- Title: VARIOUS: Love is the drug on French first lady's new album
- Date: 16th July 2008
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 11, 2008) (REUTERS) VIRGIN MUSIC STORE WITH CUSTOMERS MUSIC STORE WORKERS SETTING UP CARLA BRUNI BOARD VARIOUS OF CARLA BRUNI RECORD COVER DISPLAYED IN MUSIC STORE
- Embargoed: 31st July 2008 13:00
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- Topics: Entertainment,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVABG3ISIKCEBS3T4MWKQ374DGU0
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- Story Text: France's first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's new album is available in French music stores as of Friday (July 11).
The former supermodel sings of her love for President Nicolas Sarkozy in the CD, "Comme si de rien n'etait" (As if nothing had happened), which has generated massive interest ahead of its release.
Top French newspaper Le Figaro said the distinctive melodies and bold lyrics on Bruni's "Comme si de rien n'etait" (As if nothing had happened), her first album since she wed Sarkozy, were a new departure from plain folk and a musical success.
Le Figaro critic Bertrand Dicale said in his review that the album -- which is due out on July 21 -- shows Bruni coming of age as a songstress and embracing more recognisably French styles and the flamboyance of the 1960s.
"What makes it special is that she's married to the president of the Republic and it's her third album so that's why a lot of people have been waiting for it," said Cindy, a sales woman working at a Virgin store at "Gare de l'Est" train station in Paris.
Many of the tracks, with titles like "You Are My Drug" and "You Belong To Me", speak of love and some clearly refer to her relationship with the right-wing French president, which shocked many of her leftist friends.
In another song entitled "You are my Drug", Bruni sings: "You are my drug. More lethal than heroin from Afghanistan and more dangerous than Colombian cocaine."
It is Bruni's third album since turning from top model to musician, and her first since she married Sarkozy in February.
Bruni has repeatedly said she wrote the songs before meeting Sarkozy, so listeners should not look to the lyrics for clues about her feelings for the French president.
The recently divorced Sarkozy, 53, and Bruni, 40, began dating in November, revealed their relationship in December in a world-wide blaze of publicity, and tied the knot on Feb. 2.
The massive media exposure of Sarkozy's private life was one of the contributing factors in a popularity slump that saw his ratings plunge to record lows in the first months of this year.
In response, he has tried to talk less about his personal life but interest remains high. Hardly a week goes by without new intimate pictures of Bruni and Sarkozy at the presidential Elysee palace appearing in the press.
The album showcases her fragile yet intense voice and unique melodic style, Dicale wrote in a review flagged on the front page of Le Figaro, a pro-Sarkozy newspaper usually focused on politics and economics.
Bruni-Sarkozy has released the album under her maiden name and told France Inter radio that she was determined to carry on singing despite her high-profile marriage.
But for one early buyer, it's just about the music.
"I didn't buy it because of Bruni but because the first album was very good, the second wasn't as good, it's all about the singer," said one buyer of Bruni's third album.
The new album has received generally positive reviews and Bruni-Sarkozy said she wrote the lyrics "A Little Bit Before, A Little Bit During And A Little Bit After," her whirlwind romance with Sarkozy last autumn.
Bruni-Sarkozy has decided not to promote the album with a concert tour and she said on Wednesday (July 9) that all the proceeds from sales of the CD would go to charity.
She recognised that some of her previous fans might not buy the CD because of her marriage to Sarkozy, who is viewed as a hate figure by some on the left.
Born into a wealthy Italian family, Bruni-Sarkozy also revealed that she had renounced her Italian citizenship and was now a fully-fledged French citizen. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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