Mika interview on franceinfo, 5 February 2024

[Kumazzz]

4 hours ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

 

A 7 minutes interview .

 

 

 

 

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-radio/grille-des-emissions.html

 

 

 

Find a part at 9:51

 

 

audio

 

 

 

 

A link to the podcast

 

https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinfo/podcasts/info-medias/mika-de-retour-dans-the-voice-en-france-c-est-le-seul-pays-au-monde-ou-les-talents-ont-eu-des-grandes-carrieres-9555140

 

 

 

Radio France

radiofrance.fr

 

Mika de retour dans The Voice : "En France, c'est le seul pays au monde où les talents ont eu des grandes carrières"

 

The Voice entame sa 13e saison sur TF1 samedi avec Mika, Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo et Oli comme coachs. À quelques jours du lancement de sa tournée européenne, le chanteur des tubes "Love today" et "Elle me dit" retrouve son fauteuil rouge de coach dans l'émission de TF1.

 

C’est en 2007 qu’avec son premier album Life in Cartoon Motion, l’auteur, compositeur et interprète atypique, Mika se fait connaître du grand public. Depuis, il a arpenté les scènes du monde entier, offrant six albums studio dont le dernier Que ta tête fleurisse toujours intégralement composé de chansons en français. Parallèlement à cela, il est connu pour être un des coachs emblématiques de l’émission The Voice sur TF1. Après avoir quitté le show en 2019, même s’il y a fait quelques apparitions depuis, il se rassoit sur un des fauteuils rouges, samedi 10 février à 21h10 pour la saison 13, entouré de Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo et Oli.

 

franceinfo : Vous étiez revenu pour l'édition anniversaire des dix ans en 2021 et puis pour une soirée seulement l'année dernière. Alors pourquoi avez-vous arrêté et pourquoi revenez-vous dans The Voice ?

 

Mika : Parce qu'il faut arrêter ! C'est super important parce que si on fait quelque chose d'une manière trop récurrente, on ne peut pas changer. Et c'est important de changer. C'est important d'évoluer. C'est important d'ouvrir de nouvelles portes en soi-même. Quand les gens disent par gentillesse et par amour, souvent, "Ne change pas", je réponds : mais non, il faut toujours changer.

 

Vous n'êtes plus le même coach qu'avant ?

 

J'ai changé sans faire semblant d'être quelqu'un de différent, pour vraiment ne pas penser à ce que les gens pensent de moi. Il faut être complètement libéré de ça. Il faut s'en aller, peut-être, pour revenir. J'aime bien faire plein de choses et si j'ai le droit de faire beaucoup de choses, mes concerts, écrire, dessiner, m'exprimer et aussi faire de la télévision pour le grand public... J'adore, parce que faire de la télévision pour le grand public, faire un album, faire aussi des projets philharmoniques avec la Philharmonie de Paris, tout ça peut coexister, ça peut cohabiter.

 

Vous serez pour cette saison aux côtés de Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo et Oli. Zazie et Vianney, vous les connaissiez, mais les deux frères ?

 

Je ne les connaissais pas du tout. Je les avais rencontrés une ou deux fois quand j'ai fait le super coach l’année derrière, mais je n'avais pas vraiment compris qui ils étaient. Et là, franchement, c'est une grande découverte. Le début d'une amitié même.

 

Si vous aviez un mot, un adjectif pour définir chacun d'entre eux.

 

Je trouve que Zazie est vraiment en paix avec elle-même et ça lui permet d'avoir encore plus d'empathie sans être banale. Elle est empathique, elle est intelligente, elle est pointue et c'est super, ça donne une énergie positive et généreuse, énorme. Les meilleurs moments de Vianney, c'est quand il s'oublie. Quand il oublie qu'il est en train d'être filmé et là, il commence à parler comme le geek dans le studio. Et ça, c'est charmant parce qu'on voit vraiment le rêveur ambitieux qu'il est. BigFlo et Oli, c'est difficile parce qu'il faut les séparer. Une complicité de frère très touchante. Toute l'émotion qui émane d'eux vient de la complicité et de l'amour qu'ils se portent. Ça permet à BigFlo d'être le comique, le comédien, de prendre la scène, mais en même temps, il n'aime pas la lumière. C'est pour ça que ça marche. Oli, c'est plutôt le cœur, un peu plus silencieux, c'est plutôt l'émotion. Ensemble, ils sont très complémentaires.

 

Pourquoi un talent vous choisit-il ? Que vient-on chercher avec vous ?

 

Je me pose toujours cette question parce que la plupart du temps, je les fais pleurer dans les coachings !

 

Vous êtes dur ?

 

Non, je ne suis pas dur, mais je dis qu'il ne faut pas gaspiller cette opportunité. Ils arrivent et il ne faut pas tomber dans le piège de faire de la télévision. S'ils ne font que de la télé, ils ne vont pas penser à construire une carrière et ils vont le regretter pour le reste de leur vie.

"C'est ce truc magique, une petite performance, une petite audition qui peut changer ta vie. Avec The Voice en France, c'est concret, c'est vrai."

Vous, vous avez changé la vie de Kendji Girac parce qu'il était dans votre équipe. Il a gagné. Aujourd'hui, c'est une star. Vous sentez-vous une responsabilité particulière ?

 

Une responsabilité, non. Je suis heureux. The Voice en France, c'est le seul pays au monde où les talents ont eu des grandes carrières. Il n'y a jamais eu une star qui est sortie de The Voice USA et pourtant ils font deux saisons par an, là-bas avec de grandes stars qui sont dans les fauteuils et la même chose en Angleterre. Il n'y a jamais eu une star qui est sortie de The Voice UK.

 

Pourquoi ?

 

Je ne sais pas. Peut-être qu'en France c'est moins la démonstration vocale et moins d'acrobaties de virtuoses. Et il y a des choses qui sont un peu plus atypiques. Une confluence de différentes cultures, de styles qui ont le droit de rentrer dans l'émission, de s'exprimer. Kendji en est un exemple. Mais si on fait la liste des gens on ajoute Lou-Ann, Slimane, les Fréro Delavega, Claudio Capéo, c'est déjà pas mal.

 

Que ressent-on lors d'une audition à l'aveugle quand un candidat chante une de vos chansons ?

 

Malaise ! Je ne sais pas pourquoi, je ne sais pas. C'est très intime, voilà.

 

Vous ne vous retournez jamais dans ces cas-là ?

 

Je me retourne si ça arrive. Mais je pense que tout le monde le dit, c'est assez osé, dans une audition à l'aveugle, de chanter une des chansons des coachs et si quelqu'un le fait, il faut avoir une bonne raison pour le faire.

 

Auriez-vous pu faire The Voice si ça avait existé quand vous avez démarré votre carrière ?

 

J'aurais essayé, mais je ne sais pas si ça aurait marché. Je ne sais pas.

