Mylène Jeanne Gautier (; born 12 September 1961), known professionally as Mylène Farmer (), is a French singer and songwriter. Having sold more than 30 million records worldwide, she is among the most successful recording artists of all time in France, where she holds the record for the most number one hit singles, with twenty-one – eight of which were consecutive. Born in Pierrefonds,

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, Canada (a former city now part of the

Montreal borough The city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada is divided into 19 boroughs (in French, ''arrondissements''), each with a mayor and council. Powers The borough council is responsible for: *Fire prevention *Removal of household waste and residual materia ...

of Pierrefonds-Roxboro), to French parents, the family soon relocated to Chaville, near Paris, where Farmer pursued a career in modelling and acting. She later gained prominence as a recording artist with the release of her debut single " Maman a tort" in 1984. In 1988, she released her second studio album, '' Ainsi soit je...'', which sold 1.5 million copies in France. The album spawned Farmer's first number one on the French singles chart, "

Pourvu qu'elles soient douces "" (English: "As Long as They're Soft/Gentle/or Sweet") is a 1988 synthpop song by the Canadian artist Mylène Farmer. Third single from her second studio album '' Ainsi soit je...'', it was released on 12 September 1988. The long music video v ...

". Her third studio album, '' L'autre...'', sold two million copies, becoming Farmer's best-selling album to date. Its lead single, "

Désenchantée "Désenchantée" (; feminine of ''désenchanté'', which is French for "Disenchanted" or "Disappointed") is a song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. The first single from her third studio album '' L'autre...'', it was relea ...

", became Farmer's most successful single, and is often described as her

signature song A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, handwritten or styliz ...

. Departing from the

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

and

Europop Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...

soundscape of her first albums, Farmer reinvented her musical style with the release of her fourth studio album, '' Anamorphosée'', in 1995. Recorded in the United States, the album features more live instrumentation and shows rock and R&B-oriented influences. Her fifth studio album, '' Innamoramento'', was released in 1999, featuring more electronic influences. In the second part of the 2000s, Farmer continued exploring a range of genres on her albums, namely acoustic pop music on '' Avant que l'ombre...'' and

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...

on '' Point de suture''. In 2010, Farmer released her eighth studio album, '' Bleu noir''. The album marked Farmer's return to the dark synth-pop and Europop production of her first albums. The lead single, " Oui mais... non", sold over 130,000 copies in France. In 2015, Farmer's tenth studio album, '' Interstellaires'', debuted at number one in France; the album was preceded by the lead single "Stolen Car", a duet with Sting, which reached the number one position on the French singles chart in September 2015. Her eleventh studio album, '' Désobéissance'', was released in 2018, debuting at number one and selling over 265.000 copies. In addition to her music career, Farmer also worked as a lyricist for French singer

Alizée Alizée Lyonnet ( Jacotey; born 21 August 1984), known professionally as Alizée, is a French pop singer. She is one of the best-selling French female artists of the 21st century, and the singer with the most exports out of France. Her best-k ...

, while also being responsible for her image and public appearances. Her debut single, " Moi... Lolita", co-written by Farmer, reached number one in several countries in Europe, and peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart in February 2002. Farmer made her film debut in 1994, starring in '' Giorgino'', and in 2018, she starred in the English-language horror film '' Ghostland''. Throughout her career, Farmer has broken a number of records. She is the best-selling French singer since 1984, has a record number of diamond records, and she is the only artist to have obtained a diamond album in four consecutive decades. Selling over two million copies, her 2001 greatest hits album '' Les Mots'' is the highest-selling compilation album by a French recording artist.

Biography and career

1961–1983: early years and career beginnings

Having been born in Canada, her family relocated to France when Farmer was eight years old. When she first arrived in France, she took speech classes after her school declared her Québécois accent to be "improper". At the age of 17, Farmer discovered acting and undertook 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 adverts, such as those for

IKEA IKEA ( , ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services. IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...

, Fiskars and Caisse d'Epargne. Farmer also appeared in a local stage production of '' Le père Noël est une ordure''. In 1984, Farmer met Laurent Boutonnat, a young film student, after answering a newspaper advert for an actress for a small film project 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, became the creative force behind Farmer's videos. In 1984, Farmer recorded and released the song " Maman a tort", written by Boutonnat and Jérôme Dahan. The trio continued to work together on what would become Farmer's first studio album.

