Mika interviewed in La Presse, Montreal, Quebec - Aug. 11, 2012

Nice find Cath! Did we know the names of the other french songs already? i can't remember

Mika, l'enfant chéri de la pop britannique, sera de passage mercredi sur la scène de l'International des montgolfières de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Il profitera de l'occasion pour offrir en primeur certains titres de The Origin of Love, album à paraître en septembre qui compte plusieurs chansons en français, dont son succès Elle me dit. Le chanteur, qui a annoncé officiellement son homosexualité cette semaine, a parlé à La Presse de ce troisième opus quasi autobiographique écrit à Londres et enregistré à L.A.

Q Allez-vous donner un avant-goût de votre nouvel album sur la scène de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu?

R Je vais chanter des nouveautés comme Celebrate, Underwater et Make You Happy ainsi que deux nouvelles chansons en français. C'est un plaisir de faire un spectacle où les gens comprennent et ont le même rapport avec les paroles, que ce soit en français ou en anglais. Il n'y a nulle part dans le monde sauf ici où je peux faire ça! Ce qui me plaît de me produire à l'International des montgolfières c'est que ça ne s'inscrit pas dans une tournée nord-américaine, et quand je suis au Québec, je me sens comme dans un monde à part. Je devais venir en 2007 à Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, mais j'avais de gros problèmes de santé qui m'empêchaient de monter sur scène. Je suis ravi d'avoir enfin l'opportunité de venir!

Q Pourquoi avoir choisi de faire quatre titres en français sur votre nouvel album?

R J'ai grandi à Paris et mon éducation musicale s'est faite à travers la chanson française avec les Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy, Barbara, Moustaki, Rita Mitsouko, etc. Je n'ai pas peur de la mélodie et il y en a beaucoup dans la chanson française. Ça fait partie de ma formation et ça fait des années que je voulais chanter en français, mais je savais que je ne pouvais pas écrire moi-même, car dans ma tête je pense en anglais. Alors j'ai dû attendre jusqu'à ce que je rencontre Doriand, un parolier qui interprète mes idées et écrit mes paroles. Sur le nouvel album il y a donc en français Elle me dit, L'amour dans le mauvais temps, Karen (82, Rue Des Martyrs), que je vais faire dans une version que personne n'a encore entendue, et Un soleil mal luné.

Q Quelle couleur a ce nouvel album?

R J'ai terminé l'album mercredi soir. Quand on l'écoute, on a ce sentiment que c'est trempé dans une sorte de mélange entre la musique classique, la mélodie pop des années 70 et un côté assez moderne, électronique qui mélange ces mondes. Je vais avoir 29 ans vendredi prochain et cet album me représente totalement aujourd'hui. Et certaines versions de chansons comme Make You Happy qui tourne déjà sont différentes sur l'album puisque je la fais en version symphonique, avec beaucoup de cordes. Dans mon premier album, j'avais 22 ans et je parlais de ma vie, de mes amis, de ma famille. Avec le second je me suis beaucoup plus isolé. Le nouvel album est un autre univers, mais je n'ai jamais fait quelque chose qui me représente autant.

Q Est-ce pour ça que c'était important pour vous de révéler au grand jour votre homosexualité cette semaine dans le magazine américain Instinct?

R Dans les chansons de mon nouvel album, je parle de ma vie, alors qu'avant je parlais plus de la vie des autres autour de moi. C'était le bon moment de révéler mon homosexualité, car à 28 ans je me suis dit: je parle de ma vie d'une manière que très peu de chanteurs pop masculins vont le faire. Je le fais avec beaucoup de joie et c'était le bon moment. Mes chansons ne parlent pas forcément de mon orientation sexuelle, mais tout de même de ma vie personnelle. J'aime la pop car elle est universelle. On n'avait pas forcement besoin de savoir que je suis homosexuel pour comprendre ma musique. Ça montre surtout un certain confort et une confiance. J'ai créé tout ce qu'il y a dans ma carrière tout seul. Je ne cache rien. Je suis arrivé à un moment dans ma vie où je suis confiant et à l'aise dans tous les sens de ma vie. Ça me donne une sensation de puissance et de joie de vivre complètement invincible. Il était important pour moi de le faire de la bonne manière et de choisir de le faire quand je le désirais.