 

Vous avez déjà commencé à enregistrer pas mal d'émissions. Comment est cette saison ?

 

C'est comme une fusée de la NASA. Ça part dans tous les sens et ça va très vite. Et c'est aussi touchant que c'est drôle. Je ne sais pas pourquoi on oubliait qu'on était en train de faire une émission télé, on n’était jamais fatigués pendant ou après les tournages.

 

Votre tournée, l’Apocalypse Calypso Tour, démarre le 26 février à Clermont-Ferrand puis il y aura Bordeaux, Lille, Brest, Nancy, Grenoble, Montpellier, Paris le 25 mars etc. La scène est votre moment préféré ?

 

C'est un moment très important. C'est un moment que je cherche à cultiver comme une vraie partie de ma vie qui n'a rien à voir avec moi dans la vie normale.

 

Mais qui êtes-vous ?

 

Je suis cette personne qui a commencé à monter sur scène à l'âge de huit ans. J'ai toujours gardé une séparation entre cette personne sur la scène et je switche, je suis quelqu'un d'autre en dehors de la scène. Je n'ai pas honte de le dire. C'est un énorme privilège d'avoir le droit d'être deux personnes.

 

La personne sur scène est complètement dingue ou pas ? Parce que vous proposez des choses incroyables.

 

La personne sur scène ne se pose pas de questions, prend des risques, n'a pas honte même de son corps. Je suis super pudique, je suis insupportablement timide.

 

Vous avez un petit scoop pour nous ? Que préparez-vous ?

 

Quand on parle de l'apocalypse, ça peut avoir l'air super dramatique, mais non. C'est fait d'une manière très concept pop. C'est un 'concept concert', il y a toute une histoire. Et cette idée que si c'est l'apocalypse, qu'est-ce que tu ferais ?

 

Avec pas mal de chansons en français puisque votre dernier album est intégralement en français.

 

Ce qui est beau, c'est le mélange. Ce mélange, cette érosion entre la différence des langues.

 

Google translator

Spoiler

 

Mika back in The Voice: “In France, it’s the only country in the world where talents have had great careers”
 
The Voice begins its 13th season on TF1 on Saturday with Mika, Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo and Oli as coaches. A few days before the launch of his European tour, the singer of the hits “Love today” and “Elle me dit” returns to his red coach chair on the TF1 show.

 

It was in 2007 that with his first album Life in Cartoon Motion, the atypical author, composer and performer, Mika became known to the general public. Since then, he has toured stages around the world, offering six studio albums, the latest of which Que ta tête fleurelle is always composed entirely of songs in French. At the same time, he is known for being one of the emblematic coaches of the show The Voice on TF1. After leaving the show in 2019, even though he has made a few appearances since then, he sits down on one of the red armchairs, Saturday February 10 at 9:10 p.m. for season 13, surrounded by Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo and Oli.

 

franceinfo: You returned for the tenth anniversary edition in 2021 and then for one evening only last year. So why did you stop and why are you coming back to The Voice?

 

Mika: Because we have to stop! This is super important because if you do something too repeatedly, you can't change. And it's important to change. It's important to evolve. It's important to open new doors within yourself. When people say out of kindness and love, often, "Don't change", I answer: but no, you always have to change.

 

Are you no longer the same coach as before?

 

I changed without pretending to be someone different, to really not think about what people think of me. You have to be completely free from that. You have to go away, perhaps, to come back. I like doing lots of things and if I have the right to do lots of things, my concerts, writing, drawing, expressing myself and also making television for the general public... I love it, because making television for the general public, making an album, also doing philharmonic projects with the Philharmonie de Paris, all that can coexist, it can coexist.

 

This season you will be alongside Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo and Oli. Zazie and Vianney, you knew them, but the two brothers?

 

I didn't know them at all. I had met them once or twice when I did the super coach the year ago, but I didn't really understand who they were. And that, frankly, is a great discovery. The beginning of a friendship itself.

 

If you had a word, an adjective to define each of them.

 

I find that Zazie is really at peace with herself and that allows her to have even more empathy without being banal. She is empathetic, she is intelligent, she is sharp and it's great, it gives a positive and generous energy, enormous. Vianney's best moments are when he forgets himself. When he forgets that he's being filmed and then he starts talking like the geek in the studio. And that's charming because we really see the ambitious dreamer that he is. BigFlo and Oli are difficult because you have to separate them. A very touching brotherly bond. All the emotion that emanates from them comes from the complicity and love they have for each other. It allows BigFlo to be the comic, the comedian, to take the stage, but at the same time, he doesn't like the light. That's why it works. Oli is more about the heart, a little quieter, it's more about emotion. Together, they are very complementary.

 

Why does a talent choose you? What are we looking for with you?

 

I always ask myself this question because most of the time, I make them cry in coaching!

 

Are you tough?

 

No, I'm not being harsh, but I'm saying don't waste this opportunity. They are coming and we must not fall into the trap of making television. If they only do TV, they're not going to think about building a career and they're going to regret it for the rest of their lives.

 

     “It’s this magical thing, a little performance, a little audition that can change your life. With The Voice in France, it’s concrete, it’s true.”

 

You changed Kendji Girac's life because he was on your team. He won. Today, he's a star. Do you feel a special responsibility?

 

A responsibility, no. I am happy. The Voice in France is the only country in the world where talents have had great careers. There has never been a star who came out of The Voice USA and yet they do two seasons a year, there with big stars who are in the seats and the same thing in England. There has never been a star who came out of The Voice UK.

 

For what ?

 

I don't know. Perhaps in France there is less vocal demonstration and less virtuoso acrobatics. And there are things that are a little more atypical. A confluence of different cultures, of styles which have the right to enter the show, to express themselves. Kendji is an example. But if we make the list of people we add Lou-Ann, Slimane, Fréro Delavega, Claudio Capéo, it's already not bad.

How does it feel during a blind audition when a candidate sings one of your songs?

Faintness ! I don't know why, I don't know. It's very intimate, that's it.

Do you never look back in these cases?

I'll turn around if that happens. But I think everyone says it, it's quite daring, in a blind audition, to sing one of the coaches' songs and if someone does it, you have to have a good reason for doing it.

Could you have done The Voice if it had existed when you started your career?

I would have tried, but I don't know if it would have worked. I don't know.

You've already started recording quite a few shows. How is this season?

It's like a NASA rocket. It goes in all directions and it goes very quickly. And it's as touching as it is funny. I don't know why we forgot that we were making a TV show, we were never tired during or after filming.

Your tour, the Apocalypse Calypso Tour, starts on February 26 in Clermont-Ferrand then there will be Bordeaux, Lille, Brest, Nancy, Grenoble, Montpellier, Paris on March 25 etc. Is the scene your favorite moment?

