M. Pokora
Encyclopedia
Matthieu Tota in Strasbourg
, France
commonly known as M. Pokora or Matt Pokora, is a French
singer
and songwriter.
and his mother is Brigitte Tota. His parents divorced in 1998 when he was just 13. As a child, he studied at an elementary school in Hohberg
, and later at Collège Paul-Émile Victor in Mundolsheim
, and Lycée Aristide Briand in Schiltigheim
near Strasbourg
. As a young man, football (soccer) became his first ambition and he wanted to be a professional player. But he opted for music.
Matthieu Tota explained about the origin of his name Pokora in an interview during the documentary Mis à jour broadcast on 26 August 2010 about him on NRJ 12
television station. He said he was searching for an artistic name
and happened to be talking to his grand mother of Polish origin and the importance of humility came up. So he asked her how do we say humility in Polish language
and she said "pokora". So Matthieu immediately decided to call himself Pokora. Matt came form his name Matthieu. So he became to be known by his stage name
Matt Pokora.
He earned some public attention as a member of French R&B group, Mic Unity.
, a French talent reality television show broadcast on M6. The concept of the program was to present possible candidates the winners of which would take part in the formation of a boy band
or girl band
. He was a crowd and jury favorite became a member of a boy band called Linkup
formed with Lionel and Otis, two other winners in 2003 Popstars. The female winners were formed into another group Diadems
formed of Marylore, Angel, Pookie, Ophélie and Alexandra. In the final showdown, the boy band including Mattieu Tota won the series over the girl band Diadems, who ended up runners-up.
Their first Linkup single "Mon Étoile" was very successful topping French charts, and the debut album Notre Étoile was moderately successful. However the second single release "Une seconde d'éternité" was much less successful despite good sales.
The band tried again their hand in a collaboration with the British boy band
Blue making a bilingual English/French version with Blue based on the latter's song "Bubblin'
". The bilingual English/Fremch Blue/Linkup version was entitled "You & Me Bubblin". Soon afterwards, Linkup disbanded due to poor performance of sales on releases.
.
Under the stage name Matt Pokora, he released his first eponymous solo album originally entitled Matt Pokora. In 2005, he was forced to change his chosen name after a lawsuit from French R&B singer Matt Houston
. As a result, he changed his stage name
to M. Pokora and re-released the album as M. Pokora.
The debut single from M. Pokora was the very successful. Called "Showbiz (The Battle)" it was a Top 10 hit in France, and also charted in Belgium and Switzerland. The second single Elle me contrôle
featuring Sweety reached #6 in France and Pokora received two NRJ Music Awards
for the single. Yet a third successful single was released called "Pas sans toi". The album released on Universal
was certified gold.
He also started collaborating with Hakim Ghorab who became his long-time choreographer and took part in many of his music videos. He also developed a close collaboration with music video director Karim Ouaret who directed most of his successful videos.
was released topping the French chart. For producing the new album, he collaborated with Belgian producers Bionix, Rachid Mir and Christian Dessart mixing R & B with pop
and crunk'n b
, and artists Red Rat
and Zoxea
and geared toward the younger and feminine fan brackets. He also enjoyed great popularity with gay
audiences. The first single from his second album was the very successful "De retour" featuring Tyron Carter
. That was followed with single "Oh la la la (Sexy Miss)" with Red Rat, sur son second single.
During a concert organized by NRJ Radio
in France, he met Puerto Rican
singer Ricky Martin and Martin asked M. Pokora to make a collaboration on Martin's hit "It's Alright". The result was a bilingual French/English Ricky Martin/M. Pokora release also entitled "It's Alright" that sold more than 100,000 copies. Finally, a last single from the Player album followed called "Mal de guerre", which was a relative success. M. Pokora released Player in a second edition in March 2006 with the bonus track added of the duet with Ricky Martin
.
To promote the album and capitalize on its success, M. Pokora engaged in an big tour in more than 30 French venues under the title Player Tour that culminated in a big sold-out concert at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
. At the end of the tour, a DVD containing materials from the shows was marketed under the name Player Tour Live. The DVD also included a photo book and memories from the tour.
Pokora also created his own label M2theP Entertainement, signing his protégé, the rapper Tyron Carter
. In addition to being featured on "De retour", Tyron Carter released "Ne me dis pas" that featured M. Pokora, a Top 30 hit, followed by an album Mon hold-up.
. Also desiring a more international profile, he went to New York and created contacts most importantly with R & B producers Ryan Leslie
and J. R. Rotem
. The result was his third album MP3
that was released on 24 March 2008, and included 14 tracks, including 12 in English
. The title of the album was a play on his name Matt Pokora (MP) and the number 3 (his third album) but also referring to the popular gadget MP3
, the audio format for consumer audio storage. Pokora promoted the launching of the album with a prerelease of single "Dangerous
" featuring American hip hop artist Timbaland
and Sebastian
, Timbaland's brother and the timing of the release was picked to coincid with the NRJ Music Awards of 2008.
The album reached #7 with estimated physical sales of 200,000 copies and additional downloads of 151,000. The album was certified gold. The album also did well internationally charting in Finland
, Germany
, Mexico
, Belgium
and in his homeland Poland
where he won the Polish Eska Music Awards as the "International Pop Artist of the Year".
After the success of "Dangerous", Pokora released a second single "They Talk Sh#t About Me" that features the young English rapper Natalia Kills
credited on the release by her stage name
Verse. The single unlike "Dangerous" (that had reached #1) was not played heavily on French radio because of English language content and managed to reach only #24. A third release from MP3, namely "Catch Me If You Can" was made with the music video featuring Julie Ricci. She is known for her appearances on Top Model in 2007 on M6 and in Secret Story in its 4th season on TF1
. The single failed to make it to the French charts, but was successful in Poland reaching #11. The follow up "Through The Eyes" was also a relative success in Poland reaching #31 in the Polish charts.
