Consentement Mutuel

''Innamoramento'' is the fifth studio album by Mylène Farmer, released on 7 April 1999. With sales of 1.5 million, the album is one the singer's most successful ones. It reached Diamond status in France and landed Farmer a number of awards, including Album of the Year at the 1st NRJ Music Awards. On the heels of the album's success, Farmer was also named Best Female French-language Artist in two consecutive years: 2000 and 2001.

Background and release

By 1999, Farmer had barely appeared in the media since her 1996 concerts at Paris-Bercy. The singer spent most of this time traveling many countries (such as China, Ireland, Italy and the United States), where she drew her inspiration for her next album, giving it a greater ethnic orientation. She was also inspired by the books ''Falling In Love'' by Francesco Alberoni, ''If This Is a Man'' by Primo Levi, and books on Buddhism. While some media announced that the album would be called ''Immortelles'', ''Mes Moires'' (according to the magazine ''Voici''), ''Mémoires'' and ''Ensemble'', rumor had it that the next album would have more techno sound (and the first single would be named "The Small World", according to the Belgian newspaper ''7 Extra''). It was recorded at studios Ocean Way Recording and Record One in Los Angeles, but mixed at Guillaume Tell studio in Paris.

Finally, the album was released on 7 April, almost a month after the lead single " L'Âme-stram-gram" and was named ''Innamoramento'', in reference to the book by Francesco Alberoni mentioned above. A quote from the author is also cited on the first page of the album's booklet.''Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer'', Benoît Cachin, 2006, Tournon Ed., p. 125-126 The photographs, produced by Marino Parisotto Vay, cost about 104,000 euros.''Mylène Farmer, le culte - L'envers du décor'', Sophie Khairallah, 2007, Why Not Ed., p. 58 The cover shows Farmer dressed in white on top of an open iron cage in the middle of the ocean.

Lyrics and music

All lyrics were written by Farmer, who also composed the music for five songs. They contain many references to literary writers and painters. The album deals with Farmer's anxieties, such as pain, unhappy love, sexuality and the passage of the time. But as the title suggests, love is the central theme of the album.

The album is slower in comparison to Farmer's previous studio album, the rock-inspired ''Anamorphosée'' (1995). The sound is more electronic and intimate.''Jukebox'', No. 179, June 200
Devant-soi.com
(Retrieved 22 March 2008)

Critical reception

The album received mostly positive reviews from media. ''DH Magazine'' stated that this album doesn't contain "any surprise, but is "tidy, less sophisticated than ''Anamorphosée'', and ultimately captivating. (...) It is more spiritual". ''L'Humanité'' stated in their review "Her songs resemble the prayers of a monk, whose writing has always been seen as a therapy".

However, certain reviews were less positive. For example, one magazine declared that "the musical climates remain the same, with arrangements with big spectacle and an evident dance efficiency", but with "too many strings, (...) too many background vocals, no place to breathe". Another magazine said that, in spite of the sophistication of the lyrics which is equal to the lace of the arrangements of melodies, songs are however rather insignificant. The album is considered "identical" to the previous ones by another press article. It was finally trashed as a "Destroy" by Claude Rajotte of Canada's Musique Plus defunct show ''Le cimetière des CD'', the same critic who had praised Farmer's previous effort, ''Anamorphosée''.

In 2000, ''Innamoramento'' won a NRJ Music Awards in the category 'Francophone album of the year'.

Commercial performance

In France, the album was released at a time when Francis Cabrel also made his comeback with his album ''Hors Saison'', which topped the French Albums Chart. As a result, ''Innamoramento'' failed to reach #1 on the chart, but went straight in at #2 on 10 April 1999, remaining there for two weeks. Despite not hitting the top spot, the album remained in the chart for 94 weeks, including 18 weeks in the top ten''Innamoramento'', French SNEP Albums Char
Lescharts.com
(Retrieved 1 February 2008) and became one of Farmer's highest selling albums. It re-entered the chart during Farmer's Mylenium Tour and also when Universal organised further promotion of the album. Certified Diamond disc by the SNEP,Mylène Farmer certification
Chartsinfrance.net
(Retrieved 1 February 2008) ''Innamoramento'' ranked #4, #43 and #92 on 1999, 2000 and 2001 End of Year Charts respectively.

In Belgium (Wallonia), after entering at #5 on 17 April 1999, the album climbed to #2 during the following week and stayed there for five consecutive weeks. As in France, Francis Cabrel's album prevented ''Innamoramento'' from reaching the top of the chart. The album remained for 27 weeks in the top ten and 66 weeks in the Top 50.''Innamoramento'', Belgian (Wallonia) Albums Char
Ultratop.be
(Retrieved 1 February 2008) It featured at #5 and #58 on the 1999 and 2000 End of Year Charts.

''Innamoramento'' also appeared for two weeks on the Belgium (Flanders) Albums Chart, on which it peaked at # 40.

Track listing

Personnel

* Angeline Annonier – choeurs
* Fred Attal – arranger, clavier, producer, programming, sauf
* Pascaud Caroline Blandin – background vocals
* Bertrand Chatnet – engineer, mixing
* Jeff Dahlgren – guitar
* Pol Ramirez del Piu – bagpipes, cymbalom, flute
* Jerome Devoise – assistant
* Mylène Farmer – vocals
* Johanna Ferdinand – choeurs, background vocals
* Denny Fongheiser – drums
* Joelle Jaque-Gustave – Choeurs
* Abe Laboriel, Jr. - drums
* Abraham Laboriel, Sr. - bass
* Sophia Nelson – choeurs, background vocals
* Rik Pekkonen – engineer
* Colonna Phillippe – engineer
* Marie-jo plezel – Choeurs
* Mathieu Rabaté – drums
* Carole Rowley – background vocals
* Rafa Sardina – assistant
* Mike Scotella – assistant
* Billy Sheehan – bass
* Frank Simes – guitar
* John Sorenson – assistant
* Chris Spedding – guitar
* Jerry Watts, Jr. - bass

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Formats

* CD - Jewel case
* CD - Cardboard gatefold sleeve - Limited edition (300,000)
* Collector edition box - Numbered travel log version (including a CD and a booklet of travel with unpublished photos)
* Cassette
* Double 12"
* CD - Japan
* CD - Digipak (since 2005)

References

{{Authority control

1999 albums
Mylène Farmer albums
Polydor Records albums