What happened...

[Tchaikovsky]

to all the people that bought the first two albums?

I mean, Gourmandises has sold over 4 million copies worldwide and Mes Courants Électriques has sold over 1 million. Yet, Psychédélices has only sold 200,000 copies so far. Did the public simply forget about Alizée after she took a break following MEC? So I guess my question boils down to this. Why was there such a drastic reduction in sales, I suppose not only with Psychédélices but with MEC as well? I'd appreciate your input.

[TheBarrett]

to all the people that bought the first two albums?

I mean, Gourmandises has sold over 4 million copies worldwide and Mes Courants Électriques has sold over 1 million. Yet, Psychédélices has only sold 200,000 copies so far. Did the public simply forget about Alizée after she took a break following MEC? So I guess my question boils down to this. Why was there such a drastic reduction in sales, I suppose not only with Psychédélices but with MEC as well? I'd appreciate your input.

http://www.adpulp.com/satan.jpg

Don't hate the player or the game, hate the game master ^! :p

[Amigo!]

1. The different style of music.
2. The long break.
3. The name Mylene no longer attached to her
4. Stupid management on the part of the record label (I can't stress this one enough :rolleyes:)
5. France doesn't even know she made a comeback. (See reason 4)
6. Unfortunately, a lack of communication on her part :(

[Rocket]

1. Different style of music? I agree. Many people, even in our own forum, was expecting their little Lolita to return.

2. The long break. Absence makes the heart go wander. The public soon forgets and moves on. There are many singers and bands that once filled auditoriums and today couldn't fill a phone booth.

3. The name Mylene no longer attached to her. That is a possibility. Mylene is considered an icon in France.

4. Stupid management on the part of the record label. I somewhat agree. RCA could have done a lot more. But then they were looking at her first two albums and En Concert. Remember, her concerts were not a sell out. As a business you have to ask yourself, 'How much time and money are we willing to invest?'

5. France doesn't even know she made a comeback. I disagree. She was on radio and TV promoting her new album. Remember her autograph session when her album came out? The line was out the door.

6. A lack of communication on her part. I disagree. It is the job of her agent and or RCA to get her name out.

[Tomtentp]

What about the difference in time on market, her first albums has been out for years whilst Psych only one year now. Gotta count for something. But I guess Mylene and her team did a tremendeous job hyping their albums, can't say the same about RCA...

Next album will be a different cake :)

[C-4]

Those of us that truly love, admire, or however you personally define your attractive nature toward Alizée are still here and will remain faithful.
There are plenty of people in the world for Alizée to further conquer, if her management team does the right job.

Mylene and Laurrant are tops in their field and that is why they remain successful. You cannot argue with success such as they have accomplished. Certainly there must be others in the music biz that have the talent to accomplish similar successes from a marketing standpoint.

[Rocket]

Those of us that truly love, admire, or however you personally define your attractive nature toward Alizée are still here and will remain faithful.
There are plenty of people in the world for Alizée to further conquer, if her management team does the right job.

Mylene and Laurrant are tops in their field and that is why they remain successful. You cannot argue with success such as they have accomplished. Certainly there must be others in the music biz that have the talent to accomplish similar successes from a marketing standpoint.

The only reason I'm still a member is because of the friends I've made here. It's been a year since her last album and I have long moved on. However, I will say that I couldn't think of a better role model for young girls than Alizee.

[OGRE]

Gourmandises: Wow!
Mes Courants Électriques: "Hold me".
Psychédélices: "Got a light"?

[MonteCristo]

The only reason I'm still a member is because of the friends I've made here. It's been a year since her last album and I have long moved on. However, I will say that I couldn't think of a better role model for young girls than Alizee.

boys too....except the dancing....and the outfits

[rcs]

Yep, Lolita grew up.

[Tical 808]

Another reason why is because people dont really buy cds as much as before.. Songs are mostly bought online in itunes type places or downloaded for free.

[Tomtentp]

boys too....except the dancing....and the outfits

Role model for the whole human race to be correct. Not saying I want guys to walk around looking like her but there are many people who have alot to learn from her, especially famous and other people with alot of influence.

Oh, and her next album will blow everyone away, I just had a hunch :)

[TheBarrett]

Another reason why is because people dont really buy cds as much as before.. Songs are mostly bought online in itunes type places or downloaded for free.

Gah!
To hell with downloads if that is one's only way of accessing music.

[Deepwaters]

Not saying I want guys to walk around looking like her


Thank you for clarifying that. I'm happy to look AT her, but I'll pass on looking LIKE her. (Too short.) :D

Suddenly I'm reminded of the time RMJ talked about fitting into her tiny little dress that she wore to perform JPVA. :blink:


Oh, and her next album will blow everyone away, I just had a hunch :)

I think you're right. She's keeping it shrouded in mystery, but I'm pretty sure it will be more focused than Psychédélices, with a single coherent theme. What style? And who will the main composers be? Stay tuned!

I've heard she's already working on it. At the moment, I suspect that she's at a family reunion for the holidays instead. Don't ask me why. :cool:

[mavsluver41]

At least a small percentage of the loss in popularity, and the resulting drop in CD sales is, is due to simple arithmetic really: more clothes = less interest :(.

