Carla hurt by criticism
2008-07-11 13:02
Paris - France's first lady Carla Bruni admitted on Friday she was "hurt" by frosty reactions to her new album by critics of her husband President Nicolas Sarkozy, as the much-hyped record hit stores across Europe.
Half a million people logged on to the web to listen to the third album by the supermodel-turned-singer, Comme Si De Rien N'Etait (Simply), ahead of its official release, according to figures from her record company Naive.
But the 60s-flavoured album has also sparked an outpouring of vitriol on the internet by French voters hostile to the right-wing leader.
"Of course it hurts me, but I also find it quite natural," Bruni said in an interview.
"It's understandable that people can't help mixing up my work as an artist and my function. Maybe they feel offended by the fact the head of state's wife should make a record," she said.
Violent reactions
The 40-year-old Bruni, who married Sarkozy in February after a whirlwind three-month romance, said she was in a "privileged enough position to be able to handle violent reactions".
"Some might say people are only listening to me because of my husband. But they are still listening. I am incredibly lucky to have people listening to me, whatever the reason."
Bruni's record company has said it wants to shift the focus "back onto the artistic side of things" and the first lady, who cannot go on tour for security reasons, will appear on France's main evening news on Friday to promote the album.
But based on a survey of Internet chat rooms, she has already provoked the ire of Sarkozy's opponents.
"I won't buy it, I won't listen to it, I won't download it, even for free," fumed one user, Padre, in one of dozens of hostile posts on the left-wing Nouvelobs.com website, some calling for an outright "boycott".
Scathing attack
Many were scathing about the album itself: on the website of left-wing newspaper Liberation, Sumiko called it a "pale copy of her first record."
"All those breathy notes just become annoying: you feel like telling her to have a good cough and give up smoking."
Bruni's first record wowed both critics and the public in 2002, selling two million copies worldwide, although her second, which put the words of English poets to music, did less well, with 380 000 copies sold.
Though her new status as first lady proved a headache for music critics, French reviews of the new album, written by Bruni except for three tracks, have generally been good.
Didier Bouchend'homme, head of programming at Cherie FM radio, said he snapped up the first single L'Amoureuse (The Lover) for the station, which caters to women in their 30s and 40s.
"We have always played Carla Bruni, since before she married the president." But he admitted that "for this album, there are higher expectations, so there's bound to be more reactions, both positive and negative."
Reviewers in Britain - where Bruni received rave reviews for her elegance and poise when she accompanied Sarkozy on a state visit in March - have been unimpressed though.
Simpering and weedy
"First lady ... of schmaltz," headlined the Independent newspaper, which said the former supermodel came across as "simpering and weedy".
The Times dryly noted that it "may be the best album ever made by the wife of a head of state."
The record's 14 tracks include the eyebrow-raising Ma Came, a bluegrass-sounding love song that draws a tongue-and-cheek parallel with drug addiction.
Listeners hoping for a peek into the private lives of France's pre-eminent couple may be disappointed though - only one song Ta Tienne (Yours) appears to hint at Bruni's romance with Sarkozy.
Bruni says she has no regrets about making the album, whose proceeds will go to charity, but suggested this week her official functions would take priority from now on.
"If I give enough to my new role, in terms of what I can really do to help other people, would that not take up all of a person's time?"
- SAPA