COSMOPOLITAN.fr Interview

[Kumazzz]

 

http://www.cosmopolitan.fr/,un-verre-avec-mika,2142,1816651.asp

 

Un verre avec Mika

 

Huit millions d’albums vendus, Pharrell Williams et William Orbit comme collaborateurs sur le prochain, et Mika a rendez-vous avec ? moi.

 

C’est l’heure du tea time avec l’ami anglais Mika, qui sort un troisième album très pop teinté d’électro et me rencontre pour l’occasion à Paris dans un palace du VIIIe arrondissement. À l’heure dite, je suis là, au milieu des dorures et des tentures très napoléoniennes. Mais pas de Mika, dont l’Eurostar a eu du retard et qui finit de se rafraîchir avant de descendre.

 

Soudain, il est là. 1,92 m en chemise blanche et pantalon blanc, des cheveux bruns un peu hirsutes et un sourire plus large que le Channel. Il me fait la bise : on s’est déjà rencontrés. Bien qu’il soit bilingue français anglais, il est soulagé que je lui parle en anglais, car il n’a pas dormi depuis 24 heures. Tss, tss, ces pop stars. Je commence l’interview par un portrait chinois, et à la question : quel vêtement pourriez-vous être ? Il répond : « Un sous-vêtement.

 

Il est près du corps, personne ne le voit, il est toujours là (enfin, disons qu’il est souvent là), il connaît vos secrets, vous protège, vous rend sexy. » Bon, Mika, avec cette réponse absurde, je crois que je peux faire la déclaration officielle suivante : la glace est rompue.

 

 

▲Mika cherche une mère

 

À la question : quel animal pourriez-vous être ? Il répond : « Un gros panda. » Et c’est vrai que le chanteur anglo- américain d’origine libanaise ressemble à un gentil animal qui fait son cirque depuis 2007 à coup d’albums pop colorés et de concerts régressifs finissant en fête géante sous une pluie de confettis. Mais derrière la joie, pointe souvent le drame, comme sur « The Origin of Love », son dernier album, où il décortique les étapes d’une histoire d’amour qui finit mal. « Ça commence sublimement avec une grande déclaration puis, quelques chansons plus tard, j’en suis à traiter l’être aimé de minable, je dis que je déteste cette histoire d’amour, et que je n’ai qu’une envie, c’est qu’il me tue pour qu’on en finisse une bonne fois pour toutes. Bref, c’est très réaliste. » Car si Mika vend des millions d’albums, s’envole pour New York d’un claquement de doigts, a tout un staff d’attachés de presse, bref, si sa vie semble idéale, il n’a pas pour autant résolu tous ses problèmes personnels.

 

Au contraire. Dans « Elle me dit », gros tube extrait de l’album sorti cet été, il règle même ses comptes avec une mère charismatique mais envahissante (la sienne), interprétée dans le clip par Fanny Ardant. « Je l’avais rencontrée à un dîner, pour moi, c’était la diva personnifiée. Elle a accepté d’être dans mon clip mais le jour du tournage, elle a stressé et m’a hurlé dessus. Elle s’est calmée quand elle a vu que tout ça n’était pas une opération de marketing mais que je l’avais choisie, elle, parce que je l’appréciais et la respectais. » Résumons : Mika cherche une actrice pour incarner sa mère envahissante et se retrouve avec une seconde mère envahissante. J’ai un peu envie de rire devant sa mine déconfite.

 

 

▲Mika fait son shoe

 

Je lui demande s’il a un rituel avant de monter sur scène. Il me dit qu’il nettoie toujours le bord de ses chaussures, même s’il est en Converse, avec de la térébenthine, quelques minutes avant de chanter. « Parce que c’est un endroit que personne ne voit, et je veux en prendre soin », dit-il. Comme il a pris obsessionnellement soin de retrouver la naïveté et l’innocence de ses débuts pour l’album. « J’ai travaillé avec Pharrell Williams, mais j’ai aussi fait une chanson avec un type de 20 ans inconnu, qui vit encore chez sa mère. Avoir un gros ego ou se mettre sur un piédestal tuent la créativité. C’est comme se retrouver dans ce genre d’hôtel luxueux, c’est impressionnant, mais ça ne veut rien dire. » La prochaine fois, Mika, on se verra au bistrot du coin.