1984–1992: ''Cendres de lune,'' ''Ainsi soit je...'' and ''L'autre...''

Farmer's debut studio album, '' Cendres de lune'', was released in 1986. During the recording process, it was decided that Farmer would write lyrics and Boutonnat would write music and direct the music videos. " Libertine" was released as the lead single of the album, accompanied by a music video in the style of a

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

, inspired by 19th century literature. In 1988, Boutonnat and Farmer started work on her sophomore album, '' Ainsi soit je...''. The album sold 1.5 million copies in France and spawned Farmer's first number one on the French singles chart, "

". The album also features the songs " Sans contrefaçon" and the Juliette Gréco cover " Déshabillez-moi". ''Ainsi soit je...'' was the best-selling female album of the 1980s in France. Following the positive response to small-scale concerts at the Palais de Sport, Farmer agreed to embark on a 50-date tour throughout

francophone The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...

Europe in 1989. The tour saw Farmer play in arenas and featured dancers and outfits designed by French fashion designer

Thierry Mugler Manfred Thierry Mugler (; 21 December 1948 – 23 January 2022) was a French fashion designer, creative director and creative adviser of Mugler. In the 1970s, Mugler launched his eponymous fashion house; and quickly rose to prominence in the fol ...

. A live album documenting the tour was released at the end of that year, titled '' En Concert''. Farmer released the song "

" in March 1991. An uptempo pop song, "Désenchantée" talks about a disillusioned generation. The song was preceded by a number of demonstrations in Paris, led by high-school students, who were "protest ngagainst overcrowded classrooms, inadequate security and too few teachers". The song ended up spending nine weeks atop the French singles chart, becoming Farmer's most successful single to date and her

. The song was also successful in Belgium, where it spent six weeks at number one, and it was a top ten hit in several European countries. Its accompanying music video, shot in Budapest, sees Farmer play a rebelling prisoner in a

concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...

. Led by the success of "Désenchantée", '' L'autre...'' was released in April 1991. The album spent twenty consecutive weeks on top of the French album charts, becoming Farmer's best-selling studio album to date with two million copies sold. The album also charted in Switzerland, Sweden and Germany. To further promote the album, the singles " Regrets", " Je t'aime mélancolie" and " Beyond My Control" were released. 1992 saw the release of the remix compilation '' Dance Remixes''. It was led by the single " Que mon cœur lâche", which deals with the topic of AIDS and sexual relations. It was accompanied by a video directed by

Luc Besson Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French filmmaker. He directed and produced the films '' Subway'' (1985), '' The Big Blue'' (1988), and '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Associated with the '' Cinéma du look'' film movement, he h ...

, in which Farmer plays an angel sent down to earth by God to report on the changing ways people experience love.

1995–2000: ''Anamorphosée'' and ''Innamoramento''

In 1994, Farmer starred in the film '' Giorgino'', written and directed by Boutonnat. The film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and was a

box-office bomb A box-office bomb is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the combined production budget, marketing, and distribution costs exceed the revenue after release has te ...

. Following this, Farmer relocated to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. While in the U.S., Farmer and Boutonnat started working on her fourth studio album, '' Anamorphosée''. The album marked an artistic turn for Farmer, moving away from her early

music in favour of

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

, R&B and

new jack swing New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Te ...

influences. The album was launched by " XXL", the music video of which was directed by

Marcus Nispel Marcus Nispel (born 26 May 1963) is a German film director and Film producer, producer, best known for several high-profile American remakes such as ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' (2003). He has also di ...

and features Farmer strapped to the front of a moving train. To further promote the album, the singles " L'Instant X", "

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

", " Comme j'ai mal" and " Rêver" were released. The music video for "California" was directed by American filmmaker Abel Ferrara and features Farmer in a dual role. The album differs lyrically from Farmer's previous work: " Rêver" deals with

