Mika in Italian Press -- 2010-2015

[Elwendin]

 

Then came the news from fb and I wonder: is correct to put Mika under this kind of pressure?

It occured to me the same question while reading the statement on FB. Aside hurting his feelings (someone could care or not, is up to each one), I think that this kind of pressure doesn't help him to write good music.

But I also think he couldn't give a rat ass of what we say, or that he's a big boy and can stand that.

I don't know him that much to have a solid opinion, so I'll wait for the oldlings

[robertina]

It occured to me the same question while reading the statement on FB. Aside hurting his feelings (someone could care or not, is up to each one), I think that this kind of pressure doesn't help him to write good music.

But I also think he couldn't give a rat ass of what we say, or that he's a big boy and can stand that.

I don't know him that much to have a solid opinion, so I'll wait for the oldlings

 

but of course!!!

[Isabella77]

Isabella, I think the best way to be a fan is listen to anyone's opinion, have one of your own, and then move forward.

being upset or angry or delusional is just something which spoils the joy to be a fan. Don't let other fans' opinion make you feel bad. it's not worthwhile.

But at the same time we are all entitled to have an opinion and express it.

This is a forum of discussion, among other things

 

take it easy and go on!

 

 

I agree, Robertina!

I was just wondering if it is right to put Mika under this pressure and so tightly.

I want to point out however that I respect all kind of opinions no matter what or where they come from. I only expressed my feelings.

[robertina]

I agree, Robertina!

I was just wondering if it is right to put Mika under this pressure and so tightly.

I want to point out however that I respect all kind of opinions no matter what or where they come from. I only expressed my feelings.

 

we all express our feelings, and we love to chat, and we have lives and stuff to do...so don't worry, no one is bothered or annoyed.

I don't think Mika is pressured by US really. We are fans and we do our job, he'll do his, and I'm sure whatever he does, we'll be here

 

Normally, everything smoothes down when the new album is out.

Just saying

 

:naughty:

[IngievV]

I think Mika is the last person whose feelings are hurt during these discussions.

[Elwendin]

Here the translation of the article by Unità news paper: (work in progress, italic sentences are mine)

 

Mika, pop icon that everybody loves.

 

In order to decipher the Mika character, the success that accompanies him and whips like cream, it's enough to go on youtube. Look for a vid, read the comments. Alessandra loves him, Marcella loves him, Giulia loves him. But so do Mario, Eugenio and Stefano. It's all pretty simple. They write it, add emoticons, smiles, “like”. To do coming out without embarassment, in a simple way, even with mirth. Yay, then: we love Mika. And this is a minor thing in a homophobic country like our. The puristi (sorry, I don't know how to translate that), the teachers with the red pen, will explain to us that the awareness takes origin elsewhere, that it's a deep process, that he, Mika, is just a Tv carachter, and so he's generated, so virtual. Yet Mario, Eugenio and Stefano are real. They sign in in a real social network, they stand up for it. The express themselves, they expose themselves. And they lovvano (a slang word spread among teeangers which means to love) Mika (it's said also that way, don't get scandalized).

More, there's more. Loving Mika nowadays is almost a tend cause in the boredom of talent shows, reality shows, docu fictions, hence of the tv, this stateless dude (born 1983 in beirut, libanese mother, american father, school in France and Great Britain) is so pop that he can't not to be liked. So even moms, grannies, girls and boys love him. He, on the other hand, doesn't act misteriously (meaning he doesn't try to hide something). He's gay, he's brilliant, he's hot, he's funny. He's successful, he's very much liked. If Italy needed a little easy and effective lesson, here it got it. Mika represents the normality of being gay.He reverse the fronts with a disarming spontaneity. We love Mika.

You don't know who Mika is? He's one of the Xfactor7 judges, the Sky show tha search for voices to have them on the top of the charts, extension of the music business and music labels, counterpart vaguely more educated than Amici. An already funded talent show, even dull between the toxic Morgan's disguises, the Simona Ventura's wrath, and the Elio's slippers, the less “tense stories” (the name of his band) the more retired genius, perhaps also fault of penguins torments (I think that was about an ad for a mobile company ) But then, at a certain moment, he came to take off on Arisa, official profession: musician, real name: Michael Holbrook Pennyman jr.

Mika is a guy who knows better about music: he took over the world hit parades with his single Grace Kelly, got 4 Music Awards in 2007 with his first album Life In A Cartoon Movie (not my mistake), writes light catchy songs which yet talk about gay love, for instance Toy Boy, and no one protests.