I get the feeling there were many shallow individuals who loved Alizée for her sexiness and body, even more so perhaps than for her music. When Alizée returned, gone were the black stockings, tight outfits, and suggestive dances: she had grown into a beautiful, independent, mature woman - qualities that clearly did not overlap with their narrow-minded definitions of "sexy" :rolleyes:. We know better. These jerks was probably a small portion of her fan base, though, and most of the drop in CD sales can be ascribed the reasons described in earlier posts. As for all the "fans" who left for such superficial reasons :good riddance, I say. The ones who remain yet are, as Lefty likes to say, "the best fans in the world." :)

[lefty12357]

1. The different style of music.
2. The long break.
3. The name Mylene no longer attached to her
4. Stupid management on the part of the record label (I can't stress this one enough :rolleyes:)
5. France doesn't even know she made a comeback. (See reason 4)
6. Unfortunately, a lack of communication on her part :(

I pretty much agree with #1 thru #4. If I have understood what Roman and RMJ have said while they were living in Paris, it seems many people in France are oblivious to Alizée. She is simply not on their radar. I suppose to them it’s sort of a “been there, done that” sort of thing and they have mostly ignored her comeback. So I suppose #5 is more or less true too.

I think of #6 as referring to her own opportunities of connecting with fans, outside of any record company or management marketing schemes. This probably didn’t matter when she was doing interviews, appearing on TV, releasing new music and doing concerts. But when nothing else is going on, staying in touch with fans through her myspace would really help to maintain that relationship. Times are tough and you do what you have to in order to keep interest up. It’s important to let the fans know you care and that you understand how they feel. Maybe it’s easy to forget that fans are real people with real feelings, and the fan/artist relationship has a natural human component to it. Fans don't just relate to her music, they relate to her as a person as well.

The most important thing is that it is really hard to know ahead of time how the public will react to something. If you did, you could ensure that every album/artist you produced for release would be a smash hit. As it is, the vast majority of releases don’t make it big. Releasing an album full of great music is not necessarily going to guarantee success. The buying public chooses the winners, whether it is deserved or not. This is where #4 comes in again and can make a difference.

Not many artists maintain or increase sales with each subsequent album release. The ones that do are extremely fortunate. Other than Alizée’s huge initial success, I suppose her situation is not that uncommon. People get bored easily and are always looking for something new. In France, Alizée is not new, just a bit different than she was. Of course she was new to Mexico in recent times, and she has had success there. Maybe her destiny and chances for success lay in regions of the world where she can be that new phenomenon.

[Rev]

Another reason why is because people dont really buy cds as much as before.. Songs are mostly bought online in itunes type places or downloaded for free.

This, and the fact that neither subsequent album had a single achieve the killer status of Moi Lolita, can be added to the list.

Face it, the quickest way for a singer to get noticed is to have a killer single. Without that, there is a LOT more work involved in just rising above the crowd.

If her current album had produced a killer single, all of France would have noticed her. :)

[puffyrock2]

It's a flavour-of-the-month thing. So many artists today have really only 15 minutes of fame, people seem to not like being a fan of the same artist for more than a year or so. The artists with the staying power are the old ones mostly from the 70's and 80's. Let's see what recent bands and singers are still selling records in 30 years.

[Tchaikovsky]

Gourmandises: Wow!
Mes Courants Électriques: "Hold me".
Psychédélices: "Got a light"?
What are you saying?

[TheBarrett]

What are you saying?

Our little girl's growing up! :p

[Future Raptor Ace]

Our little girl's growing up! :p
wish i could say the same but she's 6 years older than me :p

[Spyder r0de0]

she got married

[Tchaikovsky]

she got married
And that affected her record sales...how?

[Alizées little american]

ya i agree....i ALWAYS like anything Alizée...but her last 2 albums i really...really.......really.....loved. And in this one, she specificly told ppl that she will show her true colors in this album. and maybe her true colors are just not for the world. Mylene's style was provocitive (sometimes over the top) and seeing that ina young women is kind of a cool thing for ppl. and i dont mean that in a sexual way. ya no what i mean?

[Amigo!]

Our little girl's growing up! :p

Doesn't mean she still isn't little :wub: :p

[whitey®]

Her next album will be a huge success. I can feel it.

[lefty12357]

Yeah, I think there's more to come from Alizée. Psychédélices was a good album and if she puts out another single or album, I will be buying it. Even if she isn't a big hit in France right now, she's still done relatively well considering Mexico and her international fans.

I was happy with what she did with her comeback, but I wish she would send her fans an "electronic hug" through her myspace from time to time. It sure would help keep up morale. I am only disappointed with RCA and some of the management decisions made. They screwed things up.

[brad]

its hard to say, im sure there are a lot of reasons, but honestly the main reason has to be the music.

i like the new album a lot, i still listen to it all the time. but i will say there isn't 'that' song on the new album that is an obvious hit. there are a bunch of great songs, but not the super strong single to drive album sales.

Moi Lolita was an amazing song, it sounded great, was really catchy, etc. It is a hit song ...

JEAM was a great song too, not as good as Moi Lolita, but she made up for it big time with the dance and the clothes. (this album didn't do as well as her first by the way, JEAM was a weaker single than Moi Lolita).

