Orelsan and Clara Luciani dominate the 37 nominationsis Victories of music, revealed Monday, January 10 in the evening. The trophies will be presented at a ceremony a month later on February 11. The rapper, 39, and the singer, 29, compete in the categories of artist (male and female), album, song and audiovisual creation.
In this last category, Clara Luciani is in contention with the clip The rest while Orelsan is nominated for Never show that to anyone, the documentary series about his career, proof that this type of medium – broadcast in his case on the Amazon Prime Video platform – becomes a checkbox in an artistic journey. “We see that the perception of the music-image team is changing, it goes from short one and a half minute formats on social networks to longer creations, as Orelsan, Angèle or even Bigflo and Oli have done”, analyzes the president of the Victories, Stéphane Espinosa.
The two artists are closely followed by Juliette Armanet and Feu! Chatterton, cited respectively in three categories. But, to sum up the debates, Orelsan appears to be the essential of the period between the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, surfing on its success with the public and the critics.
Social column
Civilisation, released in November (the same day as the album 30 by Briton Adele), is the best-selling album in France in 2021 (more than 335,000 copies), according to the classification of the National Union of Phonographic Publishing (SNEP).
The opus fits perfectly at the time. The title The smell of gasoline imposes itself as the soundtrack of the excesses which bristle the debates around the presidential campaign. And his art of social chronicle still illuminates Manifesto, a seven-minute bravery piece about a demonstration that goes wrong, with beautiful cinematic writing.
The album is not just an acid report, but it is crossed, as Orelsan recently told Agence France-Presse, by a big question: “What are you going to pass on to your children? Civilisation, it’s the society around me and what I can contribute. “ Will Orelsan do better than in 2018, when he won three Victories in the same ceremony? The artist is in any case lying the titles of his previous albums – Lost in advance (2009) and The party is over (2017) -, reaching a large audience, well beyond the circle of rap.
Also listen Orelsan, the “lost” rapper who won everything
Dance and messages
With Heart, released in June 2021, Clara Luciani, for her part, signed an ideal album to celebrate the deconfinement that was taking shape for the summer of 2021 (11e sales in 2021 with more than 155,000 copies). Without forgetting some strong messages. “I never wanted to choose between serious and dancing, it was already the case with The grenade [tube du précédent album, devenu un hymne féministe] », she then developed. The author, composer and performer always puts forward this “Need to dance to exorcise”.
The 37 ceremonyis Victoires de la musique will take place at La Seine Musicale, in Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine), and will be broadcast live on France 2 and France Inter. This event is scheduled as contemporary music artists are once again affected by health restrictions, including the ban on standing concerts until the end of January. “It is especially super complicated for developing artists, who do not have the opportunity to exhibit themselves on stage, stresses Stéphane Espinosa. It is important that the Victories stand, especially for them, so that they have a first TV. “ With the revelation categories (male and female), the general public will discover artists like Chien noir, Myd, L’Impératrice and Silly Boy Blue.
In 2021, the Victories had consecrated in the queen categories Benjamin Biolay (doubled with the trophies of the male artist and the album for Grand Prize) and Pomme (female artist).