Alizée
Encyclopedia
Alizée Jacotey is a French
singer, known professionally by her given name
Alizée She was discovered by Mylène Farmer
, following her winning performance in the talent show, Graines de Star, in 1999. While collaborating with Mylène Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat
, Alizée released two albums, both of which were hits inside and outside of France.
Alizée entered the music business in 2000. She has since released four studio albums, the first two of which were composed by Laurent Boutonnat
and written by Mylène Farmer
. Her first album was Gourmandises
, which received Platinum
certification within three months of release. After its international launch in 2001, Gourmandises was a success both in France and abroad, earning Alizée the distinction of being the highest selling female French singer in 2001. The album featured her most successful single "Moi... Lolita
" which reached number one in several countries in Europe and East Asia. Gourmandises was followed by a second studio album, Mes Courants Électriques
, in 2003. Following its release, Alizée toured during the fall of 2003, performing in 43 concerts throughout France, Belgium and Switzerland.
Alizée married fellow French singer Jérémy Chatelain
in late 2003. Following her marriage, she took a hiatus from singing before returning with a new album, Psychédélices
, on 3 December 2007. Her fourth album titled Une Enfant Du Siècle
was released on 29 March 2010.
In early 2011 she published her participation in a new album of Alain Chamfort
and announced plans for a back to the roots studio album for spring 2012.
for her efforts.
In 1999, she appeared on the TV talent show "Graines de Star", broadcast on Métropole 6. She initially intended to sign up for the programme's dance contest, but that category was reserved for groups only. Alizée therefore joined the singing category instead, performing the song Ma Prière (a single released by Axelle Red
in 1997). She went on to win the "Meilleure Graine" award for most promising young singing star of tomorrow.
Her winning performance was seen by veteran songwriters Mylène Farmer
and Laurent Boutonnat
, who were looking for a young, fresh voice to partake in their new project. They approached Alizée, and she was selected after studio auditions. The duo arranged her debut with a meticulously orchestrated launch, controlling her image and public appearances. In 2000, they produced her maiden album, Gourmandises which was a great success in France, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. The first single was "Moi... Lolita
", which some say portrayed Alizée as a Lolita who was capable of "melting the hearts of the local male population". Others recognized her great variation in tone and artistic talent. Alizée won the M6 award in 2000. She returned with a follow up album, Mes Courants Électriques, in 2003. This second album was also quite successful, though not to the same extent as Gourmandises. It was followed up with a live album of her countrywide tour.
-like image, Alizée had a "squeaky-clean public image as the perfect teenager" during her teens. Though described as a very shy and a reserved person, she likes performing in front of audiences. Although she is most famous as a singer, Alizée prefers dancing, and is quite proficient in classical dance, jazz
, Italy style ballet, tap
and flamenco
. Alizée also likes football.
Alizée is actively involved in charity work through Les Enfoirés
, a group of French celebrities who organize fund-raising concerts every year. The proceeds from these concerts go to Les Restaurants du Coeur
. The organization, set up by French comedian Coluche
, helps feed the poor. Alizée participated in these concerts in 2001, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Alizée married fellow French singer Jérémy Chatelain
in late 2003, with whom she has a child, Annily.
Alizée was listed as number 2 sexiest woman in the world by readers of the French edition of FHM magazine in 2010.
She has sold nearly five million albums and singles around the globe. She has taken part in various stage shows and live performances throughout Europe, everywhere from France to Russia. She also starred in a Japanese commercial. More recently, she has been becoming just as popular in North America as she is in much of Europe; the latest concert tours together with earlier promotion leading to a very strong fan base, particularly in the United States and Mexico. She is also very popular in parts of Asia, especially India, China, Bangladesh and Japan.
Following her marriage in late 2003, Alizée took a hiatus from singing and avoided appearing in the media; her own official website went offline in the summer of 2005. She returned with a new television appearance on MTV France
on 18 February 2006, and resumed media appearances in 2007 for the promotion of her third studio album, Psychédélices.
", her most successful to date. It enjoyed success throughout most of Europe and parts of East Asia, reaching number one in several countries. The official music video showed Alizée as a village girl visiting a night-club. The song was later used in the UK trailer of the 2006 film, A Good Year
, and was a part of the film's soundtrack.
The single was from her debut album, Gourmandises ("Delicacies"), released in 2000. The album, written by Farmer and composed by Boutonnat, sold over 788,000 copies in France – it reached Platinum
status in just three months. In 2001, the album was launched internationally and Alizée became the highest-selling female French singer ever. The album went on to sell over two million copies worldwide. Farmer and Boutonnat kept a tight rein how the album was marketed and controlled the image in which Alizée was portrayed. In the meantime, Alizée gave very few interviews, and even when she did, they did not stretch beyond 20 minutes per journalist. Neither did she agree to any photoshoots.