MJ, it is a good song, but really isn't on the same level as the previous 'first singles'.

I really thing the small success she has had with this album is entirely based on it being "Alizée", and when you consider that, it is still pretty impressive.

[Ruroshen]

One thing her new label definitely needs to look at for her next release, though, is to make it much more readily available internationally. Making us have to jump through hoops for the privilege of purchasing it legally and supporting her is just plain ridiculous in this day and age. I'm not expecting that I'll ever be able to just walk into Wal-Mart and pick it up off the shelf (though it'd be nice), but at least let me download it from iTunes!

[Chommpers]

Another reason could be that her fans grew up too. Some of the fans from Gour and MCE had 3 years of growing up and maybe they just don't care for that type of music anymore. I think a lot of her previous fan base was teenage girls and and they grew up. So Alizée came 3 years later with a lower fan base and the music wasn't the same so then more moved on. Maybe not the entire reason but another reason maybe.

[CWatkins]

Gourmandises: Wow!
Mes Courants Électriques: "Hold me".
Psychédélices: "Got a light"?

If I had never heard of Alizée before and someone gave me a CD of Psychédélices, I would've been uninterested and moved on to the next singer. On the other hand, if someone showed me a copy of either Gourmandises or Mes Courants Électriques, I would've bought them and played them repeatedly. I'm not saying that Psychédélices is bad, but in my opinion, it's a mix of songs that don't quite know how to get along and I think it's a result of having too many different songwriters each writing a song or two. With her other CDs, you had a single voice. I think it's a necessary evil as she figures out what works for her and her fans now because she's not going back to the Lolita we all know. Also, believe it or not, it's not that she looks pretty in a skirt that attracted me to her, although it helps, it was her voice that got my attention. For better or for worse, she has outgrown that voice but I'm already a fan so I listen to the songs on Psychédélices from time to time.

What are you saying?

The "Got a light" reference is probably in reference to Psychédélices giving people a sense of someone being high on mushrooms or marijuana when writing that song and when I finally found a translated version of it, I took that song off my playlist. I wish for the best of luck for Alizée, but if she continues making songs that make me wonder if it's supposed to be listened to while high on LSD, then I'll stop buying her albums because I don't care for that kind of music.

[whitey®]

Another reason could be that her fans grew up too. Some of the fans from Gour and MCE had 3 years of growing up and maybe they just don't care for that type of music anymore. I think a lot of her previous fan base was teenage girls and and they grew up. So Alizée came 3 years later with a lower fan base and the music wasn't the same so then more moved on. Maybe not the entire reason but another reason maybe.
I guess most of he fan base kinda forgot about her , 3 years can be a long time and her comeback wasn't as publicized as much as it should have been. Still plenty of time for her to regain popularity, I wouldn't worry about it.

[TheBarrett]

The "Got a light" reference is probably in reference to Psychédélices giving people a sense of someone being high on mushrooms or marijuana when writing that song and when I finally found a translated version of it, I took that song off my playlist. I wish for the best of luck for Alizée, but if she continues making songs that make me wonder if it's supposed to be listened to while high on LSD, then I'll stop buying her albums because I don't care for that kind of music.

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:p

[Deepwaters]

The "Got a light" reference is probably in reference to Psychédélices giving people a sense of someone being high on mushrooms or marijuana when writing that song and when I finally found a translated version of it, I took that song off my playlist. I wish for the best of luck for Alizée, but if she continues making songs that make me wonder if it's supposed to be listened to while high on LSD, then I'll stop buying her albums because I don't care for that kind of music.

Psychédélices is primarily about spiritual enlightenment. Any cryptic drug references are mainly a code for that. It's definitely not just about drugs. I have a long post on that song here:

http://alizeeamerica.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2875&page=2

[Roman]

1. gone too long
2. "continuity" problems (style, looks, voice, music all different)
3. didn't come back and really wow people with slick performances (though she had some good ones, some looked unpolished and/or unpracticed and/or lip syncing has it's limits)
4. had music and lyrics that were over people's heads (some French people don't even understand Lilly Town for example and don't try)(but how is Mon Taxi Driver not appealing? She has some hotness in her songs you can see if you understand the lyrics. Maybe people hear it, but just don't feel it from her. ?? (or don't hear it because they didn't get the opportunity to hear the song)
5. not a great year for it (particularly '08)
6. music simply did not catch the souls of enough people right away
7. buzz/interest amongst fans either squandered or production lags missed their timing mark
8. didn't make use of the fact that fans were at least as much a fan of Alizée as her music and didn't cultivate them well enough (or eventually at all)
9. promotion was not at gigantic star levels from the beginning and as sales did not take off, some things eventually just dwindled and it was an uphill battle that died quietly

If Alizée is going to be able to keep making music, she'll have to find within herself the ability to "make it happen" somehow or team up with someone who can. Maybe her next album will be even better and we can at least enjoy that aspect. The fact that people are still around is interesting though. I have looked for sites for bigger stars and not found places like this. I wish she would have at least been able to maintain a better continuity with her Mexican market. She appeared for the award, but I wonder what 6 months of cricket chirping silence except for that one moment is doing to her popularity there. They were so excited there, like nothing I've experienced before. I am afraid that she has left them with nothing to direct all that energy toward. Well, they are the people who got all excited and created a huge following in her total absence before. Maybe they do have some staying power over there. Of course it's different. I can say "we'll see" except that the only thing to see is how her sales and fan excitement are whenever she decides to again present something to the public and it's anyone's guess as to when that is. That's the thing. It's hard to maintain high levels of excitement when one has no idea if or when something is going to happen. Maybe things are cooling down, but will pick up again when she actually appears. If I was not certifiably mentally ill I'd find it a wonder that I'm still here talking about the same stuff.

