Mylène Farmer
Les Mots

I owe a lot to Laurent Boutonnat and Mylène Farmer, and they deserve a place in the history of music regardless of the reviewer’s personal preference towards these two French artists.

Laurent Boutonnat approaches the productions in this review in a transversal manner. He began his career as a director; he shot his first film as a teenager and gradually moved into the world of music videos.
He has a clear vision of what he wants to convey to the audience, using paintings by Géricault, the Seven Years' War, Freud's philosophy, and the eighteenth century full of barbarism and conflicts as sources of inspiration. He overlaps his provocation with historical references, creating short films that have earned him significant recognition as a director.

And then there is Mylène Farmer. A dynamic, deep, high-pitched voice when necessary, a siren. She is an acting student; she also comes from that world, but soon they channel their energies into writing lyrics and music.

All the sensuality of their proposal emerges; on one side is the typical Boutonnat style, which includes rich arrangements that never become distorted. Light acoustic guitars, synths, obsessive rhythms, but also strings that enhance the dramatic atmospheres of Beyond My Control, Innamoramento, Je Te Rends Ton Amour.

Blood and sex, betrayals, and unconditional love, incest. The two tackle and forge themes that provoke discussion and are intertwined in a way that creates edge-of-your-seat life stories set in dark and theatrical atmospheres.

It's a partnership that, with its ups and downs, allows Laurent Boutonnat and Mylène Farmer to release several precious pop works. According to the reviewer, there are three most important episodes:
L'Autre... from 1991, Anamorphosée from 1995, and Innamoramento from 1999.
Albums that are children of their time and, of course, of the life contexts of those who conceived them.

The duo's nineties were peculiar years, which almost led to a breakup due to a bad experience in terms of criticism and credibility (the film Giorgino). They reunited in America due to a series of personal events, and the rediscovered chemistry awarded them—and their sizeable group of admirers—the umpteenth passionate episode, California.

The music video was entrusted to Abel Ferrara (Bad Lieutenant and Snake Eyes are ideal examples of the director's raw, urban style) with co-star Giancarlo Esposito. Sounds stretched in full trip-hop style with that characteristic drumming and those timid piano notes introducing the hazy air of Los Angeles.

Internationally, it was the debut album work they did for Alizée that conquered the radio waves. The sound of the hit Moi... Lolita and other tracks present on Gourmandises is reminiscent of their typical style. Gourmandises is mellow due to the classic guitars and fresh with dance elements that enrich the work. William Orbit is cited as an inspiration for his work on Ray Of Light by Madonna.

The Best Of offers the best of the long collaboration between the two artists, plus new tracks such as C’est Une Belle Journée (similar to Moi... Lolita in some parts but with a darker text alluding to suicide), Pardonne Moi, and Les Mots (a duet with singer Seal).

If you want to immerse yourself in this raw and sugary world, this is the right introduction.