Not even in China, where the censorship is a way more strict. “They may not have understood”, he explains, astonished. A few xfactor episodes were enough for him to be “lovvato” by half italy. He tells Ventura to **** off and the whole country applauds, he talks a comic strip language based on «willy willy», «choosare», has a team of girl singers who never make mistakes, he laughs a lot but he also gets touched, has a mischievous Lucignolo face, he picks his clothes according to the top trend, dances, sings and applauds. He looks real, Mika. He may be. In a television based on appearances and grotesque, he rocks that way. Ironic and polite. He says: “ You ask me if I'm gay, and I answer yes. You ask me if my songs talk about men-men relationships? I tell you yes. And it's just through my music that I found the strenght to deal with my sexuality beyond the topic of my lyrics. This is my real life. “ Chapeau.

There are whole generations who wait by their stars a word, a little solace, to feel less different, to be reassured somehow by strengthened models. A scared and lonely teenager needs probably even this. And suddenly here Mika is, unlikely star in the italian unconscious.

A bit impuden, a bit proud, a bit fallen on earth from who knows what planet, to teach us civics and english. “So, listen, the word “camp” means.... “ And he opens wide his eyes, and gesticulates, adn laughs so much. He was dyslexic, now he looks like a train, he goes fast and talks fast. He sings fast.

More than 2 million people follow him on facebook, every post on twitter cause a standing ovation. The french people, who aren't dumb, will have him for the 2014 The Voice edition.Mika is Mika. He's not a prophet, a bit beyoing the sole virtual product, a little skeletonkey in this country where someone kills himself out of fear.

That's it: when there's no aware family, no better school, no more fair and prejudice free Italy, read what Mario, Eugenio and co write. To go out of the wardrobes, as Lou Reed used to sing. Tiziano Ferro did try, brave and upright. Little by little some others are coming. Today it's the stateless boy turn; a thousand races, no race, with his green velvet suits and a bit lopsided bow tie. If Mika does help, so let it be Mika. «Choosare» without fear is the best that can happen.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Elwendin

[Christine]

Yup sorry I have no interest in a French album either. It's just another reason people are alarmed that he's spending so much time on these TV shows. An album written by someone else to pander to The Voice audience is not a proper Mika album as far as I'm concerned.

 

No one is pressuring Mika to do anything, especially to tell the media he is halfway done or that he had booked studio time during X Factor or during January and February of this year. If he's going to go around saying that he's working on the album then it is going to be discussed, particularly when he is obviously not in a studio.

[mamiam]

Yup sorry I have no interest in a French album either. It's just another reason people are alarmed that he's spending so much time on these TV shows. An album written by someone else to pander to The Voice audience is not a proper Mika album as far as I'm concerned.

 

No one is pressuring Mika to do anything, especially to tell the media he is halfway done or that he had booked studio time during X Factor or during January and February of this year. If he's going to go around saying that he's working on the album then it is going to be discussed, particularly when he is obviously not in a studio.

 

Can I ask where you heard, or read, that MIKA said he's " halfway done" with a new alb.?! I thought I followed these interviews closely, but I never heard it - only that he has 20% of the songs ready, and that he should go to LA in Jan. to work on the alb. which shall be out this year...

 

Love,love

me

[Marta.]

If Mika says he is working, I believe it. I have no reason to doubt him, I have no valid elements, I cannot see anything from here, from my position of "fan".

I see only the presence of a different scheme than the one used previously. Just this. I can see the presence of changes.

Maybe it's changed himself, his way and timing of writing, his artistic world. Maybe he wants to have new experiences, change course, to try new things and explore new worlds. Maybe it's changed the confidence in the label, maybe it's changed the strategy of promoting the new album, to try to avoid some of the problems he had before. Maybe he wants to start over again. Maybe it will start working step by step, perhaps in France and Italy first, where he is now more 'known, and then he will go on slowly, country after country, leaving "most' difficult" countries as last...maybe he will do the opposite. I do not know. But he remains an artist. In my opinion, he is only an artist in changing. That's all for now. Obviously, it's only my little opinion.

[PaolaC]

....still more news for us!

 

Yeah, I've already seen, thank you.

I hope those 4 French songs are for the French version ONLY. I like Elle me dit or Karen but 4 in 1 album I think are too many. And if he made this in order to balance with the Songbook, well, I think it's not the same. I understand a French version but not an official version like that...just my opinion.

[PaolaC]

I think we are not in the right thread, are we?

[Christine]

Can I ask where you heard, or read, that MIKA said he's " halfway done" with a new alb.?! I thought I followed these interviews closely, but I never heard it - only that he has 20% of the songs ready, and that he should go to LA in Jan. to work on the alb. which shall be out this year...

 

Love,love

me

 

Hmm I don't remember exactly to be honest. I can't distinguish between all these foreign interviews and articles.

[amneris]

Here the translation of the article by Unità news paper: (work in progress, italic sentences are mine)

Mika, pop icon that everybody loves.

