Interview for Kaltblut Magazine

[Sabine64]

http://www.nrj.fr/videos-3964/clips-4022/media/video/496882-reactions-mika-nrj-music-awards-2012.html

 

This is the video

 

He says the album will be out in Spring

 

The name of the guy is Jocelyn, he's talking about the risk he was taking at around 1.15

 

Yes this is the vid I had in my mind. Thank you for posting it.

[mari62]

You mean a person correcting your French?

It is a 3rd person listed at the end of an article whose function was to probably transcribe or even translate what the other two wrote...

 

 

 

There was an interview in 2009 with Mika, that's where it was mentioned first but I can't remember whether it was an article or a radio interview. Does anyone remember? (Marina perhaps? )

 

No, I meant the original story....

 

Here it is:

 

Are you nervous about the forthcoming album release?

- Yes, it is clear. But I have done it on my own terms, "he says.

Mika says that he hired hitmaker Pharell Williams that he would produce a song for him. But already at the second meeting he asked for 750 000 kroner in advance.

- I thought he was kidding, but he did not. But then I realized that I buy are not songs. I created a world around my music, "he says.

 

I found it here:

http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19295

link to the Swedish interview from 2009:

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/article5649563.ab

 

that's why I remembered a bigger amount. It was in Swedish Krona.

you've been quicker than me

[suzie]

you've been quicker than me

 

Only because it was on MFC and I could simply press the 'search' button.

No-one can beat you when it comes to remembering and finding particular video and audio interviews.

[basicamenteyo]

Oh you guys are good.

 

Does anyone remember what he said earlier about not being sure about releasing EMD? I could have sworn he said the French label wanted to and he thought it was risky. But I don't know for sure and can't remember where he said it. It was fairly recently I think.

 

I remember it too...

 

 

Mika and his Gertrude stories

[mari62]

Oh you guys are good.

 

Does anyone remember what he said earlier about not being sure about releasing EMD? I could have sworn he said the French label wanted to and he thought it was risky. But I don't know for sure and can't remember where he said it. It was fairly recently I think.

 

Only because it was on MFC and I could simply press the 'search' button.

No-one can beat you when it comes to remembering and finding particular video and audio interviews.

thanks

we've got a few great researchers on MFC though

this time I searched first on google instead

[BiaIchihara]

Has anybody else noticed @Zsina's drawing is on that interview???

 

 

That was her submission for that Doodle competion on FB

 

Edited July 3, 2012 by BiaIchihara

[LeiRe]

Also:

 

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150435075513580

 

So when it got to last summer, I thought why not release Elle Me Dit in France. I thought, what can I lose? I won't promote it, we'll take it straight to radio and see what happens..? I was advised not to release it, it was so out of context and there was too much risk. In the end I went for it. I wasn't going to stop myself from putting something out just because of fear.

[mellody]

Has anybody else noticed @Zsina's drawing is on that interview???

 

 

That was her submission for that Doodle competion on FB

 

 

yeah, that's what i thought - "isn't that a fan's drawing?!"... i wasn't 100% sure though, because they had it next to the text about yasmine, so i thought it was maybe by her. that's what i meant by them adding random pictures without writing what source they came from or what they had to do with the text.

 

Also:

 

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150435075513580

 

So when it got to last summer, I thought why not release Elle Me Dit in France. I thought, what can I lose? I won't promote it, we'll take it straight to radio and see what happens..? I was advised not to release it, it was so out of context and there was too much risk. In the end I went for it. I wasn't going to stop myself from putting something out just because of fear.

 

yes, that's the story i remember, so this particular part of the interview didn't surprise me.

[suzie]

The name of the guy is Jocelyn, he's talking about the risk he was taking at around 1.15

 

perhaps he has a different version for French interviews

 

We'll never learn the exact way things happened as he is never going to reveal it all. You don't wake up one morning and decide you release a song in France. EMD was about him still being able to write a No 1 song and he proved it in France. The real risk would have been to release it in the UK, 'out of context' as they say.

Edited July 3, 2012 by suzie

[mari62]

http://www.nrj.fr/videos-3964/clips-4022/media/video/496882-reactions-mika-nrj-music-awards-2012.html

 

This is the video

 

He says the album will be out in Spring

 

The name of the guy is Jocelyn, he's talking about the risk he was taking at around 1.15

 

[YOUTUBE]HxUldkU4oSM[/YOUTUBE]

 

interviewer: mik, a reaction? youre shocked?

mika:yes! im,... im surprised im happy! it means alot! Its the first prize i ever won in my life 5 years ago for my first CD. And it means alot...

