L’EMPRISE (WOODKID / MYLÈNE FARMER)

L’Emprise is a forth track from Mylene Farmer 12th album L’Emprise released November 25 2022.

The clip aired at the Grand Rex during the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor of Thieves premiere March 22, 2023 before the film aired.

The clip was directed by François Hanss who has already directed Rayon Vert from L’Emprise

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L’Emprise is a fourth single from the album L’Emprise after À tout jamais, Rayon vert (avec AaRON) and Rallumer les étoiles. It is the theme song of the film Dungeons and Dragons: Honor of Thieves for about fifteen French-speaking countries. This feature film will be released in cinemas in France on April 12.

After many years in the movie industry, Mylene once again gives us a gift of a soundtrack. And it is a beautiful song composed and produced by Woodkid , according to the world highest standards. It’s perfect for Dungeons and Dragons as it appears to be off the bet. Of course, I personally wish it would be in the movie for all the countries, and the world finally meets Mylene, but it is what it is. But at least L’emprise takes a well deserved place behind the scenes of the newest Hollywood blockbuster.

Mylene looks gorgeous, high class in every respect. She winks to Rolling Stone and L’Horloge in the newest visuals but we are, the fans, are truly happy to see the glimpses into our beloved Mylene more than into any special effects behind her.

Back to 2001, for the first time Mylene Farmer participated in the creating a soundtrack. It was for Rugrats in Paris. The Movie was the second in a trilogy of films based on the children’s animated television series Rugrats, which features the adventures of a group of toddlers. After filming, the producers wanted to record a soundtrack for the movie with mainly French songs, as well as a few in English. Several singers were contacted, including TLC member Tionne Watkins, the 1990s boys’ band 2Be3, Sinéad O’Connor, Cyndi Loper and Mylène Farmer. Not a bad list.

Persistent but unconfirmed rumors claimed that Madonna, as the founder of the Maverick company producing the soundtrack, had expressly asked Farmer to participate in the album. Farmer accepted, but preferred to produce a new song instead of licensing the rights to one of her old compositions. The recording label Maverick signed a contract for an unreleased song, with lyrics written by Mylene Farmer and music composed by her songwriting partner Laurent Boutonnat. This was the first time, and the other one was DEVANT SOI for the Boutonnat film Jacquou le Croquant, that the singer had recorded a song specifically for a movie.

An English version was canceled in favor of a French version, and eventually the song only played for about 15 seconds in the movie. It was a major disappointment to me! But I am happy it was there. The first title chosen, “Attrapez-moi”, was also quickly abandoned as it was too similar to the Pokémon’s cry of “Attrapez-les tous”. L’HISTOIRE D’UNE FÉE, C’EST… is an enchanting tune combined with cheeky lyrics hinting, heavily, to the Mylene’s famous track and the video.

The lyrics contain several naughty double puns which refer to sexual practices. The song itself is ambiguous and can be deemed sexually suggestive as it contains a pun in French alluding to the meaning of a (“Jeu de main”). The theme of spanking is hidden in the French play of words of the title “L’Histoire d’une fée, c’est…” which could be phonetically interpreted as “L’Histoire d’une fessée…(story of the spanked)”. It very much echoes the line from the Mylene famous POURVU QU’ELLES SOIENT DOUCES: “Ta maman t’a trop fessé” (Your mom spanked you too much).The butt story resurfaces again in 2018 with the song titled HISTOIRES DE FESSES.

Another beautiful soundtrack creation is of course, Devant soi.
The soundtrack of the film is composed by Laurent Boutonnat. There is a single song performed by Mylene , Devant soi and it concludes this soundtrack for the film Jacquou le Croquant which Boutonnat directed. It became available for sale in January 2007 and reached the 40th place of the top albums in France.

The song is melancholic and produces such a familiar aching sensation as with many beautiful melodies from Boutonnat. I think he figured out the formula for touching human heart and soul and translates that formula into the notes, don’t you think?

Mylene’s voice for the song is deeper than we are used to and gives us a glimpse into the “future” Mylene of Désobéissance. This one is however ahead of its time (by far) but I love it so much – I can’t find the words. It is the song that lives in my head for days and weeks at the time. It is a main theme of Jacquou for me. It is a shame that the song is not included into any albums of Mylene.As for most of her songs, the lyrics for Devant soi were written by Mylène Farmer. Although it is not exactly the usual style and topics, she still puts her signature wherever possible.

Il a vu les loups surgir du bois (“He saw the wolves come out of the woods”) for instance… very dear to Mylene image taking us back to Giorgino and Beyond My Control. Hope, love, loss…all ties very gracefully with the film and still gives her a chance to remain “herself” even in the soundtrack.
Music composed, produced and arranged by Laurent Boutonnat.

The lyrics were somewhat prophetic. Last year we suddenly and tragically lost Jacquou – the main actor of the movie – Gaspard Ulliel.

Another indirect involvement into the movie soundtrack was Alizée song “Moi Lolita”, being a part of a film called A Good Year, starring Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard and released in November 2006. The lyrics were written by Mylene Farmer and music by Laurent Boutonnat. Needless to say that Alizée was created by Mylene and Laurent as an artist and a performer. So technically, it can count as a Mylene’s credit.

Mylene life long love affair with cinema didn’t stop just with the soundtracks. We recall Giorgino where she played a main heroine Katherine (1993) which changed Mylene’s life more than she could ever imagine. Ghostland came about almost a quarter of a century later. Let’s hope three is a lucky number and we will see Mylene on the big screen in the future. In the meantime, NEVERMORE tour in support of the album L’Emprise is the next stop on our beautiful journey with Mylene.

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lyrics with translation

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