To coincide with MP3 release, M. Pokora launched his Catch Me Tour 2008 ending with a concert in Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
on 18 November 2008. He also toured Belgium (6 December), Switzerland (13 December) ending with a final concert in Lyon, France on 14 December 2008.
was released on 23 August 2010. The lead single "Juste une photo de toi
" was released on 7 June 2010 and was a big hit reaching #4 in the French Albums Chart. It includes collaborations with Wayne Beckford, Gee Futuristic, X-Plosive, Astro Boyz, Tarz, STX and Bionix. Simultaneously a Mis à jour Édition Deluxe was released that in addition to the original 15 tracks of Mis à jour also contained seven new tracks exclusive for the Deluxe edition (including six in English).
The first single from the album was "Juste une photo de toi" released concurrently with the launching of the album. On 22 January 2011, during the NRJ Music Awards, the song was chosen as "Song of the Year" in addition to M. Pokora being chosen "French Male Artist of the Year".
To consolidate his international drive started with the MP3 album, he announced that an English language
version was under preparation. Finally the Englishversion titled Updated was launched on 14 March 2011, containing 11 songs, mostly adaptations of the French language hits on Mise à jour. Six of the titles were already known by the French public through the August 2010 Mise à jour Édition Deluxe release.
For promotion of the album, he organized a mini tour and a series of open-air concerts rather than concerts in halls.
In November 2010, a follow-up single "Mirage" was released accompanied with a new music video. The single received a great number of downloads, but not enough physical slaes to have an impact on the charts and the single made only up to #64 despite the top position in downloads.
In January 2011, "Oblivion" an English language of "Mirage" was released with same arrangement but with new English lyrics for the international markets. The single was an opener for the reelased of Updated, destined for non-French markets of Mis à jour songs, but was made available for French markets as well.
In March 2011, M. Pokora announced a tour of 15 French cities, venues in Belgium and a final show in the Olympia
. As a prelude, he also appeared in French, Belgian and Swiss clubs with dates from April to June 2011.
He also launched in March 2011 Mise à jour Version 2.0 that included extra materials including the Jean-Jacques Goldman
, Carole Fredericks
and Michael Jones
classic "À nos actes manqués
" which was destined to be his new single. It immediately became the number one physical single sales and reached the Top 10. The album Mise à jour Version 2.0 was made available on 18 April 2011, containing 17 titles including 14 form the original, the Jean-Jacques Goldman cover single three English language titles from Updated and a new French track "Si on échangeait les rôles", the French version of Updateds "Finally Found Ya".
, M. Pokora and Jordan Houyez from his album MP3 is about his experiences as a child in a broken home. He keeps contact with his father who actively supports him.
He is an avid football fan and dreamed of a professional football career very early on. He is a big supporter of the French football club Olympique de Marseille
, and takes part in many football events.
M. Pokora has been friends for many years with his personal choreographer Hakim Ghorab and his wife Aline and is godfather to their daughter Lola. He is also a friend of footballer Djibril Cissé
and is godfather to one of his sons. He added a tattoo reading X as a tribute to him, because Cissé makes the X sign with his hands every time he scores. Cissé carries a similar X tattoo himself.
Sexuality
Pokora remains single although he had some female companions.
But despite this, speculations linger about his sexuality
. Pokora is considered a gay icon
which he endorsed fully in an interview in 2007 with Grand Journal on Canal+
, when he said: "I do music for everybody. Regardless of whether my fans are heterosexual or homosexual doesn't bother me at all. Many great artists in the world are gay icons". He remains very gay friendly
and actively supports HIV/AIDS causes and has appeared on cover of the April 2008 edition of the gay French publication Têtu
posing semi-nude for the magazine. He declared to the magazine: "I do not care what people say. I am happy to make the cover of Têtu." But in an interview in the same issue of the magazine, he denied being gay and said he had a female companion. He was dating Sofia Boutella
for three years.
Charities and public awareness
From the start, and over many years, M. Pokora has been a great supporter of charity causes particularly HIV/AIDS
and children charities. In 2004, he took part in the charity single "Chanter qu'on les aime", in support of Association Mondiale des Amis de l'Enfance (AMADE). In 2005, he was in "Protège-toi", an AIDS charity single for Collectif Protection Rapprochée. In the same year, he was in "Et puis la terre...", a charity single for the tsunami
victims under the name Artistes Solidaritie Ici pour Eux (A.S.I.E.) with a great number of French artists.
In 2006, he sang in "L'Or de nos vies", a charity single from Fight Aids. In 2007, he took part in two renditions: "Je fais de toi mon essentiel" by Emmanuel Moire and "S'aimer est interdit" by Anne-Laure Girbal both featured on the charity album "Le Roi Soleil – De Monaco à Versailles (LIVE) – Fight Aids".
In 2010, he appeared in Collectif Kilomaitre charity single "Un Respect mutuel", with many other hip hop and urban artists. He was associated with AIDES
project and in 2010 sang a solo cover of Tracy Chapman
's "Talking About a Revolution", on the charity album Message
(AIDES
)"
Tattoos
M Pokora is very famous for his body tattoos including:
Winning Danse avec les stars
Solo
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
commonly known as M. Pokora or Matt Pokora, is a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and songwriter.
Early life
Matthieu Tota, is the son of professional footballer André TotaAndré Tota
André Tota is a former French footballer of Polish origin. He was born to Polish parents.-Playing career:1971–1976: FC Metz, France1975–1977: Troyes AF, France1977–1979: Girondins de Bordeaux, France...
and his mother is Brigitte Tota. His parents divorced in 1998 when he was just 13. As a child, he studied at an elementary school in Hohberg
Hohberg
Hohberg is a town in the district of Ortenau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, and later at Collège Paul-Émile Victor in Mundolsheim
Mundolsheim
Mundolsheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
, and Lycée Aristide Briand in Schiltigheim
Schiltigheim
Schiltigheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The inhabitants are called Schilikois in French and Scheligemer in Alsatian....
near Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. As a young man, football (soccer) became his first ambition and he wanted to be a professional player. But he opted for music.