This is a very important moment. It's a moment that I seek to cultivate as a real part of my life that has nothing to do with me in normal life.

But who are you ?

I am that person who started performing on stage at the age of eight. I've always kept a separation between this person on stage and I switch, I'm someone else off stage. I'm not ashamed to say it. It’s a huge privilege to have the right to be two people.

Is the person on stage completely crazy or not? Because you offer incredible things.

The person on stage doesn't ask questions, takes risks, isn't even ashamed of his body. I'm super modest, I'm unbearably shy.

Do you have a little scoop for us? What are you preparing?

When we talk about the apocalypse, it might sound super dramatic, but no. It’s done in a very concept pop way. It's a 'concert concept', there's a whole story. And this idea that if it's the apocalypse, what would you do?

With quite a few songs in French since your last album is entirely in French.

What's beautiful is the mix. This mixture, this erosion between the difference of languages.

 

 

 

 

Dailymotion

 

YouTube

 

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

4 hours ago, Kumazzz said:

 

 

Radio France

radiofrance.fr

 

Mika de retour dans The Voice : "En France, c'est le seul pays au monde où les talents ont eu des grandes carrières"

 

The Voice entame sa 13e saison sur TF1 samedi avec Mika, Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo et Oli comme coachs. À quelques jours du lancement de sa tournée européenne, le chanteur des tubes "Love today" et "Elle me dit" retrouve son fauteuil rouge de coach dans l'émission de TF1.

 

C’est en 2007 qu’avec son premier album Life in Cartoon Motion, l’auteur, compositeur et interprète atypique, Mika se fait connaître du grand public. Depuis, il a arpenté les scènes du monde entier, offrant six albums studio dont le dernier Que ta tête fleurisse toujours intégralement composé de chansons en français. Parallèlement à cela, il est connu pour être un des coachs emblématiques de l’émission The Voice sur TF1. Après avoir quitté le show en 2019, même s’il y a fait quelques apparitions depuis, il se rassoit sur un des fauteuils rouges, samedi 10 février à 21h10 pour la saison 13, entouré de Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo et Oli.

 

franceinfo : Vous étiez revenu pour l'édition anniversaire des dix ans en 2021 et puis pour une soirée seulement l'année dernière. Alors pourquoi avez-vous arrêté et pourquoi revenez-vous dans The Voice ?

 

Mika : Parce qu'il faut arrêter ! C'est super important parce que si on fait quelque chose d'une manière trop récurrente, on ne peut pas changer. Et c'est important de changer. C'est important d'évoluer. C'est important d'ouvrir de nouvelles portes en soi-même. Quand les gens disent par gentillesse et par amour, souvent, "Ne change pas", je réponds : mais non, il faut toujours changer.

 

Vous n'êtes plus le même coach qu'avant ?

 

J'ai changé sans faire semblant d'être quelqu'un de différent, pour vraiment ne pas penser à ce que les gens pensent de moi. Il faut être complètement libéré de ça. Il faut s'en aller, peut-être, pour revenir. J'aime bien faire plein de choses et si j'ai le droit de faire beaucoup de choses, mes concerts, écrire, dessiner, m'exprimer et aussi faire de la télévision pour le grand public... J'adore, parce que faire de la télévision pour le grand public, faire un album, faire aussi des projets philharmoniques avec la Philharmonie de Paris, tout ça peut coexister, ça peut cohabiter.

 

Vous serez pour cette saison aux côtés de Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo et Oli. Zazie et Vianney, vous les connaissiez, mais les deux frères ?

 

Je ne les connaissais pas du tout. Je les avais rencontrés une ou deux fois quand j'ai fait le super coach l’année derrière, mais je n'avais pas vraiment compris qui ils étaient. Et là, franchement, c'est une grande découverte. Le début d'une amitié même.

 

Si vous aviez un mot, un adjectif pour définir chacun d'entre eux.

 

Je trouve que Zazie est vraiment en paix avec elle-même et ça lui permet d'avoir encore plus d'empathie sans être banale. Elle est empathique, elle est intelligente, elle est pointue et c'est super, ça donne une énergie positive et généreuse, énorme. Les meilleurs moments de Vianney, c'est quand il s'oublie. Quand il oublie qu'il est en train d'être filmé et là, il commence à parler comme le geek dans le studio. Et ça, c'est charmant parce qu'on voit vraiment le rêveur ambitieux qu'il est. BigFlo et Oli, c'est difficile parce qu'il faut les séparer. Une complicité de frère très touchante. Toute l'émotion qui émane d'eux vient de la complicité et de l'amour qu'ils se portent. Ça permet à BigFlo d'être le comique, le comédien, de prendre la scène, mais en même temps, il n'aime pas la lumière. C'est pour ça que ça marche. Oli, c'est plutôt le cœur, un peu plus silencieux, c'est plutôt l'émotion. Ensemble, ils sont très complémentaires.

 

Pourquoi un talent vous choisit-il ? Que vient-on chercher avec vous ?

 

Je me pose toujours cette question parce que la plupart du temps, je les fais pleurer dans les coachings !

 

Vous êtes dur ?

 

Non, je ne suis pas dur, mais je dis qu'il ne faut pas gaspiller cette opportunité. Ils arrivent et il ne faut pas tomber dans le piège de faire de la télévision. S'ils ne font que de la télé, ils ne vont pas penser à construire une carrière et ils vont le regretter pour le reste de leur vie.

"C'est ce truc magique, une petite performance, une petite audition qui peut changer ta vie. Avec The Voice en France, c'est concret, c'est vrai."

Vous, vous avez changé la vie de Kendji Girac parce qu'il était dans votre équipe. Il a gagné. Aujourd'hui, c'est une star. Vous sentez-vous une responsabilité particulière ?

 

Une responsabilité, non. Je suis heureux. The Voice en France, c'est le seul pays au monde où les talents ont eu des grandes carrières. Il n'y a jamais eu une star qui est sortie de The Voice USA et pourtant ils font deux saisons par an, là-bas avec de grandes stars qui sont dans les fauteuils et la même chose en Angleterre. Il n'y a jamais eu une star qui est sortie de The Voice UK.

 

Pourquoi ?

 

Je ne sais pas. Peut-être qu'en France c'est moins la démonstration vocale et moins d'acrobaties de virtuoses. Et il y a des choses qui sont un peu plus atypiques. Une confluence de différentes cultures, de styles qui ont le droit de rentrer dans l'émission, de s'exprimer. Kendji en est un exemple. Mais si on fait la liste des gens on ajoute Lou-Ann, Slimane, les Fréro Delavega, Claudio Capéo, c'est déjà pas mal.

 

Que ressent-on lors d'une audition à l'aveugle quand un candidat chante une de vos chansons ?

 

Malaise ! Je ne sais pas pourquoi, je ne sais pas. C'est très intime, voilà.

