Je suis un homme

"Je suis un homme"
Single by Zazie
from the album Totem
B-side Music video
Released October 2007
Format CD single, digital download
Recorded 2006
Genre Pop, rock
Length 3:48 (radio edit)
4:11 (album version)
Label Mercury Records, Universal Music
Writer(s) Zazie, Jean-Pierre Pilot, Philippe Paradis
Producer(s) Zazie, Jean-Pierre Pilot, Philippe Paradis
Zazie singles chronology
"Des rails"
(2006)
"Je suis un homme"
(2007)
"J'étais là"
(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 about the human behavior towards the environmental issues and the 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, CO2 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

No. Title Length
1. "Je suis un homme"   4:11
2. "Je suis un homme" (music video) 3:46
No. Title Length
1. "Je suis un homme" (radio edit) 3:48
No. Title Length
1. "Je suis un homme" (album version) 4:09

Charts and sales

Peak positions

Chart (2007/08) Peak
position
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[6] 7
Eurochart Hot 100 25
French SNEP Singles Chart[6] 7
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

Certifications

Country Certification Date Sales certified Physical sales Digital downloads
France 42,370[12][13] 43,300[13][14]

References

  1. "Zazie : "Je suis un homme"" (in French). TV5. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  2. "Zazie : "Je suis un homme" & "Zénith" de Paris les 13, 14 et 15 juin" (in French). Musique Radio. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  3. "Zazie "Je suis un homme" : le CD single offre le vidéoclip réalisé par Yvan Attal" (in French). Musique Radio. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  4. "Zazie — "Je suis un homme"" (in French). Les Victoires de la Musique. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  5. "Les Enfoirés, La Crise de nerfs!, track listings and charts" (in French). Lescharts. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  6. 6.0 6.1 ""Je suis un homme", in various singles charts". Lescharts. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  7. "French Digital Chart, 20 October 2007". Disqueenfrance. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  8. "2007 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart". Ultratop. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  9. "2008 French Airplay Chart". Snep. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  10. "2007 French Singles Chart". Disqueenfrance. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  11. "2007 French Digital Chart". Disqueenfrance. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  12. "Best-selling singles and sales of 2007 in France". Infodisc. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  13. 13.0 13.1 "Best-selling singles and sales of 2008 in France". Infodisc. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  14. "Best-downloaded singles and sales of 2007 in France". Infodisc. Retrieved 2009-07-31.