Name	Sans contrefaçon
Cover	Ss contrefacon cover.jpg
Artist	Mylène Farmer
Album	Ainsi soit je...
Released	16 October 1987 (see release history)
Format	CD maxi, 7" single, 7" maxi, digital download (since 2005)
Recorded	1987, France
Genre	Pop
Length	4:07 (album version) 3:50 (single version)
Label	Polydor
Writer	Lyrics: Mylène Farmer Music: Laurent Boutonnat
Producer	Laurent Boutonnat
Last single	"Tristana"(1987)
This single	"Sans contrefaçon"(1987)
Next single	"Ainsi soit je..."(1988)
Last single	"Pardonne-moi"(2002)
This single	"Sans contrefaçon (J.C.A. remix)"(2003)
Next single	"Je t'aime mélancolie (Felix Da Housecat remix)"(2003)

}}

"Sans contrefaçon" (English: "Without Forgery") is a 1987 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. First single from her second studio album Ainsi soit je..., it was first released on 16 October 1987. It was a great hit in 1987 and is among Farmer's three best-selling singles. It became in France a very popular song throughout the years and was covered by many artists. A remixed version by the DJ J.C.A. was also released on 5 August 2003, as the first single from the compilation RemixeS.

Background and writing

{| class="toccolours" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#e7dcc3; color:black; width:20em; max-width: 18%;" cellspacing="2" | style="text-align: left;" | Puisqu'il faut choisir À mots doux je peux le dire Sans contrefaçon Je suis un garçon... |- | style="text-align: right;" | — Beginning of the refrain |} Composed by Farmer in 1987, the theme of "Sans contrefaçon" was inspired by two songs: "Comme un garçon" by Sylvie Vartan, and "3è Sexe" by the band Indochine. Photographer Elsa Trillat explained that lyrics were written very quickly - from thirty minutes to two hours -, on the edge of a swimming pool, with a dictionary of synonyms. Laurent Boutonnat came the same day in the large Provençal styled villa where both woman were and immediately found music which could accompany lyrics. Farmer decided to change her dress style to match the song theme. She spotted in the French magazine Elle a checkered and striped suit and asked Bertrand Le Page to wear these clothes to illustrate the various formats of the single. These photos were shot in Paris by Elsa Trillat. Finally, the song was chosen to be the lead single from Farmer's second album, Ainsi soit je..., and it title was shourtened, as it would have been entitled "Sans contrefaçon, je suis un garçon".

On an advice by Farmer, Bertrand Le Page made numerous approches to the NRJ radio in the purpose it broadcast the song two times more, that which contributed to its success. The song quickly became a very popular song in France and also one of the singer's best known.

In September 2003, the song was released in a remixed version produced by J.C.A., becoming the first single from the album RemixeS. The song was a huge success in nightclubs, but it did not have great sales due to it being released only as a vinyl record.

Lyrics and music

Chevalier d'Eon is mentioned in the lyrics of "Sans contrefaçon".]] The song's lyrics seem to be autobiographical. Indeed, in interviews, Farmer often explained that when she was younger, a lot of people thought she was a boy because of her androgynous look (she had the short hair). To strengthen even more doubt, she confessed she "put a handkerchief in her trousers", as it is said in the song's lyrics. About the period of her adolescence, Farmer said: "I was half-man, half woman, it was quite strange. I never liked playing with dolls at the dinette... I always preferred boys' games. I was not a tomboy, but a girl missed."

The song mentions the Chevalier d'Eon, a French diplomat, spy and soldier who lived the second half of his life as a woman, that which provides some ambiguity as to the identity search. and contributed to raise Farmer to the statut of gay icon. The music, especially the refrain is "catchy".

Following the success of the song, a website claimed that Farmer was actually a transsexual. Major arguments of this theory were that the photos of the singer's childhood were modified with Photoshop, she did not have children, her childhood was almost never mentioned and there were some inconsistency in her interviews. This rumor was false and the website is now closed.

Music video

Production

The video, a Polydor production, was filmed by Laurent Boutonnat, about one month after the single's release. For the first time, Farmer participated in the writing of the screenplay, along with Boutonnat, and initially wanted the shooting took place in a concentration camp, but this idea was cancelled. This video, with a length of 8:43, was shoot for four days in La Hague, near Cherbourg, France, and cost about 300,000 francs (55,000 euros). It was inspired by The Adventures of Pinocchio, a Carlo Collodi's novel for children, Le Petit Cirque by Dargaud and "Les Saltimbanques", a poem by French poet Guillaume Apollinaire.