 

Vous ne vous retournez jamais dans ces cas-là ?

 

Je me retourne si ça arrive. Mais je pense que tout le monde le dit, c'est assez osé, dans une audition à l'aveugle, de chanter une des chansons des coachs et si quelqu'un le fait, il faut avoir une bonne raison pour le faire.

 

Auriez-vous pu faire The Voice si ça avait existé quand vous avez démarré votre carrière ?

 

J'aurais essayé, mais je ne sais pas si ça aurait marché. Je ne sais pas.

 

Vous avez déjà commencé à enregistrer pas mal d'émissions. Comment est cette saison ?

 

C'est comme une fusée de la NASA. Ça part dans tous les sens et ça va très vite. Et c'est aussi touchant que c'est drôle. Je ne sais pas pourquoi on oubliait qu'on était en train de faire une émission télé, on n’était jamais fatigués pendant ou après les tournages.

 

Votre tournée, l’Apocalypse Calypso Tour, démarre le 26 février à Clermont-Ferrand puis il y aura Bordeaux, Lille, Brest, Nancy, Grenoble, Montpellier, Paris le 25 mars etc. La scène est votre moment préféré ?

 

C'est un moment très important. C'est un moment que je cherche à cultiver comme une vraie partie de ma vie qui n'a rien à voir avec moi dans la vie normale.

 

Mais qui êtes-vous ?

 

Je suis cette personne qui a commencé à monter sur scène à l'âge de huit ans. J'ai toujours gardé une séparation entre cette personne sur la scène et je switche, je suis quelqu'un d'autre en dehors de la scène. Je n'ai pas honte de le dire. C'est un énorme privilège d'avoir le droit d'être deux personnes.

 

La personne sur scène est complètement dingue ou pas ? Parce que vous proposez des choses incroyables.

 

La personne sur scène ne se pose pas de questions, prend des risques, n'a pas honte même de son corps. Je suis super pudique, je suis insupportablement timide.

 

Vous avez un petit scoop pour nous ? Que préparez-vous ?

 

Quand on parle de l'apocalypse, ça peut avoir l'air super dramatique, mais non. C'est fait d'une manière très concept pop. C'est un 'concept concert', il y a toute une histoire. Et cette idée que si c'est l'apocalypse, qu'est-ce que tu ferais ?

 

Avec pas mal de chansons en français puisque votre dernier album est intégralement en français.

 

Ce qui est beau, c'est le mélange. Ce mélange, cette érosion entre la différence des langues.

 

Google translator

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Mika back in The Voice: “In France, it’s the only country in the world where talents have had great careers”
 
The Voice begins its 13th season on TF1 on Saturday with Mika, Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo and Oli as coaches. A few days before the launch of his European tour, the singer of the hits “Love today” and “Elle me dit” returns to his red coach chair on the TF1 show.

 

It was in 2007 that with his first album Life in Cartoon Motion, the atypical author, composer and performer, Mika became known to the general public. Since then, he has toured stages around the world, offering six studio albums, the latest of which Que ta tête fleurelle is always composed entirely of songs in French. At the same time, he is known for being one of the emblematic coaches of the show The Voice on TF1. After leaving the show in 2019, even though he has made a few appearances since then, he sits down on one of the red armchairs, Saturday February 10 at 9:10 p.m. for season 13, surrounded by Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo and Oli.

 

franceinfo: You returned for the tenth anniversary edition in 2021 and then for one evening only last year. So why did you stop and why are you coming back to The Voice?

 

Mika: Because we have to stop! This is super important because if you do something too repeatedly, you can't change. And it's important to change. It's important to evolve. It's important to open new doors within yourself. When people say out of kindness and love, often, "Don't change", I answer: but no, you always have to change.

 

Are you no longer the same coach as before?

 

I changed without pretending to be someone different, to really not think about what people think of me. You have to be completely free from that. You have to go away, perhaps, to come back. I like doing lots of things and if I have the right to do lots of things, my concerts, writing, drawing, expressing myself and also making television for the general public... I love it, because making television for the general public, making an album, also doing philharmonic projects with the Philharmonie de Paris, all that can coexist, it can coexist.

 

This season you will be alongside Zazie, Vianney, BigFlo and Oli. Zazie and Vianney, you knew them, but the two brothers?

 

I didn't know them at all. I had met them once or twice when I did the super coach the year ago, but I didn't really understand who they were. And that, frankly, is a great discovery. The beginning of a friendship itself.

 

If you had a word, an adjective to define each of them.

 

I find that Zazie is really at peace with herself and that allows her to have even more empathy without being banal. She is empathetic, she is intelligent, she is sharp and it's great, it gives a positive and generous energy, enormous. Vianney's best moments are when he forgets himself. When he forgets that he's being filmed and then he starts talking like the geek in the studio. And that's charming because we really see the ambitious dreamer that he is. BigFlo and Oli are difficult because you have to separate them. A very touching brotherly bond. All the emotion that emanates from them comes from the complicity and love they have for each other. It allows BigFlo to be the comic, the comedian, to take the stage, but at the same time, he doesn't like the light. That's why it works. Oli is more about the heart, a little quieter, it's more about emotion. Together, they are very complementary.

 

Why does a talent choose you? What are we looking for with you?

 

I always ask myself this question because most of the time, I make them cry in coaching!

 

Are you tough?

 

No, I'm not being harsh, but I'm saying don't waste this opportunity. They are coming and we must not fall into the trap of making television. If they only do TV, they're not going to think about building a career and they're going to regret it for the rest of their lives.

 

     “It’s this magical thing, a little performance, a little audition that can change your life. With The Voice in France, it’s concrete, it’s true.”

 

You changed Kendji Girac's life because he was on your team. He won. Today, he's a star. Do you feel a special responsibility?

 

A responsibility, no. I am happy. The Voice in France is the only country in the world where talents have had great careers. There has never been a star who came out of The Voice USA and yet they do two seasons a year, there with big stars who are in the seats and the same thing in England. There has never been a star who came out of The Voice UK.

 

For what ?

 

I don't know. Perhaps in France there is less vocal demonstration and less virtuoso acrobatics. And there are things that are a little more atypical. A confluence of different cultures, of styles which have the right to enter the show, to express themselves. Kendji is an example. But if we make the list of people we add Lou-Ann, Slimane, Fréro Delavega, Claudio Capéo, it's already not bad.

How does it feel during a blind audition when a candidate sings one of your songs?

Faintness ! I don't know why, I don't know. It's very intimate, that's it.

Do you never look back in these cases?

I'll turn around if that happens. But I think everyone says it, it's quite daring, in a blind audition, to sing one of the coaches' songs and if someone does it, you have to have a good reason for doing it.

Could you have done The Voice if it had existed when you started your career?

I would have tried, but I don't know if it would have worked. I don't know.

