Innamoramento


Innamoramento is the fifth studio album by Mylène Farmer, released on 7 April 1999. With sales of 1.5 million, the album is one the singer's most successful ones. It reached Diamond status in France and landed Farmer a number of awards, including Album of the Year at the 1st NRJ Music Awards. On the heels of the album's success, Farmer was also named Best Female French-language Artist in two consecutive years: 2000 and 2001.

Background and release

By 1999, Farmer had barely appeared in the media since her 1996 concerts at Paris-Bercy. The singer spent most of this time traveling many countries, where she drew her inspiration for her next album, giving it a greater ethnic orientation. She was also inspired by the books Falling In Love by Francesco Alberoni, If This Is a Man by Primo Levi, and books on Buddhism. While some media announced that the album would be called Immortelles, Mes Moires, Mémoires and Ensemble, rumor had it that the next album would have more techno sound. It was recorded at studios Ocean Way Recording and Record One in Los Angeles, but mixed at Guillaume Tell studio in Paris.
Finally, the album was released on 7 April, almost a month after the lead single "L'Âme-stram-gram" and was named Innamoramento, in reference to the book by Francesco Alberoni mentioned above. A quote from the author is also cited on the first page of the album's booklet. The photographs, produced by Marino Parisotto Vay, cost about 104,000 euros. The cover shows Farmer dressed in white on top of an open iron cage in the middle of the ocean.

Lyrics and music

All lyrics were written by Farmer, who also composed the music for five songs. They contain many references to literary writers and painters. The album deals with Farmer's anxieties, such as pain, unhappy love, sexuality and the passage of the time. But as the title suggests, love is the central theme of the album.
The album is slower in comparison to Farmer's previous studio album, the rock-inspired Anamorphosée. The sound is more electronic and intimate.

Critical reception

In 2000, Innamoramento won a NRJ Music Awards in the category 'Francophone album of the year'.

Commercial performance

In France, the album was released at a time when Francis Cabrel also made his comeback with his album Hors Saison, which topped the French Albums Chart. As a result, Innamoramento failed to reach #1 on the chart, but went straight in at #2 on 10 April 1999, remaining there for two weeks. Despite not hitting the top spot, the album remained in the chart for 94 weeks, including 18 weeks in the top tenInnamoramento, French SNEP Albums Chart and became one of Farmer's highest selling albums. It re-entered the chart during Farmer's Mylenium Tour and also when Universal organised further promotion of the album. Certified Diamond disc by the SNEP,Mylène Farmer certifications Innamoramento ranked #4, #43 and #92 on 1999, 2000 and 2001 End of Year Charts respectively.
In Belgium, after entering at #5 on 17 April 1999, the album climbed to #2 during the following week and stayed there for five consecutive weeks. As in France, Francis Cabrel's album prevented Innamoramento from reaching the top of the chart. The album remained for 27 weeks in the top ten and 66 weeks in the Top 50. It featured at #5 and #58 on the 1999 and 2000 End of Year Charts.
Innamoramento also appeared for two weeks on the Belgium Albums Chart, on which it peaked at # 40.

Track listing

Personnel

  • Angeline Annonier – choeurs
  • Fred Attal – arranger, clavier, producer, programming, sauf
  • Pascaud Caroline Blandin – background vocals
  • Bertrand Chatnet – engineer, mixing
  • Jeff Dahlgren – guitar
  • Pol Ramirez del Piu – bagpipes, cymbalom, flute
  • Jerome Devoise – assistant
  • Mylène Farmer – vocals
  • Johanna Ferdinand – choeurs, background vocals
  • Denny Fongheiser – drums
  • Joelle Jaque-Gustave – choeurs
  • Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
  • Abraham Laboriel Sr. – bass
  • Sophia Nelson – choeurs, background vocals
  • Rik Pekkonen – engineer
  • Colonna Phillippe – engineer
  • Marie-Jo Plezel – choeurs
  • Mathieu Rabaté – drums
  • Carole Rowley – background vocals
  • Rafa Sardina – assistant
  • Mike Scotella – assistant
  • Billy Sheehan – bass
  • Frank Simes – guitar
  • John Sorenson – assistant
  • Chris Spedding – guitar
  • Jerry Watts Jr. – bass

    Charts

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Belgian Albums 58
Belgian Francophone Albums 24
French Albums 43

Certifications and sales

Formats

  • CD - Jewel case
  • CD - Cardboard gatefold sleeve - Limited edition
  • Collector edition box - Numbered travel log version
  • Cassette
  • Double 12"
  • CD - Japan
  • CD - Digipak