Eighteen songs spread over three discs. Jenifer’s ninth studio album, titled simply No. 9, will be released on November 4. The artist worked for two years on this opus, which she saw as “a call to party” coupled with a return to “music as pure and hard entertainment”. At least that’s what she confided this Tuesday noon during a listening session in Paris. media, including 20 minutesand fans, were invited to discover a handful of unreleased songs.
Jenifer wanted the whole thing to be “bright, authentic”, with “vintage sounds”. To convene these, she went to London (United Kingdom), to the Eastcost studio, which heard the most famous voices from across the Channel resonate: from that of Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols to that of Adele.
Rock, disco, funk and soul intertwine
The Anglo-Saxon influence, on the titles that we were able to listen to, is obvious. From one track to another, rock, disco, funk, soul and r’n’b pass the baton and intertwine, in neat orchestrations. Strings, brass and piano unfold around the voice of the singer who enjoys varying intentions and intensities.
Two clips have already been boxed. That ofare you dancinga song calling for letting go and which seems to echo the Breathe again by Clara Luciani. And the one of Save who lovessoon to be released as the first single according to our colleagues at Gala. The melody draws trumpets that Amy Winehouse would not have denied while, in the video with a retro and pop atmosphere, Jenifer plays it facetiously to evoke the bickering of couples.
Romantic relationships are at the heart of the majority of the ten titles submitted to our ears. A theme declined from the angle of adventure (As long as you hold me), break (To us 2!!!!), sensuality (Melancholy) or life together over time (The height of the branchesan old-fashioned slow).
A song addressed to his sons
In How about we go out tonight?, it is the godmother of the Refuge, an association helping young LGBT people in difficulty, who seems to be speaking. “And if we go out tonight, our hearts from the closet, our loves tired of always vibrating in the dark? We would dance on the sidewalks, who could judge us for loving each other? “, she sings in a refrain whose metaphors are obvious.
Waiting…, it immediately stands out as one of the highlights of the album. She abandons the Anglo-Saxon sounds to eye the emotional dimension of French song. Cradled with strings and piano notes, Jenifer speaks to her children (“my sons, my strength”). She talks to them about her role as a mother ready to protect them and then step aside as they grow up and projects herself into the fall of her life. It’s not the most danceable piece, but certainly the most touching.