C'est dans l'air

"C'est dans l'air" (English: "It's in the Air") is a 2008 electronic dance song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. It is the fourth single from her seventh studio album Point de suture. The CD-single was released on 27 April 2009, followed by other formats one week later. Unlike Farmer's three previous singles, the song failed to enter at number one of the French Singles Chart, but topped the chart the week after, becoming Farmer's eighth number one single (and her fourth consecutive) in France. A live version of the song was also released, as the first single from Farmer's 2009 live album N°5 on Tour.[1]

"C'est dans l'air"
Single by Mylène Farmer
from the album Point de suture
B-side"Remixes"
Released27 April 2009
Recorded2008
GenreEDM, House, Hi-NRG
Length4:35 (album version)
3:35 (radio edit)
9:51(Tiësto remix)
LabelPolydor, Universal Music
Songwriter(s)Lyrics: Mylène Farmer
Music: Laurent Boutonnat
Producer(s)Laurent Boutonnat
Mylène Farmer singles chronology
"Si j'avais au moins..."
(2008)		 "C'est dans l'air"
(2009)		 "Sextonik"
(2009)

Background and release

On 27 March 2009, the CD promo and the mp3 version were sent to the radio stations, and the song was officially announced as the fourth single from the album.[2] The NRJ All French web radio station began to air a radio version of the song.[3]

The track became a fan favourite[4] and, according to a poll made on Mylene.net, most fans wanted this song as the third single instead of "Si j'avais au moins..."[5]

On 10 April 2009, the cover artwork was revealed on Mylene.net. On 27 April, the CD single was released and all the versions were available digitally. The two CD maxi and the 12" were released on 4 May.[3]

On 26 November 2009, it was announced that a live version of the song would be released as the first single from Farmer's 2009 live album N°5 on Tour.

Lyrics and music

Farmer turns a noun into a verb in the refrain, "coïter", which does not exist in the French language.[6] According to the psychologist Royer, the song contains touches of humour, especially in the verses in which the singer states in a deep voice "all the sins of the world".[7] In this song which appears as "a form of apology for sin",[8] the singer became "the spokeswoman of the misunderstoods and the madmen".[9] According to the author Erwan Chuberre, the song is a "Dionysian hymn" which "exhorts us to transform our destiny", which sums up the philosophy of the album Point de suture.[10]

Music video

The music video was aired on television on 15 April 2009. Directed by 3D-animations designer Alain Escalle,[11] it was shot in black and white, and shows Farmer dancing with skeletons in the background (Farmer's face becomes skeletal itself).[12] Archival nuclear test footage is also used in the video, and at the end of the video the Earth is destroyed after a nuclear explosion.[13]

The video received mixed reviews. It was sometimes accused of "feeding morbid obsessions or of shocking by simple taste for provocation". However, Chuberre considered the video as "direct and forceful" and complimented the "exciting and electric atmosphere" of Farmer's 2009 concerts. Chuberre also believes that the video provides "an universal truth: the destructive power at the center of this substance can destroy us, but can also help us to build."[10]

The live music video by François Hanss was available on the Internet on 27 November[3] and was composed of images from Farmer's concert at the Stade de France in Paris on 12 September 2009.

Promotion and live performances

The song was never performed on television. It was sung during the 2009 tour: Farmer wore a black leather jacket with a golden cross in the back, and her dancers a beige jackets with a black cross in the back. They performed almost the same choreography as used in the music video, including some additional gestures. After the main part of the song, the musicians and dancers are presented on the screen above the stairs.

Critical reception

Reviews

The song has a techno, minimalistic rhythm at first, evolving to more techno which resembles "Optimistique-moi". The style of the lyrics, however, may relate to "L'Instant X" and the universe of French artist Zazie, as there is a lot of satire and sarcasm.[14] Lyrics laugh at the "lame" things in life, and then goes on to talk about breathing and necessity.