In order to decipher the Mika character, the success that accompanies him and whips like cream, it's enough to go on youtube. Look for a vid, read the comments. Alessandra loves him, Marcella loves him, Giulia loves him. But so do Mario, Eugenio and Stefano. It's all pretty simple. They write it, add emoticons, smiles, “like”. To do coming out without embarassment, in a simple way, even with mirth. Yay, then: we love Mika. And this is a minor thing in a homophobic country like our. The puristi (sorry, I don't know how to translate that), the teachers with the red pen, will explain to us that the awareness takes origin elsewhere, that it's a deep process, that he, Mika, is just a Tv carachter, and so he's generated, so virtual. Yet Mario, Eugenio and Stefano are real. They sign in in a real social network, they stand up for it. The express themselves, they expose themselves. And they lovvano (a slang word spread among teeangers which means to love) Mika (it's said also that way, don't get scandalized).

More, there's more. Loving Mika nowadays is almost a tend cause in the boredom of talent shows, reality shows, docu fictions, hence of the tv, this stateless dude (born 1983 in beirut, libanese mother, american father, school in France and Great Britain) is so pop that he can't not to be liked. So even moms, grannies, girls and boys love him. He, on the other hand, doesn't act misteriously (meaning he doesn't try to hide something). He's gay, he's brilliant, he's hot, he's funny. He's successful, he's very much liked. If Italy needed a little easy and effective lesson, here it got it. Mika represents the normality of being gay.He reverse the fronts with a disarming spontaneity. We love Mika.

You don't know who Mika is? He's one of the Xfactor7 judges, the Sky show tha search for voices to have them on the top of the charts, extension of the music business and music labels, counterpart vaguely more educated than Amici. An already funded talent show, even dull between the toxic Morgan's disguises, the Simona Ventura's wrath, and the Elio's slippers, the less “tense stories” (the name of his band) the more retired genius, perhaps also fault of penguins torments (I think that was about an ad for a mobile company ) But then, at a certain moment, he came to take off on Arisa, official profession: musician, real name: Michael Holbrook Pennyman jr.

Mika is a guy who knows better about music: he took over the world hit parades with his single Grace Kelly, got 4 Music Awards in 2007 with his first album Life In A Cartoon Movie (not my mistake), writes light catchy songs which yet talk about gay love, for instance Toy Boy, and no one protests.

Not even in China, where the censorship is a way more strict. “They may not have understood”, he explains, astonished. A few xfactor episodes were enough for him to be “lovvato” by half italy. He tells Ventura to **** off and the whole country applauds, he talks a comic strip language based on «willy willy», «choosare», has a team of girl singers who never make mistakes, he laughs a lot but he also gets touched, has a mischievous Lucignolo face, he picks his clothes according to the top trend, dances, sings and applauds. He looks real, Mika. He may be. In a television based on appearances and grotesque, he rocks that way. Ironic and polite. He says: “ You ask me if I'm gay, and I answer yes. You ask me if my songs talk about men-men relationships? I tell you yes. And it's just through my music that I found the strenght to deal with my sexuality beyond the topic of my lyrics. This is my real life. “ Chapeau.

There are whole generations who wait by their stars a word, a little solace, to feel less different, to be reassured somehow by strengthened models. A scared and lonely teenager needs probably even this. And suddenly here Mika is, unlikely star in the italian unconscious.

A bit impuden, a bit proud, a bit fallen on earth from who knows what planet, to teach us civics and english. “So, listen, the word “camp” means.... “ And he opens wide his eyes, and gesticulates, adn laughs so much. He was dyslexic, now he looks like a train, he goes fast and talks fast. He sings fast.

More than 2 million people follow him on facebook, every post on twitter cause a standing ovation. The french people, who aren't dumb, will have him for the 2014 The Voice edition.Mika is Mika. He's not a prophet, a bit beyoing the sole virtual product, a little skeletonkey in this country where someone kills himself out of fear.

 

I miss the "like" botton in the forums. great reminder and translation.

[Isabella77]

If Mika says he is working, I believe it. I have no reason to doubt him, I have no valid elements, I cannot see anything from here, from my position of "fan".

I see only the presence of a different scheme than the one used previously. Just this. I can see the presence of changes.

Maybe it's changed himself, his way and timing of writing, his artistic world. Maybe he wants to have new experiences, change course, to try new things and explore new worlds. Maybe it's changed the confidence in the label, maybe it's changed the strategy of promoting the new album, to try to avoid some of the problems he had before. Maybe he wants to start over again. Maybe it will start working step by step, perhaps in France and Italy first, where he is now more 'known, and then he will go on slowly, country after country, leaving "most' difficult" countries as last...maybe he will do the opposite. I do not know. But he remains an artist. In my opinion, he is only an artist in changing. That's all for now. Obviously, it's only my little opinion.

