BLEU NOIR

“Bleu noir” (“Blue Black”) is a 2010 song by French pop musician Mylène Farmer. It is the second single to her eighth studio album Bleu Noir, released in December 2010. The song was written and produced by Moby with lyrics by Farmer, and the music video produced by French film director Olivier Dahan. It was released on 18 April 2011. In France, the song became Farmer’s eleventh number-one hit on the singles chart.

Mylene once again gets her inspiration from her favorite Pierre Reverdy and his Collection Poèmes en prose (1915)

“Thicker, he had wanted to make it thicker for his son than for him, King. And, between the cane and the horn where his hat swings and the empty head which laughs at its absurd position, day breaks with comical threats, in a grimace. Hey, I’m chasing you. Well! I am the strongest and I love you, will you come?

Together the road and the village shorter, the less far we will arrive and the night will be cheerful.

All my time to gain this esteem for nothing that I am still denied, I fight for another state and the struggle dragged on in fatigue.

I dedicate my death to you , glue your eye to the lock of this room, empty and dismal as a drama, you will know the man who lives there. The walls have kept its imprint.

After the flight, after the fear, saved from the mud, I finished the pursuit under the porte-cochere. Not a light to illuminate this scene and the curtains of my room run under other hands. Who is it?”

Mylene writes:
“And who can move
In this convoy of tears
I dedicate my death to you
And I bleed, bleed again But…”

It is a long convoy of tears and on each platform where we separate new arms wave handkerchiefs. But this one is alone and his glasses the tears of others are tarnished or the rain which lashes the window where he sticks his nose. He has not left anyone and no one will wait for him at the station where he is going to get off.

Myene writes:
“And who can move
In this convoy of tears
I dedicate my death to you
And I bleed, bleed again But…”

Bleu Noir is one of six songs from the album composed by Moby. Moby had sent a model of the song to Mylène, played by himself, and she was free to do with it as she wanted.

The title was therefore reworked with Eric Chevalier for programming, David Levita on guitar and Jonathan Noyce on bass.

Moby mentioned the creation of this song on his official website:

“The day” was written in a hotel room in Spain at dawn when I hadn’t slept. It was a beautiful hotel room, a beautiful perfect hotel room and it was six or seven in the morning. i wrote it on a acoustic guitar and Recorded it on my phone, Brought it home and re-recorded it with old broken down electronics That i have in my studio. “

“The Day” was indirectly inspired by David Bowie and Brian Eno’s production which Moby believes is now part of his dna; growing up, Moby had it tough and big music heroes spinning constantly on his turntable. One of the few tracks from the album Destroyed Moby sings on, the day is a deeply personal song about late night desperation and dark night of the soul feelings usually associated with some terrible addiction; these themes are woven throughout the journey that his new album takes us on.”

Five remixes of the track are offered by Guéna LG (“Glam As You Radio Mix” and “Glam As You Club Mix”) and Jeremy Hills (“Jeremy Hills Remix”, “Jeremy Hills Extended Remix” and “Jeremy Hills Dub Remix”) .

The album Bleu Noir released in December 2010 is a great success driven by the hit

Oui mais… Non and it sold nearly 330,000 copies in one month.

It is the eponymous title which will be chosen to become the second single from this album. Release of the single was done “exclusively” on RFM on January 27, 2011.

On January 28, 2011 is the date of the radio single. The version offered to radio stations is identical to the one on the album. Guéna LG (who has already remixed Oui mais… Non) announced on his Facebook page on February 20, 2011 that he was “in the studio on Bleu Noir “. Sending to the radios on March 10, 2011 of a remix of Bleu Noir, the Jérémy Hills Remix with a duration of 03’22.

Broadcast on Radio FG on March 22, 2011 of a two-minute excerpt from a new remix of Bleu Noir by Guéna LG. We learn on March 24, 2011 that three formats are planned for Bleu Noir: a single cd, a maxi cd and a maxi vinyl, only this third medium being announced in limited edition.

The deezer.com site unveils on March 25, 2011 the track listing of the Single CD and the Maxi CD as well as the visuals associated with these two media. Guéna LG posted on its Facebook page on March 26, 2011 the “Glam As You Club Mix” of Blue Black.

Nice radio success was in Belgium with a top 12 in airplay (the best score since Call my number) as opposed quite a moderate one in France.

The clip will save “the day” a bit. 🙂 Although not knowing a triumph equivalent to that of Oui mais… Non (three weeks number 1 for TV broadcasts in France), it will still reach 21st place on Muzicast TV and will remain regularly scheduled for several weeks.

Uploaded on youtube on February 18, 2011 of a first teaser (unofficial) of the clip Bleu Noir of about fifteen seconds.

Reopening on March 07, 2011 of the official site mylenefarmer-bleunoir.com with the posting of the official teaser of the clip Bleu Noir (very slightly different from the one which had “leaked” on youtube). The name of the director of the clip, Olivier Dahan , is then revealed. On March 16, 2011 , 9:30 to premiere the clip Blue Black in entirety , exclusively on mylenefarmer-bleunoir.com site.

Lyrically, the theme’s song is a message of hope saying that love is stronger than death. The words ‘blue black’ in the title refers to the ink and expresses the idea that when a love story ends, writings are the only things to recalls it. According to the author Alice Novak, guitars used in the song are almost similar to the riffs on The Cure’s songs.

