Anamorphosée

Anamorphosée is the fourth studio album by Mylène Farmer, released on October 17, 1995. Led by the number-one single "XXL", the album was something of a departure from her previous work. Although it received mixed reviews from critics, the album was very successful, peaking at no.1 and staying on the French album chart for almost two years.

Background and writing

The movie Giorgino, produced by Laurent Boutonnat and in which Mylène Farmer starred, was both a critical and financial failure. Released on October 5, 1994, it was seen by barely 25,000 spectators in the first week and was the first setback in Farmer's career. As a result, the musical duo separated on bad terms, Boutonnat making Farmer responsible for this failure. The singer decided to go to Los Angeles, California, where she fell into anonymity and changed hairstyle (she became blond with long hair). There she composed a new album, drawing inspiration from a Sogyal Rinpoche's book, Le Livre tibétain de la Vie et de la Mort. The singer's perception of life changed through her travels, and she confided in an interview that she was no longer afraid of death; so, she was more optimistic. Finally, she called Boutonnat who joined her in Los Angeles for the recording.