I wish I was French and she had the same level of popular there because talking about the lyrics to her songs and such is the more interesting thing we can do.

I also think she needed and still needs a hook completely outside of the music. Other singers do acting and other stuff. I think if she could actually squeeze more out of her life into her career that she could create interest by doing other stuff. Also, I think she still can get into various shows like Les Enfoirés and that Monaco concert if she wants to. I hope it's because she's busy creating for us another kick ass album that she's not doing that kind of stuff. Of course, what do I know? I'm not in the business.

[lefty12357]

I am truly disappointed that we have reached a point in time when producing a good album isn’t good enough. Many people are of the mind that if a song doesn’t take the world by storm then it’s not worth buying. And what’s really sad is that many of the songs nowadays that are big hits are junk anyway, relying on slick marketing rather than substance and quality.

Often artists are rewarded with huge sales numbers when they keep their names and faces in the media by doing things that I hope to never see Alizée do. It’s a tough environment for people like Alizée. Many of her problems are due to the mindset of the music buying public and the industry itself, and I’m glad she has chosen to take the high road. 200,000 CDs sold is not bad considering all that she has been up against. If she can continue to have at least enough success to maintain her career and financial well being, then I would say that’s success enough. If she manages to have a bit hit again in the future, then that is just icing on the cake.

The only thing I would say to Alizée is don't forget about your core fans. Don't leave them hanging so long.

[Roman]

I am truly disappointed that we have reached a point in time when producing a good album isn’t good enough. Many people are of the mind that if a song doesn’t take the world by storm then it’s not worth buying. And what’s really sad is that many of the songs nowadays that are big hits are junk anyway, relying on slick marketing rather than substance and quality.

Often artists are rewarded with huge sales numbers when they keep their names and faces in the media by doing things that I hope to never see Alizée do. It’s a tough environment for people like Alizée. Many of her problems are due to the mindset of the music buying public and the industry itself, and I’m glad she has chosen to take the high road. 200,000 CDs sold is not bad considering all that she has been up against. If she can continue to have at least enough success to maintain her career and financial well being, then I would say that’s success enough. If she manages to have a bit hit again in the future, then that is just icing on the cake.

The only thing I would say to Alizée is don't forget about your core fans. Don't leave them hanging so long.
Yeah but I must say there are always these two sides to the story. Some people say Alizée is manufactured and on her own she would not even have been a singer probably. There was definitely slick marketing involved with Alizée. However, whatever one can say about Alizée, the first two albums were great musically speaking and then she went on her own and produced a good album too. I have definitely heard some crappy musically shallow songs on the radio and that Alizée songs are not.

Edit: there is some really great music in some Alizée remixes. So much of the music I hear on the radio is just boring. I'm tired of it. I'm glad Alizée had a variety on Psychédélices, just wish it had a bit more oomph to get people's attention.

[Sir Wood]

1. gone too long
2. "continuity" problems (style, looks, voice, music all different)
3. didn't come back and really wow people with slick performances (though she had some good ones, some looked unpolished and/or unpracticed and/or lip syncing has it's limits)
4. had music and lyrics that were over people's heads (some French people don't even understand Lilly Town for example and don't try)(but how is Mon Taxi Driver not appealing? She has some hotness in her songs you can see if you understand the lyrics. Maybe people hear it, but just don't feel it from her. ?? (or don't hear it because they didn't get the opportunity to hear the song)
5. not a great year for it (particularly '08)
6. music simply did not catch the souls of enough people right away
7. buzz/interest amongst fans either squandered or production lags missed their timing mark
8. didn't make use of the fact that fans were at least as much a fan of Alizée as her music and didn't cultivate them well enough (or eventually at all)
9. promotion was not at gigantic star levels from the beginning and as sales did not take off, some things eventually just dwindled and it was an uphill battle that died quietly
So, what's the latest on this since I was last around ? When we last spoke we pretty much agreed that they (the "new" team) needed to get this swinging right away especially after the Oct. postponement.

[Roman]

So, what's the latest on this since I was last around ? When we last spoke we pretty much agreed that they (the "new" team) needed to get this swinging right away especially after the Oct. postponement.
Well, though it seems to defy simple logic the only thing I have heard are rumors that Sony will try to resurrect (as one person put it) Psychédélices later, someday. Of course, we have little idea about what anyone working on this is doing so maybe they have reasons that could be somewhat sensible for waiting.
In other words, there is no latest, but some people still believe Alizée and her album will be back.

[DJ_Greg]

its hard to say, im sure there are a lot of reasons, but honestly the main reason has to be the music.

