"XXL" is a 1995 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. The song was the lead single from her fourth studio album Anamorphosée and was released on 19 September 1995. It marked an important change in the singer's career, with more pronounced variété sonorities, more accessible lyrics, and a music video directed by a new producer. Although it entered directly at number one on the French singles chart, it dropped quickly and achieved mixed success. Background and writing After the failure of Laurent Boutonnat's film Giorgino in 1993, in which she played, Farmer decided to move to Los Angeles, willing to return to anonymity. In 1995, she found the inspiration to write new songs by reading various books, including La Mort intime by French author Marie de Hennezel, and The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. She then asked Laurent Boutonnat to join her in California to produce together a new album, which would become Anamorphosée. However, following the failure of Giorgino, they decided to propose a new public image for the singer, and a new sound with rock sensibilities, inspired by the success of grunge and alternative rock scene in the early 1990s. When the French channel M6 announced the name and content of the first single, "XXL", it surprised the fans, since the album was not released yet. Long-term fans did not expect such a musical departure; some of them decided to turn their back on the new universe proposed by the duo Farmer / Boutonnat, but a new public was won over. The promotion began on 24 August 1995. Some medias received a sizeable custom-made display rack, designed by Henry Neu, consisting of a giant "XXL" made in wrought iron, with the CD placed between the two "X" letters. The CD single was released on 19 September 1995. The various remixes on the four formats were all produced by Laurent Boutonnat and Bertrand Châtenet. It was Farmer's first single cover on which she did not appear (the second was later "L'Histoire d'une fée, c'est..."). Another remix, named 'UK remix', has been made about a year later by Richard Dekkard, and released on the "Rêver" CD maxi. As for the 'JXL remix', it was produced by the Dutch musician Junkie XL and features on the compilation RemixeS. Lyrics and music "XXL" can be interpreted as a feminist song, in which Farmer expresses women's need of love, in the