's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio (here the 1911 edition by A. Mussino).]]

It features Frédéric Lagache (the puppeter, who also played in the video for "Beyond My Control"), and the Swiss artist Zouc (the woman). Farmer explained that she had greatly appreciated Zouc's shows, which dealt with the strange and sordid themes and the world of childhood. The two women met in the programme Mon Zenith à moi and Farmer absolutely wanted Zouc to play a role in the video for "Sans contrefaçon". The puppet was created by Benoît Lestang who shot the video for "Q.I" in 2005. François Hanss was Boutonnat's assistant (he also directed the videos for "Je te rends ton amour", "Innamoramento", "Dessine-moi un mouton" and "Redonne-moi").

Plot

The video starts with a puppet saying "Dis maman, pourquoi je suis pas un garçon?" ("Say mommy, why am I not a boy?"). Then it shows a man and his puppet (representing Farmer) who are thrown outside, in the rain, by two transvestites. He is chased from the theater in which he played a show entitled "Sans Contrefaçon". He cleans his puppet which is a bit dirty by the mud and starts to walk in a desolate land. Then he meets a troupe of athletes who are members of a circus named "Giorgino Circus." They seem to be sad and their faces are not sympathetic. However, a black dressed woman gives to the puppeteer a little bit of purée that he begins eating. The woman, fascinated by the doll, takes it in her arms. But the other members of the circus grab it from her and throw it from one to the other. Terrified, the woman tries to retrieve the doll and when she succeeds in doing it she runs away with it. The puppeteer follows her and suddenly discovers that his puppet is alive: it turned into Mylène Farmer and the latter is playing with the woman. But when Farmer sees the puppeteer, she becomes afraid and goes away by running. The man pursues her and manages to reach her when she falls on the ground. He raises her, wipes her face clean, kisses her and takes her in his arms. However, after a while, Farmer turns into the puppet again, much to the chagrin of the man who is unhappy, while the circus goes away.

Reception and symbolism

This video was nominated in the category 'Best videoclip' in the 1988 Victoires de la Musique, but did not win. Interviewed in the show Nulle Part Ailleurs, broadcast on 23 November 1987, Farmer said she was surprised by the song success, saying: "I think it's the 7" that the fastest started. (...) The public says "yes" gradually and more and more strongly."

The theme of this video is that of "the alienation: to be prisoner of desires of the other". Indeed, the man, as a possessive mother, has an exclusive love for his puppet. But the arrival of a third party allows it to take life, "to be born from a psychological point of view". Some interpret this video as an allegory of the Pygmalion myth, expressed through the puppeteer and its doll, while others see it as a tribute to Zouc, who disappeared from public life a short time after. According to the biographer Bernard Violet, the final sequence actually gives meaning to the history. He thinks the video is "the most moving films by Boutonnat, a masterpiece of pessimism and misanthropy, because ultimately, all the protagonists lose". The author Erwan Chuberre stated that the Gothic artist Angélique Comet was disturbed "at the emotional level" by the video.

"Sans contrefaçon" is Farmer's sole song to be performed in all her concerts tours - although only included in a medley on the Mylenium Tour. The song is the song that is included the most on the singer's various compilations and live albums. In the 1989 tour, Farmer wears a black and white checked trousers, a cap with the same patterns, and a jacket. First, she performs a choreography moving her hips, then she is joined by all dancers. Dancers come in holding hands and start a choreography during which they mime a street brawl. In the 1999 performance, Farmer wears a black costume composed of a woven trousers open on the upper thighs, a transparent bustier, high shoes with heels, a large necklace and two iron false-buttocks; dancers have the same costume, without the jacket, and perform a collective choreography, the same as for "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" during the 1989 tour. During the 2006 concerts at Bercy, Farmer is dressed with black feathers and had a big hat. The giant screens and the central cross display signs "masculine-feminine" that move in all directions and form somewhat like a hopscotch game. She performs the same collective choreography as on the previous tours. During the 2009 tour, Farmer and her dancers wear a white tutu, pinsripe trousers and a jacket, and perform the choreography together, while the screens in the back show chessmen.

Critical reception

The song was generally well received by critics of contemporary music. For example, Music Foto declared that "Mylène hits just and strong once more (and more). (...) From the first half second of listening, the chorus (...) is in the head." Rock News said "it's delicious and enchanting". Graffiti praised the song, saying "[it] is divinely subversive and imperiously dancing" is "a piece with an unstoppable melody". Pascal Bussy, from French magazine Compact, awarded three stars to the CD maxi and added: "Without shame, [Farmer] may be to attack the UK charts."

