Here's another article I found on the AIFC site...
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STAR ONE 05 -2002
Alizée: Storm warning over Europe
You've no doubt noticed, Alizée has been pretty quiet for quite some time. Her last TV appearances were way back in January (NRJ Music Awards and the 2002 Enfoirés show). As for her most recent single, "Gourmandises", it's already a year old! The reason for all of this is very simple: the young star is in the process of getting her feet wet in Europe. One by one, the countries of the old continent are discovering the most popular teenager in France and crowning her with success. The itinerary of a spoiled child.
Like all French artists, Alizée first penetrated Belgium, simultaneously with her launch in France, in 2000. "Moi... Lolita", her first single, was ranked #2 in neighboring Wallonie and spent more than seven months in the Top 40! A first success outside our borders awarded with a disque de platine. "L'alizé", the second single by the young Corsican, obtained a disque d'or and pulled itself up to the 5th spot in the Belgian hit parade. Like in France, the two singles that followed--"Parler tout bas" and "Gourmandises"--met with less success. It must be said that the album "Gourmandises" is selling very well: it's been ranked for a year now in the 50 best sales in our neighboring francophone countries. After Belgium, Switzerland. Not very original for a French singer. The exception remains to be seen.
In March 2001, eight months after France, "Moi... Lolita" is released in the Netherlands. The success is immediate. Alizée is #2 in the other country of cheese and stays ranked for six months! And another disque d'or! A few months later, it's Russia's turn to fall for our young and pretty Corsican. There she receives one of her first prizes: a Hit FM Award. But this is only the beginning.
In the amount of time needed for one school year--September 2001 / June 2002--Alizée became simply the most famous French singer in Europe. Germany welcomed her with open arms: 450 000 "Moi... Lolita" copies sold beyond the Rhine. The song lasts 27 weeks in the top German charts, 10 of them in the top 10! A success never seen there for a French artist since "Ella, elle l'a" by France Gall in 1988! "L'alizé" and the album "Gourmandise" takes the same route on the German charts. More to come... Neighboring Austria in turn succumbs to the Alizée storm in December 2001. "Moi... Lolita" is ranked #5 there. In Switzerland, the single benefits from a second release, sustained this time by the German-speaking population. It's still ranked today, more than two years after its first entry there!
The year 2002 is one of consecration. Alizée attacks England. Many have fallen flat on their face there. Not her. Barely after its release, "Moi... Lolita" arrives directly at #9 in sales across the Channel. No French singer, singing in French, reached this success since 1988 ("Joe le taxi" by Vanessa Paradis and "Voyage, voyage" by Désireless)! Around the same time--February/March--Alizée wins the heart of the public in Spain. Her single is ranked #1 there, for three weeks in a row! In April, the Alizée storm rages over Denmark, and especially over Italy where "Moi... Lolita" enters directly in second place in top sales where it quickly takes over the top spot!
Of course, this is mainly the triumph of one single. Nothing is for certain for Alizée, then again nothing is ever certain for anyone. But whether or not she has a career in these countries, she'll at least have the incredible and nearly unique performance of making all of Europe dance to a French song. Not bad, huh? Next step for the young star: a return in France. No, she hasn't forgotten us! A second album expected for the end of the year. There's talk of a single for this summer.