There are songs like that that are born and become obvious in a career. This is the case for Christophe Willem with “Jacques said”, at the heart of the new episode of the Face A podcast from Purecharts. We are in 2007 and emerged victorious from the “New Star” against Miss Dominique, the one we nicknamed La Tortue then prepared a first album which would prove to be a huge success. “Inventaire”, that's its name, will sell more than a million copies, driven by the hit “Double je”, which remained number one in sales for two months. But how to follow up after such a hit? Christophe Willem makes a 180 degree turn and focuses on an intimate but powerful ballad, “Jacques a dit”. A title born from the pen of Zazie, Jean-Pierre Pilot and Olivier Schulteis.
“Very difficult to sing”
It is in Jean-Pierre Pilot's studio in Suresnes that Christophe Willem hears “Jacques a dit”, the first song offered to him by the Zazie team, which he compares today to “ Dieu » : « She said to me, “As I imagine that everyone has to do things that stir things up because you're a funny person, I'm going to do something a little sedate but I don't know if you'll be comfortable with it. That” ». Et Christophe Willem is immediately amazed by the direct side of the song: “ It's a masterpiece. There's no way she could have written something like that for me. I couldn't believe hearing that. (…) It's a hit, in the sense of “how do you want to not be touched by this song” “. Immediately, Christophe Willem records a sample vocal for the track but realizes it's ” very difficult to sing » : « That’s what Zazie taught me a lot. I had sung a lot of gospel (…) and in the work with Zazie, it's very white pop “. Indeed, the way that Christophe Willem singing on the song will greatly influence the song itself and its meaning.
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“There is an unimaginable rhythm”
And Christophe Willem recognizes the character “ very difficult » from “Jacques said”, Zazie knew how to put the right words: “ Beyond being a great artist, she is an incredible author. I think that all people who write for others are fine psychologists, are people turned towards others to be truly capable of doing something that is lace, tailor-made. “. For the singer, now 41 years old, “Jacques said” tells “ the disillusionment of the young teenager, quite mistreated, who is desperately waiting for adulthood to breathe, who realizes that in fact, by being an adult, the idiot has become an idiot, but he is an idiot and older ». « It is the disillusionment of saying that the long-awaited adult world which will bring appeasement is not arriving and that appeasement must come from us, which will not come from outside. » he continues, caught up by “ the weight of words live » : « Emotion mutates depending on what is happening in my life ».
An intimate text but which speaks to as many people as possible. Thus, the song will be number one in French-speaking Belgium and fourth in France, where it has sold more than 115,000 copies. A new stage in the crazy success encountered Christophe Willem who, at the time, did not have a minute to breathe: “ At this point, I no longer understand what is happening at all. I am carried by the love of the public. At the same time, that's what keeps me going, because there's an unimaginable rhythm “. He takes the example of family funerals that he was unable to attend: “ Because I was completely caught up in something that was beyond me “. But the artist has beautiful memories of this time and this single which touched his heart: “ It's the title that left the biggest impression on me, and that I tire of the least. I can sing this song, I'm always asked, I can't get enough of this song “. Rare fact, Zazie will repeat “Jacques a dit” on one of his tours: “ It's something she never does, but this song also had such an impact on her in relation to the text and the story that she wanted to do it. ». And « ultimate gift » for the one who says he has become “ inadvertent artist ».
