L'Amour n'est rien...

Single infobox |
Name = L'Amour n'est rien...

|200 px
Artist = Mylène Farmer
from Album = Avant que l'ombre...
Released = March 27, 2006 (CD single)
May 2, 2006 (CD maxi)
Format = CD single
CD maxi
12" maxi
Digital download
Recorded = 2005, France
Genre = Pop
Length = 5:03 (single version)
3:42 (radio edit)
Label = Polydor
Writer = Text : Mylène Farmer
Music : Mylène Farmer, Laurent Boutonnat
Producer = Laurent Boutonnat
Certification =
Chronology = Mylène Farmer singles
Last single = "Redonne-moi"
(2006)
This single = "L'Amour n'est rien..."
(2006)
Next single = "Peut-être toi"
(2006)Extra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Background = khaki


Lower caption = CD maxiExtra tracklisting
Album = Avant que l'ombre...
Type = studio
prev_track = "Ange, parle-moi"
prev_no = 10
this_track = "L'Amour n'est rien..."
track_no = 11
next_track = "J'attends"
next_no = 12Extra tracklisting
Album = Music Videos IV
Type = Video
prev_track = "Redonne-moi"
prev_no = 6
this_track = "L'Amour n'est rien..."
track_no = 7
next_track = "Peut-être toi"
next_no = 8Extra tracklisting
Album = Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy
Type = live
prev_track = "Je t'aime mélancolie"
prev_no = 5
this_track = "L'Amour n'est rien"
track_no = 6
next_track = "Déshabillez-moi"
next_no = 7

"L'Amour n'est rien..." is a 2005 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. The song was released as the fourth single from Farmer's sixth studio album "Avant que l'ombre..." on March 27, 2006. "L'Amour n'est rien..." was illustrated by a music video which was perhaps one of the simplest in singer's career, and in which she performs a striptease. The song had some success and France, where it reached the top 10, but especially in Russia where it was much aired on radio.

Background and writing

In the summer of 2005, this song was announced as the third single from "Avant que l'ombre...", but "Redonne-moi" was chosen instead of it. Finally, "L'Amour n'est rien..." was aired for the first time in a short version (radio edit) on NRJ on January 24, 2006, only three weeks after "Redonne-moi"'s release. On March 24, a remix with R&B sonorities, 'the sexually no remix', produced by The Bionix, is heard on the radio."L'Amour n'est rien...", chronology [http://www.mylene.net/mylene/d_s_lAmourNestRien.php Mylene.net] (Retrieved December 19, 2007)] On April 11, the promotional CD maxi was sent to the radio stations, then eight days later, it was the turn of the 7" maxi. [Mylène Farmer, news in 2006 [http://www.mylene.net/modules/index.php?r=28 Mylene.net] (Retrieved December 20, 2007)]

As opposed to the other singles from "Avant que l'ombre...", this song was regularly broadcast in its single version on many French radios such as MFM, Chérie FM and RFM, and also both in its radio edit and remix version on NRJ and Fun Radio.

The single's release was made in two times : first, the CD single on March 27, then the CD maxi on which the remixes were available, on May 7.

"L'Amour n'est rien..." was performed on the 2006 Farmer's tour, and thus it is available on the live album "Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy" (track 6, CD 2, 5:05).

Lyrics and music

"L'Amour n'est rien..." is the only song from "Avant que l'ombre..." whose music was composed both by Mylène Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat. The music, the most cheerful and lively of the album with "Peut-être toi", was inspired by a free ditty which was also covered by Dorothée in her song "Hou ! La Menteuse !". The lyrics seem to be autobiographical : in it, Farmer evokes both her silent temperament and her "thirst for sex and love". ["L'Amour n'est rien...", L'histoire de la chanson : la chanson la plus autobiographique ? [http://www.mylenefarmeriscalled.net/amournestrienglob.html Mylenefarmeriscalled.net] (Retrieved December 19, 2007)]

Unlike other Farmer's songs, "L'Amour n'est rien..." is an optimistic song, in which "the singer kindly laughs at herself" and seems to adress her critics who accuse her of being too pessimistic in her songs. At the end of the refrain, she answers that "she doesn't oblige others to adhere to her lifestyle". The song deals with "sex, religion and death", and uses various neologisms. ["Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer", Benoît Cachin, 2006, Tournon Ed., p. 42-43] It makes the "apology of a blossomed sexuality". ["Mylène Farmer, le culte - L'envers du décor", Sophie Khairallah, 2007, Why Not Ed., p. 141]

Music video

Initially, Farmer did not want to illustrate this song with a video, but she eventually accepted to make a few tests in a studio in Paris. ["Mylène Farmer, le culte - L'envers du décor", Sophie Khairallah, 2007, Why Not Ed., p. 44] The video was directed by Benoît di Sabatino, the Farmer's boyfriend, under the name of M. Liberatore. It was first seen on March 28 on an official Universal website especially created for this occasion. ["Mylène Farmer, l'icône", "Jukebox", n°253, p. 10 [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/2008/02-2008-JUKEBOX-N253-3.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved May 13, 2008)]

In it, Farmer performs a complete striptease, however she hides her breasts with her hands and only her buttocks are shown for a short time. Thus, this video was not seen as erotic by the TV channels which did not censore it.