You've already started recording quite a few shows. How is this season?

It's like a NASA rocket. It goes in all directions and it goes very quickly. And it's as touching as it is funny. I don't know why we forgot that we were making a TV show, we were never tired during or after filming.

Your tour, the Apocalypse Calypso Tour, starts on February 26 in Clermont-Ferrand then there will be Bordeaux, Lille, Brest, Nancy, Grenoble, Montpellier, Paris on March 25 etc. Is the scene your favorite moment?

This is a very important moment. It's a moment that I seek to cultivate as a real part of my life that has nothing to do with me in normal life.

But who are you ?

I am that person who started performing on stage at the age of eight. I've always kept a separation between this person on stage and I switch, I'm someone else off stage. I'm not ashamed to say it. It’s a huge privilege to have the right to be two people.

Is the person on stage completely crazy or not? Because you offer incredible things.

The person on stage doesn't ask questions, takes risks, isn't even ashamed of his body. I'm super modest, I'm unbearably shy.

Do you have a little scoop for us? What are you preparing?

When we talk about the apocalypse, it might sound super dramatic, but no. It’s done in a very concept pop way. It's a 'concert concept', there's a whole story. And this idea that if it's the apocalypse, what would you do?

With quite a few songs in French since your last album is entirely in French.

What's beautiful is the mix. This mixture, this erosion between the difference of languages.

 

 

 

 

Dailymotion

 

YouTube

 

 

 

Thank you Eriko for this longer version and in video!!!!

 

I was a feeling that on the radio it was not the whole interview because it ends in a "strange" way.

 

Here Mika talks about things more intimate and at the end he sais more about the show!

Edited February 5 by Anna Ko Kolkowska

[TinyLove_CJ]

2 hours ago, Kumazzz said:

There has never been a star who came out of The Voice UK.

He's absolutely bang on with this, there's been 11 series of The Voice UK and I couldn't tell you a single name of anyone who's won it! 😅

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

6 hours ago, Kumazzz said:

Do you have a little scoop for us? What are you preparing?

When we talk about the apocalypse, it might sound super dramatic, but no. It’s done in a very concept pop way. It's a 'concert concept', there's a whole story. And this idea that if it's the apocalypse, what would you do?

 

I don't know why this text is not the entire interview...

 

At the end Mika enters much deep in the details about the new show.

 

"I will start to tell you more about the show. Because it's at the same time very simple and very ambitious.

This show has been built to give energy to the audience. And emotions.

It makes you laugh, it makes you dance, it makes you cry. It's about life, it's about a concept of apocalypse. 

When we talk about the apocalypse it can be super dramatic, but no. It's made in a way of a pop concept.

It's a "concept concert". There is a beginning, a middle and an end. There is a whole story.

If this is the apocalypse what does it mean in different meanings, different words.

What would you do? It's a sort of pop electro reminding the movie "Don't Look Up". 

 

Question: But it has a happy ending, right?

 

It's ending in.... I don't want to tell you everything, but it ends up with a tear.

And then with a beauty and a renaissance.

 

Question: And there will be a lot of French songs? Your last album is totally in French.

 

What is beautiful it's a mix. This lack of borders between different languages. ... Yesterday we were recording via Zoom with Johannesburg. For this tour. With French songs, I would say with French pop, with English, with this touch of Africa, a little bit of Middle East... This idea that we can travel, we can cancel borders to arrive to something which unites us easily  on the artistic and musical level."

 

 

[mellody]

37 minutes ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

but it ends up with a tear.

 

I fear this. Mika's gigs always ended on a high, with the big Lollipop party or Stay High or another energetic song like Love Today or We Are Golden. The only Mika gig I saw live that ended on a sad note was Salle Pleyel, with Tiny Love Reprise, and I understand why he did it at that time, it reflected his sadness about his Mum's passing. I'm glad he has changed it again since then, because as much as I love this song, as an ending to the show it really pulled me down. I live for the happy endings. Mika talks about being a dreamer in the other interview, and obviously a sad ending is nothing that makes me dream. However, I assume he'll be able to make it work in some way. He won't let his crowd leave the venue feeling sad (except sad that the gig is over). I'm glad tho that my first gigs will only be 2 weeks into the tour, so if his first approach doesn't work, I'm sure he'll change and adjust it until it does.

 

49 minutes ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

the movie "Don't Look Up".

 

I just looked that up on Wikipedia. Certainly NOT a movie I would watch. But I like the message behind it, the criticism of the people who put money and power over everything, the ones who deny global warming and scientific facts. Mika doesn't get political, so I guess there won't be too much of this left in his show - but maybe he'll keep a little bit of it, I'm curious. It's a very interesting concept, and yes, ambitious, as he says... I know a lot of people enjoy watching apocalyptic movies, so I'm sure they will love the concept. As for me, I can't imagine yet how that can work for me... but well, a Mika show is a Mika show, so I'm sure he'll manage somehow. Or at least I HOPE it'll work better for me than the song Apocalypse Calypso. 🙈😅 I don't have to like every song, but his concerts have always been my happy place, since day one.

[SusanT]

In the interview Mika says . . .

 

Why does a talent choose you? What are we looking for with you?

 

I always ask myself this question because most of the time, I make them cry in coaching!

 

Are you tough?

 

No, I'm not being harsh, but I'm saying don't waste this opportunity. They are coming and we must not fall into the trap of making television. If they only do TV, they're not going to think about building a career and they're going to regret it for the rest of their lives.

 

 

When Mika was on X Factor in Italy in 2021, I sometimes thought he was a bit hard on the members of his team. The other judges seemed to criticize their contestants less.  I think I have a better understanding  now of his approach as a coach (on X Factor at least). He does not mince any words because he truly is trying to get his singers to concentrate on improving their performance. 

 

This part of the interview also reminded me of what Mika said on TF1 back in December, that is, that he hoped he could do for someone else what his mom had done for him. This would entail, however, being more than just a coach for a few weeks on a TV show.

 

 

Edited February 5 by SusanT

[mellody]

8 hours ago, SusanT said:

This part of the interview also reminded me of what Mika said on TF1 back in December, that is, that he hoped he could do for someone else what his mom had done for him. This would entail, however, being more than just a coach for a few weeks on a TV show.

 

yes, I thought of that too when he said this. And well, it does entail teaching them discipline, like his Mum taught him. It's important for success and for them to go their own way after the TV show. I don't follow what the other coaches do - are they always nice and sweet to their contestants? On the casting shows I used to watch 20 years ago, it wasn't like that at all, it was part of the concept to make the contestants cry, to teach them how hard showbusiness is and to sort out those who are too soft for it. One reason why I don't watch casting shows anymore, I never liked public shaming, like they did it back then. Surely Mika does it in a different way, not to make them feel bad but to help them. I guess if I was on that casting show and in Mika's team, it would be much more important to me to have a good (work) relationship with him than being successful (and that's why I don't take part in a show like that 😅), so his approach and mine would be very different.  Actually these different approaches are also known from parenting styles, maybe you could say authoritarian vs relationship-based. In the latter the focus is on building a stable and trusting relationship, and on that basis you can teach. I guess on a TV show there isn't time for that. The former is more about teaching discipline. I don't know if you could say that Mika is authoritarian to his contestants, I guess he's just honest - maybe sometimes expressing his honest opinion a bit too directly without taking the contestants feelings into consideration. And I remember from Xfactor that he's not good at dealing with crying people. Although, didn't he console that one girl? I thought there was something... I'm not sure yet if I will follow The Voice, there's too many other things... but I'm curious to hear from those who do follow it whether that has changed too, as he said he has changed a lot - maybe now he can also deal better with crying contestants?

[CharlotteL]

9 hours ago, mellody said:

I just looked that up on Wikipedia. Certainly NOT a movie I would watch. But I like the message behind it, the criticism of the people who put money and power over everything, the ones who deny global warming and scientific facts. Mika doesn't get political, so I guess there won't be too much of this left in his show - but maybe he'll keep a little bit of it, I'm curious. It's a very interesting concept, and yes, ambitious, as he says

The part about "don't look up" worried me as well 

The movie is genius, I'd highly recommend it but it's a tough watch!

I think the similarity he meant in the interview is that he wants to explore the different ways in which people might react to impending doom / the apocalypse. Despite the political message it's a movie that shows a diverse set of characters reacting in a broad variety of ways and that's what Mika references in the interview.

An interesting concept for sure, I'm definitely excited if slightly scared...

[crazyaboutmika]

9 hours ago, SusanT said:

In the interview Mika says . . .

 

Why does a talent choose you? What are we looking for with you?

 

I always ask myself this question because most of the time, I make them cry in coaching!

 

Are you tough?

 

No, I'm not being harsh, but I'm saying don't waste this opportunity. They are coming and we must not fall into the trap of making television. If they only do TV, they're not going to think about building a career and they're going to regret it for the rest of their lives.

 

 

When Mika was on X Factor in Italy in 2021, I sometimes thought he was a bit hard on the members of his team. The other judges seemed to criticize their contestants less.  I think I have a better understanding  now of his approach as a coach (on X Factor at least). He does not mince any words because he truly is trying to get his singers to concentrate on improving their performance. 

 

This part of the interview also reminded me of what Mika said on TF1 back in December, that is, that he hoped he could do for someone else what his mom had done for him. This would entail, however, being more than just a coach for a few weeks on a TV show.

 

 

I think he is very straightforward and without filter. And he is trying to get the candidates to the top  as he takes their future singer career seriously so he might make sensitive candidates cry. But he can be very sweet as well. He was with Whitney and litterally held her all the time until the final when she won  

Edited February 6 by crazyaboutmika

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

12 hours ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

What is beautiful it's a mix. This lack of borders between different languages. ... Yesterday we were recording via Zoom with Johannesburg. For this tour. With French songs, I would say with French pop, with English, with this touch of Africa, a little bit of Middle East... This idea that we can travel, we can cancel borders to arrive to something which unites us easily  on the artistic and musical level.

And I wonder if it means that we will hear Feels Like Fire and Promisland!!!!!

Both songs have a apocalyptic vibes.

Will Nomfundo on the screen?

Edited February 6 by Anna Ko Kolkowska

[mellody]

1 hour ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

And I wonder if it means that we will hear Feels Like Fire and Promisland!!!!!

Both songs have a apocalyptic vibes.

Will Nomfundo on the screen?

 

Feels like fire doesn't have an apocalyptic vibe to me, it's very soft and tender. But indeed he could refer to these 2 songs when he talks about Africa and Middle East. Surely not all the songs in the show will have an apocalyptic vibe. 😅 I definitely could imagine him singing Last Party, that would fit. But please NOT Beautiful Disaster! 🙈 Not very likely tho that he'll sing that.

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

1 hour ago, mellody said:

Feels like fire doesn't have an apocalyptic vibe to me, it's very soft and tender.

 Ha ha ha. I mean the apocalyptic "Mika" vibes.

Apocalypse Calypso is soft as well and very sensual - like Feels Like Fire.

 

Let's compare:

 

Your love feels like fire   

 

vs   

On s'embrasse dans les flammes

...........................................................................

 

Love
Feels like fire (Umlilo)
Warms my heart and takes me higher (Uya vutha umlilo mlilo)
The walls
What are they for (Umlilo)
Hold me tight and never let me go

 

vs

 

Tant que l'on s'enlace, on existe
On se rend immortels devant l'apocalypse
En faisant l'amour, on résiste
Regarde-moi, prends-moi la main

 

..........................................................................

 

 

And if all this dust should fall upon my skin
Would it even it at all
Just let me in
And I don't care if the world can see
From the desert to the ocean
Then let it all pour down on me

 

vs 

 

Ma bouche, ton dos
Sensuel à mort
Nos cœurs accros

Quoi qu'ils en pensent
Des conséquences
Tes fesses, elles dansent
............................................................................

 

For me it's a very similar feeling and vibes.

[SusanT]

@mellody    wrote:

 

 I don't follow what the other coaches do - are they always nice and sweet to their contestants? On the casting shows I used to watch 20 years ago, it wasn't like that at all [. . . ]

 

And I remember from Xfactor that he's not good at dealing with crying people. Although, didn't he console that one girl? I thought there was something... I'm not sure yet if I will follow The Voice, there's too many other things... but I'm curious to hear from those who do follow it whether that has changed too, as he said he has changed a lot - maybe now he can also deal better with crying contestants? 

..............

Maybe you have in mind The Voice. As for X-Factor, Mika and his co-judges in 2021 gave me the impression that they genuinely cared about the singers they were coaching. At times they also had nice things to say about other judges' contestants.

 

Perhaps you were referring to Nika Paris, the sixteen-year-old who broke into tears as she read the lyrics and sang Justin Bieber's "Lonely" during rehearsals. Mika chose it  because Manuel Agnelli had commented that Nika didn't seem to show much emotion while singing.  Here's the clip in which Mika tries to help her get through the song.

 

https://xfactor.sky.it/video/x-factor-daily-puntata-14-nika-paris-si-commuove-cantando-708206

 

 

[mellody]

2 hours ago, SusanT said:

Here's the clip in which Mika tries to help her get through the song.

 

https://xfactor.sky.it/video/x-factor-daily-puntata-14-nika-paris-si-commuove-cantando-708206

 

Yes, I think that was what I remembered. Thanks.

 

7 hours ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

 Ha ha ha. I mean the apocalyptic "Mika" vibes.

Apocalypse Calypso is soft as well and very sensual - like Feels Like Fire.

 

Let's compare:

 

Your love feels like fire   

 

vs   

On s'embrasse dans les flammes

...........................................................................

 

Love
Feels like fire (Umlilo)
Warms my heart and takes me higher (Uya vutha umlilo mlilo)
The walls
What are they for (Umlilo)
Hold me tight and never let me go

 

vs

 

Tant que l'on s'enlace, on existe
On se rend immortels devant l'apocalypse
En faisant l'amour, on résiste
Regarde-moi, prends-moi la main

 

..........................................................................

 

 

And if all this dust should fall upon my skin
Would it even it at all
Just let me in
And I don't care if the world can see
From the desert to the ocean
Then let it all pour down on me

 

vs 

 

Ma bouche, ton dos
Sensuel à mort
Nos cœurs accros

Quoi qu'ils en pensent
Des conséquences
Tes fesses, elles dansent
............................................................................

 

For me it's a very similar feeling and vibes.

 

lol, well, it's both about love and making love - but to me the difference is that the fire in FLF is warm and nourishing, while in AC it's dangerous and destroying. FLF feels loving and caring, not only the bodies unite but also the hearts. It's the beginning of a love which could last forever. There is hope, there is the possibility of a future together. AC is "on baise", it's about physical love in the face of the apocalypse, there's no future but only the here and now. And yes, that's a similarity between both songs, they are very much in the moment, in the here and now, in the emotions you feel. Just that they make me feel very different emotions, for the reasons I just mentioned. So well... I guess we just have to agree to disagree on that.

[dcdeb]

22 hours ago, mellody said:

 

I fear this. Mika's gigs always ended on a high, with the big Lollipop party or Stay High or another energetic song like Love Today or We Are Golden. The only Mika gig I saw live that ended on a sad note was Salle Pleyel, with Tiny Love Reprise, and I understand why he did it at that time, it reflected his sadness about his Mum's passing. I'm glad he has changed it again since then, because as much as I love this song, as an ending to the show it really pulled me down. I live for the happy endings. Mika talks about being a dreamer in the other interview, and obviously a sad ending is nothing that makes me dream. However, I assume he'll be able to make it work in some way. He won't let his crowd leave the venue feeling sad (except sad that the gig is over). I'm glad tho that my first gigs will only be 2 weeks into the tour, so if his first approach doesn't work, I'm sure he'll change and adjust it until it does.

 

 

I wouldn't stress about this type of ending too much. The "Intimate Evening" gigs from 2013 ended with Over My Shoulder, after which Mika and band quickly left the stage, and that did not diminish the impact of the show, nor did it bring me down. It could be because OMS is one of my faves, but there was something about that ending that felt "right" for that particular show. I'm sure whatever "tear" Mika has in store for us for these upcoming shows, it will feel absolutely right, too. He knows how to make us happy!

 

 

[mellody]

26 minutes ago, dcdeb said:

 

I wouldn't stress about this type of ending too much. The "Intimate Evening" gigs from 2013 ended with Over My Shoulder, after which Mika and band quickly left the stage, and that did not diminish the impact of the show, nor did it bring me down. It could be because OMS is one of my faves, but there was something about that ending that felt "right" for that particular show. I'm sure whatever "tear" Mika has in store for us for these upcoming shows, it will feel absolutely right, too. He knows how to make us happy!

 

 

 

At least that finally gives me a reason to NOT regret missing the 2013 tour.  Well. We'll see how it is on this tour. I remember now that sometimes he did play a slow song as an "extra" after the usual show, like the acoustic version of Rain in 2008, and that worked as well. No worries, it's not causing me sleepless nights.

[QueenBigFat]

On 2/6/2024 at 2:48 AM, CharlotteL said:

The part about "don't look up" worried me as well 

The movie is genius, I'd highly recommend it but it's a tough watch!

I think the similarity he meant in the interview is that he wants to explore the different ways in which people might react to impending doom / the apocalypse. Despite the political message it's a movie that shows a diverse set of characters reacting in a broad variety of ways and that's what Mika references in the interview.

An interesting concept for sure, I'm definitely excited if slightly scared...

I cannot understand most of this forum as I can only speak American, but actually reading this, and his other comment about how people must respond to terrorism, makes me think that he is much more politically savvy than people say. Remember that passionate letter to the people of Beirut? He was criticized for waiting so long to comment; being overtly, directly confrontational politically (or in any way) is not his style, but finally he revealed where his heart and awareness —and passion—were. And said what needed to be said.

I was one of the few who had a negative reaction to the implications of the French album because of some things he said about the title track. They were translations though, and getting to the real meaning was complicated. It seemed he said at one point that an apocalypse was a wonderful opportunity for pleasurable distractions. I was horrified. When I heard the title, I was at least expecting something reflective of Good Guys or In Any Other World, and in a time of existential s#$&*# -hits-the-fan, I could not understand the apparent superficially, or naïveté, or disconnect, he seemed to have. I am surprised and relieved and happy to be wrong. My faith is restored. He is saying, I hope, pay attention. I love the relief and escape and soothing that Mika brings, but was not seeing that when the stuff hits the fan, he got it and intended to deal with it, and maybe to inspire others to do so as well. I am so relieved to be wrong.
 

I, for one, think leaving people with some sadness is appropriate, and it is perfectly Mika to look at the suffering and dangers of the times and be saddened, not enraged. And everyone needs to experience some of this sadness, at least, rather than just using his music to escape and ignore what is coming until it is too late.

 

Edited February 7 by QueenBigFat

[mellody]

1 hour ago, QueenBigFat said:

And everyone needs to experience some of this sadness, at least, rather than just using his music to escape and ignore what is coming until it is too late.

 

Well, I see it differently, as I experience this sadness about the state of the world nearly every day - isn't it pretty impossible to escape and ignore this? Unless you actually deny the problems, but I'm sure Mika as well as most of his fans don't fall in this category. And what Mika's music and concerts do is give me strength to deal with this, to not capitulate in the face of all this sadness and bad news. So I need to feel empowered at the end of the gig, not sad. That doesn't mean that the sadness can't be part of the gig, that's ok. But I need to keep up the hope for a happy ending - not by escaping, but by feeling that I can make a difference.

[QueenBigFat]

2 minutes ago, mellody said:

 

Well, I see it differently, as I experience this sadness about the state of the world nearly every day - isn't it pretty impossible to escape and ignore this? Unless you actually deny the problems, but I'm sure Mika as well as most of his fans don't fall in this category. And what Mika's music and concerts do is give me strength to deal with this, to not capitulate in the face of all this sadness and bad news. So I need to feel empowered at the end of the gig, not sad. That doesn't mean that the sadness can't be part of the gig, that's ok. But I need to keep up the hope for a happy ending - not by escaping, but by feeling that I can make a difference.

Yes! I totally agree with your last point. What I am not so sure about, after observing or talking with a lot of people in the US, is whether most people are paying attention to anything more than how much more groceries cost, or those hoardes of horrible invasive immigrants. Just as they have been trained to see things by certain politicians here. I hope Mika’s fans are different, but I have no way to know. 

[mellody]

10 minutes ago, QueenBigFat said:

have been trained to see things by certain politicians here. I hope Mika’s fans are different, but I have no way to know. 

 

Mika fans (and Mika himself) are the opposite of Trump supporters. I'd like to believe at least 95% of Mika's fans. Then again, maybe I only think so because of the fans I know personally or meet at gigs, while Mika's audience at a gig is a lot more divers than just his hardcore fans. Probably also in their political views. However, it'd surprise me to see a lot of people at a Mika gig who support the homophobic / transphobic / racist and generally inhuman views of certain politicians (or political parties).

[QueenBigFat]

1 hour ago, mellody said:

 

Mika fans (and Mika himself) are the opposite of Trump supporters. I'd like to believe at least 95% of Mika's fans. Then again, maybe I only think so because of the fans I know personally or meet at gigs, while Mika's audience at a gig is a lot more divers than just his hardcore fans. Probably also in their political views. However, it'd surprise me to see a lot of people at a Mika gig who support the homophobic / transphobic / racist and generally inhuman views of certain politicians (or political parties).

Oh, No, Mellody, I would never suggest that they are! I was talking about average people who may listen to him but not be real followers, who are not aware of or interested in the existential threats facing us right now. Listen, I get needing a break! These are terrifying painful conflict ridden times. But there are lots of people I know or have encountered who don’t pay attention to serious stuff. Don’t get educated. And don’t vote. Who don’t understand the threats. So when Mika talked about the apocalypse the way he seemed to, what I needed to hear was an acknowledgement of the seriousness of what was happening , rather than what he seemed to be saying, which seemed to minimize the seriousness and threat of the times. Not that I would want him to leave me there, but to reflect my pain and take it seriously at least. For a moment. And in this part of his quote—

 

It's ending in.... I don't want to tell you everything, but it ends up with a tear.

And then with a beauty and a renaissance.

 

—-what he seems to say is yes, we will face the pain—-and then I will bring you up, so we can rise.

 

I’m ok with that!

Edited February 8 by QueenBigFat

[QueenBigFat]

On 2/7/2024 at 6:06 PM, mellody said:

 

Mika fans (and Mika himself) are the opposite of Trump supporters. 

 

BTW, I am not only talking about the US, and not only about that orange twice impeached 91-charges facing him orange guy when I talk about the apocalypse. A lot of people here NOTE BY “HERE” I do not mean on the forum! I MEAN IN THE US) have developed ideas and attitudes that reflect what the right wing and the bots from Russia want them to believe, about the institutions of this country, influenced by FB and X etc, without being Trump supporters per se. The goal has been to destroy this country by creating distrust of voting and government in general—to create chaos. Violence or the fear of violent disruption. This has been accomplished. But the apocalypse is international. Right wing dictators and laws are now the rule or the threat in a substantial number of democratic countries (or formerly democratic) countries worldwide, and climate change is a threat to our very existence. We are all affected. And we must all resist. Do I/we all need soothing and a break from all of that? Certainly. Can we afford to ignore it? Not on your life.

 

 

Edited February 10 by QueenBigFat
To clarify who I was talking about

[mellody]

11 hours ago, QueenBigFat said:

. But the apocalypse is international. Right wing dictators and laws are now the rule or the threat in a substantial number of democratic countries

 

I know, it's the same here in Germany, and people are standing up now, tens of thousands demonstrating against right wing politics and against the political party that wants to throw us back 100 years. That gives me hope and that's where I see the difference to what you say about the US, people here haven't resignated. "Apocalypse" to me, on the other hand, means something that is inevitable, where demonstrations and engagement won't help. That's why I see it as two different things, Mika's approach of making love in the face of the apocalypse, when it's too late and you can do nothing but deal with the inevitable. And what you say, about the need for engagement to avoid that we have to face an inevitable situation. That's the big problem politics (and the world in general) has with global warming. People need to see it as immediate enough to do something against it, but not as so inevitable that it's too late to do anything. But as everyone is different, people will interpret the same information in different ways.

 

So maybe we're talking about the same thing - the sadness that I don't want to feel when leaving a Mika gig (and what bothers me in AC) is feeling that we're in a hopeless and inevitable situation. Apparently that's kind of how the movie ends that he refers to. What I do want to feel is that standing together and connecting with others to engage for something does make a difference. I know that's how Mika sees it, he is never shallow. And the carefreeness at  his gigs is a way to unite people. What he used to do during Love Today and now does during Elle me Dit, that him and the audience are jumping and dancing like crazy, feels very empowering and makes you feel like you and the rest of the audience and Mika and all his tour team are connected as one, that together you are able to face any difficulty. I gotta say that the way he did this at his more recent gigs last summer didn't do that much for me, because he told people to look at each other instead of looking at him - that way he takes away a lot of the carefreeness of the situation, imo, by controlling and limiting what people should or shouldn't do. Probably because it's easier for him to let himself go if he doesn't feel like everyone's watching him. But as he is the one who connects everyone with his music & his performance, that doesn't work for me. Then I just dance for myself or with a friend next to me, and not with the whole venue. 

 

Anyway, I'm digressing. Long story short, I don't doubt that Mika cares about the situation in the world, but I don't need him to stress the seriousness of it at his gigs - but there I do want to feel this connection that can easily get lost in everyday life and in the controversies about little details (like, for example, which political party to vote for instead - because resignating and not voting isn't an option).

[holdingyourdrink]

There is no doubt in my mind that Mika both knows and cares a lot about what is going on in the world. He is the last one to bring out a statement just to join the crowd and he will never do it in a haste. I believe it definitely weighs on him and he tries to lift the weight by approaching it artistically, so we as listeners may approach it differently, too. And maybe together we can lift the weight a little bit. A communion of spirit, as he calls it.

His answer is a poetic(ally loud) one with a LOT of thought behind it and therefore open to a lot of interpretation, so it can have different meanings for everyone. And over time the interpretations evolve, for both him and us.

[carafon]

11 hours ago, QueenBigFat said:

 

 

It's ending in.... I don't want to tell you everything, but it ends up with a tear.

And then with a beauty and a renaissance.

 

—-what he seems to say is yes, we will face the pain—-and then I will bring you up, so we can rise.

 

I’m ok with that!

He said in an interview that he was inspired  by a newspaper tittle saying something like  "after apocalypse a million of flowers bloom" .

I may be wrong but I imagine the end of the concert that way 

 

And I want to say ...... I love your signature a lot !