L'amour n'est rien...

"L'amour n'est rien..."
Single by Mylène Farmer
from the album Avant que l'ombre...
B-side Instrumental (CD single)
Remixes (CD maxi)
Released 27 March 2006
(see: release history)
Format CD single, CD maxi, 12" maxi, digital download
Recorded 2005, France
Genre Pop rock, soft rock, trip hop
Length 5:03 (single version)
3:42 (radio edit)
Label Polydor
Writer(s) Lyrics: Mylène Farmer
Music: Mylène Farmer, Laurent Boutonnat
Producer(s) Laurent Boutonnat
Mylène Farmer singles chronology
"Redonne-moi"
(2006)		 "L'amour n'est rien..."
(2006)		 "Peut-être toi"
(2006)
Avant que l'ombre... track listing
"Ange, parle-moi"
(10)		 "L'amour n'est rien..."
(11)		 "J'attends"
(12)

"L'amour n'est rien..." (English: "Love Is Nothing...") is a 2005 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. The song was released as the fourth single from Farmer's sixth studio album Avant que l'ombre... on 27 March 2006. "L'Amour n'est rien..." was illustrated by a music video which was perhaps one of the simplest in singer's career, and in which she performs a striptease. The song had some success in France, where it reached the top ten, but was especially successful in Russia where it was often aired on the radio.

Background and writing

In the summer of 2005, this song was announced as the third single from Avant que l'ombre..., but "Redonne-moi" was chosen instead. Finally, "L'amour n'est rien..." was aired for the first time in a short version, the radio edit version, on NRJ on 24 January 2006, only three weeks after the release of "Redonne-moi". On 24 March, a remix with R&B sonorities, 'the sexually no remix', produced by The Bionix, was heard on the radio.[1] On 11 April, the promotional CD maxi, then eight days later, the 7" maxi, were successively sent to radio stations.

As opposed to the other singles from Avant que l'ombre..., this song was regularly broadcast in its single version on many French radios such as MFM, Chérie FM and RFM, and also both in its radio edit and remix version on NRJ and Fun Radio.[1]

The single's release was made in two times: first, the CD single on 27 March, then the CD maxi on which the remixes were available, on 7 May.

Lyrics and music

"L'amour n'est rien..." is the only song from Avant que l'ombre... whose music was composed both by Mylène Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat. The music, the most cheerful and lively of the album with "Peut-être toi", was inspired by a free ditty which was also covered by Dorothée in her song "Hou! La Menteuse!". The lyrics seem to be autobiographical: Farmer evokes both her silent temperament and her thirst for sex and love. Unlike other Farmer's songs, "L'amour n'est rien..." is an optimistic song, in which "the singer kindly laughs at herself" and seems to address her critics who accuse her of being too pessimistic in her songs. At the end of the refrain, she answers that "she does not oblige others to adhere to her lifestyle". The song deals with "sex, religion and death", and uses various neologisms.[2] It makes the "apology of a blossomed sexuality".[3]

Music video

Although Farmer is performing a complete striptease, the music video for "L'amour n'est rien..." was not censored on television.

Initially, Farmer did not want to illustrate this song with a video, but eventually accepted to make a few tests in a studio in Paris.[4] The video was directed by Benoît di Sabatino, Farmer's then boyfriend, credited as M. Liberatore. It was first seen on 28 March on an official Universal website especially created for this occasion.[5]

The video shows a smiling Farmer performing a complete striptease. However, she hides her breasts with her hands and only her buttocks are shown for a short time. Therefore, the video was not seen as erotic by the television channels which did not censor it. It sometimes received negative reviews for its lack of innovation. Many people saw in this video a sarcastic response to the photographers who had published a few time before unauthorised photos of Farmer when she was bathing naked on a private beach in the Seychelles.[6]

It was the only time that one of Farmer's music videos was not only available on the singer's videos DVD (Music Videos IV), but also on a CD single.

Promotion and live performances

"L'amour n'est rien" was never sung on television. It was performed on stage during the serie of concerts at Bercy in 2006. At this point, the sails of the stage were hauled to the top and illuminated in pink. Farmer wore a black top which she removed gradually while performing with a suggestive mouvement of the hips.[7]

Chart performances

As Farmer's all singles since "L'Âme-stram-gram", the single entered the French Single Chart in the top ten, at number seven, on 1 April 2006, selling 12,932 units[8] (only CD single was released then). The next four weeks, the single dropped but on 6 May, it climbed from number 33 to number ten with 7,139 sales,[8] as the CD maxi was then released. Thereafter, it fall rather quickly, staying for ten weeks in the top 50 and 18 weeks in the top 100.[9] In April 2006, the SNEP revealed the best-selling singles during the first quarter of 2006 and, despite being released four days before this period ended, the single managed to peak at number 86.[10] Later, in December 2006, the SNEP published the best-selling singles of the first nine months of 2006, and "L'amour n'est rien..." was ranked number 69.[11] The single was finally the 92nd best-selling single in 2006.[12]

In Belgium, the single debuted at number 15 on 8 April and reached a peak of number nine the next week. It fell of the chart (top 40) after 13 weeks.[13] The song peaked at number 59 in the 2006 Belgian singles year-end chart.[14] In Switzerland, the single started at number 52 on 9 May and dropped, but in the sixth week, it climbed from number 90 to a peak at number 47 because of the release of the CD maxi and the vinyl. Then the single dropped again and remained in the top 100 for a total of ten weeks.[15]

