Alizée : "En France, c'est difficile de grandir" [article ozap.com 04.04.2010]

[Fenris]

Ok, here is my crappy translation:

Alizée: "In France, it is difficult to grow up"

Two years after "Psychédélices", its third album which did not meet the expected success, Alizée is back.
The ancient protégée of Mylène Farmer, discovered by the international Hit Moi...Lolita, henceforth has ten years of carreer, and reveals a new opus influenced by styles retro and electro.
Babtized "Une enfant du siècle", the album went out on Monday, beeing preceded by the single Les Collines (Never Leave You)".

On the occasion of the come out of the album, Alizée answered the questions of Ozap. She tells more about this album, which some people consider as trendy or bohemian,
and which encouraged her to collaborate with the group Institubes. Inspired by what takes place abroad, Alizée confesses that she is not very affected any more by what the French artists offer today.
She also announces her experience and her perception of the evolution of the music industry in these ten last years, and also reveals that she would not participate in the Eurovision contest if this would be offered to her. Enter.

Ozap: Your new album is called "A child of the century". Why this title?
Alizée: Ah Ah. Already I think that I am a child of the century, I feel well in my life, good in this century. "Je suis bien dans mes baskets." (maybe i feel well in my shoes?).
And at the same time, this child of the century, it is not only me, this could be also - as this album is different, concept - Edie Sedgwick.
It is a character who often comes back in my songs, this could be all young models of the epoch, this can be my daughter who is born in 2005, and also all persons who will listen to this album, and also my fans since they are somewhat of the same generation.

It is an album a bit retro however, ain't that a bit contradictory?
I am a little bit in this century. I am often asked "What century?". Finally it is is possibly not only one century.

You are nostalgic of what took place before?
I am born in 84, all sounds, all music of the eighties, they are really the first music notes which I could hear, therefore yes, I am really nostalgic of this epoch. After all there are good sounds and bad sounds of the eighties, as for all epochs and all musics. But I find that there was good stuff. I think that music it is a bit like fashion, it's a loop, things always come back one moment or another, from the seventies, eighties, and this time, it is the eighties.

What were your influences for this album? Do you listen much to what takes place abroad?
Yes. I listen more to what takes place elsewhere then in France. Perhaps simply because there are fewer persons who touch me now than before.
In former times in France, there was Gainsbourg who influenced me a lot, Shepherd, Goldman also.
Now i'm less successful in finding persons who touch me. Abroad, it is also complicated. There are many things which are produced. Then, there are perhaps more examples of careers rather than musical references. My references are more of Blondie, of Moroder. But I am also fan of Gorillaz. The examples of careers as Madonna or more recently Lily Allen. I like the way they manage their work and at the same time, it is complicated in France, it is not possible to have this type of career, or if somebody has it it is the question if his public is open for it.
I have the impression that in France, it is complicated to change music, to change style, also to grow up, it is hard. When people are accustomed to hear something, or to see something, they are quickly disturbed or this time, bored.

You have the impression that the "variété française" finds it difficult to renew itself?
Yes and this remains very "variété". There are many young people, they do not know who will still be there in 10 years. There is R&B which took big a big place in France. Also there are young people like Amel Bent, who sits between two chairs, considering her roots. All what she really likes it is R&B.
At the same time she is a singer who could make an album purely "variété" (consisting of different styles), therefore it is nevertheless an example. Then, varieties as France Gall or all these persons, it's true that you find them less. Is this less liked? Are the young people less inclined to become fans of that? Perhaps too. Perhaps people are less accustomed to variety, and this time I try to make an album of varieties but only with sounds which derive from electro. I do not have the impression that my melodies are so aloof that people do not understand. These are nevertheless popular melodies and I tried to keep my style, because it is important.

It is a concept-album in an environment which does not go well at all these days, particulary in France. Ain't it difficult to have the confidence of a record label for a projekt which is a bit different?
In fact it is different because I am licensed to Sony, but I have nevertheless control of my project.
I am not going to go to give it myself to radios, to television. But I have the control of the project and with Jean - René of Institubes, we try to assure the coherence of the work, as well before and after the release of the album. Then we try to publish it, because this is important that people accept it and like it. Then, how many good albums were published but which did not stick with people or were not followed... It is perhaps because they were not published well. And perhaps that what happened in magazines and all this stuff, this did not encourage people to buy the album.

Let's take the example of Kylie Minogue who also, at one moment, decided to take things in her own hands, to publish an rock album etc. Finally this did not sell and three years later she returned with a diso album and tiny gold shorts and this was a hit. Are you not afraid you too have to do this one day?
To return with shorts? (laughs). At the same time I do not have the impression that this album is very far from "Moi... Lolita" or my first titles. I do not have the impression that this is the opposite. It is just 10 years later. It is not as though I had made an hip-hop album. Electro it is not far from the eighties, the eighties are not far from Mylène, Mylène it is not far from "Lolita" and "Lolita" it is not far from me. So voilà.

