Disappointed so far

[Neiteio]

Hi everyone.

I know you're all going to disagree with this -- and I wouldn't expect much objectivity from a fansite -- but Alizée isn't nearly as confident onstage as she used to be, and I think that's the reason why every performance of late has been either with another artist, or swarms of showgirls.

Whereas in the MCE days the band and dancers were set to the far back of the stage (with the possible exception of JPVA), nowadays Alizée practically hides among the throngs of dancers. Seriously, watch her last dozen or so performances. She used to bask in the limelight, but now she just gets lost in the shuffle. It's as though the awkward experience of her first live MJ performance made her afraid to appear by herself onstage (and by "herself" I mean clearly separate from everyone else).

Now, I've never admired Alizée for her intelligence. It's perfectly natural to feel drawn to someone because they're physically attractive and emote a certain "warmth" (what many mistake for "goodness of spirit"), but I'm a little more discerning than that with women, and in interviews and such Alizée has never proven to be very daring or original in her comments, much less having a political opinion or anything to define her character.

That being said, I've always felt empathy for her because you can tell (as one French paper noted) that she's always a little nervous about screwing up, probably more so these days without Farmer telling her what to do. And so the usual symptoms arise: less eye contact with the camera onstage and in clips (she barely looks at the camera in the Fifty-Sixty clip), overwrought body language (all the shrugging and whatnot in the MJ clip), canned comments (although that was always a problem) and as we see here, distraction tactics such as a billion dancers.

Something else that's been bothering me is how her new image lacks thematic continuity, which makes for weak creative that people soon forget. We need something like the Lolita jacket or JEAM sailor outfit; we need delicacies and fishbowls; we need iconic images to help her break through the clutter. I know, I know, "random" is in and she's being "herself" by looking like a kaleidoscope of thrift store pickings every time she appears. I appreciate that and the whole metro-glam schtick, but I worry she's digging her career an early grave by forfeiting the theatrics that made her an Internet phenomenon in the first place. There was real longevity in the old outfits and dances and themes. For Psychédélices, the music will stand the test of time, but the image won't.

For the record, I absolutely love the new album. You may remember my glowing review that I wrote for the college paper (circulation, 18,000+). But as someone who's also interested in the presentation aspect, I think Alizée's comeback has been nothing but a string of disappointments so far (again, that's presentation). The bright side, of course, is that the Psychédélices campaign has only begun, and there's still time for strong creative concepts to take root and define her third studio album. Here's hoping for more confidence and stronger themes in the months to come.

Well, just had to get that all off my chest. Now let us commence with the hyperbole-laden replies saying Alizée can do no wrong. I'll shut up and go write a novel.

- N

P.S. Don't take that last bit the wrong way. I love you guys.