Her second single "L'Alizé
" (2000), also from the same album, followed soon after. It was also successful in hitting number one in France, and gained some success internationally. The video of the "sexily alliterative" song shows Alizée amidst soap bubbles against a pink backdrop singing about herself. The video was shot in a studio in Brussels
, which had a 25 metre by 10 metre painted canvas to serve as the background, with real bubbles. This single was followed up with another single from the same album – the title song, "Gourmandises
". The video, which shows a group of young boys and girls out on a picnic, was shot in a day. The last single from this album was "Parler tout bas
", which deals with the theme of dreams and a loss of innocence. In France, "Parler tout bas" was the third single, then followed by the release of "Gourmandises".
The first single from this album, "J'en ai marre!
" (also known as "Mon bain de mousse" in Japan) was released in 2003. The music video for this shows Alizée in a glass cage, singing while having water splashed on her. The plexiglass cage, 3 by 3 meters in dimension, was constructed in a Parisian studio, and the shooting of the video took two days. An English-language version of this song, titled "I'm Fed Up!", was also released, and featured similar visuals for the music video.
The other singles from this album were "J'ai pas vingt ans
" and "À contre-courant
". Like "J'en ai marre!", "J'ai pas vingt ans", "Youpidou" and "Amélie m'a dit" also had English versions. The video for "J'ai pas vingt ans" ("I'm Not Twenty") resembles the ambience of a concert with Alizée dancing in the midst of several other dancers. "À contre-courant", the last single from this album, was shot in an abandoned coal factory. Unlike the other two singles, there was no English-language rendition of this song.
Alizée En Concert'
Following the release of Mes Courants Électriques, Alizée went on a countrywide tour of France, along with a performance each in Belgium and Switzerland, during the second half of 2003. The tour started off with a performance on 26 August 2003 in Paris. It concluded with her performance on the eve of 17 January 2004 at the Le Zénith concert hall in Paris and had covered major cities including Lyon
, Rouen
, Lille
, Grenoble
and Dijon
.
A live CD and DVD, titled Alizée En Concert, composed of selected performances from her tour, was launched a year later in the fall of 2004. The audio CD contained tracks, taken from her two studio albums. The DVD featured video footage of the same performances as on the CD, along with bonus footage of her rehearsals.
The compilation was re-released in early 2007 in Mexico by Universal Music
as a CD+DVD release, following the featuring of the songs in local radio stations. With the re-release and renewed interest, the songs climbed up the music charts in the country. The album became a hit, peaking at number four in the International Chart on 28 May 2007, and number eight on the main albums chart. En concert has a Gold certification for shipments over 50,000 copies only in Mexico.
label. The album includes collaborations with Bertrand Burgalat
, Daniel Darc
, Oxmo Puccino
, Jérémy Chatelain
, Michel-Yves Kochmann, and Jean Fauque.
The first single from the album was "Mademoiselle Juliette
", officially released on 30 September 2007. It was accidentally released early on the Virgin Megastore website on 23 September 2007, but was taken down later citing an error on the part of Virgin Music, France. The single was later made available in online music stores as well as radio stations, and went on to capture the #13 spot on the legal music downloads charts. To promote the single, Alizée appeared on the French radio station, NRJ
, on 27 September 2007. The video for the single was released for broadcast on 19 November 2007, though it was made available on MSN France on 16 November 2007. It was released on physical media, both CD and vinyl, on 21 January 2008.
Another track from the album, "Fifty-Sixty
", was leaked two months before the album was released. Though the song was not mentioned by name, the leak was confirmed in a press release which revealed the title and release schedule of the album. "Fifty-Sixty" later launched as the second single from the album in February 2008. The lyrics to "Fifty-Sixty" tell, in personal and metaphorical manner, of a young model under the guidance of Andy Warhol
, possibly inspired by real-life story of Edie Sedgwick
. The song ends with a reiteration of how she foolishly believed Andy that she was the most beautiful model of all. Three music videos were released for the single – one for the album version of the song and the other two for two remixes. An Alizée website, Psychedeclips.com, was dedicated to the video series, the first of which was released on 5 May 2008.
Coinciding with the new album, a new official website was created, which, despite being announced on 11 September 2007, was kept under wraps until 28 November 2007. The album was also promoted via an official artist profile at MySpace. Advertising and marketing campaigns for the album began 22 November 2007 with ad campaigns on NRJ Radio, TF1
-TV, and the web.