 

 

▲Qu’est-ce qu’il a bu ?

 

Une tasse de thé. Préparé avec de l’eau bouillante fournie par un employé de l’hôtel, mais avec un sachet de thé qu’il a sorti de la poche de sa chemise. « c’est juste un sachet de thé anglais bon marché, a-t-il dit en riant, les thés français ne sont jamais assez forts à mon goût. »

 

 

Par Florence Trédez

 

2012-09-06 15:10:36

[Kaito]

 

http://www.cosmopolitan.fr/,un-verre-avec-mika,2142,1816651.asp

 

Un verre avec Mika

 

Huit millions d’albums vendus, Pharrell Williams et William Orbit comme collaborateurs sur le prochain, et Mika a rendez-vous avec ? moi.

 

C’est l’heure du tea time avec l’ami anglais Mika, qui sort un troisième album très pop teinté d’électro et me rencontre pour l’occasion à Paris dans un palace du VIIIe arrondissement. À l’heure dite, je suis là, au milieu des dorures et des tentures très napoléoniennes. Mais pas de Mika, dont l’Eurostar a eu du retard et qui finit de se rafraîchir avant de descendre.

 

Soudain, il est là. 1,92 m en chemise blanche et pantalon blanc, des cheveux bruns un peu hirsutes et un sourire plus large que le Channel. Il me fait la bise : on s’est déjà rencontrés. Bien qu’il soit bilingue français anglais, il est soulagé que je lui parle en anglais, car il n’a pas dormi depuis 24 heures. Tss, tss, ces pop stars. Je commence l’interview par un portrait chinois, et à la question : quel vêtement pourriez-vous être ? Il répond : « Un sous-vêtement.

 

Il est près du corps, personne ne le voit, il est toujours là (enfin, disons qu’il est souvent là), il connaît vos secrets, vous protège, vous rend sexy. » Bon, Mika, avec cette réponse absurde, je crois que je peux faire la déclaration officielle suivante : la glace est rompue.

 

 

▲Mika cherche une mère

 

À la question : quel animal pourriez-vous être ? Il répond : « Un gros panda. » Et c’est vrai que le chanteur anglo- américain d’origine libanaise ressemble à un gentil animal qui fait son cirque depuis 2007 à coup d’albums pop colorés et de concerts régressifs finissant en fête géante sous une pluie de confettis. Mais derrière la joie, pointe souvent le drame, comme sur « The Origin of Love », son dernier album, où il décortique les étapes d’une histoire d’amour qui finit mal. « Ça commence sublimement avec une grande déclaration puis, quelques chansons plus tard, j’en suis à traiter l’être aimé de minable, je dis que je déteste cette histoire d’amour, et que je n’ai qu’une envie, c’est qu’il me tue pour qu’on en finisse une bonne fois pour toutes. Bref, c’est très réaliste. » Car si Mika vend des millions d’albums, s’envole pour New York d’un claquement de doigts, a tout un staff d’attachés de presse, bref, si sa vie semble idéale, il n’a pas pour autant résolu tous ses problèmes personnels.

 

Au contraire. Dans « Elle me dit », gros tube extrait de l’album sorti cet été, il règle même ses comptes avec une mère charismatique mais envahissante (la sienne), interprétée dans le clip par Fanny Ardant. « Je l’avais rencontrée à un dîner, pour moi, c’était la diva personnifiée. Elle a accepté d’être dans mon clip mais le jour du tournage, elle a stressé et m’a hurlé dessus. Elle s’est calmée quand elle a vu que tout ça n’était pas une opération de marketing mais que je l’avais choisie, elle, parce que je l’appréciais et la respectais. » Résumons : Mika cherche une actrice pour incarner sa mère envahissante et se retrouve avec une seconde mère envahissante. J’ai un peu envie de rire devant sa mine déconfite.