I: thats what you said, its the first prize...

m: that i got in my carreer. It was an NRJ award. And to receive that tonight again... honestly im moved. I dont know wha to say!!! i said: id like to thank.. erm...... i wasnt prepared at all!!! Even before i said: its gonna be Enrique or Pitbull, but not me! And to win.. im totally moved. Thank you everyone, NRJ and my fans.

I: and now youre nominated for a song that was released in 2011, Elle me dit..

M: yes, its one song... i only did one song, because the CD isnt out yet. It will be out in Spring. So its quite shocking! But it proves that its worth taking risks sometimes. Elle me dit was a risk! we had no idea what would happen. Theres this guy beside me named Jocelyn and he told me to do it! and i said: no seriously? you assure me it wont be a disaster?? and he said no!! i promise!! i would have told you otherwise. So hes here today beside me. It goes to show that the risk was worth it.

I: 2012 starts well then?

M: it starts really well!! im so happy! Thank you NRJ. Thanks alot!

[mellody]

[YOUTUBE]HxUldkU4oSM[/YOUTUBE]

 

t4p! well, but it's not as clear as the other ones imo... this jocelyn guy (who is he, btw? someone of the record company?) obviously supported mika, but i guess mika was the one in the end who had to take the decision and convince everyone else.

[Christine]

he talked about it on the interview after winning the NRJ award and he showed us the guy who told him to release EMD, forgot his name. I can´t find the vid but it was called Reaction after NRJ or so

 

Ah thanks guys for finding it. I find it hard to believe that Mika makes unilateral decisions about releasing singles but I can believe some people tried to talk him out of it I don't see what the risk was, as long as it wasn't released in the UK.

 

Has anybody else noticed @Zsina's drawing is on that interview???

 

 

I love this pic! The one with his sisters that she gave to Mika is awesome too. She's amazing.

[BiaIchihara]

Ah thanks guys for finding it. I find it hard to believe that Mika makes unilateral decisions about releasing singles but I can believe some people tried to talk him out of it I don't see what the risk was, as long as it wasn't released in the UK.

 

 

 

I love this pic! The one with his sisters that she gave to Mika is awesome too. She's amazing.

 

indeed, have you guys ever seen her other works???

 

http://fruzsinagrande.tumblr.com/

 

 

EDIT: sorry for the off topic

[suzie]

Congratulations to Zsina on her drawing making it to a website as an 'official drawing'... I was looking at it and kept thinking where I had seen that before. I was thinking all sorts like it reminded me of the Innuendo artwork (Queen) - I think it is a good sign I did not even occur to me it was a fan drawing...

 

 

I find it hard to believe that Mika makes unilateral decisions about releasing singles but I can believe some people tried to talk him out of it I don't see what the risk was, as long as it wasn't released in the UK.

That's just what I thought I'd comment here as soon as I get home

I mean, it is a catchy and happy song in French for the French market from an artists who has had incredible success there with the first two albums and who regularly appears in the media, speaks their language perfectly and often performs there to large audiences.

 

Financially, of course there was a 'risk' if you consider the French record label thinking that they will lose the sales impact of such a catchy happy tune to the forthcoming album. In other words, if they had thought that it would be difficult to match this hit with another song they should support the album with.

 

For the UK market of course it would not have made sense to release that song. He can't have seriously thought they would.

Edited July 3, 2012 by suzie

[sariflor]

It's just a funny twist on things, like when he talks about collaborating with Pharrell on Celebrate. Mika starts by saying that Pharrell called him .. so I imagine Pharrell waking up one morning with the idea to call Mika who happened to be working on his new album and insisted on working with him... :rolls_eyes:

Sweet

 

Maybe I cant recall things properly but I think he said in another interview that Pharrell asked him for a lot of money,and then Mika called Pharrell and told him that he didnt want to buy a song but to work with him... then Pharrell agreed and that was all...

 

Ok,slightly going to the point of having fun with Mikas differents answers depending on his mood

 

Mika wanted to work with Pharrell for the second album and then Pharrell wanted to have 100000 Dollar and Mika disclaimed at that time. This time Pharrell asked Mika to work with him and he didn´t want money for it

 

yes, sure it happened that way...

 

 

Yes, exactly my thoughts

[cathouzouf]

You mean a person correcting your French?

It is a 3rd person listed at the end of an article whose function was to probably transcribe or even translate what the other two wrote...

 

 

 

There was an interview in 2009 with Mika, that's where it was mentioned first but I can't remember whether it was an article or a radio interview. Does anyone remember? (Marina perhaps? )

 

Yes I mean that in my job, it is mandatory to use a revisor on every text we write. And it's not because we write badly!

