Julien Doré: Nous

Lots of love for this new video by Julien Doré. 

The track Nous comes from his new album Aimée, a number one in France following its release last month.

There's a lot going on here in this video, from Planet of the Apes, 2001 a Space Odyssey as well as perhaps just a touch of Jurassic Park. Bonus credit for the Sea Shepherd patch on the back of the spacesuit.

It's his fifth proper album, following 2016's & and a subsequent acoustic collection of songs from that album two years later.

From an artist who initially emerged from the Nouvelle Star reality TV show in 2007,  it has been quite a journey. He never quite fitted the mould of manufactured pop star, always a bit too smart, not taking himself too seriously and prepared to take a few more risks with his music. As an artist, he's closer to Sébastien Tellier or Jarvis Cocker than to any of the other winners of the show. 

Covid permitting, he's got a tour scheduled from October 2021 of the Zenith arenas and he plays the Accor Arena in Paris on November 25 2021.

Festival Fnac Live

More details have emerged of the line up for this summer's Festival Fnac Live in Paris next month.

The event, a series of free shows in front of the Hotel de Ville in the city centre, already confirmed Sting and Shaggy, Petit Biscuit and Feder on the bill, and more names have been added.

Among them are Belgian rapper Angèle, whose Je veux tes yeux featured on this blog in February. She's the sister of  Roméo Elvis, and her debut single from last year, La loi de Murphy, got a huge amount of interest.

Elsewhere, major French electro artist Vitalic takes to the stage as does Ibeyi, the Diaz sisters having made a massive impression at Coachella earlier this summer.

Dominique A, Jeanne Added. and Voyou are among the other acts playing outside or playing inside the Hotel de Ville.

Last year around 90, 000 people attended, and the event has in the past attracted the likes of Christine and the Queens, Julien Doré and Benjamin Biolay, some of the most significant names in French music. Two more acts are expected to be added to the bill later this month.

Festival Fnac Live takes place over July 5, 6 and 7

Julien Doré: Sublime & Silence

A session track by Julien Doré with a version of the song Sublime and Silence for the Belgian based site Bruxelles ma belle.

Julien Doré released his & album in autumn last year and has recemtly embarked on a massive arena tour of France and surrounding areas including three sold-out nights at the Zénith in Paris in May.

Doré has worked hard to establish himself as one of France's most interesting popular artists, from having won a TV talent show to going on to release a catalogue of material that sees him have little in common with the manufactured pop stars these shows produce. While astonishingly popular, he remains an interesting artist with a distinctive vision.

His & album continued to build on his artistic reputation, and his popularity saw it reach number one in the French charts, a higher position even than his 2013 L0ve album managed, even with its double platinum sales since its release.

He recently announced a final show of the tour at Bercy in Paris on December 15

Julien Doré: La Javanaise

A new clip from Julien Doré, with a memorable Japanese language cover of the Serge Gainsbourg song La Javanaise.

The release comes ahead of some Japanese dates from Julien Doré, whose album entitled "&" was one of last year's most interesting releases, as well as a significant commercial success.

Gainsbourg's song was one of his early successes, originally written for Juliette Greco and released in 1963 by both Greco and Gainsbourg.

In the years since it's also been covered by Jane Birkin and Iggy Pop, while Mick Harvey recorded an English language versions.

Julien Doré has an extensive tour across France from the end of February, with dates at the Zénith arenas around the country starting with a show in Amiens on the 23rd. He plays in Paris on May 10 and 11.

Julien Doré: Porto Vecchio

Another new track from the forthcoming new album by Julien Doré, with the release of the song Porto Veccio.

Julien Doré releases his new collection, to be entitled "&" on October 14 and the new song follows teh tracks Le Lac and Mon écho.

Doré 's last studio collection was Løve, a top five seller released three years ago, which featured the hit Paris-Seychelles.

Doré's done well to establish himself as a credible artist in France, he's become a significant act even though his career began fron TV reality show Nouvelle Star. He's come a long way from covers of Moi...Lolita and ...Baby One More Time.