In March 2008 Alizée visited Mexico for the first time in a short promotional tour. On 5 March she was supposed to hold the second-ever public autograph session of her career but it was cancelled due to problems with the store's security. Alizée held an improvised press conference to apologise to all her Mexican fans and to explain that it was not her fault. Sony BMG Mexico also released a statement saying it was not Alizée's fault, that it was the store who had problems with the security, and that they did not expect so many people in attendance; fences had been broken and kids were in danger. Alizée also promised to make amends by having another autograph session when she returned to the country on the following tour. She also stated that her tour would start on 18 May in Moscow, followed by concerts in Mexico and then France. She also commented that piracy in music has two sides "one good" and "one bad" saying that sometimes it's good because her music reaches places that she never thought to reach. After the success of Alizée's tour in Mexico and in an attempt to amend the damage caused during her first promotional visit, Alizée announced an autograph session with fans on 26 June 2008 in Mexico City
, over 300 CDs were signed and the record label executives of Sony BMG Mexico presented a Gold certification for shipments over 50,000 copies of Psychédélices – Mexican Tour Edition. A new cover singing in Mexico was Madonna's
cover, "La Isla Bonita
"; it has gone on to become Alizée's first top ten on the airplay chart.
Tout Alizée
Following the success of Alizée En Concert and Psychédélices in Mexico, Alizée's former music label, Universal Music
released a compilation album, titled Tout Alizée
. The compilation, which is a Mexico-only release, consists of 15 tracks (with 4 remix
es) from her first two studio albums. It is augmented with a bonus DVD featuring some of her music videos. The compilation debuted to #62 on the Mexican Top 100
Albums Chart and #20 on the Mexican International Top 20 Albums Chart.
, the first single is partially in English and it is called "Limelight". On 15 February 2010 they uploaded the full version of the song and a clip from the music video. The Special Collector Edition of the album was made available for pre-orders on 4 February 2010. However, it was later confirmed by Popjustice itself that "Limelight" was a teaser single, and the official single from Alizée's fourth album is "Les Collines (Never Leave You)". The music video of the first single "Les Collines" was released on 19 March 2010 by Alizée's official YouTube channel, which then peaked as the daily most-viewed musician's channel worldwide.
and the single Des Richochets with over 44 artists part of the Paris-Africa group founded for UNICEF in a collaboration to fight against the malnutrition.
In early 2011 she announced her collaboration on Alain Chamfort
's new album and announced a comeback to the music scene with a new studio album scheduled spring of 2012.
Despite marketing hype and commercial success, there were mixed critical responses to the launch of Moi... Lolita, Alizée's first single. The critics felt that the similarity in style to that of Mylène Farmer was too striking. Some felt that her Lolita image overshadowed her singing prowess, describing her as "desperately trying to be sexy", and many were ready to write her off. Some of her songs have been described as "sweeping, atmospheric ballads" whose "melodies are so sparkling and beguiling", and from which Alizée manages to "squeeze more emotion than the usual pop package". Alizée's three albums include a wide range of songs, from catchy pop tunes to soulful ballads. Radio France Internationale
featured Gourmandises as their CD of the week, stating:
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
singer, known professionally by her given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
Alizée She was discovered by Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
, following her winning performance in the talent show, Graines de Star, in 1999. While collaborating with Mylène Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Pierre Marie Boutonnat is a French composer and film and music video director, best known as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and the director of moody, provocative and literature-inspired music videos.- Career :...
, Alizée released two albums, both of which were hits inside and outside of France.
Alizée entered the music business in 2000. She has since released four studio albums, the first two of which were composed by Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Pierre Marie Boutonnat is a French composer and film and music video director, best known as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and the director of moody, provocative and literature-inspired music videos.- Career :...
and written by Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
. Her first album was Gourmandises
Gourmandises
Gourmandises is the debut album by Alizée. It was released in France on 21 November 2000, followed by an international release on 13 March 2001, though the first single, "Moi... Lolita", was released in 2000 itself. The album was the result of a collaboration between Alizée, Mylène Farmer and...
, which received Platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
certification within three months of release. After its international launch in 2001, Gourmandises was a success both in France and abroad, earning Alizée the distinction of being the highest selling female French singer in 2001. The album featured her most successful single "Moi... Lolita
Moi... Lolita
"Moi... Lolita" is a song by French singer Alizée, which was released as her debut single and the first from her debut album Gourmandises when she was 16...