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

and features a call for tolerance, " XXL" talks about universal love from a

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

perspective, and " L'Instant X" offers a humorous look at the end of the world. In summer 1996, Farmer embarked on her second concert tour, during which she performed 21 shows in arenas around France, Belgium and Switzerland. Inspired by American concert tours, Farmer performed the majority of songs from ''Anamorphosée'', songs from her previous studio albums, and a cover of " La Poupée qui fait non" with French singer Khaled. The corresponding live album, '' Live à Bercy'', was released in May 1997. Farmer released her fifth studio album '' Innamoramento'' in 1999. The album was preceded by " L'Âme-stram-gram", an uptempo techno song with a music video inspired by the film '' A Chinese Ghost Story''. Both the single and the album reached the second position on the French charts. The music video for the second single, " Je te rends ton amour", sparked controversy because of its religious and transgressive imagery, and was censored by French TV channel M6. Consequently, the video was released on VHS, with the profits donated to French charity Sidaction to support

HIV/AIDS research HIV/AIDS research includes all medical research that attempts to prevent, treat, or cure HIV/AIDS, as well as fundamental research about the nature of HIV as an infectious agent and AIDS as the disease caused by HIV. Transmission A body of sc ...

. Furthermore, the singles " Souviens-toi du jour", " Optimistique-moi" and " Innamoramento" were released in promotion of the album. In late 1999, Farmer embarked on her third concert tour, the '' Mylenium Tour''. The stage of the show featured aerial structures and a pharaonic statue at the centre of the stage. Farmer performed 42 shows in total, including three shows in Russia, her first concerts in a non-French-speaking country. The tour concluded in March 2000.

2000–2007: Alizée, ''Les mots'' and ''Avant que l'ombre...''

In 2000, Farmer and Boutonnat started working on songs and video ideas they felt appropriate for a younger singer. They discovered Alizée Jacotey on the French television show ''Graines de stars''. Farmer and Boutonnat wrote and produced Alizée's albums '' Gourmandises'' (2001) and '' Mes courants électriques'' (2003). In addition, Farmer was also responsible for Alizée's image and public appearances. Her debut single, " Moi... Lolita", written by Farmer, reached number one in several countries in Europe, and peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart in February 2002. It also went on to sell more than one million copies in France. In 2005, after two albums and a concert tour, Alizée amicably parted ways with the duo to work with different songwriters and producers. In 2001, Farmer recorded " L'Histoire d'une fée, c'est..." for the animated film '' Rugrats in Paris: The Movie.'' At the end of the year, Universal released Farmer's first greatest hits collection: '' Les Mots.'' ''Les Mots'' was the best-selling album of 2001 and 2002, and remains the best-selling greatest hits album in France with more than 1.5 million copies sold. The album also featured new tracks, including the title track, a duet with British singer

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

, " C'est une belle journée" and " Pardonne-moi". After a hiatus of four years, Farmer held a press conference in 2005, announcing her new album, '' Avant que l'ombre...,'' the single " Fuck Them All", as well as a special 13-night concert engagement at the

Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy Accor Arena (originally known as the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy), also known as Bercy Arena, is an indoor sports arena and List of concert halls, concert hall in the neighbourhood of Bercy, on the Boulevard de Bercy, in the 12th arrondisse ...

in January 2006. The residency in Bercy featured a complex set designed by

Mark Fisher Mark Fisher (11 July 1968 – 13 January 2017), also known under his blogging alias k-punk, was an English writer, music critic, political and cultural theorist, philosopher, and teacher based in the Department of Visual Cultures at Golds ...

, including two stages, a mobile bridge to link the two stages and a water curtain used to project words and the singer's silhouette. A live album and a concert DVD, '' Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy'', were released in December 2006. Following this, Farmer and American electronic musician

Moby Richard Melville Hall (September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "amo ...

worked on the French-language duet version of the singer's song " Slipping Away", with the French lyrics translated by Farmer herself. In 2007, Farmer recorded a song "Devant soi" for the soundtrack of the film '' Jacquou le Croquant'', and worked as a voice actress in

's animated feature '' Arthur and the Minimoys'', lending her voice to Princess Selenia. Farmer would later reprise her role in the film's two sequels.

