"After three albums and crazy intense touring over the world, we felt we needed to pause...to be connected to the present. Here and Now. That’s exactly the idea behind the song. that’s our state of mind. Being simply and fully in the moment.”
YELLE, The FADER
"Ici & Maintenant (Here & Now)" is a song you need to unplug and unwind from everyday hecticness. French electropop duo Yelle's (lead vocalist Julie Budet and producer GrandMarnier (Jean-François Perrier)) decision to produce music outside of the album and tour cycle has certainly been effective, reeling listeners in with a minimalist yet dynamic beat, sweet synths and Budet's poised vocals. Long time fans will likely appreciate the fact that their "fun-loving, anything-goes left-field pop outlook" (Tim Sendra, AllMusic) is now accompanied with some philosophical depth.
The song adopts subtle shifts in tempos and understated breaks, which help keep you attuned to the song in an unpredictable yet reassuring manner. The song's chorus basically serves as a mantra for living in the here and now, but the song's verses lay down ample quirkiness and whimsy, with references to 'naked men and pelicans', jumping on 'pink clouds' and the 'backs of elephants', and playing 'frisbee in a hurricane':
'Je vais bien, oui c'est certain que je vais bienJ'ai pris mes médicaments, mon café, mon GuronsanJ'aime les miens, tout l'monde est gentil, tout va bienSi ça n'finit pas aujourd'hui, ce sera demainMais pour l'instant c'est ici et maintenantJe vois des hommes nus et des pélicansDes gens connus dans des moments gênantsJ'attends le mo...Mais pour l'instant c'est ici et maintenantJe saute à pieds joints sur les continentsSur un nuage rose, à dos d'éléphantJ'attends le momentJ'attends le momentLe moment ou ça casseIci et maintenantMais pour l'instant ça passeJ'attends le momentLe moment ou ça casseIci et maintenantMais pour l'instant ça passePasse, passe'
Lyrics and translation: SongsLyricsMeaning.com
The accompanying music video, which features Budet and American comedian Nathan Barnatt spending time in a generic American suburb, is a fun ode to the eccentricity that underscores even the most banal and mundane daily existence.
