Mylène Farmer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mylène Farmer
Farmer in 2019
Born	Mylène Jeanne Gautier (1961-09-12) 12 September 1961 (age 64) Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada
Citizenship	France Canada
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Years active	1984–present
Awards	9 NRJ Music Awards 2 World Music Awards
Musical career
Genres	French pop rock dance electronic
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Polydor Sony Music
Associated acts	Laurent Boutonnat Alizée Seal Sting LP

Mylène Farmer, born Mylène Jeanne Gautier on September 12, 1961, is a famous French singer and songwriter. She has sold over 35 million records globally. This makes her one of France's most successful music artists ever. She holds the record for the most number one songs in France, with twenty-one hits.

Mylène was born in Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada. Her parents were French. Her family moved to Chaville, near Paris, when she was young. There, she started a career in modeling and acting. She became famous as a singer in 1984 with her first song, "Maman a tort". Her second album, Ainsi soit je... (1988), sold 1.5 million copies. It included her first number one hit, "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces". Her album L'autre... sold two million copies. This made it her best-selling album. The song "Désenchantée" from this album became her most famous.

Mylène changed her music style over time. Her early albums had a synth-pop sound. In 1995, she released Anamorphosée, recorded in the U.S. This album had more rock and R&B sounds. Her 1999 album, Innamoramento, added electronic influences. Later, in the 2000s, she explored acoustic pop and electronica.

In 2010, Mylène released Bleu noir, returning to her earlier synth-pop style. The song "Oui mais... non" sold over 130,000 copies. Her album Interstellaires (2015) also reached number one. It featured a duet with Sting called "Stolen Car". Her eleventh album, Désobéissance (2018), also hit number one. It sold over 265,000 copies.

Beyond singing, Mylène wrote songs for other artists. She helped French singer Alizée, writing her hit song "Moi... Lolita". This song was number one in many European countries. Mylène also acted in films. She starred in Giorgino (1994) and the horror film Ghostland (2018).

Mylène Farmer has set many records. She is the best-selling French singer since 1984. She is also the only artist to have a "diamond album" in four decades. Her greatest hits album, Les Mots (2001), sold over two million copies. It is the best-selling compilation album by a French artist.

Mylène Farmer's Early Life and Career

Growing Up and Starting Out

Mylène was born in Canada. Her family moved to France when she was eight years old. In France, she took speech classes. Her school thought her Canadian accent was different.

At 17, Mylène started acting. She studied for three years at Cours Florent, a drama school in Paris. She changed her name to Mylène Farmer. This was to honor Frances Farmer, a Hollywood actress she admired. Mylène worked as a model, appearing in TV ads for brands like IKEA. She also acted in a local play.

In 1984, Mylène met Laurent Boutonnat, a film student. She answered an ad for an actress in his film project. They became friends and started working together. Laurent wrote music and directed her music videos. In 1984, Mylène released her first song, "Maman a tort." Laurent and Jérôme Dahan wrote it. They continued to work on her first album.

First Albums and Big Success

Mylène's first album, Cendres de lune, came out in 1986. Mylène wrote the song lyrics. Laurent Boutonnat wrote the music and directed the videos.

In 1988, they made her second album, Ainsi soit je.... It sold 1.5 million copies in France. The song "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" became her first number one hit. Other songs included "Sans contrefaçon". This album was the best-selling by a female artist in France in the 1980s.

After successful small concerts, Mylène went on a big tour in 1989. She performed 50 shows across French-speaking Europe. She played in large arenas with dancers. French designer Thierry Mugler created her stage outfits. A live album, En Concert, was released that year.

Mylène released "Désenchantée" in March 1991. This fast pop song spoke about a generation feeling lost. It came out after student protests in Paris. Students were concerned about their schools. The song was number one in France for nine weeks. It became her most famous song. It was also a hit in Belgium and other European countries. The music video, filmed in Budapest, showed Mylène as a prisoner rebelling in a camp.

After "Désenchantée" became a hit, the album L'autre... was released in April 1991. It was number one in France for twenty weeks. It sold two million copies, becoming her best-selling album. The album also did well in Switzerland, Sweden, and Germany. Songs like "Regrets" and "Je t'aime mélancolie" helped promote it.

