of prudence
However, at a time when many artists are exposed on social media, Mylène Farmer is conspicuous by her absence. A power according to Maxim “Milen, it is secret: he is both loved and distant. In each return, he expresses his love and gratitude to his followers… He knows how to create a form of frustration to evoke pleasure in each encounter. Live as in their albums. And he is very secretive about his personal life. For years we didn’t know if she lived with a man, a woman or a chimpanzee! None of them are so discreet.”
This consideration is very important to Lucie. “He keeps us in suspense“ – the young girl loudly explains. “All his fan base wait and see when we go, we know it will be exceptional. It’s a thousand times more fun!“The same observation in the press, where the artist carefully and discreetly selects interviews for the release of his records, books or concerts.
But this legendary reasoning practiced by several artists in France can also be seen as an incredible marketing promotion strategy, doesn’t it tire you in the end?
Unthinkable to Julie “No, it won’t fall! It is shrouded in mystery. We never see him in BHV in pictures on the boat or in the magazines. Unbeknownst to us, and suddenly he released an album! He knows how to wish for himself in his absence.”. A sentiment shared by Maxime”Since we don’t know his life, he can become our fantasy friend. It was as if he was talking to everyone. For people who don’t feel listened to, it’s a confidant, very intimate.”.
So wouldn’t this reasoning be part of the reason Mylène Farmer is still so popular? Benoît Cachin confirms: “Absolutely. Besides, even his most die-hard fans like his low-key side. I’m not sure they’d like it if he did a show like this. Can’t wait for Sunday or opened the doors of his house. When it appears, it is rare. His fans love him and want him to. So much so that on the cover of his latest album, it’s not even him, but a drawn avatar! And his fans like these paradoxes“.
immortal
Finally, to many of her fans, Mylène seems immortal, her face and energy barely touched by time. For Lucie, who has been a fan since she was four: “Whereas other singers seem to mature as they age, you can clearly see that with Mylène Farmer, her voice is changing a bit. She’s not 61. In my mind, she’s immortal, renewing herself as she wishes.“.
Maxim also sees a possible projection there: “How eternal it seems, therefore, it allows its audience to experience this “eternity”, albeit temporarily. I remember Tour 89: the stage for these concerts was held in a cemetery! Mylène Farmer is a bit of a vampire (Laughs). Besides, she definitely had cosmetic surgery for it: it disappears and comes back the same way. And as if he says ‘Coming Back For You’Always.
For Benoît Cachin, this attitude towards immortality in Mylène Farmer is less important than for her fans: “Death thinks a lot about this, just listen to his words The effect to see it! The idea of immortality is a pure fan idea. They buy their seats a year and a half in advance, and hold concerts like a romantic date.”. Captives of Love fans of Mylène Farmer are not done fantasizing about the music of their enigmatic star.
Mylene Farmer The effect (Sony Music) 2022
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