[suzie]

Yes I mean that in my job, it is mandatory to use a revisor on every text we write. And it's not because we write badly!

 

Yes, in certain jobs I understand you have that. For magazines (especially online ones) I have never seen a corrector's name to be mentioned right after the article. That's why I thought that they probably needed someone to go through the transcription of the interview due to some uncertainties the interviewers were already aware of.

[Marilyn Mastin]

Congratulations to Zsina on her drawing making it to a website as an 'official drawing'... I was looking at it and kept thinking where I had seen that before. I was thinking all sorts like it reminded me of the Innuendo artwork (Queen) - I think it is a good sign I did not even occur to me it was a fan drawing...

 

 

 

That's just what I thought I'd comment here as soon as I get home

I mean, it is a catchy and happy song in French for the French market from an artists who has had incredible success there with the first two albums and who regularly appears in the media, speaks their language perfectly and often performs there to large audiences.

 

Financially, of course there was a 'risk' if you consider the French record label thinking that they will lose the sales impact of such a catchy happy tune to the forthcoming album. In other words, if they had thought that it would be difficult to match this hit with another song they should support the album with.

 

For the UK market of course it would not have made sense to release that song. He can't have seriously thought they would.

I thought they should have actually. Occasionally, some foreign language songs have done well. Look at La Bamba a few years ago and the original version of Viva Espania got into the charts (and was much better than the English version)

These days it's more common for people in English schools to learn French, and even if they don't know it well (like me) EMD was catchy and easy to sing along to once you got to know the "porquois" line.

I think it would have been a change to have a French song on the radio, and that it should have had a chance. Mika's voice is so good in the song. It's different, no falsetto and it would have shown Mika in a whole new light in the UK

That is my opinion anyway. But if not EMD, I do think they should have released a single over here, since, in the UK, we were waiting for such a long time for new music from Mika.

[suzie]

I thought they should have actually. Occasionally, some foreign language songs have done well.

 

Well, it is extremely rare so that's where the 'gut feel" comes into play, I guess, since success or failure of a song cannot be predicted by some algorithm (..or can it )

Staying with French examples, the most famous international hit singles from the past decades that come to my mind are Je T'Aime, Voyage Voyage, My Lolita. All great and catchy tunes that you can hum along throughout teh song without knowing the words. In EMD he is basically 'speaking' and the lyrics play some part in 'getting' the spirit of the song. I agree with the UK label not taking a chance with that French song as there would have been a high risk of Mika falling flat on his face with that one. He needs an intense campaign in the UK with several good songs, not random ones.

Edited July 4, 2012 by suzie

[Marilyn Mastin]

Well, it is extremely rare so that's where the 'gut feel" comes into play, I guess, since success or failure of a song cannot be predicted by some algorithm (..or can it )

Staying with French examples, the most famous international hit singles from the past decades that come to my mind are Je T'Aime, Voyage Voyage, My Lolita. All great and catchy tunes that you can hum along throughout teh song without knowing the words. In EMD he is basically 'speaking' and the lyrics play some part in 'getting' the spirit of the song. I agree with the UK label not taking a chance with that French song as there would have been a high risk of Mika falling flat on his face with that one. He needs an intense campaign in the UK with several good songs, not random ones.

Well I like what he's doing with these videos actually. He's getting some songs he likes, out there, even though they're not singles. People could download them, hopefully, and if Celebrate doesn't do well, then MYH or one of the others might become a hit.

Because record companies do make mistakes sometimes with their choices of singles. They can't always predict what the public will love. Some songs have been hits because they came along at just the right time. I think Mika is covering all the bases to try and get another hit. I think it's a really good idea and I hope it pays off for him.

[suzie]

Well I like what he's doing with these videos actually. He's getting some songs he likes, out there, even though they're not singles. People could download them, hopefully, and if Celebrate doesn't do well, then MYH or one of the others might become a hit.

Because record companies do make mistakes sometimes with their choices of singles. They can't always predict what the public will love. Some songs have been hits because they came along at just the right time. I think Mika is covering all the bases to try and get another hit. I think it's a really good idea and I hope it pays off for him.

 

In theory, it totally makes sense. That's not how it works in pactice though, as we saw it with his second album. His first single failed to promote the album and the record company pulled the chair out from under him. That's why selecting the right single first or at least first two singles is key.

With MYH and Celebrate he tried to show the 'extremes' of the album but I don't think he can get groundbreaking success with either (I do love MYH though) and he needs that now to return. Perhaps with the title track though if that gets released as soon as possible. It sounds like a really good track.