In 1992, Mylène released Dance Remixes. The song "Que mon cœur lâche" was the main single. It talked about love and relationships. Luc Besson directed the music video. In it, Mylène played an angel sent to Earth. The angel observed how people experienced love.

New Sounds and Film Roles

In 1994, Mylène starred in the film Giorgino. Laurent Boutonnat wrote and directed it. The movie did not do well with critics or at the box office. After this, Mylène moved to Los Angeles.

In the U.S., Mylène and Laurent began her fourth album, Anamorphosée. This album showed a new musical direction. It moved from synth-pop to pop rock and R&B. The album started with "XXL". Its music video showed Mylène on the front of a moving train. Other songs like "California" and "Rêver" were also released. The video for "California" was directed by Abel Ferrara. The songs on this album had different themes. "Rêver" talks about the importance of tolerance and understanding. "XXL" talks about universal love and equality for everyone.

In summer 1996, Mylène went on her second concert tour. She performed 21 shows in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. She sang songs from Anamorphosée and older albums. She also covered "La Poupée qui fait non" with Khaled. A live album, Live à Bercy, came out in May 1997.

Mylène released her fifth album, Innamoramento, in 1999. It started with "L'Âme-stram-gram", a fast techno song. Its music video was inspired by the film A Chinese Ghost Story. Both the song and album reached number two in France. The music video for the second song, "Je te rends ton amour", caused some discussion. It had strong visual themes. French TV channel M6 decided not to show it. So, the video was released on VHS. All profits went to Sidaction, a charity supporting health research. Other songs from the album included "Souviens-toi du jour" and "Optimistique-moi".

In late 1999, Mylène started her third concert tour, the Mylenium Tour. The stage had amazing aerial structures and a large statue. She performed 42 shows, including three in Russia. These were her first concerts in a non-French-speaking country. The tour ended in March 2000.

Helping Other Artists and More Hits

In 2000, Mylène and Laurent started creating songs for a younger singer. They found Alizée Jacotey on a TV show. Mylène and Laurent wrote and produced Alizée's albums Gourmandises (2001) and Mes courants électriques (2003). Mylène also helped with Alizée's public image. Alizée's first song, "Moi... Lolita", written by Mylène, was number one in many European countries. It sold over one million copies in France. In 2005, Alizée decided to work with other artists.

In 2001, Mylène recorded "L'Histoire d'une fée, c'est..." for the animated film Rugrats in Paris: The Movie. Later that year, her first greatest hits album, Les Mots, was released. Les Mots was the best-selling album in France in 2001 and 2002. It remains the best-selling greatest hits album in France, with over 1.5 million copies sold. The album also had new songs. These included the title track, a duet with British singer Seal, and "C'est une belle journée".

After a four-year break, Mylène announced her new album, Avant que l'ombre..., in 2005. She also announced a special 13-night concert series in Paris for January 2006. The concerts featured a complex stage design. It included two stages, a moving bridge, and a water curtain. A live album and DVD, Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy, were released in December 2006.

After this, Mylène worked with American electronic musician Moby. They created a French version of his song "Slipping Away". Mylène translated the French lyrics herself. In 2007, Mylène recorded "Devant soi" for the film Jacquou le Croquant. She also voiced Princess Selenia in Luc Besson's animated film Arthur and the Minimoys. She later voiced the character in the film's two sequels.

New Music and Stadium Tours

Mylène's seventh album, Point de Suture, came out on August 25, 2008. It debuted at number one in France. The album and its first song, "Dégénération", had more electronic sounds and were mostly upbeat. Other songs from the album, like "Appelle mon numéro" and "C'est dans l'air", also reached number one.

Farmer on stage at Stade de France during her 2009 concert tour.

After the album, Mylène started her fifth concert tour. This tour was called Mylène Farmer en tournée. For the first time, Mylène played in stadiums. She performed at the Stade de France and other large venues in France and Russia. A live album, N°5 on Tour, was released in December 2009. A DVD of her Stade de France concerts followed.

Mylène recorded a duet with French singer Line Renaud called "C'est pas l'heure". In November 2010, she sang on a cover of "Never Tear Us Apart" with Ben Harper. This was for the Australian band INXS's album Original Sin.

