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 (such as China, Ireland, Italy and the United States), 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 (according to the magazine Voici), Mémoires and Ensemble, rumor had it that the next album would have more techno sound (and the first single would be named "The Small World", according to the Belgian newspaper 7 Extra). 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.Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer, Benoît Cachin, 2006, Tournon Ed., p. 125-126 The photographs, produced by Marino Parisotto Vay, cost about 104,000 euros.Mylène Farmer, le culte - L'envers du décor, Sophie Khairallah, 2007, Why Not Ed., p. 58 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.L'Intégrale Mylene Farmer, Erwan Chuberre, 2007, City Ed., p. 171 () 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 (1995). The sound is more electronic and intimate.Jukebox, No. 179, June 2002 Devant-soi.com (Retrieved 22 March 2008)

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 Lescharts.com (Retrieved 1 February 2008) 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 Chartsinfrance.net (Retrieved 1 February 2008) Innamoramento ranked #4, #43 and #92 on 1999, 2000 and 2001 End of Year Charts respectively.

In Belgium (Wallonia), 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.Innamoramento, Belgian (Wallonia) Albums Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved 1 February 2008) It featured at #5 and #58 on the 1999 and 2000 End of Year Charts.

Innamoramento also appeared for two weeks on the Belgium (Flanders) 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 + Initial weekly chart performance for Innamoramento Chart (1999–2001) Peakposition European Albums (Music & Media) 30 + 2013 weekly chart performance for Innamoramento Chart (2013) Peakposition + 2021–2022 weekly chart performance for Innamoramento Chart (2021–2022) Peakposition

Year-end charts + 1999 year-end chart performance for Anamorphosée Chart (1999) PositionBelgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)5Belgian Francophone Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)4 European Albums (Music & Media) 91French Albums (SNEP)4 + 2000 year-end chart performance for Anamorphosée Chart (2000) PositionBelgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)58Belgian Francophone Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)24French Albums (SNEP)43 + 2001 year-end chart performance for Anamorphosée Chart (2001) PositionFrench Albums (SNEP)92

Certifications and sales

Formats CD - Jewel case CD - Cardboard gatefold sleeve - Limited edition (300,000) Collector edition box - Numbered travel log version (including a CD and a booklet of travel with unpublished photos) Cassette Double 12" CD - Japan CD - Digipak (since 2005)

References