Interview from Tele Stars article, February of 2003.

[Bamagirl]

This article is from Tele Stars, February 2003. Below is the English translation.

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Tele Stars 02-2003
Alizée's grand return

It's been a long time since we've had news about Alizée, at least on French soil. It's not because we're not hearing her that the soft tropical wind isn't blowing somewhere on the planet... It's good what has happened for the adorable brunette that we have known thanks to the Moi... Lolita jingle. After a little detour of little mischievous Gourmandises, she went to conquer other audiences. But 2003 marks her grand return, and even though she proclaims loud and clear "I'm fed up," we're asking for her again!

Named as such in honor of her parents' passion for sailing, Alizée opened her big mysterious eyes on August 21, 1984, in Ajaccio in Corsica. From a very young age, this 3rd decan Leo was passionate about art in all its forms. She thus took dancing classes (jazz, classical, Spanish dance, tapdancing...), theater and singing classes, and claimed her first success at 11 years old when she won a trip to the Maldives after winning first prize in a drawing competition which was reproduced on a real airplane renamed Alizée in her honor. "When I was little, I wanted to be a choreogrpaher. I began modern jazz and classical dancing at 4 years old, and tapdancing at 9. Then flamenco. All of that in Ajaccio, where I have always lived. Also, I danced for Patrick Fiori when he did shows in Corsica a few years ago. He did cover songs, especially ones by Patrick Bruel," she declares.

At the end of 1999, the show Graines de star on M6 traveled to the island of beauty to make its selections. Deciding to participate as a dancer, Alizée ended up signing up in an entirely different category. Indeed, the dancers are only admitted as a group. Since she has more than one arrow in her bow, she tried her chance as a singer with a cover by Axelle Red: Ma prière. I signed up for the Graines de star audition for dancing and a friend signed me up for the singing without telling me. Our dancing group didn't win, but I was selected in the singing part with Ma prière by Axelle Red. And I went up to Paris to do the show," remembers the young brunette.

The success was immediate, since she was chosen by the public on two occasions. Only two times, because in the meantime, she signed a contract with an as of yet unknown record label but one that wouldn't take long to become known. Mylène Farmer and Laurent were working on a new project and decided to launch a young singer. A friend of the family talked about it to Alizée's parents, who sent as soon as possible the cassette recorded at Graines de star. Immediate success, Mylène and Laurent meet Alizée and fall under her charm. "Friends of my parents knew them. Since they were looking for a young singer, they sent them the cassette from the show. Laurent invited me to do some trials in the studio in Paris. He played the melody from Moi, Lolita and I sang it. When I heard the song, I knew right away that it was going to work," the young singer admits.

Alizée was bubbly, fresh, natural, romantic...A true girl representative of her generation. It was decided, this would be the singer who would lead the Boutonnat/Farmer project to fulfillment. Mylène wrote the lyrics on Laurent's melodies, inspired by Alizée, what she had experienced, her feelings, her desires, and her secret dreams that they all now shared.

On May 21, 2000, Moi...Lolita, first single from the album Gourmandises, invaded the airwaves and provoked a real tidal wave. After the release of the single on July 4, Moi...Lolita was ranked in the best sales in less than a week and reached one million copies sold, giving Alizée the "French revelation of the year" at the M6 Awards and NRJ Music Awards. A second NRJ Music Awards was given to her for the best musical site of the year.

November 2000, the album Gourmandises was released and became in barely three months a disque de platine with 300 000 copies sold. The second single L'Alizé was released at the same time and was quickly ranked #1 in sales with more than 500 000 copies sold. The secret of this success? Songs that talked about adolescence, of doubts, of love as well... with a hint of impertinence and mischievousness.

Impossible from then on to escape the Alizée phenomenon. The TV shows picked her up. Everywhere, she was the only one you saw, her little sexy dresses, her Farmerian choreography... The little mermaid piled up the hits and the performances.

In January 2001, she participated in the big spectacle "The odyssey of the Enfoirés" for the restos du coeur, a show that would be rebroadcast several months later on TF1. On March 31, Tapis rouge, Michel Drucker's TV show, welcomed her for a special on Children of the Earth. Sensitive and generous, Alizée proved that at 16 years old, she was already thinking of others and used her star status to make things move.

[Alizée by the numbers]
Alizée was born on August 21.
She has one little brother, Yohan.
She sold 800 000 copies of her first album, and in all 1.5 million singles in France. Alizée sang in front of 40 000 people for the queen's birthday in the Netherlands.
She sold more than 300 000 albums and 700 000 singles abroad. Alizée is 1m60 tall. More than 30 sites are devoted to her on the Internet.

Less rythmic than the preceding ones, Parler tout bas, the third single taken from the album Gourmandises, was released on April 24, 2001, meeting with lukewarm success, all the more so since Alizée's appearances during the summer vacation were done more rarely.