The single appared on the French charts for 22 weeks, from 5 December 1987 to 30 April 1988. It debuted at number 21, reached the top ten four weeks later and remained inside for a total of ten weeks. On 20 February, it peaked at number two for a sole week, being unable to dislodge Sabrina Salerno's "Boys (Summertime Love)" which was number one then. It was the Farmer's first top five hit, and her third top ten hit. "Sans contrefaçon" is the third biggest hit of the singer, behind "Désenchantée" and "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces".

In 1990, the song also featured on the German Singles Chart where it reached number 46 and remained on the chart for twelve weeks.

Cover versions and soundtrack use

The song was covered by many artists including Patricia in 1998, with a dance version entitled "Listen to Your Heart" and recorded in English, Lorie in 2003 as second track on her single "À 20 ans", French rock band Armens in 2003 for their live album Sans contrefaçon - Le Live (track 1, 3:24) and released as a single, Mr Popicide in 2003, many contestants of the show Star Academy, including Anne-Laure Sitbon (2003), Élodie Frégé (2004), and Giovanni (2003, Belgian Star Academy)(these versions were not released as a single, but were only performed on TV), In recent year, Korean girl band, Girl's Generation, covered the song with different title, Gee, and went on to hit number one chart in both Korea and Japan.

"Sans contrefaçon" features on the soundtrack of the 1996 French film Pédale douce, produced by Gabriel Aghion, as first track. The song is played at the beginning of the film and on the final credits. In one of the editions of Trivial Pursuit, there is a question which asks: "In the song "Sans contrefaçon", what does Mylène Farmer claim?", the answer is "Je suis un garçon" ("I'm a boy").

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of single releases of "Sans contrefaçon":

7" single - France, Canada

7" maxi

CD maxi - Europe / CD maxi - Promo - Europe

Digital download (since 2005)

7" single / 7" maxi / CD promo

Release history

References

Notes

External links

Mylène Farmer — "Sans contrefaçon" All about the song, on Mylène.net

Category:1987 singles Category:2003 singles Category:Mylène Farmer songs Category:Songs with lyrics by Mylène Farmer Category:Songs with music by Laurent Boutonnat Category:Music videos directed by Laurent Boutonnat

Name	Mylène Farmer
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Mylène Jeanne Gautier
Born	September 12, 1961
Origin	France
Citizenship	French
Genre	Pop, rock, electronica
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, actress
Years active	1984–present
Label	Polydor Records
Associated acts	Moby, Seal, Archive, Alizée, Jean-Louis Murat}}

Mylène Farmer born Mylène Jeanne Gautier (born 12 September 1961) is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author. She has sold more than 25 million records and is among the most successful recording artists of all time in France. She holds the record for the most number one hits in the French charts, with ten so far.

Early years

Farmer was born in Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada. Her parents moved from France in the late 1950s as Farmer's father, Max, pursued an engineering contract on a dam. Her family returned to France when she was eight, settling in the Parisian suburb of Ville d'Avray. In her teenage years, Farmer was passionate about horse-riding, qualifying as a riding instructor at the equestrian centre in Saumur. At the age of 17, however, Farmer discovered acting and she abandoned the stables to take a three-year course at the Cours Florent, a drama school in Paris. Changing her name to Mylène Farmer as a tribute to her idol, 1930s Hollywood actress Frances Farmer, she began to earn a living as a model acting in several TV ads.

In 1984, Farmer met Laurent Boutonnat, a young film student also enrolled in Cours Florent, after replying to a newspaper ad for an actress for a small film he was working on. Farmer and Boutonnat became friends and forged a creative partnership, writing and producing the music. Boutonnat, whose ambition was to become a film director, was the force behind Mylène’s videos.

Farmer gained fame with songs featuring shocking yet poetic lyrics, and explicit music videos: "Maman a tort" was about the love of a young girl for her female hospital nurse. "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" contains hints of sodomy; the video, set in the 18th century, featured a caning. "Libertine" is said to feature the first full frontal nudity appearance by a singer on a major music video. "Que mon cœur lâche" was about love with condoms in the age of AIDS; the video for the song features a scene in which God tells Jesus he will not send him to Earth again because the last time "it was a disaster." The videos for "Beyond My Control" and "Je te rends ton amour" were censored at the time because of their sexual and violent content; later released in a video single, the latter one became the highest selling release of that kind in France.

