Zaz (album)
Encyclopedia
ZAZ is the first studio album of the French singer Zaz
, and was released on 10 May 2010 under the label Play On. It provided two hit singles: "Je veux" and "Le long de la route" which achieved success in Belgium (Wallonia). The album itself was a commercial success, reaching the top of the chart in the francophone countries.
wrote three songs.
Le Figaro
said the singer's voice "upsets and wins over". The editors admitted they were moved by "her small skinned side" and praised "the urban blues of "Trop sensible", or the upsetting "Port Coton" or songs with realistic accents such as "Ni oui ni non" or "Dans ma rue"". Liberation
stated that her single "Je veux" is "between "J'veux du soleil" by Au P'tit Bonheur and the competitive "P'tit kawa" by Karimouche - Other examples of good-natured variety supercharged for optimism." The paper also wrote that "her natural (...) compensates a register in a homely where titi-spirited jazz-world does not bother with convolutions". Le Nouvel Observateur
deemed "Je veux" a song with "anti-consumerism
" lyrics which "immediately catches the ear". Le Parisien
believed that her "songs with realistic lyrics marked the spirits... She reflects the mindset of youth, a bit tortured but full of hope". L'Humanité
praised a "very direct and friendly link" between the young singer and her public, saying: "Welcome to Zaz's world of good mood".
More critical, Valérie Lehoux, journalist of Télérama
, argued that the singer has "unquestionably the vocal abilities quite unusual", but considered her album as "too broke up so we can cling, sailing without a sextant from a little dusty French song to the free variety, to a more or less dancing neo-R&B." She added that the singer remains in the demonstration and collapses under "too cumbersome and too expected" references. Les Inrockuptibles
gave a negative review of the album and of the lead single.
Zaz (singer)
Isabelle Geffroy , better known by the nickname Zaz, is a French singer mixing jazzy styles, French variety, soul and acoustic. She is famous for her hit "Je veux", from her first album, Zaz, released on 10 May 2010....
, and was released on 10 May 2010 under the label Play On. It provided two hit singles: "Je veux" and "Le long de la route" which achieved success in Belgium (Wallonia). The album itself was a commercial success, reaching the top of the chart in the francophone countries.
Background and writing
The singer herself participated in the writing of six songs of the album, and French singer Raphaël HarocheRaphaël Haroche
Raphaël Haroche is a French singer who performs under the name Raphael.-Biography:...
wrote three songs.
Critical reception
The album received mixed reviews in the press.Le Figaro
Le Figaro
Le Figaro is a French daily newspaper founded in 1826 and published in Paris. It is one of three French newspapers of record, with Le Monde and Libération, and is the oldest newspaper in France. It is also the second-largest national newspaper in France after Le Parisien and before Le Monde, but...
said the singer's voice "upsets and wins over". The editors admitted they were moved by "her small skinned side" and praised "the urban blues of "Trop sensible", or the upsetting "Port Coton" or songs with realistic accents such as "Ni oui ni non" or "Dans ma rue"". Liberation
Liberation
-Publications:* Libération, French newspaper* Libération , a Moroccan newspaper* Liberation , monthly pacifist magazine founded, published, and edited by A.J...
stated that her single "Je veux" is "between "J'veux du soleil" by Au P'tit Bonheur and the competitive "P'tit kawa" by Karimouche - Other examples of good-natured variety supercharged for optimism." The paper also wrote that "her natural (...) compensates a register in a homely where titi-spirited jazz-world does not bother with convolutions". Le Nouvel Observateur
Le Nouvel Observateur
Le Nouvel Observateur is a weekly French newsmagazine. Based in Paris, it is the most prominent French general information magazine in terms of audience and circulation ....
deemed "Je veux" a song with "anti-consumerism
Anti-consumerism
Anti-consumerism refers to the socio-political movement against the equating of personal happiness with consumption and the purchase of material possessions...
" lyrics which "immediately catches the ear". Le Parisien
Le Parisien
Le Parisien is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris and its suburbs. It was established as Le Parisien libéré by Émilien Amaury in 1944, and the name was changed to the current one in 1986...
believed that her "songs with realistic lyrics marked the spirits... She reflects the mindset of youth, a bit tortured but full of hope". L'Humanité
L'Humanité
L'Humanité , formerly the daily newspaper linked to the French Communist Party , was founded in 1904 by Jean Jaurès, a leader of the French Section of the Workers' International...
praised a "very direct and friendly link" between the young singer and her public, saying: "Welcome to Zaz's world of good mood".
More critical, Valérie Lehoux, journalist of Télérama
Télérama
Télérama is a weekly French magazine owned by Le Monde S.A. Its primary contents are television and radio listings, though the magazine also prints film, theatre, music and book reviews, as well as cover stories and feature articles of cultural interest. The name is a contraction of its earlier...
, argued that the singer has "unquestionably the vocal abilities quite unusual", but considered her album as "too broke up so we can cling, sailing without a sextant from a little dusty French song to the free variety, to a more or less dancing neo-R&B." She added that the singer remains in the demonstration and collapses under "too cumbersome and too expected" references. Les Inrockuptibles
Les Inrockuptibles
Les Inrockuptibles is a French cultural magazine. Started as a monthly magazine in 1986, it became weekly in 1995. The name is a play on "Les Incorruptibles", the French title of the American television series The Untouchables...
gave a negative review of the album and of the lead single.
Track listings
- "Les passants" (Tryss, Isabelle Geffroy) — 3:33
- "Je veux" (Kerredine Soltani, Tryss) — 3:39
- "Le long de la route" (Isabelle Geffroy, Mickaël Geraud) — 3:37
- "La fée" (Raphaël HarocheRaphaël HarocheRaphaël Haroche is a French singer who performs under the name Raphael.-Biography:...
) — 2:53 - "Trop sensible" (Isabelle Geffroy) — 3:39
- "Prends garde à ta langue" (Isabelle Geffroy, Dino Cirone) — 3:41
- "Ni oui ni non" (Kerredine Soltani, Vivian Roost, Isabelle Geffroy) — 3:31
- "Port coton" (Raphaël) — 2:56
- "J'aime à nouveau" (Isabelle Geffroy, Mickaël Geraud) — 3:50
- "Dans ma rue" (Jacques Datin) — 4:40
- "Éblouie par la nuit" (Raphael) — 2:40
Peak positions
| Chart (2010/11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart | 12 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Albums Chart | 51 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Albums Chart | 1 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
200 |
| Croatian International Albums Chart | 4 |
| French SNEP Albums Chart | 1 |
| French SNEP Digital Chart | 1 |
| German Albums Chart | 3 |
| Greek Albums Chart | 3 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 19 |
| Polish Albums Chart | 14 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 10 |
| Russia Top 25 Albums | 8 |
| Czech Albums Chart | 29 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Albums Chart | 6 |
| French SNEP Albums Chart | 6 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 36 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Gold | 7 November 2011 | 10,000 |
| Belgium | Platinum | 17 December 2010 | 30,000 |
| France | Diamond | 18 January 2011 | 500,000 |
| Germany | Platinum | June 2011 | 200,000 |
| Poland | Platinum | 2011 | 20,000 |
| Switzerland | Platinum | 2010 | 20,000 |
| Russia | Platinum | 2011 | 10,000 |