" which reached number one in several countries in Europe and East Asia. Gourmandises was followed by a second studio album, Mes Courants Électriques
Mes Courants Électriques
Mes Courants Électriques is the second album by Alizée. It was released in 18 March 2003. Though not as successful as her previous album, Gourmandises, this album still sold more than 200,000 copies in the first three months of its release...
, in 2003. Following its release, Alizée toured during the fall of 2003, performing in 43 concerts throughout France, Belgium and Switzerland.
Alizée married fellow French singer Jérémy Chatelain
Jérémy Châtelain
Jérémy Chatelain is a French singer, actor, and fashion designer. He is married to Alizée Jacotey with whom he has a child, Anny-Lee . He participated in the second season of the reality TV show Star Academy France.-Career:...
in late 2003. Following her marriage, she took a hiatus from singing before returning with a new album, Psychédélices
Psychédélices
Psychédélices is the title of the third studio album of French singer Alizée. The album was released to stores on 3 December 2007 with its digital release one week earlier, on the 26 November 2007. Digital Vendors include Fnac, Virgin Music France, iTunes and others. The first single, "Mademoiselle...
, on 3 December 2007. Her fourth album titled Une Enfant Du Siècle
Une Enfant Du Siècle
Une enfant du siècle is French pop singer Alizée's fourth studio album, the first one released under the Jive Records/Epic label. The full album leaked onto the Internet on 19 March 2010. The album was released in France on 29 March 2010. On that day Alizée signed autographs at the Virgin Megastore...
was released on 29 March 2010.
In early 2011 she published her participation in a new album of Alain Chamfort
Alain Chamfort
Alain Chamfort, born Alain Le Govic, is a French singer of Breton origin, born on 2 March 1949 in Paris.He was a promising pianist in his youth, and the piano became his instrument of choice...
and announced plans for a back to the roots studio album for spring 2012.
Early years
Also known by her nickname "Lili", Alizée started dancing early in her life, and by age four was already proficient. A year later, she was enrolled in Corsica's Ecole de Danse Monique Mufraggi dance school, and trained there until she was 15. In 1995, at the age of eleven, she won a coloring competition organized by the French airline Air Outre Mer. Her design won first prize and was reproduced on the cabin of one of the airline's aircraft. The aircraft was subsequently named after her, and Alizée won a trip to the MaldivesMaldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
for her efforts.
In 1999, she appeared on the TV talent show "Graines de Star", broadcast on Métropole 6. She initially intended to sign up for the programme's dance contest, but that category was reserved for groups only. Alizée therefore joined the singing category instead, performing the song Ma Prière (a single released by Axelle Red
Axelle Red
Axelle Red is a Belgian singer-songwriter.-Biography:She was born at Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium, the daughter of Roland Demal, a solicitor in Hasselt and Councillor for the Flemish Liberals and Democrats in the City Council.Nowadays a committed artist and a militant humanist, back in 1993 Axelle...
in 1997). She went on to win the "Meilleure Graine" award for most promising young singing star of tomorrow.
Her winning performance was seen by veteran songwriters Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
and Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Pierre Marie Boutonnat is a French composer and film and music video director, best known as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and the director of moody, provocative and literature-inspired music videos.- Career :...
, who were looking for a young, fresh voice to partake in their new project. They approached Alizée, and she was selected after studio auditions. The duo arranged her debut with a meticulously orchestrated launch, controlling her image and public appearances. In 2000, they produced her maiden album, Gourmandises which was a great success in France, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. The first single was "Moi... Lolita
Moi... Lolita
"Moi... Lolita" is a song by French singer Alizée, which was released as her debut single and the first from her debut album Gourmandises when she was 16...
", which some say portrayed Alizée as a Lolita who was capable of "melting the hearts of the local male population". Others recognized her great variation in tone and artistic talent. Alizée won the M6 award in 2000. She returned with a follow up album, Mes Courants Électriques, in 2003. This second album was also quite successful, though not to the same extent as Gourmandises. It was followed up with a live album of her countrywide tour.
Personal life
Even though the albums have portrayed her in a sexy, LolitaLolita fashion
is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian-era clothing as well as costumes from the Rococo period, but the style has expanded greatly beyond these two. The Lolita look began primarily as one of modesty with a focus on quality in both material and manufacture of garments...
-like image, Alizée had a "squeaky-clean public image as the perfect teenager" during her teens. Though described as a very shy and a reserved person, she likes performing in front of audiences. Although she is most famous as a singer, Alizée prefers dancing, and is quite proficient in classical dance, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, Italy style ballet, tap
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
and flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
. Alizée also likes football.