Matthieu Tota explained about the origin of his name Pokora in an interview during the documentary Mis à jour broadcast on 26 August 2010 about him on NRJ 12
NRJ 12
NRJ 12 is a French television network. It is available through digital terrestrial television "TNT".-External links:*...
television station. He said he was searching for an artistic name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
and happened to be talking to his grand mother of Polish origin and the importance of humility came up. So he asked her how do we say humility in Polish language
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
and she said "pokora". So Matthieu immediately decided to call himself Pokora. Matt came form his name Matthieu. So he became to be known by his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Matt Pokora.
He earned some public attention as a member of French R&B group, Mic Unity.
In Popstars and Linkup
In fall 2003, he participated in the third season of PopstarsPopstars
Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
, a French talent reality television show broadcast on M6. The concept of the program was to present possible candidates the winners of which would take part in the formation of a boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
or girl band
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
. He was a crowd and jury favorite became a member of a boy band called Linkup
Linkup
Linkup is a French boy band, created by the third season of the popular French reality show show Popstars, called "Popstars - the Duel" aired on RTL Group TV channel M6 in fall 2003. It is consisted of Matthieu, Lionel et Otis. Matthieu became later known as singer M...
formed with Lionel and Otis, two other winners in 2003 Popstars. The female winners were formed into another group Diadems
Diadems
The Diadems was one of the bands created by the 3rd French season of the popular reality show show "Popstars", called "Popstars - the Duel" aired on RTL Group TV channel Métropole 6 in fall 2003...
formed of Marylore, Angel, Pookie, Ophélie and Alexandra. In the final showdown, the boy band including Mattieu Tota won the series over the girl band Diadems, who ended up runners-up.
Their first Linkup single "Mon Étoile" was very successful topping French charts, and the debut album Notre Étoile was moderately successful. However the second single release "Une seconde d'éternité" was much less successful despite good sales.
The band tried again their hand in a collaboration with the British boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
Blue making a bilingual English/French version with Blue based on the latter's song "Bubblin'
Bubblin' (Blue song)
"Bubblin" is a song released by the British boyband Blue. The song was included on their third studio album, Guilty. It was released as a single on 16 June 2004 in both the United Kingdom and the United States...
". The bilingual English/Fremch Blue/Linkup version was entitled "You & Me Bubblin". Soon afterwards, Linkup disbanded due to poor performance of sales on releases.
2004: M. Pokora
In 2004, soon after the break-up of Linkup, Mattieu started working preparing for a solo career collaborating with the producers Kore & SkalpKore & Skalp
Kore & Skalp are two DJs and producers who have worked together since 1997. Among others, they have made mixtapes, concerts and Scratch performances. And they have produced music for a good many underground groups, e.g. Eloquence, Costello and la Scred Connexion.Since 2001 Kore & Skalp have been...
.
Under the stage name Matt Pokora, he released his first eponymous solo album originally entitled Matt Pokora. In 2005, he was forced to change his chosen name after a lawsuit from French R&B singer Matt Houston
Matt Houston (singer)
Matthieu Gore better known as Matt Houston or just Matt is a French R & B singer and music producer originating from Guadeloupe. He was born in Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe on 30 September 1977. He has released five albums and a number of singles....
. As a result, he changed his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
to M. Pokora and re-released the album as M. Pokora.
The debut single from M. Pokora was the very successful. Called "Showbiz (The Battle)" it was a Top 10 hit in France, and also charted in Belgium and Switzerland. The second single Elle me contrôle
Elle me contrôle
"Elle me contrôle" is a song by French singer M. Pokora, it was released as the second single from his first eponymous album in late spring 2005. Female rapper Sweety featured the Kore & Skalp-produced song to add a dancehall groove to it. It won the NRJ Music Award for "Francophone Song of the...
featuring Sweety reached #6 in France and Pokora received two NRJ Music Awards
NRJ Music Awards
The NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
for the single. Yet a third successful single was released called "Pas sans toi". The album released on Universal
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
was certified gold.
He also started collaborating with Hakim Ghorab who became his long-time choreographer and took part in many of his music videos. He also developed a close collaboration with music video director Karim Ouaret who directed most of his successful videos.
2006: Player
In January 2006, his second album PlayerPlayer (M. Pokora album)
- Alternate additions :* The first edition featured a limited edition calendar and the bonus track "Oh! ".* The album was later re-released and included the bonus track "Celle" and "It's Alright", a duet with Ricky Martin....
was released topping the French chart. For producing the new album, he collaborated with Belgian producers Bionix, Rachid Mir and Christian Dessart mixing R & B with pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and crunk'n b
Crunk
Crunk is a music style that originated in Memphis, Tennessee in the mid-to-late 1990s and gained mainstream success around 2003–2004. Performers of crunk music are sometimes referred to as crunksters. An archetypal crunk track most frequently uses a drum machine rhythm, heavy bassline, and...
, and artists Red Rat
Red Rat
Wallace Wilson , better known by the stage name Red Rat, is a Jamaican dancehall reggae recording and performing artist. He was born in Saint Ann's Bay, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica...
and Zoxea
Zoxea
Jean-Jacques Kodjo, a.k.a. Zoxea, was born on November 11, 1974 in Sèvres, Hauts-de-Seine. He was brought up in the Castéja Project of Boulogne-Billancourt in the suburb of Paris....
and geared toward the younger and feminine fan brackets. He also enjoyed great popularity with gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
audiences. The first single from his second album was the very successful "De retour" featuring Tyron Carter
Tyron Carter
Yohann Michel better known as Tyron Carter is a French singer and rapper.Yohann Michel passed his initial years between Madagascar and Thailand. He immigrated to France in 1994 when he was nine...
. That was followed with single "Oh la la la (Sexy Miss)" with Red Rat, sur son second single.
During a concert organized by NRJ Radio
NRJ Radio
NRJ French multimedia group based in Paris. Since its foundation in 1981 as a French pop music radio station it has grown and evolved to become the NRJ Group...
in France, he met Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
singer Ricky Martin and Martin asked M. Pokora to make a collaboration on Martin's hit "It's Alright". The result was a bilingual French/English Ricky Martin/M. Pokora release also entitled "It's Alright" that sold more than 100,000 copies. Finally, a last single from the Player album followed called "Mal de guerre", which was a relative success. M. Pokora released Player in a second edition in March 2006 with the bonus track added of the duet with Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
.
