Julien Doré: “Sharon Stone was a little stressed in front of the microphone”

While waiting for his concert at the Geneva Arena on December 3, 2025, Julien Doré gave us an interview at the beginning of the week to talk about his new album entitled “Imposteur”, which will be released on November 8. This title, far from being chosen at random, resonates with the singer’s atypical journey, marked by questions and a certain self-deprecation. Seventeen years after being revealed in the show “Nouvelle Star”, the 42-year-old artist revisits emblematic songs, witnesses of a personal and artistic path.

Throughout the conversation, Julien Doré immerses us in the history and choice of each title selected from more than 150 songs. We wiggle to “All the women in your life” by L5 or the disco version of “Die on stage” by Dalida. We also like his sensitivity on “A Happy Man” by William Sheller. These are pieces that resonate with key stages of his life, a sort of musical journey through his memories, from childhood to today. We discover an endearing artist who also takes the time to pay tribute to his deceased mother with a touching cover of Kendji’s “Eyes of the mama”.

This album, full of emotion and nostalgia, is accompanied by notable collaborations, notably with Sharon Stone and Francis Cabrel. Julien Doré tells us how he managed to capture the essence of each encounter, each moment, making this record unique and personal, much more than a simple collection of covers.

Is “Impostor” a word that has come up often during your career?

It’s sort of the first word I was able to read or hear at the time of “Nouvelle Star”, 17 years ago. That’s actually when I started covering songs by other artists. And I found it interesting, 17 years later, after releasing several albums and doing a few tours, to come back with a cover album with that name. A name that ultimately recalls that first word of doubt and questioning.

How did you choose these seventeen titles that make up this project?

It took time. This album took me almost two years of work, because we went through more than 150 songs. At some point, I had to make choices, instinctive choices above all, relying on my feelings. I selected titles that had meaning for me, songs that, little by little, turned out to be those that were linked to different moments in my life, somewhere between my childhood and today. Each one evoked a memory, something that had helped to build me, not only as an artist, but essentially as an individual.

You end this record with “Moi… Lolita”, the first single of your career. A way to close the loop?

For a long time, this song was not planned for the covers album. In fact, I even found it interesting not to include it. A bit out of a spirit of contradiction, precisely by avoiding covering a song that I had already performed at “Nouvelle Star”. I also didn’t want to do it again the same way as at the time.

Was it complicated to reinvent this title again?

It was interesting. At some point, I thought it might be worth a try. Especially if I managed to give it a different, almost cinematic arrangement. The result became for me like an end credits to conclude this adventure of covers. In a sense, it was also a way of closing this nostalgic look at my beginnings.

Have you also decided to become the children’s favorite singer by re-appropriating “Ah les crocodiles”?

(Laughs.) Yes. Being the father of a three and a half year old little boy, I saw this album of covers as a great opportunity to revisit nursery rhymes and cartoon theme songs. We worked on several titles, including “La Pat’Patrouille” and “Ah les crocodiles”. The idea of ​​making a music video for children quickly tempted me. I even had my son choose which childhood song to include in the album himself. It came across “Ah les crocodiles”.

You also collaborated with great artists for this project. We hear Sharon Stone on “Parole, parole”. She said she was terrified by the experience. Do you confirm?

Let’s say that she was very happy to work in the studio with us, but when she arrived, she realized that she would really have to get started. And it was special, especially since she had to sing in a language that she does not master. These were phrases scattered throughout the song, so we absolutely had to find a way to embody them, to interpret them with a certain narrative. When she put on the headset and stood in front of the microphone, she was smiling, but she realized it was a challenge. This stressed her out a little. However, from the first recorded sentences, everything went perfectly. It was quite a magical moment.

Another magical moment is your duet with Francis Cabrel on “A Happy Man”. An artist you greatly admire.

I was extremely moved, even overwhelmed, to see the hero of my childhood. He is the artist who made me want to make music. It’s powerful to see him present at my side and trusting me with a recovery that was neither his nor mine. The emotion was intense, a very strong symbol for me to be able to sing with him and to spend this day working together. It was truly a childhood dream that came true in that moment.

What do you like most about Kendji’s title, “The eyes of the mama”?

It was a song that I absolutely wanted to cover from the start of the project. It was on my first lists because it is rooted in recent history for me (editor’s note: she died in 2022). The melody and text are simple and fair, with a touching universality in the bond between a child and his mother. Covering this song was an emotional way for me to pay tribute to my own mother.

We also hear your mother’s voice at the beginning of the song.

In the studio, I had the idea of ​​adding a short voice message left by my mother to the introduction. This choice had an intimate, but also universal, impact: we tend to delete the audio of our loved ones, especially those of our parents who call often. This voice fragment is also a reminder to sons and daughters to treasure certain messages from their parents. Because we never know when this bond ends, and, over time, we can come to forget our own mother’s voice. These recordings help us keep this memory alive.

How did your father react when he heard this song?

I sent him the message. We discussed it, and of course, I needed his agreement. It’s a gesture that is both very intimate and a little difficult for me, given my modesty, but it’s also such a universal message that I wanted to share it. He was very touched by the idea, especially by the fact that my mother’s voice, and in a certain way that of all mothers, was frozen through this message at the beginning of the song.

Your friend Clara Luciani is currently the godmother of “Star Academy”. Would you accept this role if offered?

Generally, I react more when proposals arrive. As was the case for “The Voice”. This kind of decision really depends on where I am, both in my personal and artistic life, and on the proposal itself. If I feel like it’s something that touches me and has meaning, then I go for it. For “Star Academy”, if one day a similar proposal comes along, it would be great.