Q Pourquoi avoir choisi de collaborer avec le rappeur Pharell Williams sur la chanson Celebrate?

R Sur Origin of Love, j'ai voulu sortir de l'isolement dans lequel j'étais avec mon second opus en travaillant avec des artistes avec qui je fais une sorte d'échange. Ils travaillent sur mon album et je travaille sur le leur, alors que dans la musique pop normalement, on paie quelqu'un pour avoir une chanson et un nom. Avec Pharell, c'est différent: on s'assoie ensemble et on voit si on arrive à quelque chose, sans contrat, sans échange d'argent ni de règle. Sur Celebrate, il y a aussi un gars de 23 ans que j'ai rencontré sur l'internet et Nick Littlemoore d'Empire of the Sun qui ont collaboré.

Now we wait for Roxy to translate it... she enjoys it

Nice one!

Je suis arrivé à un moment dans ma vie où je suis confiant et à l'aise dans tous les sens de ma vie.

That's very good to read

Thanks for posting,Cath! A symphonic version for Make You Happy on the album?? Ah,life is wonderful !! Amaze me,Mika,I'm ready!!

translation please?

translation please?

I can translate unless Roxane is already working on it? Does anyone know?

I guess it's night time in Canada so I wrote down the translation

Will you give us a taste of your new album in St Jean sur Richelieu?

I will sing new songs like Celebrate, Underwater and Make You Happy as well as 2 new French songs. It's a pleasure to perform in a place where people understand and have the same connection with the lyrics, either in French or in English. There is nowhere else in the world except here where I can do that! What I like about performing at the International des Montgolfières is that it's not part of a North American tour, and when I'm in Quebec, I feel like I'm in a world apart. I should have come in 2007 but I had big health problems that prevented me from going on stage. I'm delighted to finally have the opportunity to come!

Why did you choose to have 4 titles in French on your new album?

I grew up in Paris and my musical education was made through French songs with Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy, Barbara, Moustaki, Rita Mitsouko etc. I'm not scared of melody and there is plenty in French music. It's part of my education and I wanted to sing in French for years, but I knew I couldn't write myself, because in my mind I think in English. So I had to wait until I met Doriand, a lyricist who interprets my ideas and writes my lyrics. On my new album in French there are EMD, L'Amour dans le mauvais temps, Karen (82 Rue des Martyrs) that I will make in a version that nobody has ever heard, and Un soleil mal luné.

What 'colour' does this new album have?

I finished the album on Wednesday night. When you listen to it, you have a feeling that it's dunked in a kind of mix between classical music, pop melodies from the 70s and a quite modern, electronic side which mixes these worlds. I will be 29 next Saturday and this album totally represents me today. And some versions of songs like MYH that is already out there are different on the album as I have it in a symphonic version with a lot of strings. In my first album, I was 22 and I talked about life, my friends, my family. With the second one I isolated myself much more. The new album is another universe, but I've never done something that represents me that much.

Is it why it was important for you to reveal your homosexuality this week in the American magazine Instinct?

In the songs from my new album, I talk about my life, whereas before I used to talk more about the life of people around me. It was the right moment to reveal my homosexuality, because at 28 years old I thought: I talk about my life in a way very few male pop singers will do it. I do it with a lot of joy and it was the right moment. My songs are not necessarily about my sexual orientation, but still about my personal life. I like pop music because it's universal. We didn't necessarily need to know I'm homosexual to understand my music. Above all it shows some comfort and confidence. I created all that is my career on my own. I don't hide anything. I arrived at a moment in my life when I'm confident and at ease in every way in my life. It gives me a completely invicible feeling of power and joy. It was important for me to do it in a good way and to choose to do it when I wanted to.

Why did you choose to work with Pharrell Williams on Celebrate?

On The Origin of Love, I wanted to come out of this isolation I was in with my second album and work with artists with whom I have some sort of exchange. They work on my album and I work on theirs, while normally in pop music, we pay someone to have a song and a name. With Pharrell, it's different: we sit together and see if we can get something, without any contract, without money or rules. On Celebrate, there are also a 23 year old guy I met on the Internet and Nick Littlemore from Empire of the Sun who collaborated.