2008–2014: ''Point de suture'', ''Bleu noir'' and ''Monkey Me''

Farmer's seventh studio album, '' Point de Suture'', was released on 25 August 2008, debuting at number one on the French album chart. Along with its lead single " Dégénération", the album features more electronic instrumentation and is predominately uptempo. Other singles released from the album include " Appelle mon numéro" and " C'est dans l'air", both of which charted at number one on the French singles chart. Following the release of the album, Farmer embarked on her fifth concert tour entitled '' Mylène Farmer en tournée''. The tour saw Farmer play in stadiums for the first time in her career, giving concerts at the

Stade de France Stade de France (, ) is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the List of football stadiums in France, largest stadium i ...

Stade de Genève Stade de Genève (Stadium of Geneva), also called Stade de la Praille, is a stadium in Lancy, Canton of Geneva. It has a capacity of 30,084. Overview The stadium was completed in 2003 by Implenia, Zschokke Construction S.A. after nearly three y ...

and King Baudouin Stadium, as well as a number of arenas in France and Russia. A live album, '' N°5 on Tour'', was released on 7 December 2009, which was followed by a DVD of her Stade de France concerts. Farmer recorded a duet with French

Chanson A (, ; , ) is generally any Lyrics, lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval music, medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of ...

singer Line Renaud entitled "C'est pas l'heure". In November 2010, Farmer recorded her vocals for a cover of " Never Tear Us Apart" with

Ben Harper Benjamin Charles Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and he is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, liv ...

for Australian band

INXS INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as the Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney. The founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, gu ...

's album ''Original Sin''. 2010 also saw the release of Farmer's eighth studio album, '' Bleu noir''. Produced by

RedOne Nadir Khayat (, Latn, ar, Nādir Ḵayyāṭ; born 9 April 1972), also known as RedOne, is a Moroccan-Swedish record producer, record executive, singer and songwriter. He has worked in production for high-profile recording artists including La ...

and British alternative band

Archive An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials, in any medium, or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organ ...

, it entered the French album chart at number one and remained at the top for three consecutive weeks. It was the 9th best-selling album in France in 2010, with more than 300,000 copies sold in only three weeks. " Oui mais... non", the album's lead single was released in October 2010 and went on to become the singer's most successful single since 2002. In promotion of the album, the singles " Bleu Noir" and " Lonely Lisa" were released. Farmer's second greatest hits collection, titled '' 2001.2011,'' was released in late 2011, featuring all singles recorded after 2001's '' Les Mots'', and a new single titled " Du temps''".'' In early 2012, Farmer said that she was recording a new album which was to be released late 2012. The lead single, " À l'ombre" had its radio premiere in October 2012, and the album, '' Monkey Me'' entered the French charts at number one in December 2012.In support of ''Bleu noir'' and ''Monkey Me'', Farmer embarked on the '' Timeless 2013'' concert tour, starting in September 2013. More than 500,000 people in total attended the tour, which visited arenas in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Belarus and Russia. The live album of the tour was released in December, with an eponymous film shot in widescreen during the shows in Lyon.

2015–2021: ''Interstellaires'', ''Désobéissance'' and ''Histoires de''

In 2015, Farmer collaborated with French photographer Sylvie Lancrenon on a

coffee table book A coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and which can serve to inspire conversation o ...

entitled ''Fragile''. Featuring 90 photos of Farmer taken by Lancrenon, the imagery consists of intimate photographs of the singer covered in talc and clay, focusing on the juxtaposition of fragility and powerfulness. In August 2015, a new site was launched, announcing new material from Farmer. The first single to be released was " Stolen Car", a duet with Sting, who originally recorded the song for his 2003 album '' Sacred Love''. The single reached number one on the French and Belgian (Wallonia) singles chart and also marks Farmer's debut on top of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...

chart. Its parent record, '' Interstellaires'', was released on 6 November 2015, becoming Farmer's 12th number one album in France. Farmer collaborated with American producer Martin Kierszenbaum and French DJ The Avener on the album, which also features a cover of "

I Want You to Want Me "I Want You to Want Me" is a song by the American Rock music, rock band Cheap Trick. It is originally from their second album ''In Color (album), In Color'', released in September 1977. It was the first single released from that album, but it ...

", a song by American rock band

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band formed in Rockford, Illinois in 1970 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s pop rock, guitar pop, '70s har ...