Alizée is actively involved in charity work through Les Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés , is the name given to the singers and performers in the yearly charity concert for the Restaurants du Cœur .-History:...
, a group of French celebrities who organize fund-raising concerts every year. The proceeds from these concerts go to Les Restaurants du Coeur
Restaurants du Cœur
The Restaurants du Cœur is a French charitable organisation, the main activity of which is to distribute food packages and hot meals to the needy....
. The organization, set up by French comedian Coluche
Coluche
Michel Colucci , better known as Coluche, was a French comedian and actor, famous for his irreverent sense of humour....
, helps feed the poor. Alizée participated in these concerts in 2001, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Alizée married fellow French singer Jérémy Chatelain
Jérémy Châtelain
Jérémy Chatelain is a French singer, actor, and fashion designer. He is married to Alizée Jacotey with whom he has a child, Anny-Lee . He participated in the second season of the reality TV show Star Academy France.-Career:...
in late 2003, with whom she has a child, Annily.
Alizée was listed as number 2 sexiest woman in the world by readers of the French edition of FHM magazine in 2010.
Career
Alizée debuted in 2000 with the album Gourmandises. It went on to become a hit both in Europe and outside. The album reached top five in charts in France, Italy, Greece, Germany, Mexico, and others. It was followed up with a studio album in 2003, Mes Courants Électriques, and a live album Alizée En Concert in 2004.She has sold nearly five million albums and singles around the globe. She has taken part in various stage shows and live performances throughout Europe, everywhere from France to Russia. She also starred in a Japanese commercial. More recently, she has been becoming just as popular in North America as she is in much of Europe; the latest concert tours together with earlier promotion leading to a very strong fan base, particularly in the United States and Mexico. She is also very popular in parts of Asia, especially India, China, Bangladesh and Japan.
Following her marriage in late 2003, Alizée took a hiatus from singing and avoided appearing in the media; her own official website went offline in the summer of 2005. She returned with a new television appearance on MTV France
MTV France
MTV France, is a 24-hour French speaking entertainment channel operated by MTV Networks Europe. The channel was launched as MTV Networks Europe began to further localize its brand throughout Europe. MTV France was launched in June 20, 2000in France...
on 18 February 2006, and resumed media appearances in 2007 for the promotion of her third studio album, Psychédélices.
2000 - 2004: Gourmandises, Moi... Lolita and World Success
Alizée made her debut with the single "Moi... LolitaMoi... Lolita
"Moi... Lolita" is a song by French singer Alizée, which was released as her debut single and the first from her debut album Gourmandises when she was 16...
", her most successful to date. It enjoyed success throughout most of Europe and parts of East Asia, reaching number one in several countries. The official music video showed Alizée as a village girl visiting a night-club. The song was later used in the UK trailer of the 2006 film, A Good Year
A Good Year
A Good Year is a 2006 British romantic comedy film, set in London and Provence. It was directed by Ridley Scott, with an international cast including Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, Didier Bourdon, Abbie Cornish and Albert Finney...
, and was a part of the film's soundtrack.
The single was from her debut album, Gourmandises ("Delicacies"), released in 2000. The album, written by Farmer and composed by Boutonnat, sold over 788,000 copies in France – it reached Platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
status in just three months. In 2001, the album was launched internationally and Alizée became the highest-selling female French singer ever. The album went on to sell over two million copies worldwide. Farmer and Boutonnat kept a tight rein how the album was marketed and controlled the image in which Alizée was portrayed. In the meantime, Alizée gave very few interviews, and even when she did, they did not stretch beyond 20 minutes per journalist. Neither did she agree to any photoshoots.
Her second single "L'Alizé
L'Alizé
"L'Alizé" is the second single by French singer Alizée. Released in December 2000, it featured the song "L'Alizé" as well as an instrumental version of it. Later two limited editions followed, which featured four remixes...
" (2000), also from the same album, followed soon after. It was also successful in hitting number one in France, and gained some success internationally. The video of the "sexily alliterative" song shows Alizée amidst soap bubbles against a pink backdrop singing about herself. The video was shot in a studio in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, which had a 25 metre by 10 metre painted canvas to serve as the background, with real bubbles. This single was followed up with another single from the same album – the title song, "Gourmandises
Gourmandises (song)
"Gourmandises" is a song by Alizée, released in 2001. Like Alizée's previous singles, this too features a single version and an instrumental rendering.-Music video:...
". The video, which shows a group of young boys and girls out on a picnic, was shot in a day. The last single from this album was "Parler tout bas
Parler tout bas
"Parler tout bas" is the third single by Alizée released in April 2001. It featured an instrumental rendition of the song in addition to Alizée's solo rendering.-Music video:...
