Quote:
Originally Posted by Deepwaters
OK, maybe the word "awful" was a little bit strong. 
I'm glad you guys are coming to her defense, and I don't mean to suggest anything in the Matrix mold. I just think she's trying to do the wrong thing in these performances. She isn't, and cannot be, Mylène Farmer.
Here's what I mean. When I think of Mylène on stage, I think of awesome, dramatic, gorgeous theatrical performances, with huge casts, perfect choreography, incredible lighting and props and costumes. Mylène on stage conveys a message: "I am the Goddess. Worship me!" Pompous as hell, but for her it works.
Alizée, though, can't pull that off, I don't think. Instead, she has always conveyed the message: "I am beautiful and sweet and talented, and I'm your friend, believe it or not. I love you, and you love me, too." It's more intimate and less grandiose. That's her strength, and she should emphasize it rather than trying to go in a different direction. I don't mean she shouldn't ever use any props or theatrics, but simply that when she does, it should all be so second nature that she can spend most of her energy connecting with the audience.
Her voice is still incredible, her dancing too, and she's drop-dead gorgeous as always, but it's her personality that can really shine. If she lets it. |
I'd like to agree with you. I have a really hard time answering a lot of Deep's posts even when I agree without writing a book (and even then). I'll just say that it's harder now. I think there's a certain expectation of maturity (whatever that means) that is burdening her more than it was before. Maybe I just have that perspective because I never had to do all this analysis before because in a sense, I had not been born yet when it was done. I just took what was there. Once we get over this thing about how she has changed and is more mature we can just focus on what we like about her performances (we=general public).
"I am beautiful and sweet and talented, and I'm your friend, believe it or not. I love you, and you love me, too." I certainly would like to get that feeling, and even in fsquared's twisted way, if Alizée was saying that to me
. I do sort of feel like at least some of the songs themselves require a bit of a different approach, though, than earlier songs. Though I think Alizée can bring her considerable charm to it.
For instance, I have seen some of the personality that makes me love Alizée coming across recently - like she's just stoked to be here and happy to perform for us. As long as I feel that and she maintains her lovable image, I think it's cool that she comes up with new ways to make the performances interesting. It's the natural and comfortable seeming performances that impress us whatever interesting things she might do. She needs to be well rehearsed to create that. She has her work cut out for her, but I think she can do it.
So, Mylène distinguished herself by what she does being different, while Alizée distinguished herself by who she is being marvelous in a primal way. That's more like what you mean? What I mean?
(and it doesn't hurt to have me paralyzed by her "hotness" either)
Having just read more of some other people's posts about being comfortable. Yes, I think for most people when everyone loves them and the crowd is enjoying the performance they are more comfortable and can let loose more and then it comes off better. I hope that isn't messing with her too much. That's probably part of the skill of a performer is developing the ability to do a good performance even with luke warm reception. Again, though, sometimes the performer needs to take the situation in hand. Like I described before, I was at a Maroon 5 concert and the lead singer Adam Levine was trying to interact with the audience. They weren't responding. He actually took a moment to explain, when you are at a rock concert and the singer does this, you respond this way. Of course, he did it tactfully and the right way, but it was much better and much more fun after he did so and got the crowd singing back to him and so forth. I think maybe it was a learned technique that he bothered to do any of that. Somehow I don't see Alizée exactly doing that, but she did have the sing along and "plus fort!" during Moi... Lolita, which is a similar kind of thing. Yes, any rock concert kind of sucks if the crowd sucks. They energy of the crowd is part of the fun of being there (even when it's Alizée).