Je suis un homme explained

Je suis un homme
Cover:Je_suis_un_homme.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Zazie
Album:Totem
B-Side:Music video
Released:October 2007
Recorded:2006
Genre:Pop, rock
Length:3:48 (radio edit)
4:11 (album version)
Label:Mercury Records, Universal Music
Producer:Zazie, Jean-Pierre Pilot, Philippe Paradis
Prev Title:Des rails
Prev Year:2006
Next Title:J'étais là
Next Year:2007

"Je suis un homme" is a 2007 pop song recorded by French singer Zazie. It was the second single from her sixth studio album Totem and was released in early October 2007. It was the singer's most successful solo single, being a top-ten hit in France and Belgium (Wallonia).

Lyrics and music video

Written and composed by Zazie, alongside Philippe Paradis and Jean-Pierre Pilot, the song deals in a critical and pessimistic way with human behavior towards environmental issues and consumer society.[1] On 17 April 2007, Zazie herself announced in the media that "Je suis un homme would be the second single off the Totem album.[2] The music video was directed by Yvan Attal[3] and the shooting was made at the Mac / Val, the Musée d'art contemporain of Vitry-sur-Seine. It shows the singer as a naked pregnant woman at an exhibition about the humanity. The woman is worried about various problems presented, including population explosion, forest devastated, deaths by malnutrition, emissions...[4] The song, as well as the music video, are available on Zazie's greatest hits compilation Zest of.

Chart performances and awards

In France, the single entered the SNEP chart on 6 October 2007 at a peak of seven, becoming Zazie's second top ten hit, after her duet with Axel Bauer, "À ma place". It then dropped slowly and remained for a total 22 weeks in the top 50 and 29 weeks in the top 100. In Belgium (Wallonia), it debuted at the bottom of the chart, and reached a peak of number seven, 16 weeks later. It remained in the top 40 for 28 weeks.

The song was nominated at the 2008 Victoires de la Musique in the category 'Original song of the year', but did not win.

Cover versions

The song was included in a medley named "medley double" and recorded by Gérard Darmon and Lorie for the 2007 album La Caravane des Enfoirés. "Je suis un homme" was performed live by Amandine Bourgeois and Ycare on 28 May 2008, in French television show Nouvelle Star. In 2010, Les Enfoirés recorded a cover of the song for their album La Crise de nerfs! ; the singers on this version are Pascal Obispo, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Claire Keim and Bénabar.[5]

Track listings

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2007–08)Peak
position
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[6] 7
Eurochart Hot 10025
French SNEP Singles Chart7
French SNEP Digital Chart[7] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (2007)Position
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[8] 27
French Airplay Chart[9] 72
French Singles Chart[10] 74
French Digital Chart[11] 17

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Zazie : "Je suis un homme" . TV5 . 31 July 2009. fr.
  2. Web site: Zazie : "Je suis un homme" & "Zénith" de Paris les 13, 14 et 15 juin . Musique Radio . 31 July 2009. fr.
  3. Web site: Zazie 'Je suis un homme' : le CD single offre le vidéoclip réalisé par Yvan Attal . Musique Radio . 31 July 2009. fr.
  4. Web site: Zazie — "Je suis un homme" . Les Victoires de la Musique . 31 July 2009 . fr . 8 August 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090808091723/http://www.lesvictoires.com/varietes/laureats_artiste-246-je_suis_un_homme.htm . dead .
  5. Web site: Les Enfoirés, La Crise de nerfs!, track listings and charts . Lescharts . French . 19 March 2010.
  6. Web site: "Je suis un homme", in various singles charts . Lescharts . 31 July 2009.
  7. Web site: French Digital Chart, 20 October 2007 . Disqueenfrance . 31 July 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120729032624/http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/page-260585.xml?cid=261459 . 29 July 2012 .
  8. Web site: 2007 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart . Ultratop . 31 July 2009.
  9. Web site: 2008 French Airplay Chart . Snep . 6 August 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120218001949/http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/page-259376.xml?year=2008&type=4 . 18 February 2012 .
  10. Web site: 2007 French Singles Chart . Disqueenfrance . 31 July 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120404175659/http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/page-259376.xml?year=2007 . 4 April 2012 .
  11. Web site: 2007 French Digital Chart . Disqueenfrance . 31 July 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120729032706/http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/page-259376.xml?year=2007&type=7 . 29 July 2012 .