I agree. I'm one of those fans that didn't buy the third album - the songs I heard just didn't do anything for me. I'm sure part of that has more to do with ME than it does with the album, so I'm hesitant to say much more than that. Still, it felt a little...uninspired, I guess. Maybe that's due to too many songwriters/producers, and thus a lack of unified creative vision (as another poster already commented).

So much of the music I hear on the radio is just boring. I'm tired of it.

My advice would be to look for music in places other than the (mainstream?) radio. ;)

[Roman]

I agree. I'm one of those fans that didn't buy the third album - the songs I heard just didn't do anything for me. I'm sure part of that has more to do with ME than it does with the album, so I'm hesitant to say much more than that. Still, it felt a little...uninspired, I guess. Maybe that's due to too many songwriters/producers, and thus a lack of unified creative vision (as another poster already commented).

My advice would be to look for music in places other than the (mainstream?) radio. ;)
I still don't personally feel that unified vision has anything to do with it. I like her album, but most people apparently just didn't give it enough of a chance or didn't care for it. Not all composers can be great. It's as simple as that. If I was not a fan and had only listened a couple times to her singles and maybe once to one or two other songs, I'd probably kinda like FS, but not bother with the rest. Stuff that I have bought in the past (and I don't really buy much music) often was stuff that I bought only after hearing it on the radio many times and came to like the whole album once I did get around to buying it and listening to it several times.

Of course big stars get more play just because they are popular and so people get more opportunity to decide they like a song. We wish that would have been the case with Alizée. Though of course her name did carry some weight for a while. So, stardom quickly builds and quickly falls. One can not screw around and take things easy in this business I guess. I think we've seen how it is. Both artistic and business talent in abundance are required to hit it big and stay there. Whatever happened to Anna Nalick? She had one song on the radio which I really liked from the first time I heard it. She did concerts and was a good entertainer in concert (saw her once with Rob Thomas). But I didn't much care for the rest of her songs on the unfortunatly named "Wreck of the Day" and I have no idea what's happened to her since. There's just too much distraction and stuff going on in the world to pay attention to every thing like that which comes along. That's part of what frustrated people so much the whole time with Alizée's promotion. Every time we saw an opportunity not get fully taken advantage of, we knew what it loss it was to miss and cringed at the inevitable "hit" it was causing to her chances. But maybe she'll just continue releasing stuff every now and then regardless. That won't make things like in the old days for her, but who knows. I don't know how this business works. If she has a hit song come around, maybe people will take notice and promote it regardless of past history.

Yeah, I don't really listen to music on the radio much anymore. I listen to talk programs and some music I already know about, like Alizée of course.

[MonteCristo]

So do we have any exciting little rumors or gossip going around lately?

[Rocket]

So do we have any exciting little rumors or gossip going around lately?

No, but I did have an amusiing story on http://alizeeamerica.com/forums/showthread.php?p=123278#post123278

[Quantum]

So I'm going to say what I've said on these pages before. It isn't purely 'the music' that holds Alizeé's career back. Her entire performance is misaligned. Were it not for past momentum, I doubt Psychédélices would have sold even those couple hundred thousand copies. The talent is there still, but she is headed the wrong direction. And she need not take a 'sexy' approach to get her career back on track - quite the opposite. Absent re-thinking direction, a fourth album won't materially change matters.

[OGRE]

And she need not take a 'sexy' approach to get her career back on track

I don't think Alizée is capable of not being sexy.
:wub:

[Deepwaters]

I don't think Alizée is capable of not being sexy.
:wub:

Quite right, and in fact that's a criticism I would offer in regard to some of her recent performances. She seems to be trying not to be sexy -- I don't mean not trying to be sexy, I mean actually trying not to be -- essaier d'être pas sexy, pas juste pas essaier d'être sexy --which is a little like water trying not to be wet. Can't be done, and to try comes off a little strange, a touch awkward.

I have the impression of one deliberately turning her back on the artificial sexiness she exhibited in the Mylène days. Either that, or she doesn't feel it's as appropriate for a quasi-married mother. Or something else. I'm just guessing. But whatever the reason, I think it's time for her to just be herself -- in every way. Including that way. It's not necessary to enhance it artificially, but it shouldn't be suppressed, either.

[Roman]

Quite right, and in fact that's a criticism I would offer in regard to some of her recent performances. She seems to be trying not to be sexy -- I don't mean not trying to be sexy, I mean actually trying not to be -- essaier d'être pas sexy, pas juste pas essaier d'être sexy --which is a little like water trying not to be wet. Can't be done, and to try comes off a little strange, a touch awkward.

I have the impression of one deliberately turning her back on the artificial sexiness she exhibited in the Mylène days. Either that, or she doesn't feel it's as appropriate for a quasi-married mother. Or something else. I'm just guessing. But whatever the reason, I think it's time for her to just be herself -- in every way. Including that way. It's not necessary to enhance it artificially, but it shouldn't be suppressed, either.
Well, yeah. The whole thing about being too old for it or something like that is bs. Well, she said things like, she's going to wear what she likes and for our sakes, :p, we hope it will be something...nice, to look at. She certainly used to have fun with that I think and she still does have fun with dressing up and stuff. She is certainly just not trying to be like Mylène - we've seen her most recent video of Appelle Mon Numéro right? So, yes, I think the days of trying to NOT be like Mylène, if that ever actually happened, are far gone and she will/is just doing whatever she likes. We are now at a time where whatever older fans (ones who've been around a while) there are are not looking at her as something derivative of Mylène. That is to say, her connection with that is well severed and now she is just Alizée; and that is whatever Alizée is going to decide to make it. Whatever the cost I will say that Alizée has succeeded in being her own person (as far as we understand).