An hip-hop album one day then?
Why not, but only with Jay-Z then. That's all! (laughs)

How about the reception of the titles in the radio?
Well, this it is a topic i do not think about. I don't ask myself this question. I am kept informed, but there is the question of formats, it's France here, as everybody knows. At the same time I have the impression that it is possible to sell discs without necessarily to be on the radio, simply because there is the Internet, and because it's one of the biggest media, if it is not the biggest.
With Internet it is possible to sell discs. I know that it is contradictory, because due to downloads, artists are killed. But I think that it is necessary to use the Internet as a medium of communication and a way of visibility when you have something to say, to publish, to sell.

For the buzz which surrounded the teaser " Limelight "... You participated in it's development?
Yes of course. I like it and I always liked computers, Internet, all this... It is important to know what happens. I have Twitter, I have Facebook, I have a blog and I post from my mobile phone, my iPhone... It's useful to post things when i'm in the studio, to inform people and fans. And I have a very active fan base in the Internet and I use this to communicate with them.
Before, I received letters, but it is not possible to answer all letters. I tried to make dedicated photos from time to time, but this takes 24h a day if you want to do it for everyone. Therefore it's true that the Internet opens doors and possibilities for me which were complicated to do before.

As a child born in the last century, how did you perceive the digitalization of music, the fact that there are no more covers and boxes etc?
It is hard to say, but I saw this positive at the time as the public (?). I buy all my discs on iTunes, because I put them directly on my telephone and voilà. Then, for example the albums of Madonna or all that came from Michael Jackson, I bought them for the objects (CD's?). When the album is sold differently in form of an object or a collectors edition, I buy it. But if it's just a CD and that's it, no. Finally, I buy it, but on iTunes, I do not download it illegally.

The fact that people could go on your iTunes page and take title 3, title 7 and that's all does not call into question the integrity of the album?
Yes, a little bit forced, but at the same time it gives people the choice and therefore it is complicated. My daughter who is 5 years old does not know what a CD is.
When she sees a CD she thinks that it is a DVD because since she was born she takes a DVD to watch films. And to listen to music, she knows that it is on mom's computer or mom's telephone, or on daddy's iPod. She does not know that it is possible to listen to music on a CD. Although I have CD's at home, but voilà one has to go with time and try to make sure that people continue buying on iTunes because this nevertheless represents sales.

Knowing that you risk selling as many albums in France as are imported to England for example, due to the crisis of the CD here, does this inspire you?
I tell myself that I am not the only one, therefore it is a bit reassuring. We will see in time.. then it is necessary to sell music differently. Therefore I made a collectors box with vinyls, a book, afterwards there will be concerts. It is not like there is nothing else. It is horrible because this kills the artists, but I understand the 14-year-old young people, with only so much money to spend for a week.
They can keep their money and have free stuff... They have nothing to lose. It is too late. It is complicated to explain to people that this can kill artists. They do it, for them it is free. I try to put myself in the position of everyone, of the artist, the young people, and not only the young people. It is complicated, already a crisis for everyone. The few things which they can have free, they are going to take them. And it is normal. It is not possible to bear a grudge against them.

You had already a career of 10 years. How do you perceive the evolution of the CD-industry, of promotion?
There it's ok, but for "Psychédélices", I was surprised. I made as many interviews for the web as for the press. It was very new for me because for the first two albums, they used no Internet, not as much anyway. I find that this evolves as it was envisaged.

And in terms of television, the fact that there are no more varieties-programms?
I really find this stupid. At the same time, the television-reality got huge where people did watch singers singing their songs. They want stories... The television, it is not the same as it was before. Now it's about watching people lifes. There is only coverage coping with drudgery of people or programmes for what is fashion now: Decoration and kitchen, voilà. By hoping that this effects mode and that fashion returns to the song (?). But it is complicated to find programmes where it is possible to sing.

Are you a customer of this type of programmes, deco, kitchen?
Deco less, kitchen yes. I watch Top Chef, I like it. At the same time I am 25 years old, therefore I think I belong to the target group. I watch Nouvelle Star... OK, I do not watch La Ferme, because this exceeds the borders of the ridiculous. But i watch, yes. Enquête Exclusive, all this... At the same time there is nothing else on TV.

And worldwide, how is it going? Matters are always well in Mexico?
Yes, the previous album was published there, I made a tour, I made stadiums, i did some unlikely stuff, I participated in a telenovela and the album is published in Mexico the same day as in France. In Russia also. And afterwards apparantly there will be perhaps Peru, Argentina but this linked compulsory. It is Latin America therefore everything is in the same bag. I made a concert in Russia also...
It is a chance to sing in French in other countries. And I made a song in Spanish, since over there I sing only in French, interviews are in French, therefore it was a small wink to my Mexican fans.

Last year, Patricia Kaas had been chosen to represent France at Eurovison, thanks to her international radiance. If it had been offered to you, would it have attracted you?
No, it is not my thing. It is a huge responsibility to represent a country. When I go to Mexico, people already tell me that I represent France while what I do it is not necessarily France, it is just the language which is doing this. Therefore no, this is not something which would appeal to me.