Zaz is the debut studio album by French singer Zaz, released on 10 May 2010 by Play On and Sony Music. It spawned two singles, "Je veux" and "Le long de la route", which achieved success in Belgium (Wallonia). The album itself was a commercial success, topping the charts in Belgium, France, and Poland.

Zaz
Studio album by
Released10 May 2010 (2010-05-10)
Recorded2010
Genre
Length38:59
LanguageFrench
Label
Producer
Zaz chronology
Zaz
(2010)
Recto Verso
(2013)
Singles from Zaz
  1. "Je veux"
    Released: 10 May 2010
  2. "Le long de la route"
    Released: September 2010
  3. "La fée"
    Released: February 2011
  4. "Éblouie par la nuit"
    Released: November 2011

Background and writing

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Zaz co-wrote six songs on the album, and French singer Raphaël Haroche wrote three songs.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]

Zaz received mixed reviews from musical critics. Le Figaro said the singer's voice "upsets and wins over".[2] 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"".[3] Libération 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 sound—she is capable of laughing in the middle of a song—makes up for a rather simple technique, in the spirit of a jazz world not too concerned with such idiosyncrasies".[4] Le Nouvel Observateur deemed "Je veux" a song with "anti-consumerism" lyrics that "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".[5] 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".[6]

More critical, Valérie Lehoux of Télérama argued that the singer has "unquestionably quite unusual vocal abilities", but considered her album as "too fragmented to be easily likeable, as we must navigate without a sextant from rather old-fashioned French songs to the free variety, to a more or less danceable neo-R&B." She added that the singer has demonstrated her singing abilities but her songs soon lose their attraction and collapse under "too cumbersome and too expected" references.[7] Les Inrockuptibles gave a negative review of the album and of the lead single.[8]

Track listing

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No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Les passants"Isabelle Geffroy
  • Geffroy
  • Tryss
Alban Sautour3:33
2."Je veux"Kerredine Soltani
  • Soltani
  • Tryss
  • Soltani
  • Sautour
3:39
3."Le long de la route"GeffroyMickaël Geraud
  • Xavier Plèche
  • Germain Guyot
3:37
4."La fée"Raphaël HarocheHarocheHaroche2:53
5."Trop sensible"GeffroyGeffroyHaroche3:59
6."Prends garde à ta langue"Geffroy
  • Geffroy
  • Dino Cirone
  • Guyot
  • Sautour
3:41
7."Ni oui ni non"
  • Geffroy
  • Soltani
  • Vivian Roost
  • Soltani
Sautour3:31
8."Port coton"HarocheHarocheHaroche2:56
9."J'aime à nouveau"GeffroyGeraudSautour3:50
10."Dans ma rue"Jacques DatinDatinGuyot4:40
11."Éblouie par la nuit"HarocheHarocheHaroche2:40

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for Zaz
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[42] Platinum 20,000*
Belgium (BEA)[43] 3× Platinum 90,000*
France (SNEP)[44] 2× Diamond 1,000,000*
Germany (BVMI)[45] 2× Platinum 400,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[46] 2× Platinum 40,000*
Russia (NFPF)[23] Platinum 10,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[47] 2× Platinum 60,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Zaz – Zaz". AllMusic.
  2. ^ "Zaz". Le Figaro (in French). 26 May 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  3. ^ Grandjanin, Annie (4 May 2010). "Zaz passe comme ça". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  4. ^ Renaud, Gille (16 July 2010). "Zaz et L en rappel". Libération (in French). Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  5. ^ "Tous zinzin de Zaz". Le Parisien (in French). 19 July 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  6. ^ "En direct des francofolies à La Rochelle". L'Humanité (in French). 14 July 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  7. ^ Lehoux, Valérie (15 May 2010). "Zaz". Télérama (in French). Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  8. ^ "Zaz manouche – Numéro 1 du Top albums en France, Zaz nous casse bien les bonbons avec son single "Je veux" diffusé de TF1 à France Inter. Décryptage d'un phénomène en bois recyclé". Les Inrockuptibles (in French). 16 July 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  9. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Zaz – Zaz" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  10. ^ "Ultratop.be – Zaz – Zaz" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  11. ^ "Ultratop.be – Zaz – Zaz" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  12. ^ "Top 100 Albums in Canada". Jam!. 13 January 2011. Archived from the original on 26 December 2004. Retrieved 16 January 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^ "Top Kombiniranih – Tjedan 6. 2012" [Top Combined – Week 6, 2012] (in Croatian). Top of the Shops. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  14. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Zaz – Zaz" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  16. ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 122, no. 34. 28 August 2010. p. 47. ISSN 0006-2510.
  17. ^ "Lescharts.com – Zaz – Zaz". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Zaz – Zaz" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  19. ^ "Greekcharts.com – Zaz – Zaz". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  20. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Zaz – Zaz". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  21. ^ モンマルトルからのラブレター | ZAZ [Love Letter from Montmartre | Zaz] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  22. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  23. ^ a b Совсем иначе [Quite different]. Lenta.ru (in Russian). 25 November 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  24. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Zaz – Zaz". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  25. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Zaz – Zaz". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  26. ^ "Zaz Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  27. ^ "Rapports annuels 2010 – Albums" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  28. ^ "Year End Charts – European Top 100 Albums". Billboard. 2010. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  29. ^ "Classement Albums – année 2010" (in French). SNEP. Archived from the original on 25 September 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  30. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2010". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  31. ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 2011". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  32. ^ "Rapports annuels 2011 – Albums" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  33. ^ "Classement Albums – année 2011" (in French). SNEP. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  34. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 2011" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  35. ^ "TOP50 АЛЬБОМOB 2011" (PDF). Lenta.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  36. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2011". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  37. ^ "Rapports annuels 2012 – Mid price" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  38. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 2012" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  39. ^ Триумф нестыдной попсы. Lenta.ru (in Russian). 28 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  40. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2012". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  41. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2013". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  42. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Zaz – Zaz" (in German). IFPI Austria. 2 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  43. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2012". Ultratop. Hung Medien. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  44. ^ "Certifications Albums – Année 2013" (PDF) (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  45. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Zaz; 'Zaz')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  46. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2012 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  47. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Zaz')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 January 2014.