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Alizée Lyonnet ( Jacotey; born 21 August 1984), known professionally as Alizée, is a French singer and dancer. She is one of the best-selling French female artists of the 21st century, and the singer with the most exports out of France. Her best-known single is 2000's " Moi... Lolita", which reached number one in several countries. Born and raised in
Ajaccio Ajaccio (, , ; French: ; it, Aiaccio or ; co, Aiacciu , locally: ; la, Adiacium) is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the ''Collectivité territoriale de Corse'' (capital city of Corsica). ...
,
Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
, Alizée's first public appearance was her winning performance in the talent show ''
Graines de star ''Graines de star'' () was a French television talent show created by Thierry Ardisson, presented by Laurent Boyer and broadcast on the French TV channel M6 on Friday evenings at 8:50 pm between February 1996 and March 2003. Notable performers ...
'' in 1999. While collaborating with
Mylène Farmer Mylène Jeanne Gautier (; born 12 September 1961), known professionally as Mylène Farmer (), is a Canadian-born French singer, songwriter, occasional actress, writer, and entrepreneur. Having sold more than 30 million records in France, she is ...
and
Laurent Boutonnat Laurent Boutonnat (born 14 June 1961) is a French composer and film and music video director, best known as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and the director of several groundbreaking music videos. Career Born in Paris, Laurent Bouton ...
, she followed it with a series of albums that attained popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos, which became a fixture on
NRJ NRJ (NRJ is an acronym read as Nouvelle Radio Jeune, or ''énergie'' in French, pronounced , literally "energy") is a private French radio station created by Jean-Paul Baudecroux and Max Guazzini in June 1981, and was widely popularized than ...
,
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
,
Virgin Radio Virgin Radio launched in the United Kingdom in 1993. In 2008, Virgin Radio UK was sold to TIML, a subsidiary of The Times of India group, and the name was changed to Absolute Radio; the Virgin Radio name was not included in the sale. In 2001, ...
,
Europe 1 Europe 1, formerly known as Europe n° 1, is a privately owned radio station created in 1955. Owned and operated by Lagardère Active, a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group, it is one of the leading radio broadcasting stations in France and its pro ...
, among others. Throughout her career, many of her songs have been in top 25 hit lists on the record charts, including "Moi... Lolita", "
L'Alizé "L'Alizé" (English: "''the trade wind''") is the second single by French singer Alizée. Released in December 2000, it featured the song "L'alizé" as well as an instrumental version of it. Later two limited editions followed, which featured fou ...
", "
J'en ai marre! "J'en ai marre!" (English: "''I'm fed up!''") is a song performed by French singer Alizée, written by Mylène Farmer. Released in February 2003, the song is Alizée's fifth single as the lead artist, and was the first song from her second studio ...
", "
Gourmandises ''Gourmandises'' (English: ''Delicacies'') is the debut studio album by French recording artist Alizée, released worldwide on 13 March 2001 by Polydor Records. It was certified double platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographiq ...
", "
Mademoiselle Juliette "Mademoiselle Juliette" (English: "''Miss Juliet''") is a song by French singer Alizée, which was released as the first single from her third studio album '' Psychédélices''. It was released on 30 September 2007, Alizée's first single in 4 yea ...
", her cover version of "
La Isla Bonita "La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, with additional lyrics by Bruce Gaitsch, the song was originally presented by Leonard ...
", " Parler Tout Bas", "
Les collines (Never Leave You) "Les collines (never leave you)" (English: "The Hills (Never Leave You)") is the 12th single by the French singer Alizée Alizée Lyonnet (''née'' Jacotey; born 21 August 1984), known professionally as Alizée, is a French singer, dancer and ...
" and " À cause de l'automne". Alizée entered the music business in 2000. She has since released six studio albums, the first two of which were composed by Laurent Boutonnat and written by Mylène Farmer. Her first album was ''
Gourmandises ''Gourmandises'' (English: ''Delicacies'') is the debut studio album by French recording artist Alizée, released worldwide on 13 March 2001 by Polydor Records. It was certified double platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographiq ...
'', which received a
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...
certification within three months of release. It was a success both in France and abroad, earning Alizée the distinction of being the highest-selling female French singer in 2001. The album featured her most successful single, "Moi... Lolita", which reached number one in several countries in Europe and East Asia. It became a rare example of a foreign-language song to chart highly in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, peaking at number 9. It was followed by her second studio album, ''
Mes courants électriques ''Mes courants électriques'' (English: ''My Electric Currents'') is the second studio album by the French singer Alizée, released on 18 March 2003 through Polydor Records, Polydor. Unlike her previous album, which was entirely in French, this a ...
'', which was released in 2003, focusing on the East Asian market. Alizée returned home for touring at '' En concert Tour'', performing in 43 concerts throughout France, Belgium and Switzerland in 2003 and 2004. (Now offline.) After a three years hiatus, Alizée released her third studio album, '' Psychédélices'', in 2007, which achieved some success in Latin America and Eastern Europe, performing in these regions through 2009 at the same name tour. She collaborated for her fourth album, '' Une enfant du siècle'', with independient Parisian scene, including
Para One Jean-Baptiste de Laubier (born 2 April 1979), known professionally as Para One, is a French electronic music producer and film director. Music career Laubier first came to prominence as one of the main producers of French rap group TTC, and ...
and Adán Jodorowsky, released in 2010, and performed in concerts through France and Eastern Europe. In the next years, she recorded several collaborations, including
Alain Chamfort Alain Chamfort (born Alain Joseph Yves Le Govic; 2 March 1949) is a French singer of Breton origin. Life and career Chamfort was a promising pianist in his youth, and the piano became his instrument of choice. His first band The Dreamers h ...
's " Elle & lui" and
Olly Murs Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom, ...
's "
Dear Darlin' "Dear Darlin'" is a song by English recording artist Olly Murs, from his third studio album, '' Right Place Right Time'' (2012). The song was released as the third single from the album on 26 May 2013. It was co-written by Murs, Paul Flowers, Ed ...
". She released her fifth studio album '' 5'' in 2013, passing through a divorce process and musical maturity on back to basics 60's influences, earning praise for her artistic evolution. She also participated in and won the TV dance contest '' Danse avec les stars''. Her sixth album, ''
Blonde Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can ...
'', was released in 2014 collaborating with
Pascal Obispo Pascal Michel Obispo (; born 8 January 1965) is a French singer-songwriter. Biography Pascal Obispo, son of Max Obispo (a former Bordeaux Girondins football player of Basque origin) and Nicole Guérin (originally from Angers), was born on 8 J ...
and
Zazie Isabelle Marie Anne de Truchis de Varennes (born 18 April 1964), better known by her stage name Zazie, is a French singer-songwriter and former fashion model. Her greatest hits include "Je suis un homme", "À ma place" and "Speed". She co-produce ...
with more mainstream pop sounds. It received mixed reviews and was not successful in sales.