Her most well-known songs include "Désenchantée", "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces", "Sans contrefaçon", "Libertine", "California", "C'est une belle journée", "Rêver", "XXL" and "Les Mots".

Debut (1984-1989)

Boutonnat and a young songwriter named Jérôme Dahan had written a song, and were auditioning to find a singer to record it. Farmer was eventually chosen and recorded the song, called "Maman a tort" (one of the few songs not to be written by Farmer herself), which was released to good success in March 1984. The video cost the modest sum of 5000 FR but caused a stir in the music world. However, the following single, "On est tous des imbéciles", was met with little praise.

Despite the relative success of her first two singles, Farmer, helped by Boutonnat, started working on her first album. Even if this album was almost entirely written and composed by Boutonnat, it was then that it was decided that Farmer would write the lyrics of her songs and Boutonnat would compose the music and direct the videos. "Libertine", the album's lead single, was released in March 1986 and set the tone for Farmer's musical style. The sensual, romantic lyrics were inspired by 19th-century literature. As for the video, which had a running time of more than 10 minutes, Boutonnat got inspired by the film Barry Lyndon and the novels of the Marquis de Sade, thus giving the video a cinematic style. Farmer, lit by candlelight, is shrouded in mystery and sexual ambiguity, it also was the very first video in which a French female singer appeared full frontal naked. The following single, "Tristana", also met success and the video also had a cinematic approach that impressed the audience. Meanwhile, another single from the album, Plus grandir, also shot in cinematic 35 mm, was released.

In 1988, Boutonnat and Farmer began work on her next album, Ainsi soit je... (a play on the French expression ainsi soit-il, meaning "so be it" or "amen"). This album, infused with a much darker atmosphere, is more sexually ambiguous than her previous one, featuring songs inspired by Mylène’s favourite authors, including the French romantic poet Charles Baudelaire and the American horror writer Edgar Allan Poe. The album sold 1.8 million copies on the back of the Nº2 hit "Sans contrefaçon" as well as the first Nº1 hit of career, "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces". The other singles, "Sans logique" and title song were also hits in France, while the Juliette Gréco cover "Déshabillez-moi" became a fan favourite. Ainsi soit je... is the best-selling female album in France of the 1980s.

In spite of her drama courses, Farmer found it difficult to overcome shyness when in front of an audience. It was only after hesitation that she agreed to make a concert tour in 1989. After singing in a small venue in Saint-Étienne as a test, the singer came to Paris to perform at the Palais des Sports for a week in May. Following the positive response of the audience, she agreed for a full-scale 52-date tour through francophone Europe. A live album documenting the tour was released at the end of the year, titled En Concert, also containing a new song, "A quoi je sers", in which she questions the future of her career. The costumes of the tour were designed by the French designer Thierry Mugler.

It was also during this period that it was noticed that Farmer rarely gives interviews or appears in public, even though she did much more than she does today.

L'Autre... and "Désenchantée" (1990-1992)

By the turn of the decade Farmer was a full-blown superstar in France, but it wasn't until the release of her third album, L'Autre..., and single "Désenchantée" that she became iconic. The album, released on 8 April 1991, displayed a new image to her audience: more mature, more confident, with very short hair and a more defiant attitude (as evidenced in the videos for "Désenchantée" and particularly "Je t'aime mélancolie", in which Farmer plays a professional boxer fighting a male opponent). The music had also evolved in comparison to her previous records. The lyrics now approached a larger scope of subjects such as religion ("Agnus Dei"), politics ("Désenchantée") and press criticism ("Je t'aime mélancolie").

"Désenchantée", the album's lead single, became a phenomenon in French pop music, striking a universal chord with its political lyrics. The song debuted at Nº12 in France and hit Nº1 two weeks later, remaining 9 weeks atop of the chart. At the time, it went on to become the best selling French single of all time (both in country and around the globe), according to Guinness Book of World Records. It also spent 6 weeks at Nº1 in Belgium. The song also made the Top 10 in Canada and the Top 20 in Austria and the Netherlands. It is considered by many to be Farmer's signature-song. "Désenchantée", which was accompanied by an epic video directed by Laurent Boutonnat in which Mylène plays a rebelling prisoner in a facility which resembles a concentration camp or gulag.