To promote the album and capitalize on its success, M. Pokora engaged in an big tour in more than 30 French venues under the title Player Tour that culminated in a big sold-out concert at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
Opened in 1984, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, often abbreviated as POPB or Bercy, is an indoor sports arena on boulevard de Bercy located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris...
. At the end of the tour, a DVD containing materials from the shows was marketed under the name Player Tour Live. The DVD also included a photo book and memories from the tour.
Pokora also created his own label M2theP Entertainement, signing his protégé, the rapper Tyron Carter
Tyron Carter
Yohann Michel better known as Tyron Carter is a French singer and rapper.Yohann Michel passed his initial years between Madagascar and Thailand. He immigrated to France in 1994 when he was nine...
. In addition to being featured on "De retour", Tyron Carter released "Ne me dis pas" that featured M. Pokora, a Top 30 hit, followed by an album Mon hold-up.
2008: MP3
After end of the Player Tour, Pokora left Universal and signed with EMI FranceEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. Also desiring a more international profile, he went to New York and created contacts most importantly with R & B producers Ryan Leslie
Ryan Leslie
Anthony Ryan Leslie, known professionally as Ryan Leslie, is a Grammy nominated American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, entrepreneur, and singer. Founder of the media company NextSelection Lifestyle Group, Leslie has produced singles for a number of artists in a variety of genres...
and J. R. Rotem
J. R. Rotem
- Early life :Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age...
. The result was his third album MP3
MP3 (M. Pokora album)
MP3 is M. Pokora's third studio album, which was released March 24, 2008 in France and will be available in 27 countries. The album is available in three editions: original, limited, and collector's...
that was released on 24 March 2008, and included 14 tracks, including 12 in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The title of the album was a play on his name Matt Pokora (MP) and the number 3 (his third album) but also referring to the popular gadget MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
, the audio format for consumer audio storage. Pokora promoted the launching of the album with a prerelease of single "Dangerous
Dangerous (M. Pokora song)
"Dangerous" is the first single from French singer M. Pokora's third album MP3. The song was produced by Timbaland and features Timbaland and his younger brother, Sebastian....
" featuring American hip hop artist Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
and Sebastian
Sebastian (rapper)
Garland Mosley , commonly known by his stage name Sebastian, is an American rapper and songwriter...
, Timbaland's brother and the timing of the release was picked to coincid with the NRJ Music Awards of 2008.
The album reached #7 with estimated physical sales of 200,000 copies and additional downloads of 151,000. The album was certified gold. The album also did well internationally charting in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and in his homeland Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
where he won the Polish Eska Music Awards as the "International Pop Artist of the Year".
After the success of "Dangerous", Pokora released a second single "They Talk Sh#t About Me" that features the young English rapper Natalia Kills
Natalia Kills
Natalia Keery-Fisher is an English singer-songwriter, actress, and short-film director who performs under the stage name Natalia Kills. She released her first single "Don't Play Nice" under the name Verbalicious in February 2005...
credited on the release by her stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Verse. The single unlike "Dangerous" (that had reached #1) was not played heavily on French radio because of English language content and managed to reach only #24. A third release from MP3, namely "Catch Me If You Can" was made with the music video featuring Julie Ricci. She is known for her appearances on Top Model in 2007 on M6 and in Secret Story in its 4th season on TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
. The single failed to make it to the French charts, but was successful in Poland reaching #11. The follow up "Through The Eyes" was also a relative success in Poland reaching #31 in the Polish charts.
To coincide with MP3 release, M. Pokora launched his Catch Me Tour 2008 ending with a concert in Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
Opened in 1984, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, often abbreviated as POPB or Bercy, is an indoor sports arena on boulevard de Bercy located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris...
on 18 November 2008. He also toured Belgium (6 December), Switzerland (13 December) ending with a final concert in Lyon, France on 14 December 2008.
2010-2011:
Mise à jour / Updated Fourth studio album titled Mise à jourMise à Jour
-Charts:-Release history:-Updated:Updated is the international version of Mise à Jour released on March 14, 2011 containing English versions of the songs of the album....
was released on 23 August 2010. The lead single "Juste une photo de toi
Juste Une Photo De Toi
"Juste Une Photo De Toi" is a song performed by French singer M. Pokora. Produced by Gee Futuristic & X-Plosive, the song serves as the lead single from Pokora's fourth studio album Mise à Jour...
" was released on 7 June 2010 and was a big hit reaching #4 in the French Albums Chart. It includes collaborations with Wayne Beckford, Gee Futuristic, X-Plosive, Astro Boyz, Tarz, STX and Bionix. Simultaneously a Mis à jour Édition Deluxe was released that in addition to the original 15 tracks of Mis à jour also contained seven new tracks exclusive for the Deluxe edition (including six in English).
The first single from the album was "Juste une photo de toi" released concurrently with the launching of the album. On 22 January 2011, during the NRJ Music Awards, the song was chosen as "Song of the Year" in addition to M. Pokora being chosen "French Male Artist of the Year".
To consolidate his international drive started with the MP3 album, he announced that an English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version was under preparation. Finally the Englishversion titled Updated was launched on 14 March 2011, containing 11 songs, mostly adaptations of the French language hits on Mise à jour. Six of the titles were already known by the French public through the August 2010 Mise à jour Édition Deluxe release.
For promotion of the album, he organized a mini tour and a series of open-air concerts rather than concerts in halls.
In November 2010, a follow-up single "Mirage" was released accompanied with a new music video. The single received a great number of downloads, but not enough physical slaes to have an impact on the charts and the single made only up to #64 despite the top position in downloads.
In January 2011, "Oblivion" an English language of "Mirage" was released with same arrangement but with new English lyrics for the international markets. The single was an opener for the reelased of Updated, destined for non-French markets of Mis à jour songs, but was made available for French markets as well.
