Cannes’ tribute to David Lynch: Who is Mylène Farmer and where to begin with her discography?

Her tribute to David Lynch was a highlight of this year's opening ceremony at the Cannes Film Festival. Mylène Farmer is royalty on the French pop scene, but if you've never listened to a single of her albums, here's a much-needed starter pack...

One of the most moving moments of the Cannes Film Festival so far came when beloved French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer paid tribute to David Lynch during the opening ceremony.Lynch, who died earlier this year aged 78, and Farmer had been friends for years. Both admired each other’s work and even collaborated in 2024 when the director of Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive remixed Farmer’s hit song ‘Je te rends ton amour’ for the album ‘Remix-XL’. For the opening of this year’s 78th Cannes, a proper tribute was paid to Lynch – something which this year’s Oscar ceremony singularly failed to do. Following a series of clips, Farmer gave a haunting rendition of the song ‘Confession’, her new track dedicated to the late filmmaker – which Twin Peaks fans could immediately connect with, as Farmer's performance was reminiscent of Julee Cruise's time on Lynch's seminal TV show. Check out the clip:  The moment went viral and fans were quick to praise Farmer and the festival for doing something significantly more impactful than the Academy earlier this year when they included Lynch in the In Memoriam segment but failed to adequately celebrate the extent to which the visionary director had shaped and changed cinema during his career.  “Cannes Film Festival gives David Lynch his due. The Oscars must’ve been too busy” wrote one X user, with another adding: “Can’t believe that Cannes made a better tribute for Lynch than the Oscars”.For those who haven’t yet had the pleasure, Mylène Farmer is French royalty – to the extent she’s often referred to as the “Queen of French Pop.” The singer-songwriter has had a prolific career and continues to sell out her stadium tours, the last of which, Nevermore, has seen her win over legions of younger fans - who recognise that Farmer has been ahead of the curb for decades.  The pop icon has been going since the mid-80s and has sold more than 45 million records throughout her career. She was the first female artist in history to sell out the 80,000 capacity Satde de France two nights in a row, and her stunning Best Of album 'Les Mots' is the highest-selling greatest hits collection in French history.Known for her poetic and often transgressive songwriting, it isn’t a stretch to describe Farmer as the gorgeous lovechild of 80s-Madonna and David Bowie, especially in the way she has reinvented her style with each of her album cycles and has pushed the envelope when it comes to addressing themes of metamorphosis, sex, gender fluidity and death. In short, outside of France, she’s an underappreciated precursor to modern pop stars who inject their lyrics with multifaceted topics of sexuality, and her unique blend of addictively sensual and dark synth-pop is stunning.While she’s released seven studio albums in the last twenty years alone and continues to tour, her finest decade remains the 90s – with three records that are essential when it comes to discovering Mylène Farmer.  So, if you’ve never listened to one of her albums and want to know where to start, here’s a starter pack composed of this trio of records, which continue rank among her very best within a rich discography.Start with:  L’autre... (1991)Having shaken the French music scene and some less progressive parts of French society with songs off her previous album ‘Ainsi soit je...’ - especially the hit single 'Sans contrefaçon', which dealt with gender and became an anthem for the queer community - Farmer released her third album in 1991. Still anchored in what some would refer to as her Europop era, it nonetheless ended up selling two million copies and became her best-selling album. The lead single, ‘Désenchantée’ remains Farmer's most successful hit, and is still described as her signature song. Its lyrics speak to youthful rebellion and disillusionment – with an existentialist spin. ‘L’autre’ is not just that album with the one big hit though: the melodies throughout are flawless, with her ballad ‘Regrets’ and the more up-tempo ‘Je t’aime mélancholie’ standing out, while her love of Edgar Allan Poe shines throughout.Continue with: Anamorphosée (1995)Farmer’s fourth album was a departure from the synth-pop soundscape of her previous records. Recorded in the US, 'Anamorphosée' is more rock-oriented and features live instrumentation. Moreover, this album’s sex appeal is off the charts. Whether it’s ‘XXL’, ‘L’instant X’ or the superb ‘California’, sadness and pain take a backseat to hedonism and raw sensuality – showing an ambitious artist that was gaining a reputation for being ever-evolving. ‘Anamorphosée’ is a significantly more explicit record when it comes to its lyrical content, matched at every turn by some luminous melodies that proved Farmer was (and remains) forward-looking when it comes to the scope of her output. Add one of her most beautiful ballads, ‘Rêver’, and you’ve got a vibrant record that is still in a class of its own.Discover: Innamoramento (1999)‘Anamorphosée’ was a pivotal album for Farmer's career. Instead of resting on her laurels, however, she took a new turn with her 1999 album 'Innamoramento', which merges eroticism with mysticism – and an added penchant for electro and crescendoing arrangements. Enigmatic, romantic and dealing with the prism of feminity, her fifth album remains to this day her strongest release. It’s certinainly her most grandiloquent statement of intent. Her cinematic choruses and emotion-charged lyrics cultivate a palpable aura of mystery and drama, with songs like ‘Je te rends ton amour’, ‘Optimistique-moi’ and ‘Souviens-toi du jour’ all standing out in the impassioned department. ‘L’âme-stram-gram' is darker offering that you can dance to, while the title track is not only one of the most rousing songs of Farmer's career, but a stormy masterpiece that elevated her to icon status. It’s the closest she’s come to flawless and this album continues to define her career.