Following the phenomenal success of Désenchantée, Farmer released three more very successful singles from the album: "Regrets", a gold-selling Nº3 duet performed with Jean-Louis Murat, "Je t'aime mélancolie" (Nº3) and "Beyond My Control" (Nº8), the latter having a blood-and-sex-charged video that was banned from airplay. The success of the singles helped its parent album sell close to 2 million copies in France alone, having been certified Diamond in 1992. It spent a then-record 20 weeks at the pole position of the French charts, as well as topping the chart in Belgium and making top 10 in Canada. It has become Farmer's best selling studio album.

Prior to the release of the album's third single, on 14 November 1991

Giorgino (1992-1994)

In late 1992 she released the remix album Dance Remixes, a two-disc set containing 14 remixes of the singer's greatest dance hits plus a new song - and also single - called "Que mon cœur lâche". As usual, Farmer did not shy away from controversy; "Que mon cœur lâche", a song dealing with AIDS and sexual relations, is accompanied by a video directed by Luc Besson (the first time in the singer's career that a video wasn't directed by Laurent Boutonnat) in which Farmer plays an angel sent down to earth by God (who refuses to send Jesus again stating that "last time it was a disaster") to save mankind from itself. The imagery in the clip references pop stars, condoms, prostitution, homosexuality and drug use. It had a budget of about € 100 000. The single was also recorded in an English version, which was released under the name "My Soul Is Slashed".

"Que mon cœur lâche" would be the last single released by Farmer in 3 years. In the meantime the singer would star in a movie, as her longtime collaborator had written a script he had wanted to direct for a long time. The result was the ill-fated Giorgino (1994). The film, shot in English, was a huge critical and commercial flop. Budgeted at 80 million Francs, it was seen by only 60 000 people and recovered only 1% of its budget. One of the main reasons for the film's flop was its 3-hour-plus length. According to Farmer herself, the bad reception of Giorgino was particularly hard on Boutonnat, who was directing his first feature film, something he would not do again for 13 years until the release of Jacquou le Croquant in 2007. Following the lukewarm reception of the film, Farmer decided to leave France to take a long break in the USA.

Anamorphosée (1995-1997)

During her time in California, Farmer started to write her fourth studio album, Anamorphosée, before inviting Laurent Boutonnat over there to reconcile after the bitter incidents of 1994 and to start making music together again. Farmer also started listening to rock music during that period; as a result, the album had an American chic-rock sound. The album was launched by "XXL", a rock song with blasting electric guitars, and a video directed by Marcus Nispel featuring Mylène strapped to the front of a moving train. The single became her first to debut at Nº1. Anamorphosée debuted at Nº2 in the album charts and sold half a million copies in 3 months. The album continued to sell well with the release of "L'Instant X", "California" (a jazzy-pop ballad bolstered with bass guitar featuring a highly-acclaimed video directed by Abel Ferrara), "Comme j'ai mal" and "Rêver", which helped the album reach Nº1 in January 1997 – 16 months after its release. The album is the first to contain music written by Farmer ("Tomber 7 fois...").

In summer 1996 Farmer embarked on her second concert tour which met with huge success. The corresponding live album, Live à Bercy, is currently the best-selling French live album ever. During the tour, Farmer sang a Raï version of Michel Polnareff's La Poupée qui fait non with Khaled which was released as a promotional single from the live album and became a Top 10 hit in France.

Innamoramento and Mylènium (1998-2000)

Farmer returned in spring 1999 with her 5th studio album Innamoramento. The lead single "L'Âme-stram-gram" was a futuristic up-tempo techno-ballad with erotic lyrics accompanied by a Chinese-themed video in which Farmer commits suicide to save her twin. Both the single and the album went straight to #2 on the charts.

The video for the second single, "Je te rends ton amour", sparked controversy because of its religious blasphemy being condemned by the Catholic Church and banned by many networks. Despite this, Farmer released a video single, which became the highest selling release of that kind in France.

In late 1999, Farmer embarked on her third concert tour, the Mylenium Tour, which set the record of the highest grossing tour by a non-English speaking artist. The stage of the show featured a huge pharaonic statue at the center of the stage from which she emerged and flew before being carried down by the hand of this very statue. During the tour, Farmer released the album's third and fourth singles: "Souviens-toi du jour" and "Optimistique-moi".

After "Innamoramento", the last single of the album, she recorded "L'Histoire d'une fée, c'est..." for the animated film , and released her third live album and DVD documenting the Mylènium Tour along with "Dessine-moi un mouton", the promotional single for the live CD of the show.