2010 also saw the release of Mylène's eighth album, Bleu noir. RedOne, Moby, and Archive produced it. It was number one in France for three weeks. It was the 9th best-selling album in France in 2010. "Oui mais... non" was the album's first song. It became her most successful song since 2002. Other songs like "Bleu Noir" and "Lonely Lisa" were also released.

Mylène's second greatest hits album, 2001.2011, came out in late 2011. It included all her songs released after Les Mots (2001). It also featured a new song called "Du temps".

In early 2012, Mylène announced a new album for late 2012. The first song, "À l'ombre", was played on the radio in October 2012. The album, Monkey Me, was number one in France in December 2012.

Farmer performing with Gary Jules in 2013

To support Bleu noir and Monkey Me, Mylène started the Timeless 2013 tour in September 2013. Over 500,000 people attended the concerts. The tour visited arenas in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Belarus, and Russia. A live album and a film of the tour were released in December.

Recent Projects and Collaborations

In 2015, Mylène worked with photographer Sylvie Lancrenon on a book called Fragile. It featured 90 intimate photos of the singer. The images showed a mix of fragility and strength.

In August 2015, Mylène announced new music. The first song was "Stolen Car", a duet with Sting. Sting originally recorded the song for his 2003 album. The single reached number one in France and Belgium. It also topped Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. Her album, Interstellaires, was released on November 6, 2015. It became her 12th number one album in France. Mylène worked with Martin Kierszenbaum and The Avener on this album. It also included a cover of "I Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick. To promote the album in the U.S., Mylène and Sting were interviewed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. They also performed the song live.

In 2017, Mylène signed a new record deal with Sony Music Entertainment France. In January 2018, she released "Rolling Stone", her first song with the new label. This was followed by "N’oublie pas", a duet with American singer-songwriter LP. LP co-wrote the song. The music video, filmed in Iceland, marked the return of Laurent Boutonnat. Mylène's eleventh album, Désobéissance, came out in September 2018. It was very successful, topping the French album chart. Many called it her best album in 15 years.

To promote Interstellaires and Désobéissance, Mylène performed a nine-date concert series. This was called Mylène Farmer 2019 at the Paris La Défense Arena in June 2019. A live album, Live 2019, was released in October that year.

In 2020, Mylène and Laurent worked with new French singer Julia. Julia's album, Passe... comme tu sais, was released on June 19, 2020. Mylène wrote songs for it, and Laurent produced them.

2020 also saw the premiere of Mylène Farmer - L'Ultime Création. This was a documentary about her 2019 concerts. To promote the documentary and a new greatest hits album, Histoires de, the song "L'âme dans l'eau" was announced. Its music video used footage from the documentary. Histoires de, a collection of recordings from 1984 to 2020, debuted at number two in France on December 4, 2020.

In 2021, Mylène Farmer was a member of the jury at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.

Nevermore Tour and Recent Albums

The Nevermore 2023 tour was announced in July 2021. It included thirteen stadium concerts in France, Switzerland, and Belgium in June and July 2023. Plans for concerts in Russia were cancelled in March 2022.

On May 13, 2022, Mylène's manager, Pascal Nègre, announced a new album. She worked with musicians like Woodkid, AaRON, Moby, and Archive. The first song from the album, "À tout jamais", was released on August 26. Its music video came out on September 12. In October, the album's name, "L'Emprise", was revealed. The album was released on November 25. It reached the top of the album charts in France, Wallonia, and Switzerland. Three other songs from the album were also released: "Rayon Vert" (with AaRon), "Rallumer Les Etoiles" (composed by Moby), and the title track "L'Emprise" (composed by Woodkid). "L'Emprise" returned to a darker sound. It mixed synth-pop, electropop, new wave, and baroque pop. The music featured violins, synthesizers, and drums.

In December 2022, the English rock band Muse released a new version of "Ghosts (How Can I Move On)". It featured Mylène Farmer, who reinterpreted parts sung by Elisa. The song was played on the radio in many countries. It briefly topped the French singles chart.

The song "L'Emprise" was used in the closing credits of the French film "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves". Mylène made a music video for the song. It included parts from the film. The video premiered at the film's French debut in March 2023.