In March 2011, M. Pokora announced a tour of 15 French cities, venues in Belgium and a final show in the Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
. As a prelude, he also appeared in French, Belgian and Swiss clubs with dates from April to June 2011.
He also launched in March 2011 Mise à jour Version 2.0 that included extra materials including the Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman is a Grammy Awards-winning French singer-songwriter. He is hugely popular in the French-speaking world, and since 2003 was the second-highest-grossing French living pop singer, after Johnny Hallyday.- Biography :...
, Carole Fredericks
Carole Fredericks
Carole Denise Fredericks was an American singer most famous for her recordings in France. Carole emerged from the shadow of her brother, the legendary blues musicologist Taj Mahal, to achieve fame and popularity in Europe and the French-speaking world...
and Michael Jones
Michael Jones (Welsh musician)
Michael Jones is a Welsh singer, guitarist, and song writer who lives in France. He has made several hit albums and toured as trio Fredericks Goldman Jones and collaborated on a number of songs with Goldman.-Biography:Jones was born in Welshpool...
classic "À nos actes manqués
À nos actes manqués
"À nos actes manqués" is a 1991 song recorded by the French trio Jean-Jacques Goldman, Carole Fredericks and Michael Jones . Released as the second single from their eponymous album, the song was one of the summer hits in France and was the trio's most successful single in terms of ranks on the...
" which was destined to be his new single. It immediately became the number one physical single sales and reached the Top 10. The album Mise à jour Version 2.0 was made available on 18 April 2011, containing 17 titles including 14 form the original, the Jean-Jacques Goldman cover single three English language titles from Updated and a new French track "Si on échangeait les rôles", the French version of Updateds "Finally Found Ya".
Personal life
M. Pokora was troubled by the divorce of his parents and remained greatly attached to his mother after the divorce and lived with her in Strasbourg before renting a personal flat in Paris. His autobiographical song "Sur ma route" co-written by Jack RobinsonJack Robinson (songwriter and music publisher)
Jack Robinson is a songwriter and a music publisher.-Life and career:Robinson was born in Seattle, Washington. He grew up in a musical family; his father was an amateur violinist, his mother a professional singer. Robinson's three uncles and his aunt were professional musicians. His father, Bert,...
, M. Pokora and Jordan Houyez from his album MP3 is about his experiences as a child in a broken home. He keeps contact with his father who actively supports him.
He is an avid football fan and dreamed of a professional football career very early on. He is a big supporter of the French football club Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, and takes part in many football events.
M. Pokora has been friends for many years with his personal choreographer Hakim Ghorab and his wife Aline and is godfather to their daughter Lola. He is also a friend of footballer Djibril Cissé
Djibril Cissé
Djibril Aruun Cissé is a French international footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Lazio as a striker. He is noted particularly for his speed and acceleration. Since 2005, he has held the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham....
and is godfather to one of his sons. He added a tattoo reading X as a tribute to him, because Cissé makes the X sign with his hands every time he scores. Cissé carries a similar X tattoo himself.
Sexuality
Pokora remains single although he had some female companions.
But despite this, speculations linger about his sexuality
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. Pokora is considered a gay icon
Gay icon
A gay icon is a public figure who is embraced by many within :lesbian, :gay, :bisexual and :transgender communities...
which he endorsed fully in an interview in 2007 with Grand Journal on Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
, when he said: "I do music for everybody. Regardless of whether my fans are heterosexual or homosexual doesn't bother me at all. Many great artists in the world are gay icons". He remains very gay friendly
Gay friendly
Gay-friendly refers to places, policies, people or institutions that are open and welcoming to gay people to create an environment that is supportive of gay people and their relationships, respectful of all people, treat all people equally, and are non-judgmental...
and actively supports HIV/AIDS causes and has appeared on cover of the April 2008 edition of the gay French publication Têtu
Têtu
Têtu is a gay magazine published in France. It is subtitled in French le magazine des gays et lesbiennes .-History:...
posing semi-nude for the magazine. He declared to the magazine: "I do not care what people say. I am happy to make the cover of Têtu." But in an interview in the same issue of the magazine, he denied being gay and said he had a female companion. He was dating Sofia Boutella
Sofia Boutella
Sofia Boutella, is an Algerian born French dancer, mainly hip-hop and street dance, known as the Nile Girl from Nike Women advertising.-Biography:...
for three years.
Charities and public awareness
From the start, and over many years, M. Pokora has been a great supporter of charity causes particularly HIV/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and children charities. In 2004, he took part in the charity single "Chanter qu'on les aime", in support of Association Mondiale des Amis de l'Enfance (AMADE). In 2005, he was in "Protège-toi", an AIDS charity single for Collectif Protection Rapprochée. In the same year, he was in "Et puis la terre...", a charity single for the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
victims under the name Artistes Solidaritie Ici pour Eux (A.S.I.E.) with a great number of French artists.
In 2006, he sang in "L'Or de nos vies", a charity single from Fight Aids. In 2007, he took part in two renditions: "Je fais de toi mon essentiel" by Emmanuel Moire and "S'aimer est interdit" by Anne-Laure Girbal both featured on the charity album "Le Roi Soleil – De Monaco à Versailles (LIVE) – Fight Aids".
In 2010, he appeared in Collectif Kilomaitre charity single "Un Respect mutuel", with many other hip hop and urban artists. He was associated with AIDES
AIDES
AIDES is a French community-based non-profit organisation that was founded in 1984 by Daniel Defert following the death of his lifelong companion Michel Foucault...
project and in 2010 sang a solo cover of Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
's "Talking About a Revolution", on the charity album Message
AIDES
AIDES is a French community-based non-profit organisation that was founded in 1984 by Daniel Defert following the death of his lifelong companion Michel Foucault...
(AIDES
AIDES
AIDES is a French community-based non-profit organisation that was founded in 1984 by Daniel Defert following the death of his lifelong companion Michel Foucault...