So yeah, Alizée is a beautiful woman, so if she wears clothing that is flattering to her figure and she acts a little sassy perhaps, or even just appears to be having fun, she will come off as sexy. And as she herself said, so much the better. She can of course try to be sexy even beyond all that and succeed fabulously. I mean, of course those photos from last spring - holy ! She was looking quite hot in several or all of those. And in my sig, she is quite adorable which is why I have that sig.

I think she needs to find her way to having: good music, good performances, a good attitude, fun, and a bit of excitement herself... all of which will translate into her audience having more fun. But, also remember that an entertainer is there to entertain the audience. She, like all entertainers, must find a way to have that fun and excitement while doing her utmost to entertain the audience. There is an aura she has often exuded that communicates that. She needs to keep that up while honing performances and figuring out how to communicate each song in an appealing way that corresponds to the song and herself. I think she herself would say all of that too. I think she knows. I think she is still working on figuring that out. The last real performances I saw, in Mexico, were quite different from anything she had done up to that point. She figured something out between the time her album was released and those concerts. I assume if she comes back to the world, she will continue to figure that stuff out. Of course, she must change and grow and make her performances relate to how she feels as a person, what she wants to communicate, which changes. I can't think that she feels the same now as she did in mid 2005 when she started to work on Psychédélices. And, I think she has given enough hints that she will continue to change.

[Rev]

Quite right, and in fact that's a criticism I would offer in regard to some of her recent performances. She seems to be trying not to be sexy -- I don't mean not trying to be sexy, I mean actually trying not to be -- essaier d'être pas sexy, pas juste pas essaier d'être sexy --which is a little like water trying not to be wet. Can't be done, and to try comes off a little strange, a touch awkward.

I have the impression of one deliberately turning her back on the artificial sexiness she exhibited in the Mylène days. Either that, or she doesn't feel it's as appropriate for a quasi-married mother. Or something else. I'm just guessing. But whatever the reason, I think it's time for her to just be herself -- in every way. Including that way. It's not necessary to enhance it artificially, but it shouldn't be suppressed, either.

... Whatever the cost I will say that Alizée has succeeded in being her own person (as far as we understand).

So yeah, Alizée is a beautiful woman, so if she wears clothing that is flattering to her figure and she acts a little sassy perhaps, or even just appears to be having fun, she will come off as sexy. And as she herself said, so much the better. She can of course try to be sexy even beyond all that and succeed fabulously. I mean, of course those photos from last spring - holy ! She was looking quite hot in several or all of those. And in my sig, she is quite adorable which is why I have that sig.

I think she needs to find her way to having: good music, good performances, a good attitude, fun, and a bit of excitement herself... all of which will translate into her audience having more fun. But, also remember that an entertainer is there to entertain the audience. She, like all entertainers, must find a way to have that fun and excitement while doing her utmost to entertain the audience. There is an aura she has often exuded that communicates that. She needs to keep that up while honing performances and figuring out how to communicate each song in an appealing way that corresponds to the song and herself. I think she herself would say all of that too. I think she knows. I think she is still working on figuring that out. The last real performances I saw, in Mexico, were quite different from anything she had done up to that point. She figured something out between the time her album was released and those concerts. I assume if she comes back to the world, she will continue to figure that stuff out. Of course, she must change and grow and make her performances relate to how she feels as a person, what she wants to communicate, which changes. I can't think that she feels the same now as she did in mid 2005 when she started to work on Psychédélices. And, I think she has given enough hints that she will continue to change.

I agree that she did seem to try really hard to communicate that she is not following in Mylene's footsteps. A also agree that she has succeeded. Anybody who is busy saying "I am not that" is not fully saying who they are. Time to put all that behind her and truly become herself.

She is French. Although I do not believe that being unsexy is expected of a mom who is also a performer (does anybody know otherwise?), I do get the sense that she may be trying to travel in the higher social circles. If so, I'm wondering if she has toned it down a bit due to this. If so, I think it's a pity, she may be limiting herself unnecessarily.

Of course, on the other hand, she may simply like the way she presents herself now. What we see now may simply be who she really is (also, she is in her mid 20's, and may still be slightly uncomfortable now that her peer group is adults rather than teens - especially if she considers her "peers" to be the upper social group I mentioned above). She may have been taught how to turn on the sexyness, but feels more authentic not doing it (at least not to the same extent as before). Perhaps it is simply the "nerd" in her coming through (after all, Alizée is smarter than most, and I get a sense that she has a very good analytical mind. Also, her mother is a model of a smart businesswoman, and Alizée would likely have instilled that model). If so, my comment to her is to remember that she is a performer (at least when in public). Be authentic, but don't let the audience forget that she can be a sexy woman when she chooses to. In other words, really turn it on for a portion of her performances.

