It was produced by Philippe Lerichomme and the American guitarist Billy Rush, who collaborated with Gainsbourg on his previous album, Love on the Beat (1984).

Retaining the new wave influences found on Love on the Beat, the album consists of "funk tunes" and introduces hip hop[1] elements to Gainsbourg's music, inspired by acts such as Chic and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

"Gloomy Sunday" illustrates the state of gloom caused to the narrator by Samantha's drug-induced absences; "Aux enfants de la chance" (whose title comes from the name of a bar in which Gainsbourg's father used to sing) advises young people not to touch drugs.

[citation needed] Musically, the songs on the album were described as "overly slick funk tunes that border on both new wave and rap.

[2] The cover version of "Mon légionnaire" also takes inspirations from the disco genre and features a synthesizer programming work over Gainsbourg's "gravelly" vocal delivery.