It doesn't matter, because Gourmandises, the fourth single from the album of the same name, released on August 14, 2001, in France, Switzerland, and Belgium, was revealed to be a lot more lively and promised not to leave your head until the start of the school year. Remixed of this song were also available in maxi CD and maxi vinyl 33s. Notable that Gourmandises is Alizée's homage to the sweets that she's find of even if it must be said that the greed that the song talks about evokes instead the first feelings of love: "there are first kisses, taste of mist, taste of melancholy, there are kisses stolen in czarina trains, the kisses of a summer where the hand makes its way, but the kisses from Alizée are true sweets"... and boy, did the bad tongues shut themselves up! In the Gourmandises music video, you'll find her simply in the middle of... picnicking with her friends! In the end, very sensible.

Outside of France, the beauty seems to be guided by a lucky star (yes, yes, the fairy Mylène!) and her success can't be denied. Released in May 2001 in most countries (the Netherlands, Japan, Poland...), it stands to reason that the little Alizée leaves no person indifferent. Which goes to show that French music is exported very well. On June 19th, 2001, she received an award at the latest Hit FM Awards ceremony in Russia! Moi... Lolita is already a disque d'or in the Netherlands! A real tornado this Alizée!

A little well-deserved rest... to come back better!

2002 was paradoxically for Alizée the year of her consecration, because she was literally a hit abroad, but also had a year of radio silence in France. Mylène Farmer's fans knew well what that meant: a long absence, but in the end, a thrilling return. And that's what Alizée is doing now, for our biggest joy. February 2003 is indeed the month of her grand comeback. She is beginning by striking a funny message, proclaiming on all the radio waves "I'm fed up." And she is carrying on with sweet and salty lyrics, like usual, stuffed with mischievous wordplay. "I love Mylène's lyrics," she declares. That's plainly the way that Alizée is inviting us to share her bubble bath, along with her little goldfish... Even though Alizée has grown up, since she celebrated her 18th birthday last August 21st, the lolita hasn't seemed to disappear completely. And it's all for the better, since that's how we have become to like her, our little southern breeze!

[Did you know?]
Her 2nd album will surely be the opportunity for Alizée to do a big concert tour in France and throughout Europe.
Alizée was a real smash at the cult English music show The Top of the Pop.
To relax during a photo shoot, Alizée swallows tons of candy.
Alizée is passionate about football.
Alizée likes blue, pink, but not green because she thinks it doesn't look good on her.
Alizée hates spiders and snakes.
Her friends nicknamed her "little Lili" and her dad "Titiou".
Alizée would like to record a duet with Johnny Hallyday.


Alizée from A to Z

A like Alizée, the soft warm wind from where her name was taken
B like Brad Pitt, her favorite actor
C like Corsica, her native island
D like Dance, her first passion
E like Etudes [studies], that she follows very conscientiously
F like Mylène Farmer, her musical mentor
G like Graines de star, her first TV appearance
H like Homme idéal [ideal man], the one who will know how to take her heart
I like International, her musical domain of conquest
J like J'en ai marre, the first single from her new album
K like Karaoké, an exercise that she really likes
L like Leo, her sign of the zodiac
M like Moi... Lolita, her first success
N like Nounours [marshmallow teddy bears], her favorite sweets
O like Ocean, in which she would like to play with dolphins
P like Parler tout bas, her 3rd single
Q like personal Questions, to which she doesn't like responding at all
R like Récompenses [awards], that she received in France and abroad
S like Sixteen years, the age when she met with success
T like Theater, her third passion after singing and dancing
U like USA, a country that fascinates her
V like Violet, her favorite color, with pink and blue
W like the Web, on which you can find a bunch of information about the singer
X like XXL, the size of her talent
Y like Yes, her favorite word in English
Z like Zinedine Zidane, whom she admires a lot

[Mr Coucou]

Mylène Farmer and Laurent were working on a new project and decided to launch a young singer. A friend of the family talked about it to Alizée's parents, who sent as soon as possible the cassette recorded at Graines de star. Immediate success, Mylène and Laurent meet Alizée and fall under her charm. "Friends of my parents knew them. Since they were looking for a young singer, they sent them the cassette from the show. Laurent invited me to do some trials in the studio in Paris.

Interesting. In another interview, Alizee said that she heard that Mylene and Laurent were looking for a singer. I was wondering how Alizee heard about that. (Did Mylene run an ad in the newspaper?)

The "discovery by channel-surfing" story is probably a myth. The family friend who told Alizee and her parents about Mylene probably also told Mylene about Alizee, (I.e. the family friend told Mylene to watch Alizee on Graines.)

[Scruffydog777]

Originally Posted by Mr Coucou

Interesting. In another interview, Alizee said that she heard that Mylene and Laurent were looking for a singer. I was wondering how Alizee heard about that. (Did Mylene run an ad in the newspaper?)

The "discovery by channel-surfing" story is probably a myth. The family friend who told Alizee and her parents about Mylene probably also told Mylene about Alizee, (I.e. the family friend told Mylene to watch Alizee on Graines.)

That's an interesting theory and may have some merit to it. I remember that I think it was from the time of the wedding or maybe it was Annily's first communion there was someone there family related who was some how show biz or otherwise connected.