Alizée (2000-2004)

In 2000, Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat had assembled songs and video ideas they felt appropriate for a younger, new star. They began the search for a female singer to break into the French charts - they found Alizée, a contestant on the French television show Graines de stars. Farmer and Boutonnat wrote and produced Alizée's albums Gourmandises and Mes courants électriques. Alizée's biggest hit, "Moi... Lolita" reached the top of the charts and she became the most successful French singer that year. In 2001, Le Figaro announced Farmer as top earning French entertainer of the year thanks, in part, to her writing, recording, and producing credits of Alizée's music, which earned 10.4 million euros.

Alizée's image was crafted by Farmer and Boutonnat; she was allowed a few interviews of no more than 20 minutes and a limited number of promotional appearances. In 2005, after two successful albums and a concert tour, Alizée amicably parted ways with the duo to meet different songwriters and producers.

Les mots (2001-2003)

At the end of 2001, and seventeen years into her career, Universal issued Farmer's first greatest hits collection: Les Mots whose title track and lead single, a duet with Seal, became an enormous hit. The music video of the song was the first one directed by Laurent Boutonnat since "Beyond My Control", and borrowed many influences from art. Les Mots was the Nº1 selling album of 2001 and 2002, and remains the best selling greatest hits album in France with more than 1.5 million sold. The album also featured the new tracks and singles, including Top 10 hits "C'est une belle journée" and "Pardonne-moi".

Avant que l'ombre... (2004-2006)

In December 2004, after a long period of silence, Farmer held a press conference announcing her new album, Avant que l'ombre..., and the single "Fuck Them All" as well as a special 13-night concert engagement at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in January 2006. This era featured no further promotion, and marked a new level of reclusivity for the star, who simply stated : "What I have to say is in my music". She also announced her new series of concerts in Paris-Bercy, a show designed by Mark Fisher. She explained that she could not tour due to the complex sets of the performances of the show, which featured two stages, a mobile bridge to link the two stages and a curtain of words written with water.

The album debuted and spent several weeks at Nº1, selling nearly a million copies and going multi-platinum, although its commercial success is considered inferior to her previous albums because she made little if no effort to promote it. Nonetheless, all five singles became Top 10 hits in France while the single "L'amour n'est rien..." became a very big success in Russia.

As announced in her press conference, she returned to the stage in January 2006 for 13 dates in Paris-Bercy. A live album and concert DVD, Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy were released in December 2006. Within months, the DVD became the best-selling music DVD in France ever.

After her concerts in Bercy, electronic musician Moby invited her to record a duet with her. Choosing "Slipping Away", Farmer translated the lyrics herself to French, and the resulting single became a phenomenal success in French-speaking countries, becoming her 4th Nº1 single in France.

Point de Suture (2007-2010)

In 2007, Farmer's long-time songwriting partner, Laurent Boutonnat, directed his second feature film, Jacquou le Croquant, after a 13-year hiatus from the cinema since Giorgino in 1994. Farmer recorded the theme song of the film, "Devant soi", for the end credits.

In March 2008, Universal France confirmed Farmer would release her seventh studio album near the end of 2008, and embark on her fifth concert tour the following year, including two shows at the Stade de France. The record's lead single, "Dégénération", had a minimal electronic music while its corresponding video marked the singer's return to the scripted videos of the beginning of her career. The song became Farmer's 5th Nº1 single. The album, Point de Suture, released in stores on 25 August, followed suit debuting at Nº1 with over 100 000 copies sold in its first week in France. The electronic-driven album continues in the vein of Farmer's previous work, featuring a mix of ballads and upbeat, synth-driven pop songs. Farmer's next four singles from the album, "Appelle mon numéro", "Si j'avais au moins...", "C'est dans l'air" and "Sextonik", all became Nº1 hits in France, Farmer beating her own record. Farmer then had a record of nine Nº1 hits in France, more than any other artist in French music history. It is also the first time that all five singles from her album became Nº1 hits.

Meanwhile, in 2008 Farmer announced a new protégée in the vein of Alizée: Lisa, Farmer's niece. Her lead single, "Drole de creepie", was released in September 2008, produced and written by Laurent Boutonnat and Farmer. The song accompanied the hit children's series, Growing Up Creepie, and the video depicts Lisa dressed as Creepie Creecher. Unlike Farmer & Boutonnat's previous side-projects, Lisa is marketed primarily to children.