“Moby signs five pieces, sometimes redundant, but manages to bring out of the singer something other than a hazy thread of voice, notably in M’effondre or Bleu Noir , where we finally seem to hear the real Mylène.” (Le Parisien – Today in France – 12/06/2010)

“Of love, it is about in this opus.” The Battle is beautiful / That of love disperses everything “, she sings in Blue Black . ” (France Soir – 12/06/2010)

“Here half of the tracks were written by Moby. As much the electro loops of the American could do wonders at the end of the 20th century,( 20 Minutes – 12/06/2010)

“Bleu Noir will reconcile early fans and fans of English pop.” (Gala – 08/12/2010)

“The six collaborations with Moby tackle the most pop aspect of the album (Bleu Noir, Toi amour) in light flights, soaring atmospheres. They are the ones which seem the closest of the singer’s musical universe. Those also where her voice is particularly present. ” (Le monde – 12/16/2010)

“Some may remember that Mylène and Moby had already signed a duet in 2006 Slipping away (Crier la vie),

on the best-of of the American. A collaboration that many were quick to qualify as a marketing operation when it now looks more like the beginnings of a musical encounter. We will also appreciate the accuracy of the compositions offered for the occasion: from Moi je veux…, N’aie plus d’amertume , M’effondre or even Inseparables which closes the album, the titles signed by Moby are those which convince easily, impose themselves quite naturally. ” (What Hifi – January 2011)

“Rather, it is Moby’s tracks that disappoint: the title song misses the mark with its dated production, while the piano-to-number without subtlety supports the dubious words whispered on No  more bitterness .” ( sorstu.ca – 01/12/2011)

Bleu Noir was performed on all dates of the 2013 Timeless tour from September 07 to December 06, 2013. Arrangements for the stage: Yvan Cassar.

Moby, the composer of the song, also released his own version of the track in May, with other lyrics and arrangements, called “The Day”.

It was the official lead single of his then forthcoming album “Destroyed”.

This simultaneous release created a little controversy amongst fans of Farmer, as many of them criticized the fact that he gave the music to the songstress and then re-appropriated it for his own album.

In an interview published on 18 May 2011 in the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, Moby said he was very embarrassed and deemed the release of “The Day” as a single in “error”, since Farmer was disappointed, thinking “it was her song”.

Directed by producer Olivier Dahan, the music video premiered on the temporary website for the album on 16 March 2011, then was fully broadcast on television two days later. It has no screenplay and is composed of an over four-minute long take without cuts. Regarded as rather “sober” and sometimes “simplistic”, with a majority of black and white colors, the video depicts Farmer walking in a countryside, a forest and a snow-covered plains, and ends with a fireworks display.

The video generally received positive reviews in the media. Têtu deemed Farmer as being “melancholic and moving” in the video. Several media, including Gala, Pure People and 20 Minutes considered that various elements of the video, such as the snow and the forest, are a tribute to Farmer’s first music videos of her career, including “Tristana” (not sure the reminiscence with this one!), “Regrets” and “Ainsi soit je…“, and that it is “aesthetic”.

L’Express analyzed the symbolism of the colors used in the video. I personally find it very suitable for the occasion of the 4th of July weekend which starts about now. The firework that is on the clip will be in every city and town across America celebrating the Freedom and Independence.

“Bleu Noir” received reviews from the album release. According to Gala, the song “will reconcile the fans of the first time and followers of British pop”. Sylvain Siclier of Le Monde considered that, alongside “Toi l’amour”, “Bleu Noir” is the most pop song of the album, with “light takeoffs, trippy atmosphere”, is “close to the musical universal of the singer” and noted that her “voice is particularly present”.

In France, the single debuted at number one (!!) on the main singles chart which combines physical and digital sales on the chart edition of 24 April 2011, becoming Farmer’s eleventh number-one single in France. In the first week, the single totaled 10,770 sales, including 9,743 units of the physical formats only, which was the highest weekly physical sales of 2011 for a number one in the country. The following week, the single performed which was then the biggest drop from number one, falling to number 36, with an 81% decline in sales from the previous week. It remained on the chart for six weeks. The music video reached number 21 on the TV airplay chart of 7 April 2011.

reactions

RECEIVE ALL THE NEWS FROM MYLENEFARMER.COM VIA EMAIL

lyrics with translation

Je marche vers les ténébres
Vers l'horizon funeste
Mais la vie qui m'entoure et me baigne
Me dit quand même ça vaut la peine
Et qui peut se mouvoir
Dans ce convoi de larmes
Je te dédie ma mort
Et je saigne, saigne encore
Mais...
La bataille est belle
Celle de l'amour
Disperse tout
La bataille est celle
De longs, longs jours
Mon amour
L'on peut se retourner
Mais le ruisseau ressemble à l'eau
Quand tu pars
Il n'en reste qu'un bleu noir
Je tombe en défaillance
Vienne ma délivrance
Me dit quand même qu'au fond de ma peine
Survit un coeur couleur vermeille
Qui bat... car
La bataille est belle
Celle de l'amour
Disperse tout
La bataille est celle
De longs, longs jours
Mon amour

I walk towards the darkness
Towards the deadly horizon
But the life that surrounds me and bathes me
Still tells me it's worth it
And who can move
In this convoy of tears
I dedicate my death to you
And I bleed, bleed again
But...
The battle is beautiful
That of love
Scatter everything
The battle is that
Long, long days
My love
We can turn around
But the stream looks like water
When you leave
There is only one black blue left
I fail
Come my deliverance
Told me all the same that at the bottom of my pain
A ruddy colored heart survives
Who beats ... because
The battle is beautiful
That of love
Scatter everything
The battle is that
Long, long days
My love