)"
Tattoos
M Pokora is very famous for his body tattoos including:
- "POKORA" meaning humility in PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
(also the artist's adopted artistic name) inscribed on his right arm in capital letters - "Only God Can Judge Me" on the right arm in EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
- Chinese calligraphy signifying "Creativity", "Peace" and "Patience" surrounded by a dragon on his left shoulder
- The letter M signifying his name (Matthieu) surrounded by colorful flames on his left arm
- A tattoo on the calf symbolizing dancing
- A famous saying in Arabic calligraphy on his neck
- "Ambition" on his lower back in Chinese calligraphy surrounded by chains and two wings.
- Letter X on his right wrist signifying brotherhood/friendship, as a tribute to his close friend Djibril CisséDjibril CisséDjibril Aruun Cissé is a French international footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Lazio as a striker. He is noted particularly for his speed and acceleration. Since 2005, he has held the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham....
, a footballer who makes the X sign with his arms every time he scores in a soccer game. - A star between his left thumb and forefinger
- Star-flower near his left ear
In popular culture
- M. Pokora took part three times in French television game and adventure competition series Fort BoyardFort Boyard (TV series)For the fortress see Fort Boyard Fort Boyard is a French game show created by Jacques Antoine that was first broadcast in 1990 and is popular to this day...
in 2005, 2006 and 2009 winning with his team 3690, 28230 et 3000 euros respectively, all donated to charities. - In 2006, he performed "Elle me contrôle" in the TV show La chanson de l'année alongside other notable artists
- In 2006, his song "Get Down On It" appeared on the soundtrack of Asterix and the VikingsAsterix and the VikingsAsterix and the Vikings is an animated feature film, produced in France and Denmark, and directed by Stefan Fjeldmark and Jesper Møller. The story was adapted from the graphic novel Asterix and the Normans, which was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo...
- In 2006, he took part in the French version of Muppets TV (broadcast on 31 December 2006)
- In 2007, he took part in Symphonic show special organized by SidactionSidactionSidaction is a major French public event that started in 1994 in France for raising awareness and collecting charitable funds for AIDS. It donates important sums to various AIDS charities, AIDS research, institutions specializing in medical care and social aid for those suffering of HIV/AIDS in...
, a French AIDS charity - In 2008, Sony EricssonSony EricssonSony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB is a joint venture established on October 1, 2001 by the Japanese consumer electronics company Sony Corporation and the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to manufacture mobile phones....
and EMI Music FranceEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
his label offered in exclusivity the downloading of 7 songs from the MP3 album through the W380i as a promotional and sponsoring campaign. - In April 2008, M. Pokora also gave an interview to French gay publication TêtuTêtuTêtu is a gay magazine published in France. It is subtitled in French le magazine des gays et lesbiennes .-History:...
also appearing on its cover. - He took part in "L’Or de nos vies", a charity song recorded for "Fight AIDS Monaco", an association of Princess Stéphanie of MonacoPrincess Stéphanie of MonacoPrincess Stéphanie of Monaco, Countess of Polignac is a member of the princely family of Monaco. She is the youngest child of Grace, Princess of Monaco and Rainier III of Monaco, and the sister of Albert II of Monaco and Princess Caroline...
- He also took part with a song in the album Message made available starting January 2010 with contribution from many artists including Christophe WillemChristophe WillemChristophe Willem , born on 3 August 1983 in Enghien-les-Bains, Val-d'Oise, is a French singer and the winner of the fourth edition of Nouvelle Star in 2006.-Early life:...
, Jennifer, AnggunAnggunAnggun Cipta Sasmi is an Indonesian singer-songwriter. She has released 12 studio albums and one soundtrack album , and her songs have also been included on various compilation albums. Her musical career began in childhood, and she achieved commercial success in Indonesia when she was 12 years old...
, Sliimy, Natasha St PierNatasha St PierNatasha St-Pier, the sixth studio album recorded by Canadian singer Natasha St-Pier, was released in November, 2008. Two singles were released from the album: "Embrasse-Moi" and "1, 2, 3".-Background:...
, Daniel PowterDaniel PowterDaniel Richard Powter is a Canadian recording artist. He is known for his hit "Bad Day", which spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Powter became the only act to register the #1 hit of the year but chart no other Hot 100 hit.- Life and career :Powter grew up in Vernon, in the...
, Lara FabianLara FabianLara Fabian is a Belgian-Italian international singer who also holds Canadian citizenship. Multilingual, she sings in French, Italian and English....
. M. Pokora's contribution included "Talking About a Revolution", a cover of a Tracy ChapmanTracy ChapmanTracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
hit. - In 2011, he performed on Le show Johnny hosted by Johnny HallydayJohnny HallydayJohnny Hallyday is a French singer and actor. An icon in the French-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he was considered by some to have been the French Elvis Presley. He was married for 15 years to one of the most popular French female singers: Sylvie Vartan...
- Enjoying great popularity with children, M. Pokora has taken part in many emissions consecrated to kids, including a special on him on 25 May 2011 on L'École des fansL'Ecole Des FansL'École des fans was a French TV show that was hosted by Jacques Martin from 1976 to 1998.Famous French singers/musicians were featured on the show....
presented by Philippe Risoli where children Gabin, Alicia, Romane, Yamin, Axel and Inès aged 5 to 7 years sang covers of his songs. He also interpreted his cover hit "À nos actes manquésÀ nos actes manqués"À nos actes manqués" is a 1991 song recorded by the French trio Jean-Jacques Goldman, Carole Fredericks and Michael Jones . Released as the second single from their eponymous album, the song was one of the summer hits in France and was the trio's most successful single in terms of ranks on the...
" on the show. He was also was co-sponsor with Hélène SégaraHélène SégaraHélène Ségara is a French female singer revealed in her interpretation of Esmeralda in the french musical Notre Dame de Paris.-Her childhood in the French Riviera:...
et Jean-Luc ReichmannJean-Luc ReichmannJean-Luc Stéphane Reichmann is a French radio and television host. He started a career on radio in 1989, then became TV presenter in 1995 and tried a career as actor since 2008. He is now particularly known for his daily show Attention à la marche, broadcast at 12:00 am on TF1...
of the second edition of TF1TF1TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
's show Le grand show des enfantsLe grand show des enfantsLe grand show des enfants is a French television show broadcast live on French television channel TF1 and presented by Liane Foly1...
broadcast on 30 April 2011.