During that period, Farmer also worked on the French version of Luc Besson's animated feature Arthur and the Minimoys, lending her voice to Selenia, the character voiced by Madonna in the international version. The movie was a box-office hit.

Farmer's sold-out tour began in May 2009 in Nice and ended in September 2009 in Brussels, gathering extremely positive response from the critics. She also gave two concerts at the Stade de France, as well as other concerts in Russia, Belgium and Switzerland. The show was designed by Mark Fisher.

A new live album documenting her 2009 tour, entitled N°5 on Tour, was released on 7 December 2009 and hit Nº1 position in the charts becoming double-platinum in its first week of release. A DVD of her Stade de France concerts followed on 12 April 2010, becoming instantly diamond.

Bleu Noir (2010-Present)

In the latter half of 2010, the media reported that Mylène Farmer would work with Line Renaud and Ben Harper in their respective new releases. After thirty years of absence, Renaud released her new album Rue Washington in November 2010, which contains the track "C'est pas l'heure," a duet with Farmer written by Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat. Also in November 2010, Australian band INXS released the album Original Sin as a tribute to the late Michael Hutchence. Farmer covered "Never Tear Us Apart" with Ben Harper in the album, featuring new lyrics in French written by Farmer.

It was announced surprisingly on 27 September 2010 that Farmer would be releasing a new single "Oui mais... non" to lead her next album in a press release by Polydor. The single was released to radio and debuted on Le 6/9 of NRJ on 29 September. Unlike all the previous musical works by Farmer, Laurent Boutonnat was not included in the production or composition of the single. Instead Farmer hired RedOne, known for his work with Lady Gaga to produce and write the music for the single. The single cover depicts Farmer's left profile with the words "Oui mais... non" tattooed on her upper chest. The single was released to digital downloading markets on 11 October and hit Nº1 on the French Digital Chart. One week before the release of the album, the physical CD of "Oui mais...non" was released and helped Farmer garner her 10th Nº1 single in the French Single Chart, yet again breaking her own record. The album title Bleu Noir was officially confirmed on 20 October, and was released on 6 December 2010. The album entered the French Album Chart at Nº1 and the global chart at Nº14.

Filmography

Giorgino (1994 by Laurent Boutonnat) (portrayed Catherine Degrâce)

Arthur et les Minimoys (Arthur and the Invisibles) (2006 by Luc Besson) (French voice of Princess Selenia)

Arthur et la Vengeance de Maltazard (2009 by Luc Besson) (French voice of Princess Selenia)

Arthur et la Guerre des Deux Mondes (2010 by Luc Besson) (French voice of Princess Selenia)

Discography

Cendres de Lune (1986)

Ainsi soit je... (1988)

L'Autre... (1991)

Anamorphosée (1995)

Innamoramento (1999)

Avant que l'ombre... (2005)

Point de suture (2008)

Bleu Noir (2010)

Bibliography

; By Mylène Farmer

Lisa-Loup et le Conteur (2003) - Mylène Farmer - Anne Carrière Ed. - ISBN 2843372216 - A tale written and illustrated by Mylène Farmer

Avant que l'ombre à Bercy - Paris 2006 (2006) - Mylène Farmer - Anne Carrière Ed. - ISBN 2843374332

; About Mylène Farmer

Mylène Farmer (1989) - Patrick Milo - Albin Michel Ed.

Mylène Farmer, Ainsi soit-elle (1990) - Philippe Seguy - Taillandier Ed.

L'album photo Mylène Farmer (1991) - Geda Ed.

Mystérieuse Sylphide (2000) - David Marguet - Idoles de la Pop Ed.

Picture Book Mylène Farmer (2001) - Collectif - Omega Ed.

Mylène Farmer de A à Z (2002) - Florence Rajon - MusicBook Ed.

La part d'ombre (2003) - Caroline Bee, Antoine Bioy & Benjamin Thiry - Archipel Ed.

Au Cœur du Mythe (2003) - Jean-Claude Perrier - Bartillat Ed.

L'Ange Rouge (2003) - Béatrice Nouveau - Michel Lafon Ed.

Le Mystère Mylène Farmer (2003) - Mathias Goudeau - Prélude & Fugue Ed.

L'ange blessé (2004) - Caroline Bee - Librio Musique Ed.

Mylène Farmer, de chair et de sang (2004) - Annie et Bernard Reval - France Empire Ed.

Mylène Farmer (2004) - Bernard Violet - Fayard Ed.