The song was criticized by some media, including City Gay.[15] According to Libération, the song "uses a fairly impressive art of set language".[16] Télé Moustique deemed the verses are composed of "thoughts that will not revolutionize the songwriting".[17] By contrast, Le Nouvel Observateur qualified it as a "very dancing" song[18] and Voici even stated it is "calibrated to make the deads dance".[19] Musique Radio deemed the song is an "original" and "beautiful up-tempo song" which seems to be musically similar to "Dégénération".[20]

Chart performances

The music video reached number seven on the television airplay chart in its third week, on 2 May 2009. It also debuted at its peak at number 48 on the club chart.[21] The single went straight to number two on the singles chart, being unable to dislodge Magic System and Khaled's hit "Même pas fatigué !!!",[22] then climbed to number one the next week thanks to the CD maxi and the vinyl sales, selling 16,631 units that week.[23][24] It allowed Farmer to establish a new record: to rank eight singles at number-one in France. It was also the first time since "Les Mots" (2001), the duet with Seal, that a Farmer's single did not reach its peak position in its first week on the French singles chart. However, the following week, it dropped to number five but stayed in the Top Ten for eight weeks. The song debuted at a peak of number 26 on the digital chart and remained in the Top 50 for three weeks.[21]

For the same reason, the single climbed to number 44 on 17 May 2009 on the Swiss Singles Chart, after a debut at number 88, then fell off the chart, but re-entered for a sole week after Farmer's concerts in Geneva in September 2009. The song also reached number seven in its second week on the Eurochart Hot 100[25] and entered the Ultratop 50 in Belgium at number thirteen on 16 May 2009.[26]

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of single releases of "C'est dans l'air":[27][28]

First release

Credits

These are the credits and the personnel as they appear on the back of the single:[27][29]

  • Mylène Farmer – lyrics
  • Laurent Boutonnat – music
  • Polydor / Universal Music – recording company
  • Stuffed Monkey – production
  • Isiaka – editions
  • Alain Escalle – photo
  • Henry Neu – design
  • Made in the E.U.

Release history
Date[27][28]LabelCountryFormatCatalog
27 March 2009 Polydor Belgium, France, Switzerland CD single - Promo
1 April 2009 CD remixes 1 - Promo 12319
CD remixes 2 - Promo 12323
27 April 2009 CD single 531 847-8
4 May 2009 CD maxi 1 531 847-7
CD maxi 2 531 847-9
5 May 2009 12" maxi 531 847-6
30 November 2009 MP3 - Promo —
14 December 2009 CD single - Promo 13237
CD maxi - Promo 13243
January 2010 CD maxi - Remixes - Promo 13237

Official versions
Version[30]LengthAlbumRemixed byYearComment
Album version 4:29 Point de suture — 2008 See the previous sections
Extended club mix 5:30 — Laurent Boutonnat 2009 This version is similar to the album one but is longer and contains extra beats
Instrumental 4:33 — — 2009 All the lyrics are deleted.
Extended instrumental 5:30 — — 2009 This version is similar to the Extended club mix, but all the lyrics are deleted
Single version 4:33 — — 2009
Radio edit 3:35 — — 2009 The musical introduction is shortened and a refrain is deleted
Fat Phaze remix 6:10 — Olivier Huguenard and Emmanuel Plégat 2009
Greg B remix 6:00 — Greg B 2009
Greg B dance mix 5:10 — Greg B 2009 This version is similar to the Greg B remix, but there are more dance sounds
House club remix 6:30 — Greg B 2009 It contains a sample from "Show Me Love"
Wize remix 6:30 — Basile Fanon 2009 This is an electro version in which the voice is distorted in the refrains
Music video 3:49 — — 2009
Live version
(recorded in 2009)		 6:08 N°5 on Tour — 2009 This live version uses some elements from the 'Extended club remix', especially during the introduction.
Live radio edit 3:49 — — 2009 Some sounds of the 'Extended club mix' are used during the musical bridge.
Live music video 4:40 N°5 on Tour — 2009
Live version radio edit 3:50 — — 2009 The musical introduction is shortened with crowd sounds fading in and two middle refrains are deleted.
Tiesto radio edit 4:18 — Tiësto 2009 This remix was made to promote the live single. It is an electro version which uses many synthesizer sounds. It is devoted to radio stations.
Tiesto remix 9:51 — Tiësto 2009 This remix is similar to the 'Tiesto radio edit', but much longer. It is devoted to night clubs.