", which deals with the theme of dreams and a loss of innocence. In France, "Parler tout bas" was the third single, then followed by the release of "Gourmandises".
2004 - 2007: Mes Courants Électriques, First Tour & pregnancy
In 2003, Alizée returned with her second album Mes Courants Électriques (My Electric Currents). With the release of this album, she changed her image from a "Lolita" to that of a more toned-down teenager. This album was also written by Farmer and Boutonnat. While it had some success in and outside France, this second album, featuring English versions of four tracks, was not as well-received as her first one, Gourmandises. It sold 400,000 copies in France.The first single from this album, "J'en ai marre!
J'en ai marre!
"J'en ai marre!" is Alizée's fifth single. Released in February 2003, it had the single version of the song followed by an instrumental version. Later on three remixes were made available in special editions of the single. Internationally, it was released as "I'm Fed Up!"...
" (also known as "Mon bain de mousse" in Japan) was released in 2003. The music video for this shows Alizée in a glass cage, singing while having water splashed on her. The plexiglass cage, 3 by 3 meters in dimension, was constructed in a Parisian studio, and the shooting of the video took two days. An English-language version of this song, titled "I'm Fed Up!", was also released, and featured similar visuals for the music video.
The other singles from this album were "J'ai pas vingt ans
J'ai pas vingt ans
"J'ai pas vingt ans" is the sixth single by Alizée, released in June 2003. The single featured, in addition to the solo version of the song, an instrumental version as well as "I'm Fed Up!", which is the English version of "J'en ai marre!". The English version of "J'ai pas vingt ans" is "I'm Not...
" and "À contre-courant
À Contre-courant
"À contre-courant" was released on 7 October 2003. It is the seventh single by French singer Alizée. It featured the single version of the song as well as the English version of "J'ai pas vingt ans", "I'm Not Twenty"...
". Like "J'en ai marre!", "J'ai pas vingt ans", "Youpidou" and "Amélie m'a dit" also had English versions. The video for "J'ai pas vingt ans" ("I'm Not Twenty") resembles the ambience of a concert with Alizée dancing in the midst of several other dancers. "À contre-courant", the last single from this album, was shot in an abandoned coal factory. Unlike the other two singles, there was no English-language rendition of this song.
Alizée En Concert'
Following the release of Mes Courants Électriques, Alizée went on a countrywide tour of France, along with a performance each in Belgium and Switzerland, during the second half of 2003. The tour started off with a performance on 26 August 2003 in Paris. It concluded with her performance on the eve of 17 January 2004 at the Le Zénith concert hall in Paris and had covered major cities including Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
, Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
and Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
.
A live CD and DVD, titled Alizée En Concert, composed of selected performances from her tour, was launched a year later in the fall of 2004. The audio CD contained tracks, taken from her two studio albums. The DVD featured video footage of the same performances as on the CD, along with bonus footage of her rehearsals.
The compilation was re-released in early 2007 in Mexico by Universal Music
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
as a CD+DVD release, following the featuring of the songs in local radio stations. With the re-release and renewed interest, the songs climbed up the music charts in the country. The album became a hit, peaking at number four in the International Chart on 28 May 2007, and number eight on the main albums chart. En concert has a Gold certification for shipments over 50,000 copies only in Mexico.
2007 - 2010: Psychédélices, the Return and the Latinamerica and Russia success
After a four-year hiatus, a time spent out of the media limelight, Alizée returned in December 2007 with a new album, Psychédélices, the first one to be made without the creative supervision of her former mentor, Mylène Farmer. The album, which features 11 tracks, was made available for digital downloads 26 November 2007, with a full release on 3 December 2007 on the RCARCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
label. The album includes collaborations with Bertrand Burgalat
Bertrand Burgalat
Bertrand Burgalat is a French musician, composer and producer.- Background :Bertrand Burgalat was born in the Corsican town of Bastia in 1963...
, Daniel Darc
Daniel Darc
Daniel Darc , born Daniel Rozoum, is a French singer, who has achieved success with his band Taxi Girl between 1978 and 1986, and also as a solo artist...
, Oxmo Puccino
Oxmo Puccino
Oxmo Puccino is a French hip hop musician.- Life :Puccino was born in 1974 in Ségou, Mali. He came to Paris one year later, and lived in the XIXe arrondissement from the age of 5. He is the brother of basketball player Mamoutou Diarra...