Alizée - consider the above as advice from one technically oriented person to another (not that she will ever see it). :)

[lefty12357]

When Alizée first came back, she presented herself both as a grown woman and a young girl. She even mentioned it in an interview that she felt she was still partly a young girl. You could see it in her choice of some of her clothes and some of her promo photos.

One of Alizée's fans (and a peer) said on her myspace that she was disappointed that Alizée hadn't grown up enough for her taste and that she was moving on. I think this presentation of herself was confusing and disappointing to some, and contributed to the fact that she seemed like she was trying to be less sexy. Her peers had grown up, were in college or starting adult careers and were starting a new chapter in their lives. And their favorite singer comes back with this ambiguous image, part of which was still clinging to childhood. It was an image that was not interesting to adults. In some ways I think Alizée appeared more mature in her MCE promo photos and clothes.

I noticed that Alizée must have gotten the message, because a lot of the more childlike imagery disappeared shortly thereafter. Her photo shoots and clothing became more mature in appearance. I think this also allowed her natural sexiness to come out more. I think that this misidentifying of the target audience’s taste was an error early on in the promotion of Psychédélices. Maybe Alizée really is often just a big kid at heart, but it’s not an image that markets well to adults in the pop music business.

[Youpidou1]

I think Alizée needs to make more appearances on TV shows and needs to do some more shows. Maybe a tour, another DVD like En Concert. I miss that Alizée.

[Dark Engine]

Well I bought 2 different versions of her 3rd CD just to support her career; there are fewer songs on her new album that I like. I also think the new beats for her original songs are trash. But I don't think her old image would work with her new family oriented lifestyle. As much as I like the idea of her doing things on her own; separating from Mylene Farmer might not have been a good idea...

I liked her image during the Mes Courants Électriques days best. It seems like she doesn't want to market herself as being too sexy anymore. I recall watching a vid and she commented on not wanting to wear an outfit because it was "too Mylene Farmer". I'm pretty sure this was while she was promoting her new album. But it could also be the fact that I like women with straight hair and I'm just not diggin' the new do.

[Roman]

I think Alizée needs to make more appearances on TV shows and needs to do some more shows. Maybe a tour, another DVD like En Concert. I miss that Alizée.
And obvious understatement of the year goes to ... Youpidou1 !!! :p
Sorry man, just saying that indeed everyone has wished for that forever.

[ALS]

I don't think Alizée is capable of not being sexy.
:wub:

Isn't that truth :D

I was watching her Acoustic in studio performance a few days ago. Talk about standing there in a not so hot looking baby doll dress, heels and looking so tasty for the camera. It is like she is making love unintentionally to the camera. Go back and watch her in these performances. The facial expressions and looks she is giving are sexy as hell.
The thing about it is, that it doesn't look intentional it is just Alizée being herself for the camera and audience.

[Roman]

Isn't that truth :D

I was watching her Acoustic in studio performance a few days ago. Talk about standing there in a not so hot looking baby doll dress, heels and looking so tasty for the camera. It is like she is making love unintentionally to the camera. Go back and watch her in these performances. The facial expressions and looks she is giving are sexy as hell.
The thing about it is, that it doesn't look intentional it is just Alizée being herself for the camera and audience.
She was definitely trying to be expressive in a way that fits the songs. It helps if one knows what she's saying. :p Check out the lyrics for Mon Taxi Driver again and tell me Alizée is trying to not be sexy, or at least it's a rather passion filled song (though admittedly I don't understand half of it anyway), but still. I think it's just that for the sexiest woman in the world (and that's not hyperbole) to get a little older and take it down a notch or three is a contrast that people notice.
Yeah, Alizée has certainly a history of giving very natural looking "looks" to the camera/audience that are very provocative. Well, and even just her very natural looking smile is very appealing. I still remember the first time I saw her on YouTube for the JEAM performance on March 15th 2003. They start off with a far shot and then cut in close and she smiles really nice and looks around a bit. She wasn't faking anything there (well, all the people were standing up clapping and cheering and this was just a while after her other great performance of Ella, Elle L'a). And then she starts in on the dance with a look of real purpose, complete confidence and control. Some of that may have been intentional and part of the performance, but that smile at the beginning there, she just plain meant that and couldn't hold it back if she had wanted to. She knew exactly what she was doing and held the world in her hand at that moment. That's a performance.
Oh, yeah, anyway, coming out of my reverie...:p

[Tomtentp]

......

She knew exactly what she was doing and held the world in her hand at that moment. That's a performance.
Oh, yeah, anyway, coming out of my reverie...:p

You got any thoughts on how she could reachieve that confidence and that love for the performance? Becasue I feel exactly the same, not only the JEAM performance but in everything she did with Mylene backing her up.

Everyone potrays this evil Mylene using Alizée and with Alizée unable to speak for herself, just following orders in complete terror or something. You can so easily spot that Alizée loves to perform what Mylene had created, that she was excited off the chair about doing all those dances and being that 'happy cute girl' strutting around on the scene.

Maybe she were just overwhelmed by the attention and by the cheer fact of performing infront of thousands of people. Maybe any music, choreography, scene or even art form would had done the same for her.