Winning Danse avec les stars
- On 19 March 2011 he won season 1Danse avec les stars (France season 1)The first season of the French version of Dancing with the Stars debuted on TF1 on February 12, 2011. Eight celebrities were paired with eight professional ballroom dancers...
inaugural series of Danse avec les starsDanse avec les starsThe French version of Strictly Come Dancing, Danse avec les stars was first broadcast on TF1 on February 12, 2011, the participants having been selected in November 2010.. The first series finale took place on March 19, 2011...
(the French version of Dancing with the StarsDancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
) with his partner Katrina PatchettKatrina PatchettKatrina Patchett born on is a professional ballroom dancer from Perth, Australia .-Early life:She has been dancing since the age of three and competing since the age of seven. She was brought up in her mother 's dance studio in Perth, Australia, daughter of two internationally successful ballroom...
getting 62% of the votes against 38% to runners-up David GinolaDavid GinolaDavid Karl Ginola is a French former international football player who has also worked as an actor and model.Ginola was born in Gassin, Var...
and Sofia EssaïdiSofia EssaïdiSofia Essaïdi is a Moroccan singer. She was born in Casablanca, Morocco. She has a Moroccan father and a French mother.-Career:...
.
| Week | Dancing style | Judge points | Result | ||
| Alessandra Martines Alessandra Martines Alessandra Martines is an Italian-French dancer and actress.-Biography:She is best known for her portrayal of Princess Fantaghirò in the Fantaghirò series and her interpretations under the direction of her ex husband, the French director Claude Lelouch, in several movies Alessandra Martines (born... |
Jean-Marc Généreux Jean-Marc Genereux -Biography:Généreux met his partner and wife, France Mousseau, while ballroom dancing in Quebec, Canada. They competed successfully as amateurs starting in 1977, and then professionally in 1986, in the Latin and 10-dance dancesport divisions, and retired in 1998.... |
Chris Marques | |||
| 1 | Quickstep Quickstep The quickstep is a light-hearted member of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal and informal events... |
8 | 8 | 7 | Safe |
| 2 | Tango Tango (dance) Tango dance originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata , and spread to the rest of the world soon after.... |
8 | 9 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot | 9 | 7 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Jive Jive (dance) In Ballroom dancing, Jive is a dance style in 4/4 time that originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was originally presented to the public as 'Jive' in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance... Vienna Waltz Waltz The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim... |
10 9 |
10 10 |
8 8 |
Safe |
| 5 | Charleston Charleston (dance) The Charleston is a dance named for the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called "The Charleston" by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and became one... Rumba Rumba Rumba is a family of percussive rhythms, song and dance that originated in Cuba as a combination of the musical traditions of Africans brought to Cuba as slaves and Spanish colonizers. The name derives from the Cuban Spanish word rumbo which means "party" or "spree". It is secular, with no... |
10 + 9 9 + 8 |
10 + 9 10 + 8 |
9 + 8 9 + 8 |
Safe |
| 6 | Pasodoble Pasodoble Pasodoble is a typical dance from Spain march-like musical style as well as the corresponding dance style danced by a couple. It is the type of music typically played in bullfights during the bullfighters' entrance to the ring or during the passes just before the kill... Foxtrot |
10 + 10 10 + 10 |
9 + 10 9 + 10 |
9 + 9 8 + 10 |
Winner |
Albums
As part of LinkupLinkup
Linkup is a French boy band, created by the third season of the popular French reality show show Popstars, called "Popstars - the Duel" aired on RTL Group TV channel M6 in fall 2003. It is consisted of Matthieu, Lionel et Otis. Matthieu became later known as singer M...
| Year | Album | Details | Charts | Sales | Certification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... DL |
BEL/Wa | SWI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
POL Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
JAP Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
MEX Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
|||||
| 2003 | Notre étoile (as a member of Linkup Linkup Linkup is a French boy band, created by the third season of the popular French reality show show Popstars, called "Popstars - the Duel" aired on RTL Group TV channel M6 in fall 2003. It is consisted of Matthieu, Lionel et Otis. Matthieu became later known as singer M... ) |
Released: November 2003 | 1 | — | — | 53 | — | — | — | — | 2x Platinum | |
Solo
| Year | Album | Details | Charts | Sales | Certification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... DL |
BEL/Wa | SWI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
POL Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
JAP Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
MEX Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
|||||
| 2004 | M. Pokora | Released: Novembre 2, 2004 | 24 | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | Platinum | |
| Player Player (M. Pokora album) - Alternate additions :* The first edition featured a limited edition calendar and the bonus track "Oh! ".* The album was later re-released and included the bonus track "Celle" and "It's Alright", a duet with Ricky Martin.... |
Released: 23 January 2006 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 37 | — | — | — | — | + | 2x Platinum | |
| 2008 | MP3 MP3 (M. Pokora album) MP3 is M. Pokora's third studio album, which was released March 24, 2008 in France and will be available in 27 countries. The album is available in three editions: original, limited, and collector's... |
Released: 24 March 2008 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 32 | 22 | 29 | 24 | 12 | Physicals (all around the world): DL: Sold inside cellphone: |
Gold |
2011 |
Mise à Jour Mise à Jour -Charts:-Release history:-Updated:Updated is the international version of Mise à Jour released on March 14, 2011 containing English versions of the songs of the album.... Mise à jour Version 2.0 |
Released: 23 August 2010 Released: 18 April 2011 |
4 | 4 | 7 | 65 | — | — | — | — | Platinum | |