Mylène Farmer (2005) - Fabien Lecœuvre - VadeRetro Ed.

Mylène Farmer & Vous : Le Référentiel (2005) - Maxime Lemen - Ter Prod Ed.

Les Années Sygma (2005) - Sylvain Sennefelder & Maxime Lemen - Tear Prod Ed.

Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer (2006) - Benoît Cachin - Tournon Ed.

Fou de Mylène Farmer, deux années à l'attendre (2006) - Christophe-Ange Papini - K&B; Ed.

Belle de Scène (2006) - Julien Wagner - K&B; Ed.

Dans la peau de Mylène Farmer (2006) - Line Grégory - Michel Lafon Ed.

Mylène Farmer Influences (2006) - Benoît Cachin - Tournon Ed.

Mylène Farmer Phénoménale (2006) - Erwan Chuberre - City Ed.

Mylène Farmer, le culte (2007) - Sophie Khairallah - Why Not Ed.

Le Référentiel Mylène Farmer 2008 (2007) - Renan Cornetto - K&B; Ed.

L'intégrale Mylène Farmer (2007) - Erwan Chuberre - City Ed.

Mylène Farmer, la collection - L'ultime référentiel (2007) - Why Not Ed.

Sainte Mylène, Priez pour Moi ! (2007) - Erwan Chuberre - City Ed.

Mais où est encore passée Mylène Farmer ? (2008) - Bioy/Beuh/Tudor - K&B; Ed.

Amylène analgésique (2008) - Arno Mothra - Komakino Ed.

Mylène Farmer : la libertine (2008) - Thierry Wolf - La Lagune Ed.

Mylène (2008) - Hugues Royer - Flammarion Ed.

Mylène Farmer : des mots sur nos désirs (2009) - Erwan Chuberre - City Ed.

Mylène Farmer : La culture de l'inaccessibilité (2010) - Julien Rigal Premium ed

Farmer has never acknowledged any of the works listed above. "Everything that is said about me is false..." ("Tout ce qui est dit sur moi est faux...")

Companies owned by Farmer

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+List of companies owned by Mylène Farmer born Gautier ! width=""| Name ! width=""| Immatriculation ! width=""| Legal status ! width=""| Activity ! width=""| Headquarters ! width=""| Capital ! Trivia |- | |26 October 1989 |SARL |Sound recording and music publishing |15 Rue de Douai, Paris |200 000 € |Co-directed by Laurent Boutonnat |- | |13 December 1993 |SARL |Sound recording and music publishing |4 Rue de la Paix, Paris |100 000 € |Staffings : 5 (Mylène Gautier, Paul Van Parys...) |- |Innamoramento |12 December 1997 |SARL |Institutional and advertising films production |4 Rue de la Paix, Paris |45 000 € | |- |Dichotomie |29 November 2000 |SARL |Sound recording and music publishing |4 Rue de la Paix, Paris |8000 € | |- |Isiaka |27 February 2002 |SARL |Sound recording and music publishing |15 Rue de Douai, Paris |8000 € |Co-directed by Laurent Boutonnat |- |SCI ML |19 February 2003 |Civil society |Rental of lands and other properties |15 Rue de Douai, Paris |225 000 € |Co-directed by Laurent Boutonnat |}

Unofficial fanclub

The Mylène Farmer-International Fan Club (MFIFC) existed from 1995 to 2001. At its peak, it had over ten thousand subscribers in 37 countries. The club published subscriber-only fanzines, which included interviews with people who personally knew Mylène, including Khaled, Marcus Nispel, Abel Ferrara, H. R. Giger and Paco Rabanne. They also organised a fan tour in which several members attended concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

See also

List of artists who reached number one on the French Singles Chart

External links

Listen to Mylène Farmer's discography

Mylene Farmer's photos, videos, songs (English)

Latin Mylene Farmer (Spanish and French)

Mylene Farmer's Concerts, Tourdates, Bio, Songs, Videos, Lyrics, Awards, Filmograpy, Videography and Discography (English)

Mylene Farmer Fan-Made French website and Forum (English/French)

Mylene Farmer`s Photos archive

Mylene Farmer México (Spanish)

Mylene Farmer Romania (Romanian)

M.F. International: Mylène Farmer & General French Music Forum (English)

References

Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:Mylène Farmer Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:Canadian dance musicians Category:French-language singers Category:French children's writers Category:French dance musicians Category:French female singers Category:French pop singers Category:French singer-songwriters Category:People from Montreal