Mylène contributed to Moby's "Resound NYC" album. She recited the introduction of Arthur Rimbaud's poem "Une saison en enfer" for the song "Hyenas". The album was released on May 12, 2023.

Mylène Farmer performing "Que je devienne…" at the King Baudouin Stadium.

The Nevermore 2023 stadium tour began in Lille on June 3, 2023. Concerts planned for the Stade de France in June and July 2023 were cancelled. They were rescheduled for September and October 2024. A third show was added for October 1, 2024. The rescheduled shows featured the same stage design, team, and song list.

Remix XL was released on April 19, 2024. It contains 20 remixes of her songs, old and new. It features a new remix of "Désenchantée" by Feder. This was released digitally in February. Mylène also re-recorded her vocals for some songs on the album.

On May 13, 2025, Farmer honored David Lynch at the Cannes Film Festival. She sang "Confession," a new song dedicated to the filmmaker.

Mylène Farmer's Artistic Style

Inspirations and Influences

Mylène Farmer is inspired by many artists, actors, and writers. She chose her stage name to honor Hollywood actress Frances Farmer. Mylène also admires actors like Greta Garbo and Michelle Pfeiffer. Directors like Steven Spielberg and Andrei Tarkovsky inspire her too.

For music, she looks up to Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, and Jacques Brel. Mylène's own work has inspired many French artists. These include Christine and the Queens and Damso.

Songwriting Themes

Mylène is known for her poetic songwriting. Her lyrics often include deep ideas, symbols, and wordplay. Common topics in her songs include love, life, and deep thoughts. Mylène's literary inspirations include Charles Baudelaire, Edgar Allan Poe, and Emily Dickinson.

Musical Evolution

Mylène Farmer is usually described as a pop and French pop artist. However, she changes her style with almost every album. All her albums from 1984 to 2008 were produced by Laurent Boutonnat. Her first albums had dark synth-pop and new wave sounds.

In 1995, Anamorphosée came out. It featured simpler lyrics and pop rock music. Innamoramento and Avant que l'ombre... blended acoustic instruments with electronic beats. Mylène then explored electronica and club music on Point de suture (2008).

In 2010, Mylène released Bleu noir, her first album without Laurent Boutonnat. RedOne, Moby, and Archive produced it. This album saw Mylène return to the darker synth-pop and Europop sounds of her early work. For Monkey Me (2012), Mylène worked with Boutonnat again.

Interstellaires, her tenth album, showed pop rock and adult contemporary styles. The Avener and Martin Kierszenbaum produced it. On Désobéissance, Mylène worked with Feder, LP, and Mike Del Rio. This marked a return to electronic dance music. For L'Emprise, Mylène collaborated with Woodkid. This album was described as "confidant and very intimate." It mixed symphonic music, industrial rhythms, and electropop. Moby, AaRON, and Archive also contributed to the album.

Mylène Farmer's Personal Life

Mylène Farmer keeps her private life very quiet. She does not discuss it in interviews or on social media. When she is not performing, she prefers to stay out of the public eye.

Mylène met American actor and musician Jeff Dahlgren while filming Giorgino in 1994. After the movie, they moved to Los Angeles. Jeff played guitar on Mylène's albums Anamorphosée and Innamoramento. He also joined her on stage during her Mylenium Tour. Their relationship ended in 1999.

In 2002, Mylène started a relationship with French director and producer Benoît Di Sabatino [fr]. They met while making the animated music video for her song "C'est une belle journée". Benoît also directed music videos for "L'amour n'est rien..." (2006) and "Appelle mon numéro" (2008).

Mylène Farmer's Filmography

Movies

Web Series

Mylène Farmer's Discography

Mylène Farmer's Tours

Concert Tours

• Mylène Farmer en concert (1989)
• Tour 1996 (1996)
• Mylenium Tour (1999–2000)
• Mylène Farmer en tournée (2009)
• Timeless (2013)
• Nevermore (2023–2024)

Concert Residencies

• Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy (2006)
• Mylène Farmer 2019 (2019)

Mylène Farmer's Awards

See also

In Spanish: Mylène Farmer para niños