Synopsis
Walking through the narrow, cobbled streets of Marseille's Le Panier district, Tarkan sings and struts with playful confidence. Women on the street notice him and begin chasing him for a kiss. What starts as a few flirtatious encounters quickly becomes an escalating pursuit, forcing Tarkan to change direction, speed up, and finally run. As the crowd closes in, he hides around a corner, where he encounters a young girl and gently kisses her forehead before the video ends.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was filmed in Marseille, France, particularly around the historic Le Panier neighborhood, whose tight streets and weathered stone buildings give it a distinctly Mediterranean atmosphere.
- Although the song originated on Tarkan's 1997 album *Olurum Sana*, its international rollout took place in stages: it appeared in France in 1998 and reached wider European markets in 1999.
- The title "Simarik" is commonly translated as "spoiled" or "pampered," matching the song's teasing portrait of a flirtatious, self-assured woman.
- The two exaggerated kissing sounds in the chorus became the track's signature. They also inspired the unofficial English nickname "Kiss Kiss," later used by several cover versions.
- Stella Soleil recorded an English adaptation called "Kiss Kiss" in 2001. Holly Valance's 2002 version brought the composition to an even broader international pop audience.
- The Marseille setting helped present Tarkan as an international pop star rather than limiting the song's image to its Turkish origins. The clip's simple chase premise also made the song's flirtatious energy easy to understand without knowing the language.