 

 

▲Mika fait son shoe

 

Je lui demande s’il a un rituel avant de monter sur scène. Il me dit qu’il nettoie toujours le bord de ses chaussures, même s’il est en Converse, avec de la térébenthine, quelques minutes avant de chanter. « Parce que c’est un endroit que personne ne voit, et je veux en prendre soin », dit-il. Comme il a pris obsessionnellement soin de retrouver la naïveté et l’innocence de ses débuts pour l’album. « J’ai travaillé avec Pharrell Williams, mais j’ai aussi fait une chanson avec un type de 20 ans inconnu, qui vit encore chez sa mère. Avoir un gros ego ou se mettre sur un piédestal tuent la créativité. C’est comme se retrouver dans ce genre d’hôtel luxueux, c’est impressionnant, mais ça ne veut rien dire. » La prochaine fois, Mika, on se verra au bistrot du coin.

 

 

▲Qu’est-ce qu’il a bu ?

 

Une tasse de thé. Préparé avec de l’eau bouillante fournie par un employé de l’hôtel, mais avec un sachet de thé qu’il a sorti de la poche de sa chemise. « c’est juste un sachet de thé anglais bon marché, a-t-il dit en riant, les thés français ne sont jamais assez forts à mon goût. »

 

 

Par Florence Trédez

 

2012-09-06 15:10:36

 

I'm starting translating

Edited September 8, 2012 by Kaito

[Kumazzz]

I'm starting translating

 

Thanks !! I'm waiting....

[camille*]

Thanks Eriko for this link

 

I was just starting a new thread about it because I wrote the translation:

 

 

It's tea time with our British friend Mika, who releases a third electro pop album and on this occasion meets me in Paris in a palace in the 8th Arrondissement. At the given time, I am there, in the middle of gilt and very Napoleonian draperies. But no Mika, whose Eurostar was late and who finishes refreshing himself before coming down.

 

Suddenly he's there. 1.92m in a white shirt and white trousers, brown messy hair and a smile broader than the Channel. He kisses me on the cheeks; we have already met before. Although he is bilingual in French and English, he is relieved that I speak in English, because he hasn't slept for 24 hours. Tss, tss, those popstars... I start the interview with a Chinese portrait, and to the question 'what piece of clothing could you be?', he answers 'Underwear'.

 

'It's close to the body, nobody sees it, it's always there (well let's say it's often there), it knows your secrets, it protects you, makes you sexy'. Ok, Mika, with this absurd answer I think I can make the following official statement : the ice is broken.

 

To the question, 'what animal could you be?', he answers 'a big panda'. And it's true that the British American singer from Lebanese origin looks like a kind animal in his circus since 2007 with his colourful pop albums and regressive gigs ending as a giant party under the confetti. But behind joy often lies tragedy, like on his last album 'The Origin of Love', in which he dissects the stages of a love story ending badly. 'It starts sublimely with a big statement, then, a few songs later, I'm at the point of treating the loved one as a loser, I say that I hate this love story and that I want only one thing; it's that he kills me so that it's over once and for all. In short, it's very realistic'. Because if Mika sells millions of albums, flies to New York in a snap, has a whole crew of press agents, in short, if his life seems ideal, it doesn't mean he has solved all his personal problems.

 

On the contrary. In 'Elle Me Dit', big hit from the album, he settles his scores with a charismatic but intrusive mother (his mother), played in the video by Fanny Ardant. 'I had met her at a dinner, for me, she was the personified diva. She accepted to play in my video but on the day of the shooting, she was stressed and she shouted at me. She calmed down when she realised it was not a marketing operation but that I had chosen her because I liked and respected her.' Let's sum it up : Mika looks for an actress to play his intrusive mother and finds himself with a second intrusive mother. I kind of want to laugh looking at his crestfallen face.

 

I ask him if he has a ritual before going on stage. He says he always cleans the edge of his shoes, even if he's wearing Converse, with turpentine, a few minutes before singing. 'Because it's something that nobody sees, and I want to take care of it', he says. Just like he has obsessively taken care of finding naivety and innocence from his early career for this album. 'I worked with Pharrell Williams, but I also worked with a 20 year old stranger who still lives with his mother. Having a big ego or putting yourself on a pedestal kill creativity. It's like being in this kind of luxurious hotel; it's impressive, but it doesn't mean anything'. Next time Mika, we'll meet at the bistrot next corner.