. To promote the album and ''Stolen Car'' in the U.S., the singer was interviewed on ''

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of the '' Late Night'' franchise. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon,

'' accompanied by Sting, and the two also performed a live rendition of the song. In 2017, it was announced that Farmer had signed a new record deal with Sony Music Entertainment France. In January 2018, the single "Rolling Stone" was unveiled, making it her first release under her new label. It was followed up by a duet with American singer-songwriter LP, entitled "N’oublie pas". The song was co-written by LP, and the video, set in Iceland, marked the artistic return of Farmer's long-time collaborator, Laurent Boutonnat. Farmer's eleventh studio album, '' Désobéissance'', was released in September 2018. The album was commercially and critically successful, topping the French album chart in its first week, and being described as Farmer's best album in 15 years. To promote the albums ''Interstellaires'' and ''Désobéissance'', Farmer began a nine-date concert residency titled '' Mylène Farmer 2019'' at the

Paris La Défense Arena Paris La Défense Arena is a multipurpose Arena, indoor arena in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris. Opened in October 2017, it was developed by the rugby union club Racing 92, and replaced Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir as their home. It is Li ...

in June 2019. A live album titled '' Live 2019'' was released in October that year. In 2020, Farmer and Boutonnat started working with upcoming French singer Julia. Her album ''Passe... comme tu sais'' was released on 19 June 2020, featuring songs penned by Farmer and produced by Boutonnat. 2020 also saw the premiere of ''Mylène Farmer - L'Ultime Création'', a behind-the-scenes documentary about her 2019 residency concerts. In order to promote the documentary, and a subsequent greatest hits album entitled '' Histoires de'', the new single "L'âme dans l'eau" was announced, along with a music video consisting of footage from the upcoming documentary. A collection of live and studio recordings between 1984 and 2020, ''Histoires de'' debuted at number two on the French charts on 4 December 2020. In 2021, Mylène Farmer became a member of the jury at

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

2022–present: Nevermore tour, ''L'Emprise'', ''Remix XL''

The Nevermore 2023 tour was announced in July 2021 with a series of teasers on Farmer's official YouTube channel. It originally consisted of thirteen stadium concerts scheduled in France, Switzerland, and Belgium in June and July 2023. The tour was also planned to go to Russia in August or September 2023 but those plans were dropped in March 2022. On 13 May 2022, Pascal Nègre, Farmer's manager, announced that she was working on a new studio album along with musicians Woodkid,

AaRON According to the Old Testament of the Bible, Aaron ( or ) was an Israelite prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. Information about Aaron comes exclusively from religious texts, such as the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament ...

, Moby and Archive. The first song from that album, " À tout jamais", was released as a single on 26 August with the music video being released on 12 September. In October, the album's name, " L'Emprise", was revealed via another set of teasers. The album was released on 25 November and reached the top of the album charts in France, Wallonia, and Switzerland. The album was also followed by three other singles: "Rayon Vert" (a duet with AaRon), "Rallumer Les Etoiles" (composed by Moby), and the title track "L'Emprise" (composed by Woodkid). "L'Emprise" is described as a return to the darker instrumentation of her earlier records which incorporates synth-pop, electropop, new wave and

baroque pop Baroque pop (sometimes called baroque rock) is a fusion genre that combines rock music with particular elements of classical music. It emerged in the mid-1960s as artists pursued a majestic, orchestral sound and is identifiable for its appropria ...

influences. The instrumentation features predominately violins, synths and drums. In December 2022, the English rock band

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

released a surprise, bilingual version of " Ghosts (How Can I Move On)" featuring Mylène Farmer singing in duet with

Matthew Bellamy Matthew James Bellamy (born 9 June 1978) is an English singer, songwriter and producer. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and lyricist for the English rock band Muse (band), Muse. He is recognised for his eccentric stage persona, wid ...