[lefty12357]

Personally, I think the most important thing that Alizée is missing from the Mylene years is not the music or choreography. It’s the daily regimen of exercise, dancing and singing rehearsals. Mylene really put Alizée through her paces and kept her in good form. That gave her the confidence you see back in the MCE days. I really don’t think Alizée worked on her live singing voice much at all for her comeback and it showed in her live performances. If you look all the way back to her “Graines de star” performance and “En Concert” performances, and then compare it to her more recent live singing you should see almost a decade of growth in live singing ability there, but you don’t.

I think if she wants to perform and be successful at the level of the industry she is currently at, she has to work much harder than she has, and establish a good daily regimen again, if she hasn’t already. I would also recommend she get a good vocal coach. If she gets her voice and performance skills in perfect tune and keeps them that way, she’ll be ready to take on anything at a moment’s notice. We’re talking a few hours a day for this, so family is not an excuse. Since she started running things herself, I think she has spent more time on the things she enjoys doing and less on the boring, monotonous routine of vocal practice.

We can talk about the right songs and promotion, the dancing and clothes and hairstyles. But it’s the core skills that are most important and are the foundation to everything. The rest does play a part, but it’s just window dressing and can be easily changed.

When you have the core skills down, you have confidence. And when you have confidence you are free to enjoy your performance, and then the audience will too. Alizée has plenty of talent and a very nice sounding voice, but like anything else, you have to keep it honed and polished.

[Youpidou1]

And obvious understatement of the year goes to ... Youpidou1 !!! :p
Sorry man, just saying that indeed everyone has wished for that forever.

But nobody has said it lately. So I was merely bringing back.

[Rev]

Personally, I think the most important thing that Alizée is missing from the Mylene years is not the music or choreography. It’s the daily regimen of exercise, dancing and singing rehearsals. Mylene really put Alizée through her paces and kept her in good form. That gave her the confidence you see back in the MCE days. I really don’t think Alizée worked on her live singing voice much at all for her comeback and it showed in her live performances. If you look all the way back to her “Graines de star” performance and “En Concert” performances, and then compare it to her more recent live singing you should see almost a decade of growth in live singing ability there, but you don’t.

I think if she wants to perform and be successful at the level of the industry she is currently at, she has to work much harder than she has, and establish a good daily regimen again, if she hasn’t already. I would also recommend she get a good vocal coach. If she gets her voice and performance skills in perfect tune and keeps them that way, she’ll be ready to take on anything at a moment’s notice. We’re talking a few hours a day for this, so family is not an excuse. Since she started running things herself, I think she has spent more time on the things she enjoys doing and less on the boring, monotonous routine of vocal practice.

When you have the core skills down, you have confidence. And when you have confidence you are free to enjoy your performance, and then the audience will too. Alizée has plenty of talent and a very nice sounding voice, but like anything else, you have to keep it honed and polished.

Sounds like good advice. :)

[Roman]

Personally, I think the most important thing that Alizée is missing from the Mylene years is not the music or choreography. It’s the daily regimen of exercise, dancing and singing rehearsals. Mylene really put Alizée through her paces and kept her in good form. That gave her the confidence you see back in the MCE days. I really don’t think Alizée worked on her live singing voice much at all for her comeback and it showed in her live performances. If you look all the way back to her “Graines de star” performance and “En Concert” performances, and then compare it to her more recent live singing you should see almost a decade of growth in live singing ability there, but you don’t.

I think if she wants to perform and be successful at the level of the industry she is currently at, she has to work much harder than she has, and establish a good daily regimen again, if she hasn’t already. I would also recommend she get a good vocal coach. If she gets her voice and performance skills in perfect tune and keeps them that way, she’ll be ready to take on anything at a moment’s notice. We’re talking a few hours a day for this, so family is not an excuse. Since she started running things herself, I think she has spent more time on the things she enjoys doing and less on the boring, monotonous routine of vocal practice.

We can talk about the right songs and promotion, the dancing and clothes and hairstyles. But it’s the core skills that are most important and are the foundation to everything. The rest does play a part, but it’s just window dressing and can be easily changed.

When you have the core skills down, you have confidence. And when you have confidence you are free to enjoy your performance, and then the audience will too. Alizée has plenty of talent and a very nice sounding voice, but like anything else, you have to keep it honed and polished.
I used to sing along to songs in my car and then a few times a week spend sometimes hours straight singing along to songs that I liked at home. I even overdid it several times causing too much wear on my throat (mayeb part of why I sound messed up now). I did all that just because I liked the songs and singing them and felt like it. But, I must say, I did get pretty good on some of those songs which I'm sure I could hardly sing now. Of course, it's different singing along and singing by myself. But I even took a singing class once and did an a cappella version of America's "Sergeant Darkness" I think it was. It was not great and I am certainly not a great singer, but it could have been better if I had kept practicing. I've also found that by continual practice I have learned to sing songs that I could not at all at first and didn't seem to fit me at first. As for the much easier to remember and perform method of singing along, there was probably a time when I could have done a few hundred songs close or right on. It was all purely a matter of practice. I must say, however, that I certainly don't want to compare myself to Alizée. Just stating my recognition of the points made.