He's got a tour supporting the release of the album from February next year, with shows in Zénith arenas across France and surrounding countries. He plays Paris on May 10

Julien Doré: Le Lac video

A new clip by Julien Doré, ahead of the release of a new album, his first studio release since 2013's Løve collection.

The video for Le Lac features an appearance by American TV icon Pamela Anderson.

Løve was a double platinum seller, his most successful release so far, with the singles Paris-Seychelles and Chou Wasabi making the top 20.

A live album and an EP have followed Løve, 2015's Løve Live reaching the top 20.

His earlier albums made the top five, from 2008's Ersatz onwards he's been a pretty big star in France.

He's come a long way since winning the fifth series of Nouvelle Star  - the French equivalent of Pop Idol in 2007 and since his interesting take on developed into a much more interesting artist that a programme like that might have been expected to produce.

Doré's new album will be released in October.

Julien Doré: Le Lac

A new track by Julien Doré, with Le Lac getting a release after some short clips last week.

Doré's come on a long way since he won the fith season of Nouvelle Star, his last album Løve in 2013 reaching the top five in France and reaching double platinum sales.

The track Paris-Seychelles was the first single from that album, reaching just outside the top ten in France.

A subsequent live album came out documenting his extensive live shows that supported the release of the album.

Le Lac, a song which has some of the feel of Paris-Seychelles, comes ahead of Doré's forthcoming fourth album. As yet there are no details of the name or release date of the new collection, but it's certainly much anticipated.

A video for the new track is expected shortly.

Julien Doré: LØVE LIVE

A new live collection has been released by Julien Doré, documenting his tour that followed the release of his 2013 LØVE album.

That album spawned the hit singles Chou wasabi and Paris-Seychelles and went on to sell over 200,000 copies.

An extensive tour followed, and the show at the Bikini in Toulose in 19 juin 2014 has now been released as a CD and DVD, the new collection being somewhat aptly entitled LØVE LIVE.

Doré is of course a previous winner of the Nouvelle Star TV series, coming first in 2007. Since then he's developed into one of France's most interesting artist

If you like what you see and hear, Doré is playing live over the next few months in France and Switzerland.

Doré plays Le Grand Rex in Paris on March 4, and returns to play at the Zênith on April 11.

Before then though he is set to perform at the Victoires de la musique awards on February 13.

Julien Doré: Chou Wasabi

I forgot to give a mention to the new single Chou Wasabi by Julien Doré when it first came out, so no
 time like the present to catch up.

The track features Doré duetting with Australian singer Micky Green and it was included  on his Løve album, a top five hit in France, which came out in October last year.

Since its release the album has gone double platinum in France, selling over 200,000 copies.
Choux Wasabi is the third single to be released from the collection.

Doré first established himself as an artist when he won the fifth season of TV talent show Nouvelle Star in 2007.

He's since released three albums, each showing that he's a much more interesting artist than his TV heritage might at first suggest.

Doré plays three sold-out shows at the Olympia in Paris on November 15,16 and 17.

 

Julien Doré: On attendra l'hiver

A new video for Julien Doré , this time for the song On attendra l'hiver.

The track, like his most recent hit Paris-Seychelles comes from his most recent album LØVE, which was released in October last year.

LØVE gave him his third top five album,  a follow up to his 2011 Bichon album and his 2008 debut Ersatz.
This new track is a more melancholy affar, reflected in the more sombre video that was directed by Doré himself.

Doré recently made the video for Alex Beaupain's track Coule and seems t o be establishing a reputation for himself behind the camera as well as behind the microphone.

Julien Doré: Paris-Seychelles

A new clip for the track Paris-Seychelles by Julien Doré, probably this site's favourite former music-based-
reality-TV-winner.

Doré won the fifth series of Nouvelle Star on M6

Despite coming to prominence in such a  commercial  environment, Doré's shown he's a more interesting musical artist than many who pursued the same route.

Even the song choices he made during the series reveal an interesting background, with covers of songs by Radiohead, Elvis, Nirvana, the Doors, Claude François and Screamin' Jay Hawkins as well as songs by Sinatra, Christophe and Britney Spears.

