Q.I

Single infobox |
Name = Q.I


Artist = Mylène Farmer
from Album = Avant que l'ombre...
Released = June 4, 2005
Format = CD single
CD maxi
12" maxi
Digital download
Recorded = 2005, France
Genre = Pop
Length = 5:20 (single version)
3:55 (radio edit)
Label = Polydor
Writer = Text : Mylène Farmer
Music : Laurent Boutonnat
Producer = Laurent Boutonnat
Certification =
Chronology = Mylène Farmer singles
Last single = "Fuck Them All"
(2005)
This single = "Q.I"
(2005)
Next single = "Redonne-moi"
(2006)Extra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Background = khaki


Lower caption = CD maxiExtra tracklisting
Album = Avant que l'ombre...
Type = studio
prev_track = "Dans les rues de Londres"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Q.I"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Redonne-moi"
next_no = 5Extra tracklisting
Album = Music Videos IV
Type = Video
prev_track = "Fuck Them All"
prev_no = 4
this_track = "Q.I"
track_no = 5
next_track = "Redonne-moi"
next_no = 6Extra tracklisting
Album = Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy
Type = live
prev_track = "Sans contrefaçon"
prev_no = 7
this_track = "Q.I"
track_no = 8
next_track = "C'est une belle journée"
next_no = 9

"Q.I" is a 2005 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. It was the second single from her sixth studio album, "Avant que l'ombre...", and was released on July 4, 2005. The subject of the song is sexuality, although the lyrics are ambiguous enough to allow another interpretation related to intelligence, as the title suggests it. The song bacame a top ten hit in France and Belgium (Wallonia), but was not a huge hit.

Background

The song was officially played for the first time on NRJ on May 13, in a short version without musical bridge and second chorus.

A first remix was produced by Chris Cox in order to reach the general public and was first broadcast on NRJ, on June 15. It was a great success on radio, followed by another Cox's longer remix and a third even longer intended to the dancefloors. Cox had also remixed "Désenchantée" on album "RemixeS" released in 2003, and "Peut-être toi". Two other remixes were produced and broadcast : a techno remix with a slow ryhthm, 'CQFD R.club', by Syd, who had already remixed two Farmer's other songs respectively in 2003 and 2005 ("Libertine" and "Fuck Them All"), and an electronic and slow remix, 'rodin's extended club mix', by Liquid Twins who had taken part in a remix of "L'Amour n'est rien..." ["Q.I", versions [http://www.mylene.net/modules/index.php?r=68 Mylene.net] (Retrieved December 17, 2007)]

Finally, the single was released in three editions (CD single, CD maxi, 7" maxi) on June 4, two months after it first broadcasting on radio."Q.I" [http://www.mylenefarmeriscalled.net/qiglob.html Mylenefarmeriscalled.net] (Retrieved December 17, )]

The song is the fourth track on the studio album. It was sung at the time of the 2006 Farmer's tour, and is also present on the live album "Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy" (track 8, CD 1, 6:58).

Music and lyrics

Like "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces", this song deals with a theme related to )]

Music video

The music video was shot in Budapest (Hungary) by Benoît Lestang, a make up specialist - who had worked for "Giorgino" in 1993 - and scenarist in several French films ("La Cité des enfants perdus", "Le Hussard sur le toit", "Le Pacte des loups", "Arsène Lupin"...). He had also created the doll which features in the videoclip "Sans contrefaçon"."Q.I", videoclip [http://www.mylene.net/modules/index.php?r=71 Mylene.net] (Retrieved December 17, 2007)]

The screenplay, very simple, was written by Mylène Farmer. This man who appears in it is Rafael Amargo (pseudonym used by Jesus Rafael Garcia Hernandez), a Spanish dancer and choreographer born in 1975.

In the music video, Farmer appears on a giant screen laid out on a building in a big city under the rain. At the same time, a man in his apartment looks at the screen and touches it through the wet window pane. Then Farmer is in his apartment, wearing net stockings and needle heels, and sat on a leather armchair. She looks at the man who is reading a book near to her. With her heels, she starts to take off the man's shirt and he eventually ends up stripped to the waist. Behind a blue pane, they begin together a choreography of which only the shades are shown. Then, sat on a bed in the library, the singer clasps the man and makes love with him. She passes her hands in the man's back and buries them under his skin. The images of the choreography intersect the videoclip until the end. At the end of the song, the screen goes off. ["Q.I", videoclip [http://www.jukebo.fr/mylene-farmer_videos_q.i._3sv0q.html?idtp=0 Jukebo.fr.com] (Retrieved May 14, 2008)]

According to Caroline Bee, "in this video the whole influence of David Cronenberg on Benoît Lestang's work can be found". ["Mylène Farmer - La part d'ombre", Caroline Bee, Antoine Bioy & Benjamin Thiry, 2005, Archipel Ed., p. 282,283]

Many Farmer's fans were disappointed seeing the videoclip, which was broadcast for the first time on June 29.