. The song received airtime in Great Britain, France, the United States, and other countries. It briefly topped the French singles chart shortly after its release. The title track for "L'Emprise" was used as the soundtrack for the closing credits for the French language release of the film " Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves". Farmer produced a music video for this song that included extracts from the film. The clip debuted at the French premiere of the film in March 2023. Farmer contributed to Moby's " Resound NYC" album by reciting the introduction of Arthur Rimbaud's poem " Une saison en enfer" for the instrumental piece "Hyenas". The album was released 12 May 2023. Nevermore 2023 tour

The Nevermore 2023 stadium tour started in Lille on 3 June. The concerts scheduled for the

on 30 June and 1 July were cancelled hours before the first one was to start due to the Nahel Merzouk riots. The performances were subsequently rescheduled for 27 and 28 September 2024. The lengthy delay was caused by the stadium not being available before then due to the 2024 Summer Olympic games and other events. A third show at the Stade de France on 1 October 2024 was also added to the tour schedule. It is expected that the rescheduled shows will feature the same decor, team members and setlist. '' Remix XL'' was released on 19 April 2024. It contains 20 remixes ranging from the classic songs to recent ones, and features brand new remix version of "

" by the DJ Feder, which was released digitally as the first single of the album in February. The singer also re-recorded her vocals for some of the tracks on the album. On 13 May 2025 Farmer paid a haunting tribute to David Lynch at the Cannes Film Festival, singing the song ‘Confession’, her new song dedicated to the late filmmaker.

Artistry

Farmer's influences include musicians, actors and literary figures. The singer adopted her stage name as an homage to Hollywood actress Frances Farmer, whose character always fascinated her. Other cinematic figures Farmer says she is inspired by include

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

, Michelle Pfeiffer,

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...

, and

Andrei Tarkovsky Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky (, ; 4 April 1932 – 29 December 1986) was a Soviet film director and screenwriter of Russian origin. He is widely considered one of the greatest directors in cinema history. Works by Andrei Tarkovsky, His films e ...

. In addition, she has named

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...

and

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world ...

as musical influences. In turn, Farmer's work has influenced a number of French recording artists, including

Christine and the Queens Rahim Claude Redcar (sometimes shortened to Chris or Redcar; born Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier; 1 June 1988) is a French singer and songwriter, best known under the pseudonym of Christine and the Queens. Born and raised in Nantes, he started ...

, Damso and

Gims Gandhi Alimasi Djuna (born 6 May 1986), known professionally as Maître Gims and more recently just Gims (stylized in all caps), is a Congolese singer, rapper, producer, and songwriter. He grew up in France and currently lives in France and Moro ...

Lyrical influences

Farmer is known for her poetic songwriting, which often features philosophical ideas, symbolism, transgression, religious imagery, alliterations,

double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...

s and neologisms. Common topics of her lyrics include sex, death, religion and love. Farmer's literary influences include

Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet, essayist, translator and art critic. His poems are described as exhibiting mastery of rhythm and rhyme, containing an exoticism inherited from the Romantics ...

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...

, Pierre Reverdy,

Stefan Zweig Stefan Zweig ( ; ; 28 November 1881 – 22 February 1942) was an Austrian writer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most widely translated and popular writers in the world. Zweig was raised in V ...

and

Søren Kierkegaard Søren Aabye Kierkegaard ( , ; ; 5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a Danes, Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical tex ...

Musical style

Musically, Farmer is usually described as a pop and

French pop French pop music is pop music sung in the French language. It is usually performed by singers from France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, or any of the other francophone areas of the world. The target audience is the francophone market (primari ...

artist; nevertheless, she is known for reinventing her style with every album cycle. All her albums between 1984 and 2008 were produced by her collaborator, Laurent Boutonnat. Her first albums, '' Cendres de lune'', '' Ainsi soit je...'' and '' L'autre...'' feature dark

and new wave instrumentation. 1995 saw the release of '' Anamorphosée'', which features more simplistic lyrics and pop rock-influenced music. '' Innamoramento'' and '' Avant que l'ombre...'' are often described as merging acoustic instruments with electronic beats. Farmer then experimented with electronica and club music on 2008's '' Point de suture''. In 2010, Farmer released her first album without Laurent Boutonnat, '' Bleu noir'', featuring songs produced by

and British alternative band

. The album saw Farmer return to the darker synth-pop and

production of her debut album. For 2012's '' Monkey Me'', Farmer collaborated with Boutonnat in the studio one more time. '' Interstellaires'', the singer's tenth studio album shows influences of

and

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

styles, produced by French DJ The Avener and Martin Kierszenbaum. On '' Désobéissance'', Farmer collaborated with French DJ Feder, American singer-songwriter LP and American producer Mike Del Rio, marking a return to

electronic dance music Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and List of electronic dance music festivals, festivals. It is generally ...