 

What did he drink? A cup of tea. Prepared with boiling water brought by a hotel employee, but with a tea bag he took out of his pocket. 'It's just a cheap English tea bag' he says laughing, 'French teas are never strong enough to my taste'.

Edited September 8, 2012 by camille*

[Kumazzz]

Thanks Eriko for this link

 

I was just starting a new thread about it because I wrote the translation:

 

 

It's tea time with our British friend Mika, who releases a third electro pop album and on this occasion meets me in Paris in a palace in the 8th Arrondissement. At the given time, I am there, in the middle of gilt and very Napoleonian draperies. But no Mika, whose Eurostar was late and who finishes refreshing himself before coming down.

 

Suddenly he's there. 1.92m in a white shirt and white trousers, brown messy hair and a smile broader than the Channel. He kisses me on the cheeks; we have already met before. Although he is bilingual in French and English, he is relieved that I speak in English, because he hasn't slept for 24 hours. Tss, tss, those popstars... I start the interview with a Chinese portrait, and to the question 'what piece of clothing could you be?', he answers 'Underwear'.

 

'It's close to the body, nobody sees it, it's always there (well let's say it's often there), it knows your secrets, it protects you, makes you sexy'. Ok, Mika, with this absurd answer I think I can make the following official statement : the ice is broken.

 

To the question, 'what animal could you be?', he answers 'a big panda'. And it's true that the British American singer from Lebanese origin looks like a kind animal in his circus since 2007 with his colourful pop albums and regressive gigs ending as a giant party under the confetti. But behind joy often lies tragedy, like on his last album 'The Origin of Love', in which he dissects the stages of a love story ending badly. 'It starts sublimely with a big statement, then, a few songs later, I'm at the point of treating the loved one as a loser, I say that I hate this love story and that I want only one thing; it's that he kills me so that it's over once and for all. In short, it's very realistic'. Because if Mika sells millions of albums, flies to New York in a snap, has a whole crew of press agents, in short, if his life seems ideal, it doesn't mean he has solved all his personal problems.

 

On the contrary. In 'Elle Me Dit', big hit from the album, he settles his scores with a charismatic but intrusive mother (his mother), played in the video by Fanny Ardant. 'I had met her at a dinner, for me, she was the personified diva. She accepted to play in my video but on the day of the shooting, she was stressed and she shouted at me. She calmed down when she realised it was not a marketing operation but that I had chosen her because I liked and respected her.' Let's sum it up : Mika looks for an actress to play his intrusive mother and finds himself with a second intrusive mother. I kind of want to laugh looking at his crestfallen face.

 

I ask him if he has a ritual before going on stage. He says he always cleans the edge of his shoes, even if he's wearing Converse, with turpentine, a few minutes before singing. 'Because it's something that nobody sees, and I want to take care of it', he says. Just like he has obsessively taken care of finding naivety and innocence from his early career for this album. 'I worked with Pharrell Williams, but I also worked with a 20 year old stranger who still lives with his mother. Having a big ego or putting yourself on a pedestal kill creativity. It's like being in this kind of luxurious hotel; it's impressive, but it doesn't mean anything'. Next time Mika, we'll meet at the bistrot next corner.

 

What did he drink? A cup of tea. Prepared with boiling water brought by a hotel employee, but with a tea bag he took out of his pocket. 'It's just a cheap English tea bag' he says laughing, 'French teas are never strong enough to my taste'.

 

Thanks a lot for the translation !!

 

It's very interesting and funny as always !

[Kumazzz]

I remember the gig.

 

[YOUTUBE]R9YAj_Fyo18[/YOUTUBE]

[Marilyn Mastin]

Thanks Eriko for this link

 

I was just starting a new thread about it because I wrote the translation:

 

 

It's tea time with our British friend Mika, who releases a third electro pop album and on this occasion meets me in Paris in a palace in the 8th Arrondissement. At the given time, I am there, in the middle of gilt and very Napoleonian draperies. But no Mika, whose Eurostar was late and who finishes refreshing himself before coming down.