, Jérémy Chatelain
Jérémy Châtelain
Jérémy Chatelain is a French singer, actor, and fashion designer. He is married to Alizée Jacotey with whom he has a child, Anny-Lee . He participated in the second season of the reality TV show Star Academy France.-Career:...
, Michel-Yves Kochmann, and Jean Fauque.
The first single from the album was "Mademoiselle Juliette
Mademoiselle Juliette
"Mademoiselle Juliette" is a song by French singer Alizée, which was released as the first single from her third studio album Psychédélices,. It was released September 30, 2007, Alizée's first single in 4 years, the past being "À contre-courant" which was released in October of 2003.-Release and...
", officially released on 30 September 2007. It was accidentally released early on the Virgin Megastore website on 23 September 2007, but was taken down later citing an error on the part of Virgin Music, France. The single was later made available in online music stores as well as radio stations, and went on to capture the #13 spot on the legal music downloads charts. To promote the single, Alizée appeared on the French radio station, NRJ
NRJ Radio
NRJ French multimedia group based in Paris. Since its foundation in 1981 as a French pop music radio station it has grown and evolved to become the NRJ Group...
, on 27 September 2007. The video for the single was released for broadcast on 19 November 2007, though it was made available on MSN France on 16 November 2007. It was released on physical media, both CD and vinyl, on 21 January 2008.
Fifty-Sixty
"Fifty-Sixty" is a song by French singer Alizée. It was released as the second single from the album Psychédélices on February, 2008. "Fifty Sixty" was the first song from the album to be leaked in the Internet.-Music and Lyrics:...
", was leaked two months before the album was released. Though the song was not mentioned by name, the leak was confirmed in a press release which revealed the title and release schedule of the album. "Fifty-Sixty" later launched as the second single from the album in February 2008. The lyrics to "Fifty-Sixty" tell, in personal and metaphorical manner, of a young model under the guidance of Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, possibly inspired by real-life story of Edie Sedgwick
Edie Sedgwick
Edith Minturn "Edie" Sedgwick was an American actress, socialite, model and heiress. She is best known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars. Sedgwick became known as "The Girl of the Year" in 1965 after starring in several of Warhol's short films in the 1960s...
. The song ends with a reiteration of how she foolishly believed Andy that she was the most beautiful model of all. Three music videos were released for the single – one for the album version of the song and the other two for two remixes. An Alizée website, Psychedeclips.com, was dedicated to the video series, the first of which was released on 5 May 2008.
Coinciding with the new album, a new official website was created, which, despite being announced on 11 September 2007, was kept under wraps until 28 November 2007. The album was also promoted via an official artist profile at MySpace. Advertising and marketing campaigns for the album began 22 November 2007 with ad campaigns on NRJ Radio, TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
-TV, and the web.
In March 2008 Alizée visited Mexico for the first time in a short promotional tour. On 5 March she was supposed to hold the second-ever public autograph session of her career but it was cancelled due to problems with the store's security. Alizée held an improvised press conference to apologise to all her Mexican fans and to explain that it was not her fault. Sony BMG Mexico also released a statement saying it was not Alizée's fault, that it was the store who had problems with the security, and that they did not expect so many people in attendance; fences had been broken and kids were in danger. Alizée also promised to make amends by having another autograph session when she returned to the country on the following tour. She also stated that her tour would start on 18 May in Moscow, followed by concerts in Mexico and then France. She also commented that piracy in music has two sides "one good" and "one bad" saying that sometimes it's good because her music reaches places that she never thought to reach. After the success of Alizée's tour in Mexico and in an attempt to amend the damage caused during her first promotional visit, Alizée announced an autograph session with fans on 26 June 2008 in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, over 300 CDs were signed and the record label executives of Sony BMG Mexico presented a Gold certification for shipments over 50,000 copies of Psychédélices – Mexican Tour Edition. A new cover singing in Mexico was Madonna's
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
cover, "La Isla Bonita
La Isla Bonita
"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fifth and final single from her third studio album, True Blue, on February 25, 1987, by Sire Records. Originally written as a lament, the song was first offered to Michael Jackson before Madonna accepted it...
"; it has gone on to become Alizée's first top ten on the airplay chart.
Tout Alizée
Following the success of Alizée En Concert and Psychédélices in Mexico, Alizée's former music label, Universal Music
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
released a compilation album, titled Tout Alizée
Tout Alizée
Tout Alizée is the title of a compilation album released by French singer Alizée. The album was released to stores on 10 December 2007 in Mexico only, being a compilation released by Alizée's old music label Universal Music in an attempt to cash-in on her recent success in the country, the album...