The track comes from Doré's new album, his third full album,  entitled Løve. It follows the release of Bichon in 2011.

Bichon saw him have hits with the songs L'été summer and Kiss Me Forever. He reached  number one with the song Pour un infidèle, a duet with Coeur de Pirate, having previosuly reached number two with his debut single, a cover of Alizée's Moi...Lolita

Løve is expected to be released in France next month.

Julien Doré: Paris-Seychelles

A teaser has been released for a new track by Julien Doré ahead of the release of a new album later this
year.

The track comes from his forthcoming third album entitled Løve

It follows his album Bichon that came out two years ago.

Doré, who initially came to prominence as the winner of the fifth series of Nouvelle Star - the M6 version of Pop Star - in 2007.

He went on to have a number one single in France with Les Limites in 2008, his debut album Ersatz reaching number two.

Rather than following a straightforward pop star career, Doré has always been a more colourful and interesting character, more an artistic outsider who occasionally hits the commercial mainstream.

The track Kiss Me Forever from Bichon gave him a number 4 single in France in 2011, and since then he's collaborated with artists like Coeur de Pirate, Mélanie Pain and Sylive Vartan.

He's also appeared in the film Pop redemption playing the vocalist with a fictitious black metal band.

Løve is expected to be released in the autumn, and ahead of it the track Paris-Seychelles will be released as a single.

Julien Doré: L'été Summer

Given our current (probably brief) heatwave and the fact that the whole of France, or so it seems, is off on holiday, an appropriate summer song was in order.

L'été Summer comes from Julien Doré's last album Bichon, released last year.

He's come a long way since winning Nouvelle Star, this year saw him getting a  nomination for best video in the Victoires de la Musique awards, and best male performer nomination in the Globes de Cristal awards.

So far this year he has been playing live extensively in France this year, with more dates in November. A limited edition live DVD Concert à la Ferme has also come out.

New: Julien Doré - L'été Summer

A second track from Julien Doré's Bichon album has been released as a single.

L'été Summer, very much a song for the season, is accompanied by a video that, typically for Doré, is not only a massive production but also gives a completely different meaning to the song.

I wouldn't have associated a tune about the end of the summer with the wild west and deserts, but I guess Doré's mind works differently from other people.

For a singer who came to fame after winning the TV show Nouvelle Star, he's gone on to forge a unique career, with more wit and style than other stars who graduated from TV music shows. he seems to have more in common with the likes of Jarvis Cocker than most regular pop stars.

Bichon, Julien Doré's third album, was released in March 2011.

New: Julien Doré - Kiss Me Forever

A new video by Julien Doré, for the song Kiss Me Forever, a song from his new album Bichon.

The album was released on March 21, and is the follow-up to his debut album Ersatz, which reached number two in France on 2009, the song Les Limites making it to number one.

Not bad for the winner of TV talent show Nouvelle Star - the French version of the UK's Pop Idol - which Doré won in 2007.

While Will Young has gone on to have a music career in the UK, Michelle McManus, the other Pop Idol winner, has in recent years concentrated on her TV career in Scotland.

I can't imagine any TV talent show winner in the UK coming up with something like this, perhaps the kind of thing that someone like Jarvis Cocker might come up with, with a not to Sébastien Tellier and Serge Gainsbourg.

It's both pretty funny and pretty clever, but given that he covered Alizée's Moi...Lolita and Britney Spears's Baby one More Time on Nouvelle Star he certainly showed a sense of humour and a self-awareness that the likes of Darius were lacking in the UK version of the show.

The album cover is great, but I wonder how many listeners outside France don't realise he's being perhaps just a little bit tongue in cheek.

But what we area seeing once again is an artist who, given the initial exposure of a TV talent show, has gone on to show that there's a lot more to their talent that being able to do a passable cover of a Beatles song with a big band backing on live TV.

In the UK the TV talent show contestants seem to be chosen just to fulfill the expectations of the programme, and once the momentum of that exposure expires, they can't offer enough to sustain a career.

A song like this shows Julien Doré has much more to offer, and has gone well beyond the expectations of TV music shows. I suspect we are just seeing the beginning of a long career.