We don’t yet know who will win the Star Academy 2024. What we do know, however, is that the famous TF1 show could never have known one of its most emblematic elements. No, we are not talking about the Château de Dammarie-les-Lys, but about the Music in its credits.
A collaboration that could never have happened
Indeed, since season 5, it is Love Generation by Bob Sinclar who launches the dailies and premiums of the Star Ac. A now essential title in the musical program, which was however not intended to be associated with it. As the DJ confessed on the show Legendhe was initially against such use of his music.
“I release the title, and the vinyl is a hit all over the worldremembered the artist, who was beginning to lose hope at the time, while everyone around him did not believe in his potential, due to his duration and his style. This is where Pascal Nègre (former President of Universal Music France), and Philippe Laugier at Barclay, called me telling me they needed this record.”A relief for Bob Sinclar,”I said ‘ok, take it out‘”, quickly followed by a surprise for Avicii’s former friend, “In July, they told me ‘There is the Star Academy who wants to associate this song“.
“There’s no way I’m associating my music with a reality TV show”
However, even if the Star Ac had not yet become totally out of date at the time, this proposition was not at all to the DJ’s taste. On the contrary, he feared that such a collaboration would affect his image. “Coming from the underground scene, I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?! There’s no way I’m associating my music with a reality TV show‘, he recalled. In my head, it didn’t match“.
But then, how did the song ultimately bounce back on the show? Thanks to the arguments of Pascal Nègre. “Four weeks later, he calls me back saying, ‘You can’t close the door to success. You’ve been in the clubs for ten years with your label, your mattress is good, you have all the respect of the underground scene, please me, accept, explained the musician (who subsequently did the show… in Secret Story). He found the words, I accepted.“
And it’s an understatement to say that it was the best decision of his life. “The song was ranked number 1 directly upon its release in Septemberhe enthused. It was the first time a DJ came on television, because I did the track live.“And to add:”Then all the DJs, whether Martin Solveig or David Guetta came on the show. It gave a lot of exposure to the scene“. And to his career, obviously: “Suddenly your face is everywhere and people start to recognize you in the street“.
