Michel Sardou has not lost his straightforwardness. In an interview granted to La Tribune Dimanche this Sunday, the 79-year-old singer made several statements about politics, artists, and the media. Based in Bormes-les-Mimosas, in the Var, he notably praised Sarah Knafo, MEP from Reconquête, before sharply responding to rapper Orelsan, who recently mentioned him in one of his songs.
Sarah Knafo: “Have you seen the guts she has?”
Michel Sardou expressed his admiration for Sarah Knafo, especially after her notable appearance on franceinfo on October 28. The MEP was then questioned by several journalists on various political topics. A performance that clearly impressed the singer.
“Have you seen the guts she has when she dismantles the interviewers?”, he said, before praising the politician’s skills. In his eyes, Sarah Knafo is “concrete, precise, and perfectly knowledgeable about her files”. He also added, with his usual frankness: “Besides, she’s cute.”
However, the singer took care to distinguish his personal admiration from electoral support. He recalled being “right-wing” but “not far-right”, specifying that he “does not call to vote for her”. Michel Sardou thus praised the MEP’s qualities without officially giving her his political support.
Orelsan in the crosshairs: “We don’t understand a word he says”
Michel Sardou also responded to Orelsan, who references him in his new track XXX. The Norman rapper mentions “fascists” who “want to eat pork and sing Sardou”. Lyrics that sparked controversy around the rapper.
Asked about this reference, Sardou first acknowledged Orelsan’s right to mock him. “He has every right to mock me”, he said, before adding that he “doesn’t give a damn”.
But the performer of Lacs du Connemara didn’t stop there. He directly attacked the rapper’s singing style: “I just know that when he sings, you don’t understand a word he says because he can’t open his mouth or articulate.”
Michel Sardou therefore did not seek to contest Orelsan’s right to mention him in his songs. However, he did not hesitate to respond regarding his qualities as a performer, with a characteristic sharpness in his public statements.
“Les Lacs du Connemara”: a song still sung by young people
Michel Sardou also mentioned the lasting success of Lacs du Connemara, released in 1981. More than forty years after its release, this song is still regularly sung at student parties, ferias, and popular gatherings.
The singer notably cited student parties at HEC, but also PSV Eindhoven supporters in the Netherlands, who have adopted his song. He was pleased to see new generations continue to cover this track, which has become one of the most famous in his repertoire.
Sardou also openly embraced the fact of “eating pork”, thus echoing the expression used by Orelsan in his song. A way to directly respond to the rapper’s lyrics without denying his habits or convictions.
“I have been called a fascist all my life”: Sardou denounces his marginalization
The artist finally returned to the political criticism that has accompanied his career. For several decades, Michel Sardou has regularly been the subject of controversies related to the lyrics of some of his songs and his political stances.
“I have been called a fascist all my life”, he stated. He believes he has long held a particular place in the French artistic scene due to his political convictions. According to him, he was “the only right-wing singer while all the others were left-wing”.
The singer considers that this situation caused him a form of marginalization in the cultural world. He notably mentioned his difficult relations with certain public service broadcasters, especially France Inter.
“During my career, I must have appeared on France Inter a maximum of five times”, he said ironically. A final jab at a station he feels largely ignored him for several decades.
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