. The compilation, which is a Mexico-only release, consists of 15 tracks (with 4 remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es) from her first two studio albums. It is augmented with a bonus DVD featuring some of her music videos. The compilation debuted to #62 on the Mexican Top 100
AMPROFON
Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas is a non-profit organization integrated by multinational and national record companies in Mexico. Established on April 3, 1963, it groups phonographic companies that represent more than 70 percent of the market in Mexico...
Albums Chart and #20 on the Mexican International Top 20 Albums Chart.
2010: Une Enfant du Siècle, new image and music style
In the beginning of 2009, Alizée had to cancel a concert in France. She announced then that she was already working on her future album, which would sound very different from all of her previous recordings. The album is called Une Enfant Du Siècle and it was released in France on 29 March 2010. A teaser can be shown on the Internet, called "Une enfant du siècle" ("A child of the century"). According to British website PopjusticePopjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
, the first single is partially in English and it is called "Limelight". On 15 February 2010 they uploaded the full version of the song and a clip from the music video. The Special Collector Edition of the album was made available for pre-orders on 4 February 2010. However, it was later confirmed by Popjustice itself that "Limelight" was a teaser single, and the official single from Alizée's fourth album is "Les Collines (Never Leave You)". The music video of the first single "Les Collines" was released on 19 March 2010 by Alizée's official YouTube channel, which then peaked as the daily most-viewed musician's channel worldwide.
2011 - present: Fifth Studio Album, collaborations & Philantropy
This year, Alizée was involved in Les EnfoirésLes Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés , is the name given to the singers and performers in the yearly charity concert for the Restaurants du Cœur .-History:...
and the single Des Richochets with over 44 artists part of the Paris-Africa group founded for UNICEF in a collaboration to fight against the malnutrition.
In early 2011 she announced her collaboration on Alain Chamfort
Alain Chamfort
Alain Chamfort, born Alain Le Govic, is a French singer of Breton origin, born on 2 March 1949 in Paris.He was a promising pianist in his youth, and the piano became his instrument of choice...
's new album and announced a comeback to the music scene with a new studio album scheduled spring of 2012.
Critical response
| Name | Year |
|---|---|
| M6 Music Award Métropole 6 M6, also known as Metropole television, is the most profitable private national French TV channel and the third most watched television network in the French-speaking world... |
2000 |
| DMX Music Award | 2001 |
| NRJ Music Award NRJ Music Awards The NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM... |
2001 |
| World Music Award | 2002 |
| SACEM Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique is a French professional association collecting payments of artists’ rights and distributing the rights to the original songwriters, composers and music publishers.-History:... Prix Vincent Scotto |
2003 |
| Lunas del Auditorio | 2008 |
Despite marketing hype and commercial success, there were mixed critical responses to the launch of Moi... Lolita, Alizée's first single. The critics felt that the similarity in style to that of Mylène Farmer was too striking. Some felt that her Lolita image overshadowed her singing prowess, describing her as "desperately trying to be sexy", and many were ready to write her off. Some of her songs have been described as "sweeping, atmospheric ballads" whose "melodies are so sparkling and beguiling", and from which Alizée manages to "squeeze more emotion than the usual pop package". Alizée's three albums include a wide range of songs, from catchy pop tunes to soulful ballads. Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France, and replaced the Poste Colonial , Paris Mondial , Radio Paris , RTF Radio Paris and ORTF Radio Paris...
featured Gourmandises as their CD of the week, stating:
Discography
- GourmandisesGourmandisesGourmandises is the debut album by Alizée. It was released in France on 21 November 2000, followed by an international release on 13 March 2001, though the first single, "Moi... Lolita", was released in 2000 itself. The album was the result of a collaboration between Alizée, Mylène Farmer and...
(2000) - Mes Courants ÉlectriquesMes Courants ÉlectriquesMes Courants Électriques is the second album by Alizée. It was released in 18 March 2003. Though not as successful as her previous album, Gourmandises, this album still sold more than 200,000 copies in the first three months of its release...
(2003) - PsychédélicesPsychédélicesPsychédélices is the title of the third studio album of French singer Alizée. The album was released to stores on 3 December 2007 with its digital release one week earlier, on the 26 November 2007. Digital Vendors include Fnac, Virgin Music France, iTunes and others. The first single, "Mademoiselle...
(2007) - Une enfant du siècleUne Enfant Du SiècleUne enfant du siècle is French pop singer Alizée's fourth studio album, the first one released under the Jive Records/Epic label. The full album leaked onto the Internet on 19 March 2010. The album was released in France on 29 March 2010. On that day Alizée signed autographs at the Virgin Megastore...
(2010)