 

Suddenly he's there. 1.92m in a white shirt and white trousers, brown messy hair and a smile broader than the Channel. He kisses me on the cheeks; we have already met before. Although he is bilingual in French and English, he is relieved that I speak in English, because he hasn't slept for 24 hours. Tss, tss, those popstars... I start the interview with a Chinese portrait, and to the question 'what piece of clothing could you be?', he answers 'Underwear'.

 

'It's close to the body, nobody sees it, it's always there (well let's say it's often there), it knows your secrets, it protects you, makes you sexy'. Ok, Mika, with this absurd answer I think I can make the following official statement : the ice is broken.

 

To the question, 'what animal could you be?', he answers 'a big panda'. And it's true that the British American singer from Lebanese origin looks like a kind animal in his circus since 2007 with his colourful pop albums and regressive gigs ending as a giant party under the confetti. But behind joy often lies tragedy, like on his last album 'The Origin of Love', in which he dissects the stages of a love story ending badly. 'It starts sublimely with a big statement, then, a few songs later, I'm at the point of treating the loved one as a loser, I say that I hate this love story and that I want only one thing; it's that he kills me so that it's over once and for all. In short, it's very realistic'. Because if Mika sells millions of albums, flies to New York in a snap, has a whole crew of press agents, in short, if his life seems ideal, it doesn't mean he has solved all his personal problems.

 

On the contrary. In 'Elle Me Dit', big hit from the album, he settles his scores with a charismatic but intrusive mother (his mother), played in the video by Fanny Ardant. 'I had met her at a dinner, for me, she was the personified diva. She accepted to play in my video but on the day of the shooting, she was stressed and she shouted at me. She calmed down when she realised it was not a marketing operation but that I had chosen her because I liked and respected her.' Let's sum it up : Mika looks for an actress to play his intrusive mother and finds himself with a second intrusive mother. I kind of want to laugh looking at his crestfallen face.

 

I ask him if he has a ritual before going on stage. He says he always cleans the edge of his shoes, even if he's wearing Converse, with turpentine, a few minutes before singing. 'Because it's something that nobody sees, and I want to take care of it', he says. Just like he has obsessively taken care of finding naivety and innocence from his early career for this album. 'I worked with Pharrell Williams, but I also worked with a 20 year old stranger who still lives with his mother. Having a big ego or putting yourself on a pedestal kill creativity. It's like being in this kind of luxurious hotel; it's impressive, but it doesn't mean anything'. Next time Mika, we'll meet at the bistrot next corner.

 

What did he drink? A cup of tea. Prepared with boiling water brought by a hotel employee, but with a tea bag he took out of his pocket. 'It's just a cheap English tea bag' he says laughing, 'French teas are never strong enough to my taste'.

Thanks for the translation. It's great. I remember the present of teabags a few years ago. Ahhhh memories...

[LaraMay]

TFP Erico Mika probably stole the teacup from that hotel

[Milda]

TFP Erico Mika probably stole the teacup from that hotel

Soon he won't be allowed into hotels, like Lindsay Lohan

[LaraMay]

Soon he won't be allowed into hotels, like Lindsay Lohan

 

Lol! Or like Winona Ryder Would be so funny if a video of Mika stealing hotel stuff leaked somehow

[Milda]

Lol! Or like Winona Ryder Would be so funny if a video of Mika stealing hotel stuff leaked somehow

 

:lmfao:

[LaraMay]

And at court he would explain himself:

"Your honor, hotels expect you to take things, as souvenirs"

[Dreamy_Queen]

Uhu... he prefers to be a peaceful underwear

 

But wait, Mika, nobody sees?

 

 

Well, we have no idea about this year's Ralfph Lauren

[Ellenowl]

Thanks for translating. I'm actually getting a bit better at understanding French interviews for myself, but I'm still some way off...

 

Funny interview!

[Louiza]

Lovely article! Good idea to bring your own tea if the one they have over there isnt good enough.

 

thanks for posting Eriko:flowers2: