Mika interview on franceinfo, 5 February 2024

[mellody]

2 hours ago, holdingyourdrink said:

And maybe together we can lift the weight a little bit. A communion of spirit, as he calls it.

 

Yes, that's what I meant.

 

Btw, talking about engagement to improve the situation in the world also brings me to what Mika said about being a dreamer, that this is a way to be engaged and avoid zombification. He is absolutely right that being a dreamer is important, it can save you from desperation, it can give you hope, and it's the basis for engagement. But dreaming itself is not necessarily engagement. Take his song Karen - she's dreaming of a better life, but she's never doing anything to change her situation. And I think that is the kind of dreaming that gets criticized, as Mika says, that adults get mocked for. However, it's still better than blaming others, or blindly following irresponsible leaders who promise easy solutions for complex problems. As long as you still can dream, you haven't resignated. But to really make a difference, the dreams have to be followed by actions - whether it's writing & releasing a song or going to a demonstration or inventing a process that helps the environment and starting a business with that ... just as a few examples. I'm a dreamer too, but I'm not good at making (big) decisions, so my engagement is a lot smaller and has a lot less impact than for example Mika's.

[QueenBigFat]

5 hours ago, mellody said:

so my engagement is a lot smaller

Ah, but it is people like you—-us all—who move mountains.

[QueenBigFat]

11 hours ago, mellody said:

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.

I am very heartened when I see the streets full of activists around the world. In the US, when I was young, we had our “take to the streets “ era. The 1960’s. Then students were shot and killed by our National Guard (also children) and that era was silenced. Still, over the years, millions of people took to the streets about gun control, the police shootings of Black people, Women’s control over their bodies, and queer rights. But it never had the same impact as the early civil rights and anti-war movements did. Now, right wing terrorists have also adopted and corrupted some tactics of public demonstration…. Using huge trucks to threaten other drivers, driving and shooting into assembled crowds, and generally terrorizing people. It’s not as it was any more. It’s come to a head. We are in a crisis moment and everything is on the line. And it is not just that people are resigned (that’s the word). They have been brainwashed, misled by disinformation and social pressure, and are now less interested in democracy or humanity than revenge. Yes, Mika is what we need.Hopefully his reach is long.

Edited February 8 by QueenBigFat
Clarifying history

[mellody]

52 minutes ago, QueenBigFat said:

resigned (that’s the word)

Oops, I mixed German and English there. 😅 

[QueenBigFat]

42 minutes ago, mellody said:

Oops, I mixed German and English there. 😅 

Well, you're one language ahead of me!

[silver]

Mika can say what he likes about how he thinks his gigs will be, but I cannot remember a single Mika gig when I didn't leave feeling happy and uplifted.

 

I think you are concentrating too much on "apocalypse" and not enough on "calypso"

[QueenBigFat]

37 minutes ago, silver said:

Mika can say what he likes about how he thinks his gigs will be, but I cannot remember a single Mika gig when I didn't leave feeling happy and uplifted.

 

I think you are concentrating too much on "apocalypse" and not enough on "calypso"

I cannot separate them. Good god, especially not at this moment in history.

Also what started my end of this conversation —originally— was what he had said about the name of his album, and what the term apocalypse meant to him. I posted again in response to what he said about the concerts he was planning to say that his plan  changed my negative reaction to his initial statement about an apocalypse.

[ACG]

14 hours ago, silver said:

Mika can say what he likes about how he thinks his gigs will be, but I cannot remember a single Mika gig when I didn't leave feeling happy and uplifted.

 

I think you are concentrating too much on "apocalypse" and not enough on "calypso"

I read everyone's posts with interest but don't usually comment myself. This particular thread caught my attention and it was this particular comment that I wanted to quote as it completely resonates with my view!

 

While I am frantically trying to learn French for this tour, it does not come naturally to me so I can very easily listen to this album without focusing on the lyrics. When the tour name was announced I was intrigued to see what the song Apocalypse Calypso would be like and when it was released it was not at all what I was expecting but I love it!

 

While I love many tracks on the album, Apocalypse Calypso is my favourite and the one I'm most looking forward to seeing him perform live.

 

I totally understand the comments raised but my tuppence worth is that this track acknowledges that the world has gone to S*** but he's got us! I view this as a warm hug in the face of disaster. It's not defeatist but comforting.

 

I have only been to one of Mika's gigs (Marostica in 2023) and it was the happiest 2 hours of my life! I have tickets for a few of his shows this year and expect that these shows will likely be more emotional than the summer tour last year but crying is not a bad thing - it can be quite liberating! Mika's music has certainly got me through a lot of bad times and unlike some of the other tracks (e.g. passager and 30 seconds), Apocalypse Calypso will be a song that makes me smile and dance - not cry (although no promises!)

 

I trust that Mika will put on a great show that conveys the message he wants us to hear while giving us the freedom to interpret the lyrics in whatever way makes sense to us.

 

I can't wait!

[linzijay]

52 minutes ago, ACG said:

I totally understand the comments raised but my tuppence worth is that this track acknowledges that the world has gone to S*** but he's got us! I view this as a warm hug in the face of disaster. It's not defeatist but comforting.

I agree with this, especially when you consider the somewhat dreamy sound of the song. It still sounds hopeful to me because of that.

 

There are some situations, like the 2020 lockdowns for example, where I think life changes for the worst so fast and so unexpectedly that we start to feel resigned to what is going on around us and need to find hope wherever we can get it. This song speaks to that feeling for me. It still finds a sliver of goodness where there seems to be nothing left to do but be there for the ones you love.

 

Going back to what @ACG said, it's like a warm hug in the face of disaster and I honestly think it feels unifying. Even if the song is talking about physical love, the overall feel of the song is much deeper to me. Sometimes love or even passion could be what helps you keep going through a disaster so you can get back to hoping for and fighting for a better future. (I might be overthinking the song at this point, but that's how I feel about it, and I honestly love Apocalypse calypso because it makes me feel uplifted )

 

How that will translate into the tour and whether it actually will be uplifting or not I wouldn't know, since I have absolutely no experience with Mika concerts, but I'm interested to follow everyone's experiences and see how the shows pan out 

[ACG]

31 minutes ago, linzijay said:

the somewhat dreamy sound of the song. It still sounds hopeful to me because of that.

This is a very accurate description of how the song makes me feel too! 'Dreamy' is the perfect description and this song fits well with the album artwork and theme as well as being relatable to experiences, especially widely experienced situations like lockdown.

 

For the tour, given it shares the title, I'm sure the song and overall theme of the show will be uplifting. While I understand the focus that some have placed on the show 'ending with a tear', to me it does not necessarily mean sad - I often cry with happiness or just the pure beauty in something and fully expect the upcoming shows to be emotional but not sad or depressing - just a bit thought-provoking and moving (given some of the other album tracks).  

 

Mika is an exceptional performer and knows how to entertain - these shows will be amazing!

 

Not long to wait now!

[QueenBigFat]

5 hours ago, ACG said:

I read everyone's posts with interest but don't usually comment myself. This particular thread caught my attention and it was this particular comment that I wanted to quote as it completely resonates with my view!

ACG, this is for you and the others in this conversation.

One thing that has stood out for me about Mika wrt his positive effect on people has been shown on this forum. I mean, here I am, being critical of his work (specific to the new album). On his fan club. A relative newcomer; My first comments were posted when I had been on the forum for about 4 months, and on this forum I had never posted and most of you didn't know me at all. Yet everyone responded to disagree with respect, sincerity rather than sarcasm, speaking about themselves and not criticizing or attacking me at all. Can you imagine what would have happened “in any other world”? How at least a portion of almost any other singer's fans would have jumped on me! On this, the French forum, the responses were thoughtful to the point of being poetic. And that is Mika. The people he attracts, or the impact he has, the climate he creates, is sensitive, caring, empathic, and kind. Thank you all for being who you are. 

[Arianne921]

On 9/2/2024 at 14:35, linzijay said:

Sono d'accordo con questo, soprattutto se consideri il suono un po' sognante della canzone. Mi sembra ancora pieno di speranza per questo motivo.

 

Ci sono alcune situazioni, come ad esempio i blocchi del 2020, in cui penso che la vita cambi in peggio così velocemente e in modo così inaspettato che iniziamo a sentirci rassegnati a ciò che sta accadendo intorno a noi e abbiamo bisogno di trovare speranza ovunque possiamo trovarla. Questa canzone parla di quel sentimento per me. Trova ancora un frammento di bontà dove sembra che non ci sia altro da fare se non essere lì per le persone che ami.

 

Tornando a cosa@ACG detto, è come un caloroso abbraccio di fronte al disastro e onestamente penso che sia unificante. Anche se la canzone parla di amore fisico, il sentimento generale della canzone è per me molto più profondo. A volte l'amore o anche la passione potrebbero essere ciò che ti aiuta ad affrontare un disastro in modo da poter tornare a sperare e lottare per un futuro migliore. (Potrei pensare troppo alla canzone a questo punto, ma è così che la penso, e sinceramente adoro Apocalypse calypso perché mi fa sentire edificato  )

 

Come questo si tradurrà nel tour e se sarà effettivamente edificante  o meno, non lo saprei, dato che non ho assolutamente esperienza con i concerti di Mika, ma sono interessato a seguire le esperienze di tutti e vedere come andranno gli spettacoli. 

I agree with you @linzijay. Me too, I think this song contains not only a description of something phisical but, into it, there is something else, that hyde, probably, and in my opinion, a feeling of hope. Someone of us can  give his own meaning about it, is clear, but I don't want to think that an amazing song like "Apocalypse Calypso" would give only a negative vision in front of Apocalypse. There is something deeper. The love is so deeper that it can lived and it can resist in front of Apocalypse too. It's one of the interpretation but its could be many others. 

It already happened many times. Behind a feeling of sadness could be a feeling of happiness and behind a feeling of sadness could be a feeling of joyful like in "C'est la vie" where a serious topic is treated with music you can dance on and through you have fun.

I don't know if I can be able to explain well this concept in English but I hope someone of you can understand what I have intention to say...

I know... I'm not very good to explain my opinion with words...Is better, for me, to draw or speak through drawings and emoticons! 

[QueenBigFat]

32 minutes ago, Arianne921 said:

I agree with you @linzijay. Me too, I think this song contains not only a description of something phisical but, into it, there is something else, that hyde, probably, and in my opinion, a feeling of hope. Someone of us can  give his own meaning about it, is clear, but I don't want to think that an amazing song like "Apocalypse Calypso" would give only a negative vision in front of Apocalypse. There is something deeper. The love is so deeper that it can lived and it can resist in front of Apocalypse too. It's one of the interpretation but its could be many others. 

It already happened many times. Behind a feeling of sadness could be a feeling of happiness and behind a feeling of sadness could be a feeling of joyful like in "C'est la vie" where a serious topic is treated with music you can dance on and through you have fun.

I don't know if I can be able to explain well this concept in English but I hope someone of you can understand what I have intention to say...

I know... I'm not very good to explain my opinion with words...Is better, for me, to draw or speak through drawings and emoticons! 

I thin you were very clear!!

Edited February 10 by QueenBigFat
SHE was clear. OTOH, I wrote “I THIN you were very clear.”

[Arianne921]

36 minutes ago, QueenBigFat said:

Credo che tu sia stato molto chiaro!!

Don't worry! I understand!

 

37 minutes ago, QueenBigFat said:

Credo che tu sia stato molto chiaro!!

 

[linzijay]

1 hour ago, Arianne921 said:

don't know if I can be able to explain well this concept in English but I hope someone of you can understand what I have intention to say...

I know... I'm not very good to explain my opinion with words...Is better, for me, to draw or speak through drawings and emoticons

Like @QueenBigFat I thought you were very clear and I agree with you! I often have a hard time explaining my opinion with words, too, which surprises me sometimes because I’m a professional writer (not really the emotional or creative kind of writer, though).
 

I like that you mention C’est la vie, because I think AC and CLV are two songs with different themes but a similar approach in using a song that feels uplifting to talk about something that is honestly painful-which I think Mika does a lot, but this album is one of his best in that way.

[Arianne921]

1 minute ago, Arianne921 said:

Non preoccuparti! Capisco!

 

 

@QueenBigFat I meant... I understood anyway! Ok...we are equal now! 

[Arianne921]

10 minutes ago, linzijay said:

Come@QueenBigFat Pensavo che fossi stato molto chiaro e sono d'accordo con te! Spesso ho difficoltà anche a spiegare la mia opinione con le parole, il che a volte mi sorprende perché sono uno scrittore professionista (non proprio uno scrittore emotivo o creativo, però).
 

Mi piace che tu menzioni C'est la vie, perché penso che AC e CLV siano due canzoni con temi diversi ma un approccio simile nell'usare una canzone che sembra edificante per parlare di qualcosa che è onestamente doloroso, cosa che penso che Mika faccia molto , ma questo album è uno dei suoi migliori in questo senso.

@linzijay I agree again with you. I think is a beautiful quality can be able to take something painful and make of it something of joyful. This is a quality that Mika owns! I hope to have written well!