Charts and sales
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gollark: That seems like the obvious way. Might as well try it.
gollark: These questions are invalid because you can construct a function generating an arbitrary finite sequence of terms.
gollark: As far as I know it is a mildly faster alternative to fully rebooting for kernel updates.
gollark: Nobody really uses the EV ones any more and I don't think there's UI for them, so basically no change.

References
  • Chuberre, Erwan (18 June 2009). Mylène Farmer : Des mots sur nos désirs (in French). Alphée. ISBN 2-7538-0477-X.
  • Royer, Hugues (2008). Mylène, biographie (in French). Spain: Flammarion. ISBN 978-2-35287-139-2.

Notes
  1. "Single live enfin révélé" (in French). Mylene.net. 26 November 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
  2. Palhier, Nicolas (27 March 2009). "Mylène Farmer annonce le 4ème extrait de Point de suture" (in French). Ozap. Archived from the original on 30 March 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
  3. "Mylène Farmer - "C'est dans l'air" - Histoire du single" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  4. Cadet, Thierry (27 March 2009). ""C'est dans l'air": nouveau single de Mylène Farmer" (in French). Chartsinfrance. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
  5. Cadet, Thierry (15 December 2008). "Farmer propose le single "Si j'avais au moins..."" (in French). Chartsinfrance. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  6. Royer, 2008, p. 197.
  7. Royer, 2008, p. 279.
  8. Royer, 2008, p. 314.
  9. Royer, 2008, p. 294.
  10. Chuberre, 2009, pp. 232-34.
  11. "Alain Escalle — Réalisations, 2006-2008" (in French). Escalle. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  12. "Mylène Farmer danse avec des squelettes". 20 Minutes (in French). Devant-soi. 16 April 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  13. "La danse macabre de Mylène Farmer..." (in French). Music Actu. 16 April 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  14. Babion-Colomb, Arnaud (18 August 2008). "Mylène Farmer: Frappe chirurgicale" (in French). Hit Muse Mag. Archived from the original on 11 September 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
  15. "Point de suture, Mylène Farmer, sans surprise..." (in French). Cité Gay. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  16. Perrin, Ludovic (26 August 2008). "Mylène Farmer sort un septième album peu inspirée, sans (contre)façon". Libération (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  17. L., L. (27 August 2008). "Point à la ligne". Télé Moustique (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  18. "Les sorties de disques de la semaine" (in French). Le Nouvel Observateur. 28 March 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  19. R., H. (8 September 2008). "Mylène Farmer, l'électro choc". Voici (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  20. "Mylène Farmer: "C'est dans l'air" en écoute" (in French). Musique Radio. 27 March 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
  21. "Mylène Farmer - "C'est dans l'air" - Classements" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  22. La Rédaction (5 May 2009). "Top Albums: Kery James prend le pouvoir" (in French). Chartsinfrance. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  23. Cadet, Thierry (12 May 2009). "Tops: Mylène Farmer et Calogero prennent la tête" (in French). Chartsinfrance. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
  24. Décant, Charles (13 May 2009). "Disques: 4ème numéro un consécutif pour Mylène Farmer" (in French). Ozap. Archived from the original on 15 May 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  25. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles, week of May 23, 2009". Billboard. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  26. ""C'est dans l'air", Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  27. "Mylène Farmer - "C'est dans l'air" - Supports" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  28. "Mylène Farmer - "C'est dans l'air" Live - Supports" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  29. "Mylène Farmer - "C'est dans l'air" - Crédits" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  30. "Mylène Farmer - "C'est dans l'air" - Versions" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  31. "French Digital Chart, from 27 April 2009 to 3 May 2009" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 6 April 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
  32. ""C'est dans l'air", French Singles Chart" (in French). Lescharts. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  33. ""C'est dans l'air", Swiss Singles Chart" (in German). Hitparade. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  34. "2009 Eurochart Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  35. "Radio - Premiers classements 2009". Mylene.net. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  36. "Classement des 100 premiers Singles par GfK Music" (pdf) (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. p. 20. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  37. Royer, 2008, p. 372.
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