It was the first and the only time that a Farmer's music video is not only available on the singer's videos DVD, but also on a CD single.

Chart performances

In France, the single went straight to the top ten - as all the Farmer's singles since "L'Âme-stram-gram" -, at number 7, on April 1, 2006, with 12,932 copies sold2005 weely selling singles [http://www.chartsinfrance.net/communaute/index.php?showtopic=15622 Chartinfrance.net] (Retrieved December 17, 2007)] (only CD single was released that week). The four following weeks, the single kept on dropping on the chart, but on May 6, it made a great jump from #33 to #10 with 7,139 sales, thanks to the releases of the CD maxi and vinyl that week. After that, it started again to fall quickly enough every week, staying for 10 weeks in the top 50 and leaving the chart after its 18th weeks."L'Amour n'est rien...", French SNEP Singles Chart [http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Myl%E8ne+Farmer&titel=L%27amour+n%27est+rien%2E%2E%2E&cat=s Lescharts.com] (Retrieved December 17, 2007)] In April 2006, the SNEP has revealed the best-selling singles during the first quarter of 2006 (from January 1 to March 31, 2006) and despite being released four days before the first quarter of 2006 ended, the single managed the song to peak at number 86. [Best selling singles from 01.01.06 to 31.03.06 [http://www.disqueenfrance.com/snep/dossiers/2006_14.asp Disqueenfrance.com] (Retrieved December 20, 2007)] Later, in December 2006, the SNEP released a document with the best-selling singles from the first till the third quarter of 2006 (from January 1 till September 30). In this document, "L'Amour n'est rien..." was ranked number 69. [Best selling singles from 01.01.06 to 30.09.06 [http://www.disqueenfrance.com/actu/ventes/vente2006_2.asp Disqueenfrance.com] (Retrieved December 20, 2007)] Finally, the single was the 92th best selling single in 20062005 French Singles Chart [http://www.ifop.com/europe/sondages/DISCANNU/single06.STM Ifop.com] (Retrieved December 19, 2007)] and thus the great Farmer's hit in France that year.

In Belgium, the single debuted at number 15 on April 8 and reached its peak position (#9) the week after. It left the chart on July 8, after having been listed for 13 weeks."L'Amour n'est rien...", Belgian (Wallonia) Ultratop 40 Singles Chart [http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp?key=103543&cat=s Ultratop.be] (Retrieved January 3, 2007)] The song peaked at number 59 in the 2006 Belgian singles year-end chart.2006 Belgian Singles Chart [http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2006 Ultratop.be] (Retrieved December 19, 2007)]

On May 9, the single started at #52 in Switzerland, before dropping in its four following weeks. Thus, as in France, it went to 90th to 47th position on May 14 thanks to the CD maxi and vinyl's sales. It was its peak position. Then the single took back its descent of the chart, leaving it on June 11. It made a short come back in the chart edition of July 2 at number 94, before disappearing again. It remained on the chart for a total of 10 weeks."L'Amour n'est rien...", Swiss Top 100 Singles Chart [http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Myl%E8ne+Farmer&titel=L%27amour+n%27est+rien%2E%2E%2E&cat=s Hitparade.ch] (Retrieved December 19, 2007)]

"L'Amour n'est rien..." had also a great success on the various French Airplay Charts : it peaked at #33 on General Airplay Chart, #52 on Radio Airplay Chart (strong rotations), #12 on Radio Airplay Chart (low rotations) and #33 on French TV Airplay Chart. It was also the most broadcast single on radio in 2006 in Russia on September 17, reaching number 3 on the Moscow Airplay Chart and number 4 on the Russian weekly Aiplay Chart, and remaining for a total of 57 weeks on this chart.Russian Airplay Chart [http://www.tophit.ru/search.shtml?q=Myl%26%23232%3Bne+Farmer&meth=1 Tophit.ru] (Retrieved December 19, 2007)]

Formats and track listings

; CD single - Digipack - Limited edition
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (single version) — 5:03
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (instrumental) — 5:03

; CD maxi - Digipack - Limited edition
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (single version) — 5:03
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (the sexually no remix) — 3:30
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (obsessed club mix) — 5:47
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (video) — 3:40

; Digital download
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (single version) — 5:03
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (the sexually no remix) — 3:30
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (obsessed club mix) — 5:47; CD single - Promo
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (radio edit) — 3:42

; CD maxi - Promo
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (the sexually no remix) — 3:30

; 12" maxi - Promo
A-side :
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (obsessed club mix) — 5:47
B-side :
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (the sexually no remix) — 3:30
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (single version) — 5:03

; DVD - Promo
# "L'Amour n'est rien..." (video) — 3:40

Versions

; Official versions

References