"L'amour n'est rien..." had great success on various French airplay charts : it peaked at number 33 both on airplay chart and the television airplay chart. In Russia, the song was much broadcast on radio and, in 2007, was even the most aired song of the year in Russia.[16]

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of single releases of "L'amour n'est rien...":[17]

No. Title Length
1. "L'amour n'est rien..." (single version) 5:03
2. "L'amour n'est rien..." (instrumental) 5:03
No. Title Length
1. "L'amour n'est rien..." (single version) 5:03
2. "L'amour n'est rien..." (the sexually no remix) 3:30
3. "L'amour n'est rien..." (obsessed club mix) 5:47
4. "L'amour n'est rien..." (video) 3:40
No. Title Length
1. "L'amour n'est rien..." (single version) 5:03
2. "L'amour n'est rien..." (the sexually no remix) 3:30
3. "L'amour n'est rien..." (obsessed club mix) 5:47
4. "L'amour n'est rien..." (2006 live version) 5:05
No. Title Length
1. "L'amour n'est rien..." (radio edit) 3:42
No. Title Length
1. "L'amour n'est rien..." (the sexually no remix) 3:30
No. Title Length
1. "L'amour n'est rien..." (obsessed club mix) 5:47
2. "L'amour n'est rien..." (the sexually no remix) 3:30
3. "L'amour n'est rien..." (single version) 5:03
No. Title Length
1. "L'amour n'est rien..." (video) 3:40

Release history

Date[17] Label Region Format Catalog
February 2006 Polydor France, Belgium, Switzerland CD single - Promo 11 043
27 March 2006 CD single 983 849-2
April 2006 7" maxi - Promo 11 135
CD single - Promo —
VHS - Promo —
2 May 2006 CD maxi 983 941-8

Official versions

Version[18] Length Album Remixed by Year Comment
Single / Album version 5:03 Avant que l'ombre... — 2005 See the previous sections
Radio edit 3:40 — Laurent Boutonnat 2006 The musical bridge and a refrain are deleted.
Instrumental 5:03 — Laurent Boutonnat 2006 This instrumental version is the same as the album one, but without lyrics and vocal backgrounds.
The sexually no remix 3:30 — The Bionix 2006 This is a remix with R&B sonorities.
Obsessed club mix 5:47 — Fat Phaze 2006
Music video 3:40 Music Videos IV — 2006
Patrice Strike & Teo Moss remix 5:04 — Patrice Strike and Teo Moss 2006 This version is only available on the promotional MP3 of "Avant que l'ombre...".
Live version
(recorded in 2006)		 4:59 (video)
5:05 (audio)		 Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy — 2006 See Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy (tour)

Credits and personnel

These are the credits and the personnel as they appear on the back of the single:[17][19]

Charts and sales

Peak positions

Chart (2006) Peak
position
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[13] 9
Eurochart Hot 100 25
French Airplay Chart[8] 33
French SNEP Singles Chart[9] 7
Swiss Singles Chart[15] 47

End of year charts

End of year chart (2006) Position
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[14] 59
French Singles Chart[12] 92

Sales

Country Certification Physical sales
France — 60,000[8][20][21]

References

  • Cachin, Benoît (2006). Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer (in French). Tournon. ISBN 2-35144-000-5. 
  • Chuberre, Erwan (2008). Mylène Farmer, phénoménale (in French). City. ISBN 978-2-35288-176-6. 
  • Chuberre, Erwan (18 June 2009). Mylène Farmer : Des mots sur nos désirs (in French). Alphée. ISBN 2-7538-0477-X. 
  • Khairallah, Sophie (2007). Mylène Farmer, le culte - L'envers du décor (in French). Why Not. ISBN 2-916611-25-8. 
  • Royer, Hugues (2008). Mylène, biographie (in French). Spain: Flammarion. ISBN 978-2-35287-139-2. 

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Mylène Farmer - "L'Amour n'est rien..." - Histoire du single" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
  2. ↑ Cachin, 2006, pp. 42-43.
  3. ↑ Khairallah, 2007, p. 141.
  4. ↑ Khairallah, 2007, p. 44.
  5. ↑ Lagrange, Clément. "Mylène Farmer, l'icône". Jukebox (in French) (Devant-soi) 253: 10. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  6. ↑ Chuberre, 2008, pp. 281-82.
  7. ↑ "Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy (2006) - Description du live" (in French). Sans-logique. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Mylène Farmer "L'Amour n'est rien..." - Classements" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  9. 1 2 ""L'amour n'est rien...", French Singles Chart" (in French). Lescharts. Retrieved 17 December 2007.
  10. ↑ "Best selling singles from 01.01.06 to 31.03.06" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
  11. ↑ "Best selling singles from 01.01.06 to 30.09.06" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
  12. 1 2 "2006 French Singles Chart" (in French). Ifop. Archived from the original on December 4, 2007. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
  13. 1 2 ""L'amour n'est rien...", Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 3 January 2007.
  14. 1 2 "2006 Belgian Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
  15. 1 2 ""L'amour n'est rien...", Swiss Singles Chart" (in German). Hitparade. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
  16. ↑ Royer, 2008, p. 346.
  17. 1 2 3 "Mylène Farmer - "L'amour n'est rien..." - Supports" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  18. ↑ "Mylène Farmer - "L'amour n'est rien..." - Versions" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  19. ↑ "Mylène Farmer - "L'amour n'est rien..." - Crédits" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  20. ↑ "2006 best-selling singles in France" (in French). Fanofmusic. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
  21. ↑ Royer, 2008, p. 368.

External links

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