Critical Reception
According to Compact, "Ainsi soit je..." is a sweet ballad, but that may tire the listener because of it is being too repetitive. However, it stated that the song is really a "hit" thanks to its music video which is composed of "sublime images" and made with "extreme delicacy". It also said that the song had found its musical influences from France Gall, Jane Birkin and Françoise Hardy's musical works and considered it as a "success".
In France, the single in its original version was listed on the SNEP chart for fourteen weeks, from 30 April to 30 July. As there was no music video in the first weeks, television show Top 50, which presented the singles chart every Saturday, broadcast Farmer's performance on Sacrée Soirée to illustrate the song. The single debuted at number 31 and reached a peak at number twelve in its sixth week.
The live version released in 1997 did not have the same success and remained in low positions: in France, it peaked at number 27 in its second week on 30 August, and was ranked for only five weeks; in Belgium, the song entered at number 22, its highest position, on 6 September and dropped the next three weeks. The single was little aired on radios as they preferred to air the live version of more rhythmic songs, including "Désenchantée" on NRJ and "Que mon cœur lâche" on Europe 2.
Read more about this topic: Ainsi Soit Je... (song)
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