Critical reception

According to a French newspaper, "Q.I" is one of the songs that emerge from the album "Avant que l'ombre...", adding however that it has a "catchy melody", but "words a little facile". ["Le Mylène Farmer code", Thierry Coljon, April 2005 [http://www.mfarmer.org/images/jpg/0022za.jpgMfarmer.org] (Retrieved February 1, 2008)] "Platine" considered that "Q.I" is a song whose text is "tasty", but also "as violent as "Fuck Them All"", while the "up-tempo music is also very effective". ["Platine", No. 121 [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/2005/platine_121_p2.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 20, )]

Chart performances

In France, the single debuted on July 2 at number 77, two days before its official release because some stores had already started selling it. As all the Farmer's singles since "L'Âme-stram-gram", "Q.I" entered in the top 10. Indeed, the following week, it leaped to #7, its peak position, with sales of 20,551. Subsequently, the single kept on dropping and remained for eight weeks in the top 50 and 18 weeks on the chart."Q.I", French SNEP Singles Chart [http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Myl%E8ne+Farmer&titel=Q%2EI&cat=s Lescharts.com] (Retrieved December 17, 2007)] According to IFOP, it was the 99th best selling single in 2005.2005 French Singles Chart [http://www.ifop.com/europe/sondages/DISCANNU/single05.STM Ifop.com] (Retrieved December 17, 2007)]

In Switzerland, "Q.I" went to #33, its best position, on July 17, before dropping very quickly. It left the chart after it tenth week, on September 25."Q.I", Swiss Top 100 Singles Chart [http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Myl%E8ne+Farmer&titel=Q%2EI&cat=s Hitparade.ch] (Retrieved December 17, 2007)]

All countries merged, the single reached its peak position in the Belgian (Wallonia) Ultratop Singles Chart"Q.I", Belgian (Wallonia) Ultratop 40 Singles Chart [http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp?key=103536&cat=s Ultratop.be] (Retrieved January 3, 2007)] where it attained #4 on July 23 while starting at number 8 the week before. It remained in the top 10 for five weeks and for a total of 11 on the chart. On the 2005 annual chart, "Q.I" ranked number 50.2006 Belgian Singles Chart [http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2005 Ultratop.be] (Retrieved September 3, 2007)]

It was the eleventh most broadcast French song internationally in 2005.

Formats and track listings

; CD single
# "Q.I" (single version) — 5:20
# "Q.I" (sanctuary's radio edit) — 4:10
# "Q.I" (instrumental) — 5:20

; CD maxi - Digipack
# "Q.I" (single version) — 5:20
# "Q.I" (sanctuary's edited club mix) — 8:27
# "Q.I" (CQFD R.club) — 5:00
# "Q.I" (rodin's extended club mix) — 4:58

; International CD maxi
# "Q.I" (single version) — 5:20
# "Q.I" (sanctuary's edited club mix) — 8:27
# "Q.I" (CQFD R.club) — 5:00
# "Q.I" (rodin's extended club mix) — 4:58

; 12" maxi
# "Q.I" (sanctuary's club remix) — 10:55
# "Q.I" (rodin's extended club mix) — 4:58
# "Q.I" (single version) — 5:20; Digital download
# "Q.I" (single version) — 5:20
# "Q.I" (sanctuary's radio edit) — 4:10

; CD single - Promo - Limited edition (500)
# "Q.I" (radio edit) — 3:55

; CD single - Promo - Leather luxurious edition
# "Q.I" (radio edit) — 3:55

; 12" maxi - Promo
# "Q.I" (sanctuary's club remix) — 10:55
# "Q.I" (rodin's extended club mix) — 4:58
# "Q.I" (single version) — 5:20

; DVD - Promo
# "Q.I" (video) — 4:00

Versions

; Official versions

References