Mylène Farmer seriously deserves consideration as one of the best pop stars of the 80s. Her 1988 album Ainsi soit je... is devatastingly good, playing like a visit to an old castle in which each song tells the story of each room. I wish I understood French better to fully grasp the lyrics, but she seems to dig into some heavy stuff.

"Sans logique" is one of the most breathtaking songs I've ever heard. Mylène's voice is so delicate yet so tormented, and is a perfect vehicle to drive this tale of God vs the devil, religion vs logic: the eternal internal battle, made ever more potent with those delectable synth strings. Those amazingly haunted wordless background vocals toward the end are so freaking powerful. Better than "Running Up That Hill". Maybe better than ANY Kate Bush song, for that matter! The music video features a remix, and is inspired by a Goya painting, capturing the Spanish flavoring the song utilizes. English translation here.

"Sans contrefaçon"

Another song from Ainsi soit je..., this song is about refusing to conform to gender norms. Mylène has said that she felt like a "failed girl" growing up, and this song sees her shining light on those struggles. The initial synth motif is child-like, highlighting the fact that society instills gender roles and expectations of us from a very young age. I find a lot of heart and guts in this song, and the urgency that grows in the instrumentation as the song goes on really packs a punch. I will link separately to the wonderful music video given it is more than twice the length of the song itself (not a rarity for Mylène). English lyric translation here.



"Pourvu qu'elles soient douces"

Again from Ainsi soit je..., this was one of her biggest hits, spending 5 weeks at number 1 in France. The song is an unabashed ode to sex that flips conventional expectations of gender by suggesting that it is men who need to stop being so coy. I find the synth strings to be completely gripping. Again, I will link separately to the music video given it is almost 18 minutes long! English translation here.

"Allan"

A further extract from Ainsi soit je..., this has a bit of a gothic spirit, particularly with the male background chants. An ode to one of her favorite poets, Edgar Allan Poe, its lyrics conjure the shadowy spirit of his poems. English translation here.

i liked her 2008 album a lot, too. she still makes kind of cool music.

these two songs are from that project. the first is just a fun dance
number and the second song is prob my favorite of hers. it's a bit
over the top and kitsch but it's very beautiful too, the lyrics are so
beautiful.

IstenSzek said:

i liked her 2008 album a lot, too. she still makes kind of cool music.

these two songs are from that project. the first is just a fun dance
number and the second song is prob my favorite of hers. it's a bit
over the top and kitsch but it's very beautiful too, the lyrics are so
beautiful.

Thanks for sharing that video! I've just gotten through all of her studio albums after going on a massive splurge when I was in France early in the year, but I'm still getting caught up with her videos!

You are right - there is a lot of worthy material throughout her career. My favorite of her more recent albums at this point is Bleu noir, but they are all well worth having, IMO.