New Alizee vs. ML/JEM Alizee.

[Rev]

I agree with those who are waiting until we've seen a couple of performances. I have a feeling that she will have even more impact when performing in person than she did before, due to her maturity.

She will be different. And the youger in the group may prefer the younger version. However, I think she will likely blow us away on a couple of the new ones.

[Deepwaters]

Well, for me, the earlier Alizée was appealing in spite of being only a teenager, because she was smart, had an incredible voice, and was so very real and good. She's still smart, she still has an incredible voice, she's still very real and good, but now she's more mature, more sophisticated, stronger, less naive, and in every way more appealing to me. By far. The 16- or 18-year-old was only a pale shadow of what she has become.

[C-4]

Originally Posted by lefty12357

I think I will always love all of the stages of Alizée's career and I don't think I can compare them as if they are separate. I will say that I think her skills as an artist have improved continuously throughout her career, and I love what I’m seeing and hearing now.

I totally agree. While she will always be changing and possibly looking slightly different as she ages, this is going to happen whether we would want it too or not, so why not enjoy the changes as they come?!
The most important thing is that Alizée did come out with a new album, is forging ahead with her career and we all will be seeing more of her, rather then having too enjoy only her past work. Enjoy this time as it unfolds because, and I hope it doesn't come but, at some future time, Alizée may choose to end a public career of recording. While I would love to see her career grow and continue for many years, no one knows what may come tomorrow, and why, so enjoy it now, while we all have it to enjoy, and be thankful that we all have it to share.

[vctralca]

i love this new Alizee because right now she is doing her own album and i think she is loving it, she can say what she wants and for her and for us thats must be wonderful

[espire]

As far as speculation goes, I'd speculate that there will be a video for Fifty Sixty. It's one of the songs that stands out the most.

[Roman]

The title of this thread is about what fans think. It's nothing about any conflict of her's. For me, transition has been difficult. That's why I want to comment.

One could take her transition from Gourmandises era to MCE era as similar to this, but she was always around at least, though just not in France. But, for me, all that happened at the same time since I've only known of her since Dec 2006.

As far as looks, I will agree that around 18 was absolute peak. Again, I hope she never reads this 'cause I'd never say it to her face, but I shouldn't have to as she is still Alizée. She is still cute for a 23 year old, she is still very beatiful, she still has a great personality which doesn't seem to have changed except that she exudes the directness of a person running her own business and creating her own art. If I was looking for a mate, that would certainly appeal to me. She definitely still makes all other women seem that much less interesting. It's a combination of factors that made me find her so attractive before and now.

Still it goes deeper for me. I've felt some conflict lately. It's also about the music. Here's an example: I have a CD player alarm clock set to play Alizée to wake me up. So, I woke up yesterday morning to Parler Tout Bas. My heart rate went up just laying in bed and my body hurt. That's the feeling that the earlier Alizée is gone forever. I know time passes and things change, but it didn't hit me so hard until recently when her new stuff came along. Her voice then was also so beautiful. It gave nothing away of being only 16, yet was different than now and so I must say had the character of youth. I'm still a big fan, but my emotions are what they are. At lease in part at certain times, I mourn the loss of the trio (M,L,A) that was Alizée in performance.

I agree with Bandit. I don't think I'll ever see anything as truely awesome as Alizée doing that JEAM dance. In a way, it's such a simple thing, but it becomes much more significant like a realization that just takes time to hit and only works because of all the things that Alizée was. There is such a thing as a golden age. I hope I come to appriciate some of the new songs in the same way as I appreciate both Gourmandises songs and MCE songs (Idéaliser is promising).

In addition, I think over time I have come to appreciate more and more the Gourmandises album. It seems to glorify the concept of a certain carefree time in life or at least, a time when a person is not yet weighed down by responsibilities, not so lamenting lost opportunities. The future can still be formed into anything. It's a time when sexual maturity is taking hold and people can fall deeply in love without any reservations. The excitement and joy of living is unbridled. I'm sure some could say that her innocence was in itself a virtue. Mankind in the garden of Eden, anyone? Even at that time and certainly by the time of MCE she had such a glow, that of the innocent child merged with a beautiful intelligent women, seeming to suggest something with an immortal quality. After all that, she was just very impressive all around anyway.

I find that Alizée to be the most desirable woman ever. So, maybe it's a male sexual instinct that makes me feel that way? Is it too animal? Am I not human enough? I say it's the same thing that affects all people when they have an appreciation of the aesthetic. Maybe my sense of the aesthetic is just inalterably calibrated toward glorifying women. Still, it's a combination of factors that make me feel that way about Alizée. I just can't any longer separate them.

[CFHollister]

Not to answer your questions directy, Roman, but I will say this on the topic:
To me Alizée growing, maturing, and changing is affirming of why I'm a fan. Sure there will always be something unique and special about the innocence of the Gourmandises era, and the cutness/sexiness of the MCE era. But if she didn't grow and change then I would find myself a fan not of Alizée but of a role, and of an image... not a real, live, breathing, thinking, feeling human being. And I'm a fan of Alizée herself (the first, and probably only person I will really be a fan of in this way), not just her music, photos, videos, etc. Alizée must change in order to still capture everything that I love about her... that is being (an active verb) Alizée. And the fact that her new work has allowed Alizée to express so much more of herself than was possible in the past, makes this time that much more exciting for me, not one to lament the passing of Alizée's past incarnations.

[sjcrookston]

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. My only comment is if we'll see the new Alizee perform her older stuff at all? She is much different now, and I'd love to see her do JEAM or JPVA again.

[DirtyACE]

Some people want to hang onto Alizee's old image like grim death. Can't really blame them. I myself was feeling that way only a few days ago, since for me that whole era was over before it even began. I can relate well to Roman's view of Parler Tout Bas. It evokes very similar feelings in me whenever I hear it. It also makes me think of Frédéric Chopin's Funeral March from Sonata Op. 35. For anyone who knows this piece, it's quite sad to say the least. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying that it throws me into some wild depression but just creates a void of sorts, temporarily.

One other thing I want to touch on about this comparison is that it's highly probable that Alizee's own absence for such a long time has created this sort of disillusionment amongst some fans. The last time we saw her she was in the MCE persona which was not far off at all from the Gourmandises era, and now suddenly she's something very different. Now, some of you will say, but we've seen pics of her during her career break and such. Well, yes, but that's her real life and not the on-stage image.

Yes, Gourmandises and MCE was a golden age for her and us. Nevertheless it was a golden age of her teenhood. Now, hopefully, we will see and experience a new golden age of her maturity.

I suggest we give it time. Let it all absorb in our minds and hearts.

[Roman]

Originally Posted by CFHollister

...
To me Alizée growing, maturing, and changing is affirming of why I'm a fan. ...

And you answer you specifically, that's why it's hard to comment on - because I also believe that graceful change, moving on when it's appropriate, that is one of the keys to a happy healthy satisfying life in this temporal existence. Yet, she seems to have done a better job of that than I have so far. Believing it is not the same as doing it, I guess. That's another thing that impresses me about her.

(and what ACE said)