Great interview! thanks for sharing!!

Can't wait to hear "Le soleil mal luné". The title sounds very nice tbh.

Thanks Cath/Camille.

I want to hear Lola.

I'm still amazed that he's making open comments about homosexuality. Still less surprising than when he turned up in 2009 in his boxer shorts threatening to do a naked vlog though.

What I like about performing at the International des Montgolfières is that it's not part of a North American tour, and when I'm in Quebec, I feel like I'm in a world apart. I should have come in 2007 but I had big health problems that prevented me from going on stage.

He really shouldn't say that even though he was having health problems at the time. He performed live on television that day ffs!

Lovely! This is a really nice interview Thankyou for posting and translating!

Lovely interview thanks for translating

Thanks Cath/Camille.

 

I want to hear Lola.

 

I'm still amazed that he's making open comments about homosexuality. Still less surprising than when he turned up in 2009 in his boxer shorts threatening to do a naked vlog though.

Is there a video of this or something? I can't believe I missed this!

But still a great interview, I love that he talked about the French songs. and thanks for the translation!

Is there a video of this or something? I can't believe I missed this!

Sorry those were two different events. He was in his boxers in the WAG video and I think he tweeted that he would do a naked vlog if his song got to number 3. It didn't happen so there was no vlog.

It doesn't seem like a big deal now but Mika had come across as pretty conservative up to that point. I remember in the early days of MFC people used to wonder if he was a virgin and if he drank, etc. When he started dancing around in his underwear and talking about sneaking into gay clubs at 15 to get older people to buy him drinks it was all a bit shocking. Not that it wasn't exactly how I imagined he was in real life. But he had just cultivated this image of himself that was pretty innocent and I didn't expect him to suddenly become so unreserved.

Lovely! This is a really nice interview Thankyou for posting and translating!

+1. It's really good.

Sorry those were two different events. He was in his boxers in the WAG video and I think he tweeted that he would do a naked vlog if his song got to number 3. It didn't happen so there was no vlog.

 

It doesn't seem like a big deal now but Mika had come across as pretty conservative up to that point. I remember in the early days of MFC people used to wonder if he was a virgin and if he drank, etc. When he started dancing around in his underwear and talking about sneaking into gay clubs at 15 to get older people to buy him drinks it was all a bit shocking. Not that it wasn't exactly how I imagined he was in real life. But he had just cultivated this image of himself that was pretty innocent and I didn't expect him to suddenly become so unreserved.

Oh I already knew about those two things! Sorry I got confused. But yeah I was a bit shocked too when he said he went to nightclubs at 15, I'm 15 and I would never do that! But thanks anyway.

He really shouldn't say that even though he was having health problems at the time. He performed live on television that day ffs!

i guess he doesn't realize that Quebec's motto is "Je me souviens"

Oh I already knew about those two things! Sorry I got confused. But yeah I was a bit shocked too when he said he went to nightclubs at 15, I'm 15 and I would never do that! But thanks anyway.

I started going to clubs at 15 so it didn't surprise me that way. I always thought Mika was doing this type of thing, he just didn't talk about it. So I wasn't surprised at the things he's done, just that he was suddenly willing to talk about it and act like it.

i guess he doesn't realize that Quebec's motto is "Je me souviens"

I started going to clubs at 15 so it didn't surprise me that way. I always thought Mika was doing this type of thing, he just didn't talk about it. So I wasn't surprised at the things he's done, just that he was suddenly willing to talk about it and act like it.

 

 

 

Oh I kind of thought he might of, but I thought he would not talk about it. And if I ever go to a club, at my age, my mum would kill me! But maybe he's willing to share more now.

I guess it's night time in Canada so I wrote down the translation

 

Will you give us a taste of your new album in St Jean sur Richelieu?

 

I will sing new songs like Celebrate, Underwater and Make You Happy as well as 2 new French songs. It's a pleasure to perform in a place where people understand and have the same connection with the lyrics, either in French or in English. There is nowhere else in the world except here where I can do that! What I like about performing at the International des Montgolfières is that it's not part of a North American tour, and when I'm in Quebec, I feel like I'm in a world apart. I should have come in 2007 but I had big health problems that prevented me from going on stage. I'm delighted to finally have the opportunity to come!

