Don't be sorry, Roman - great stuff you write there. As you said, just because it's called "Brain" doesn't mean it's brainy. But this interview is a little bit more in-depth than many previous ones. I like that they asked her about the different contributors to the album, and we get to hear her impressions of these guys.
I also like your point about people describing themselves as "artists" and then being too much up their "...hoohaas". I definitely hear you there. I call Alizée an "artist", and I've argued in these pages why I think that. But when she (or anyone) calls her/himself "an artist", like she does in this article, that's when I start to worry about the "artist's" ego. Lady Gaga never hesitates to call herself an artist at every opportunity, but me, I call her a big self-promoter. (and I also call her Lady Gag.)
I guess I'd feel more comfortable about it if Alizée called herself a performer (as Barrett had said she was), or a singer, or something more humble. It seems that it should be up to the public to decide when titles like that are bestowed. At the same time, though, I must admit that being humble only gets one so far. If Lady Gag was humble, we'd never have heard of her at all! The same could be said for Madonna, Britney, lots of people.
Ultimately, then, I'm deciding that I think it's good Lili now calls herself "Artiste". That's definitely a difference from the Alizée of her early years. But I believe it means that she feels she's changed and grown that much. She shows the self-confidence now needed to compete in that pool filled with Brit, Madonna, Lady Gag, Lily Allen, P!nk, Rihanna, Shakira, Beyoncé, Avril, Nelly, Regina, and so many more.
The only question is - is there room in that pool for her to squeeze in? If not, she may have to get even tougher, pull some hair, throw some elbows. What I mean is, she's changed, obviously, but to really succeed internationally, she may have to change even more.
