Article from 2000 Fan De magazine

[Scruffydog777]

Alizée: "I don't want to look like a Barbie doll!". An article that AIFC shared with us.

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Will Alizée blow out Britney's star? Way too early to tell, but one thing's for sure, the Americans no longer have the monopoly on baby dolls! During the entire summer, no one could escape the heady little air of "Moi... Lolita". After the huge success of her first single, this young singer is preparing an album under the guidance of none other than Mylène Farmer! Alizée: a little girl who has the sail before the wind!

Is Alizée your real name?
A: Yes. My parents called me that because they were passionate about windboarding. The wind alizé is a symbol for windboarders.

You were discovered on the show "Graines de Star"...
A: Yes. A friend had signed me up without me knowing it! When she told me about it, there were only three days left to prepare a song!

You won by singing a song by Axelle Red. Larusso was there, that night. You're produced by Mylène Farmer. Do redheads give you good luck?
A: (laughs). Maybe! It's funny, I didn't even notice! In the future I'll pay better attention!

After that, everything went very quickly...
A: An audition was organized in Paris and I sent my recording. My application was kept and I came to do some tests. It was only after the second test that I discovered that Mylène Farmer was behind the project.

We've read here and there that you were, in a way, the "baby of Mylène Farmer". Does she behave like a mother would towards you?
A: Yes. She imparts on me her experience, gives me her advice. She watches out for me.

Do you find her different from the Mylène Farmer that we see in the music videos, a little somber and melancholic?
A: With me, she's not mysterious. She's neither sad nor strange. She is normal and natural.

Her fans adopted you right away
A: Yes, and it warms my heart. I'd like to thank them for their encouragements. I receive a lot of e-mails on my official site (ed. note: http://www.moi-alizee.com).

Your first album should be released before the end of 2000. What kind of style will it be?
A: That will be a surprise. I can't reveal anything, except that Mylène Farmer is going to write all the songs!

You're originally from Corsica. Are you as attached to your island as Patrick Fiori?
A: Yes. If I'm gone longer than a week, I get homesick! I'm used to the climate, the beaches.

"Moi... Lolita" was released when the "lolita" phenomenon was unfurled on Europe. Do you feel ready to face these singers who are the same age as you?
A: I don't think we're in the same category. They are Americans and lead an international career, whereas I'm a little French girl. I really like Britney Spears, but I don't want to imitate her. I have my own style and I don't want to look like a Barbie doll.

Your music video leaves viewers perplexed. What character do you play exactly?
A: A poor little country girl, ill-treated by her mother. She runs away to dance in a nightclub. The boys spin her around, but she sends them packing. There's nothing that can be interpreted badly, in my understanding.

The journalists often give nicknames to stars. If you had to choose one, which one would you like: "Alizée, the French Britney Spears" or "Alizée, the mini Mylène Farmer"?
A: Without hesitation, "The mini Mylène Farmer"! I look a lot more like Mylène than Britney. We're both very reserved and super shy. I think we have a very close feeling.

Do you have any stories about the music video?
A: We shot the scenes in a wheat field. An insect bit me near the eye. I had an allergic reaction and the shooting was interrupted for two days. As a precaution, we shot the rest of the video in the studio!

Your life risks becoming complicated in the future. And school? How will you keep up with everything?
A: I'll improvise. But if I don't have time to go to high school, I'll surely have to take correspondence classes!

Translated by Backinblack

[CleverCowboy]

Alizee is about as far from a Barbie Doll as can be. She's the (drop dead gorgeous) girl next door. I have always liked the simplicity of her style, with minimal makeup. Why cover up what is naturally beautiful? I also liked the way she kept her fingernails trimmed to secretary length. She had long fingernails at the beginning, but looked so much better when she trimmed them. And no paint or designs or jewels glued to them.

I don't think we're in the same category. They are Americans and lead an international career, whereas I'm a little French girl.

Coming from humble means, I believe that Alizee has always "though small". Madonna had set out to conquer the world, and I think this drive to do so kept her going. Plus she was a good businesswoman. Maybe Alizee was afraid of that level of success?

But if I don't have time to go to high school, I'll surely have to take correspondence classes!

Does anybody know what education level Alizee ended up with? There was some old threads on this forum claiming she had an IT degree, but many responded that this was false, and I tend to agree that this is not the case.

The lack of education showed after she split from Mylene with a series of bad decisions that tripped up her singing career. She was sheltered and protected and told everything to do up until that point. What a wake up call she had.