| 2011 | Updated | Released: 14 March 2011 | To be announced | To be announced | ||||||||
Solo singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
BEL Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
SWI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
SWE Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
|||
| 2004 | "Showbiz (The Battle)" | 10 | 12 | 19 | — | — | M. Pokora |
| 2005 | "Elle me contrôle Elle me contrôle "Elle me contrôle" is a song by French singer M. Pokora, it was released as the second single from his first eponymous album in late spring 2005. Female rapper Sweety featured the Kore & Skalp-produced song to add a dancehall groove to it. It won the NRJ Music Award for "Francophone Song of the... " |
6 | 11 | 23 | — | — | |
| "Pas sans toi" | 4 | 4 | 35 | — | — | ||
| 2006 | "De retour" (with Tyron Carter Tyron Carter Yohann Michel better known as Tyron Carter is a French singer and rapper.Yohann Michel passed his initial years between Madagascar and Thailand. He immigrated to France in 1994 when he was nine... ) |
3 | 11 | — | — | — | Player |
| "It's Alright" (with Ricky Martin Ricky Martin Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide... ) |
4 | 11 | 18 | — | — | ||
| "Oh la la la (Sexy Miss)" | 21 | 37 | — | — | — | ||
| "Mal de guerre" | 9 | 19 | 78 | — | — | ||
| 2008 | "Dangerous Dangerous (M. Pokora song) "Dangerous" is the first single from French singer M. Pokora's third album MP3. The song was produced by Timbaland and features Timbaland and his younger brother, Sebastian.... " (with Timbaland Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.... & Sebastian Sebastian (rapper) Garland Mosley , commonly known by his stage name Sebastian, is an American rapper and songwriter... ) |
1 | 2 | 28 | 15 | 32 | MP3 |
| "They Talk Shit About Me" (with Verse) | 24 | 3 | — | 21 | — | ||
| "Catch Me if You Can" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009 | "Through the Eyes" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2010 | "Juste une photo de toi Juste Une Photo De Toi "Juste Une Photo De Toi" is a song performed by French singer M. Pokora. Produced by Gee Futuristic & X-Plosive, the song serves as the lead single from Pokora's fourth studio album Mise à Jour... " |
13 | 39 | 75 | — | — | Mise à jour |
| "Mirage" | 64 | 37 | — | — | — | ||
| 2011 | "Oblivion" | — | — | — | — | — | Updated |
| "À nos actes manqués" | 1 | 20 | — | — | — | Mise à jour Version 2.0 | |
| "Finally Found Ya" | — | — | — | — | — | Updated | |
| "En attendant la fin" | 77 | — | — | — | — | Mise à jour | |
Guest appearances
- 2004 "Chanter qu'on les aime", a charity single by AMADE
- 2005 "Protège-toi", a charity single by Collectif Protection Rapprochée
- 2005 "Et puis la terre...", a charity single by A.S.I.E.
- 2005 "Oh" (French Remix) by CiaraCiaraCiara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
- 2006 "L'Or de nos vies", a charity single from Fight Aids
- 2006 "Get Down On It" from Astérix et les VikingsAsterix and the VikingsAsterix and the Vikings is an animated feature film, produced in France and Denmark, and directed by Stefan Fjeldmark and Jesper Møller. The story was adapted from the graphic novel Asterix and the Normans, which was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo...
OST - 2006 "rainbfever.com" by AmineAmine (singer)Amine Mounder is a French-Moroccan R&B singer born in Casablanca, Morocco. He is known for his singular music style, Raï'n'B, which is a mix of R&B and Raï....
featured on "Raï'n'B Fever 2" - 2007 "Ne me dis pas", featured on "Mon Hold-Up" by Tyron CarterTyron CarterYohann Michel better known as Tyron Carter is a French singer and rapper.Yohann Michel passed his initial years between Madagascar and Thailand. He immigrated to France in 1994 when he was nine...
- 2007 "Girls", featured on "Lady Sweety" by Lady Sweety
- 2007 "Je fais de toi mon essentiel" by Emmanuel MoireEmmanuel MoireEmmanuel Moire is a French singer. He and his twin brother Nicolas were born in Le Mans on 16 June 1979. Emmanuel is an eclectic artist. He sings and plays the piano, with a hundred tunes to his credit.-Singing career:...
featured on the charity album "Le Roi Soleil – De Monaco à Versailles (LIVE) – Fight Aids" - 2007 "S'aimer Est Interdit" by Anne-Laure Girbal featured on the charity album "Le Roi Soleil – De Monaco à Versailles (LIVE) – Fight Aids"
- 2010 "Un Respect mutuel", a charity single by Collectif Kilomaitre
- 2010 "Talking About a Revolution", featured on the charity album "Message (AIDESAIDESAIDES is a French community-based non-profit organisation that was founded in 1984 by Daniel Defert following the death of his lifelong companion Michel Foucault...
)" - 2010 "Let's Get It Started", featured on "Setting Standards" by LazeeLazeeMawuli Kulego is a Swedish rapper from Malmö, Sweden.-Biography:LAZEE was born in Malmö, Sweden, to parents of Ghanaian origin. His passion for music grew from a young age and he was heavily influenced by the musical tastes of his father who was a DJ. He introduced young Lazee to soul, R&B and...
Awards
- 2006 :
Early Modern France NRJ Music AwardsNRJ Music AwardsThe NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
video of the year with Elle me contrôle - 2006 : Early Modern France NRJ Music AwardsNRJ Music AwardsThe NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
French song of the year with Elle me contrôle - 2006 : Early Modern France HIT MACHINE d'or French male artist of the year
- 2007 : Early Modern France NRJ Music AwardsNRJ Music AwardsThe NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
French male artist of the year - 2007 : Early Modern France NRJ Music AwardsNRJ Music AwardsThe NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
video of the year 2007 with De retour - 2009 :
Poland Eska AwardsEska AwardsEska Music Awards is a major Polish awards ceremony for national and international music launched in 2002 by Radio Eska. The ceremony is held in Łódź, Poland and takes place in April every following year....
pop artist of the year - 2011 : Early Modern France NRJ Music AwardsNRJ Music AwardsThe NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
French male artist of the year - 2011 : Early Modern France NRJ Music AwardsNRJ Music AwardsThe NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
French song of the year with Juste une photo de toi
Biography
- 2006: M. Pokora – La révolution R&B
- 2006: Et je me souviens, Editions K&B
- 2008: M. Pokora vu par, Éditions Broché