À ma place

"À ma place" is a 2001 pop song recorded as a duet by French singers Zazie and Axel Bauer. It was the second single off Bauer's album Personne n'est parfait and was released on 7 May 2001. It became a smash hit in France and Belgium (Wallonia) where it reached the top five.

"À ma place"
Single by Zazie and Axel Bauer
from the album Personne n'est parfait
B-side	"Tu seras bien"
Released	7 May 2001
Genre	Pop, rock
Length	4:30 (single version) 5:28 (album version)
Label	Mercury Records, Universal Music
Songwriter(s)	Zazie, Axel Bauer
Producer(s)	Pierre Jaconelli, Axel Bauer
Zazie singles chronology
"Cyber" (1999) "À ma place" (2001) "Rue de la Paix" (2001)

Song information

The song was written and composed by both singers. It deals with the difficulties that can be met by a couple to understand each other. According to Elia Habib, the story of the song "[oscillates] between passion and insanity". The music video and the cover single are very refined and the song looks like a "dramatic script meticulously directed".^[1]

The music video was directed by Didier Le Pêcheur who had previously directed five music videos for Zazie at the time.

"À ma place" was not included on Zazie's studio album, but only on Bauer's Personne n'est parfait on which it appears in an extended version, then on Bauer's best of La Désintégrale. In 2003, the live version performed during Zazie's tour was added on her live album Ze live!! and in the collector edition of La Désintégrale. The song, as well as the music video (on the DVD), were also available on Zazie's 2008 greatest hits Zest of.

Chart performance and awards

In France, the single debuted at No. 33 on 12 May 2001, then climbed directly to the top ten and remained in it for 17 weeks, including a peak at number four for two consecutive weeks. It totalled 30 weeks in the top 50 and 32 weeks in the top 100 and earned a Gold disc. In Belgium (Wallonia), it debuted at No. 32 on 4 August 2001 and reached number one four weeks later. It remained for 12 weeks in the top ten and 25 weeks in the Ultratop 50.^[2] To date, "À ma place" is the most successful single of both singers in terms of chart positions.

The song was awarded 'Francophone song of the year' at the 2002 NRJ Music Awards and was thus included on the compilation NRJ Music Awards 2002.

Track listings

CD single^[2]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"À ma place"	4:30
2.	"Tu seras bien" (by Axel Bauer)	3:55

Digital download (since 2005)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"À ma place" (album version)	5:28
2.	"À ma place" (2003 live)	4:48
3.	"À ma place" (Zest of version)	5:49

Charts

Chart (2001) Peak position Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[2] 1 French SNEP Singles Chart[2] 4

Year-end chart (2001) Position Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[3] 12 French Singles Chart[4] 13

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[5]	Gold	250,000*
* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Elia Habib, Muz hit. tubes, 2002, p. 535,536 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)
2. ""À ma place", in various singles charts + formats". Lescharts. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
3. "2001 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart". Ultratop. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
4. "2001 French Singles Chart". Disqueenfrance. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
5. "French single certifications – Zazie – Made in Love" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2022.