. For L'Emprise, Farmer collaborated with Woodkid to produce a "confidant, and very intimate" album which offers a mix of symphonic music, industrial rhythms, and electropop. Moby,

, and Archive also contributed to the album.

Public image

Farmer eschews being part of a cult of personality and prefers to be recognized for her work. She rarely grants interviews, has no official fan club, does not endorse any unofficial fan clubs, and has no public facing social media accounts. In 1988, she was presented the Victoire de la musique award for female performer of the year, but refused to sing at the ceremony due to the behind the scenes infighting that she witnessed while rehearsing for the show. This was her only appearance at this award ceremony. Since then, she has only appeared at ceremonies for which awards are decided by the general public. In November 1991, Laurent Berger, a disturbed man who had been stalking Farmer, entered the Polydor Records headquarters in Paris and held employees at gunpoint demanding to talk to her. After not being granted the singer's address, the man killed the receptionist with a gunshot. It is said that the incident contributed to Farmer's absence in the media. Farmer is regarded as a

gay icon A gay icon is a public figure who is regarded as a cultural icon by members of the LGBTQ community. Such figures usually have a devoted LGBTQ fanbase and act as allies to the LGBTQ community, often through their work, or they have been "openly app ...

. Her status has been attributed to her lyrics, which often feature references to homosexual love and sexuality, and her tomboy image early in her career. She publicly accepted her position as a gay icon in 2008 by saying "We've been following each other for many years, that's important to me. I also think that I share with the gay public, as with other audiences, the feeling of being "different", a feeling that causes difficulty to live in this world." In January 2015, following the Île-de-France attacks, Farmer declared her support for the

Je suis Charlie ; ) is a slogan and logo created by French art director and adopted by supporters of freedom of speech and freedom of the press after the Charlie Hebdo shooting, 7 January 2015 shooting in which twelve people were killed at the offices of t ...

movement. In March 2020, Farmer's management shared her drawing in support of doctors and nurses working in French hospitals amidst the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, and another unpublished drawing of hers was later auctioned to support the purchase of protective equipment for caregivers.

Personal life

Farmer does not discuss her private life in interviews or on social media. When not on stage, she prefers to stay out of the public eye. Farmer met American actor, singer and guitarist Jeff Dahlgren on the set of their 1994 movie '' Giorgino.'' Following the commercial failure of the film, the couple relocated to

. Dahlgren played the guitar on the singer's 1990s albums '' Anamorphosée'' and '' Innamoramento'', and accompanied her on stage during her ''Mylenium Tour''. The couple ended their relationship in 1999. In 2002, Farmer began a relationship with French director and producer . The couple met while creating the animated music video for Farmer's single " C'est une belle journée". Di Sabatino also directed the music video for " L'amour n'est rien..." in 2006 and " Appelle mon numéro" in 2008.

Filmography

Film

Web

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) * '' Monkey Me'' (2012) * '' Interstellaires'' (2015) * '' Désobéissance'' (2018) * '' L'Emprise'' (2022)

Tours

Concert tours * Mylène Farmer en concert (1989) * Tour 1996 (1996) * Mylenium Tour (1999–2000) * Mylène Farmer en tournée (2009) * Timeless (2013) *

Nevermore Nevermore is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1992. The band was formed after three of its members — vocalist Warrel Dane, bassist Jim Sheppard and guitarist Jeff Loomis — ended their prev ...

(2023–2024) Concert residencies * Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy (2006) * Mylène Farmer 2019 (2019)

Awards and nominations

Bibliography

* ''Lisa-Loup et le Conteur'' (2003) – Mylène Farmer – Anne Carrière Ed. – – A tale written and illustrated by Mylène Farmer * ''Avant que l'ombre à Bercy – Paris 2006'' (2006) – Mylène Farmer – Anne Carrière Ed. – * ''Fragile'' (2015) – Mylène Farmer – Anne Carrière Ed. – – Photos by Sylvie Lancrenon

References

Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Farmer, Mylene 1961 births Living people French children's writers French women children's writers French dance musicians French women singer-songwriters French singer-songwriters French women in electronic music People from Pierrefonds-Roxboro Singers from Montreal Writers from Montreal People from Ville-d'Avray Cours Florent alumni French people of Breton descent French women pop singers French rock singers French women rock singers