 

Why did you choose to have 4 titles in French on your new album?

 

I grew up in Paris and my musical education was made through French songs with Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy, Barbara, Moustaki, Rita Mitsouko etc. I'm not scared of melody and there is plenty in French music. It's part of my education and I wanted to sing in French for years, but I knew I couldn't write myself, because in my mind I think in English. So I had to wait until I met Doriand, a lyricist who interprets my ideas and writes my lyrics. On my new album in French there are EMD, L'Amour dans le mauvais temps, Karen (82 Rue des Martyrs) that I will make in a version that nobody has ever heard, and Un soleil mal luné.

 

What 'colour' does this new album have?

 

I finished the album on Wednesday night. When you listen to it, you have a feeling that it's dunked in a kind of mix between classical music, pop melodies from the 70s and a quite modern, electronic side which mixes these worlds. I will be 29 next Saturday and this album totally represents me today. And some versions of songs like MYH that is already out there are different on the album as I have it in a symphonic version with a lot of strings. In my first album, I was 22 and I talked about life, my friends, my family. With the second one I isolated myself much more. The new album is another universe, but I've never done something that represents me that much.

 

Is it why it was important for you to reveal your homosexuality this week in the American magazine Instinct?

 

In the songs from my new album, I talk about my life, whereas before I used to talk more about the life of people around me. It was the right moment to reveal my homosexuality, because at 28 years old I thought: I talk about my life in a way very few male pop singers will do it. I do it with a lot of joy and it was the right moment. My songs are not necessarily about my sexual orientation, but still about my personal life. I like pop music because it's universal. We didn't necessarily need to know I'm homosexual to understand my music. Above all it shows some comfort and confidence. I created all that is my career on my own. I don't hide anything. I arrived at a moment in my life when I'm confident and at ease in every way in my life. It gives me a completely invicible feeling of power and joy. It was important for me to do it in a good way and to choose to do it when I wanted to.

 

Why did you choose to work with Pharrell Williams on Celebrate?

 

On The Origin of Love, I wanted to come out of this isolation I was in with my second album and work with artists with whom I have some sort of exchange. They work on my album and I work on theirs, while normally in pop music, we pay someone to have a song and a name. With Pharrell, it's different: we sit together and see if we can get something, without any contract, without money or rules. On Celebrate, there are also a 23 year old guy I met on the Internet and Nick Littlemore from Empire of the Sun who collaborated.

thank you:mikalove:

Oh I kind of thought he might of, but I thought he would not talk about it. And if I ever go to a club, at my age, my mum would kill me! But maybe he's willing to share more now.

He probably didn't tell his mum. I sure didn't

I actually only went to a club once when I was 15 because I looked about 12 years old so I wasn't fooling anyone. It was a dodgy place and we just sort of snuck in while the bouncer was distracted.

I still looked way too young when I was 17 years old but I was working for a record company so my colleagues would bring me in with them and I didn't get questioned.

But it's much stricter now and I think people would have a hard time sneaking into a bar now if they weren't of age, so I would not recommend it.

He probably didn't tell his mum. I sure didn't

 

I actually only went to a club once when I was 15 because I looked about 12 years old so I wasn't fooling anyone. It was a dodgy place and we just sort of snuck in while the bouncer was distracted.

 

I still looked way too young when I was 17 years old but I was working for a record company so my colleagues would bring me in with them and I didn't get questioned.

 

But it's much stricter now and I think people would have a hard time sneaking into a bar now if they weren't of age, so I would not recommend it.

Haha I bet if she new she would drag him straight back home! And yeah I look young too- so nobody would believe I was 18, let alone 15. But don't worry I won't sneak into clubs anytime soon!

Amazing interview, Thanks for posting

Thanks again for the translation

Karen (82 Rue des Martyrs) that I will make in a version that nobody has ever heard

Not sure if I like that or not I looooove the song as it is now. Hopefully he doesn't destroy that. But on the other hand it could be greater version, too