 

I totally agree with you!!

[camille*]

Hmm I don't remember exactly to be honest. I can't distinguish between all these foreign interviews and articles.

 

I know he said it on The Voice set in December when he was asked by the presenter; now this bit will only be shown in a month or even later so maybe he's thinking he'll have 50% done by then (twisted thought)

[Christine]

I know he said it on The Voice set in December when he was asked by the presenter; now this bit will only be shown in a month or even later so maybe he's thinking he'll have 50% done by then (twisted thought)

 

Thanks Camille. And yes you're right. I think Mika is not a liar exactly, just engages in some wishful thinking along with many of his fans.

[Elwendin]

I think Mika is not a liar exactly, just engages in some wishful thinking along with many of his fans.

Here I am! You got me

[mamiam]

Thanks Camille. And yes you're right. I think Mika is not a liar exactly, just engages in some wishful thinking along with many of his fans.

 

Thank you both - this explains it, and why I didn't get it

 

Love,love

me

[silver]

Here the translation of the article by Unità news paper: (work in progress, italic sentences are mine)

 

Mika, pop icon that everybody loves.

 

In order to decipher the Mika character, the success that accompanies him and whips like cream, it's enough to go on youtube. Look for a vid, read the comments....... And suddenly here Mika is, unlikely star in the italian unconscious......

Today it's the stateless boy turn; a thousand races, no race, with his green velvet suits and a bit lopsided bow tie. If Mika does help, so let it be Mika. «Choosare» without fear is the best that can happen.

 

Sylvie, thanks so much for translating this article - I think it is one of the best I have read. I loved the line about "a bit fallen on earth from who knows what planet"

 

I think it is a very good summary of the effect he seems to have had on Italy.

 

Now if only he gets the chance to do the same in the UK

[ceebs]

Oh, so many thoughts in my mind. How to organize them all!

First, thank you for the translation. That was a really nice article. It's helped me erase that other icky one.

The word "puristi"-I think the English word would be purist, like someone who's kind of snobby in their beliefs, like music should be only one way,and nothing good has been written since the Beatles. A purist would likely dismiss Mika as frivolous.

As far as the French songs go, I don't care. Elle Me Dit/Emily are some of my favorite songs. I find the foreign songs glamorous. New music? It could be in Esperanto for all I care.

He's been quiet lately as far as Twitter. Do we know where he is? Could he be in LA for all we know?

My attitude, I'm in the Trust Mika camp. He's the only one who knows what's inside his head, and that's a wonderful place, so I'm just going to remember those two letters.......

[Elwendin]

Silver, you're welcome. This way we fixed the discontent caused by the previous article.

But I swear, if I'll ever hear again "choosare" I'll throw up.

A talent show in UK? Now, you want to end up dead telling this or what?

 

New music? It could be in Esperanto for all I care.

My attitude, I'm in the Trust Mika camp.

LOL and LOL. I like it.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Elwendin

[silver]

Silver, you're welcome. This way we fixed the discontent caused by the previous article.

But I swear, if I'll ever hear again "choosare" I'll throw up.

A talent show in UK? Now, you want to end up dead telling this or what?

 

Not necessarily a talent show, but at least somewhere that he can display his personality. He was a guest on an BBC2 review programme once and came over very well; I was surprised he wasn't invited back to give his views on other subjects.

[Christine]

He's been quiet lately as far as Twitter. Do we know where he is? Could he be in LA for all we know?

 

I think he told the Italian fans at the TV show taping that he was taking some time off because he wasn't well over Christmas.

 

And after today's FB post I am pretty sure that the minute Mika ends up in a studio we are going to be hearing ALL about it.

[Elwendin]

And after today's FB post I am pretty sure that the minute Mika ends up in a studio we are going to be hearing ALL about it.

:aah:

 

Let's hope! That would be nice!

[RAK1]

Oh, so many thoughts in my mind. How to organize them all!

First, thank you for the translation. That was a really nice article. It's helped me erase that other icky one.

The word "puristi"-I think the English word would be purist, like someone who's kind of snobby in their beliefs, like music should be only one way,and nothing good has been written since the Beatles. A purist would likely dismiss Mika as frivolous.

As far as the French songs go, I don't care. Elle Me Dit/Emily are some of my favorite songs. I find the foreign songs glamorous. New music? It could be in Esperanto for all I care.

He's been quiet lately as far as Twitter. Do we know where he is? Could he be in LA for all we know?

My attitude, I'm in the Trust Mika camp. He's the only one who knows what's inside his head, and that's a wonderful place, so I'm just going to remember those two letters.......

 

I thought someone said he would be on Grand Canal in France this week.

Maybe this weekend he might be off to L.A. fingers crossed.