Biography


1984–2000: Early life and career beginnings

Known to all her friends by her nickname "Lili", Alizée began dancing early in life, and by the age of four was already proficient. During 1988–2000, she studied in what was then called ''Ecole de danse Monique Mufraggi'', a famous dance and theatre school in
Ajaccio Ajaccio (, , ; French: ; it, Aiaccio or ; co, Aiacciu , locally: ; la, Adiacium) is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the ''Collectivité territoriale de Corse'' (capital city of Corsica). ...
. In 1995, aged 11, she won a colouring competition with about 7,000 entrants organised by the French airline ''
Air Outre Mer The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...
''. Her design was used to paint the exterior of one of their airliners, subsequently named after her, for which Alizée won a vacation trip with her family to the
Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
. In 1999, she appeared on the TV talent show ''
Graines de star ''Graines de star'' () was a French television talent show created by Thierry Ardisson, presented by Laurent Boyer and broadcast on the French TV channel M6 on Friday evenings at 8:50 pm between February 1996 and March 2003. Notable performers ...
'', broadcast on
Métropole 6 M6 (), also known as , is the most profitable private national French public television channel and the third most watched television network in the French-speaking world. M6 is the head channel of the M6 Group media empire that owns several TV ...
. She initially intended to sign up for the programme's dance contest, but that category was reserved for groups only. Alizée therefore joined the singing category instead, performing the song "
Waiting for Tonight "Waiting for Tonight" is a song written by Maria Christensen, Michael Garvin, and Phil Temple. It was originally recorded by Christensen's girl group 3rd Party for their debut studio album, ''Alive'' (1997). Two years after the group disbande ...
" by
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
and "Ma Prière" (a single released by
Axelle Red Fabienne Demal (born 15 February 1968), better known by her stage name Axelle Red, is a Belgian singer-songwriter. She has released 11 albums, including '' Sans plus attendre'', '' À Tâtons'', '' Toujours Moi'' and '' Jardin Secret''; she is b ...
in 1997). She went on to win the ''Meilleure Graine'' award for most promising young singing star of tomorrow.


2000–2002: ''Gourmandises'', ''Moi... Lolita'', ''L'Alizé'', and international success

Alizée's winning performance was seen by veteran songwriters
Mylène Farmer Mylène Jeanne Gautier (; born 12 September 1961), known professionally as Mylène Farmer (), is a Canadian-born French singer, songwriter, occasional actress, writer, and entrepreneur. Having sold more than 30 million records in France, she is ...
and
Laurent Boutonnat Laurent Boutonnat (born 14 June 1961) is a French composer and film and music video director, best known as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and the director of several groundbreaking music videos. Career Born in Paris, Laurent Bouton ...
, who were looking for a young, fresh voice to partake in their new project. They approached Alizée, and she was selected after studio auditions. The duo arranged her debut with a meticulously orchestrated launch, controlling her image and public appearances. In 2000, they produced her maiden album, ''
Gourmandises ''Gourmandises'' (English: ''Delicacies'') is the debut studio album by French recording artist Alizée, released worldwide on 13 March 2001 by Polydor Records. It was certified double platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographiq ...
'' ("Delicacies"), which was a great success in France, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. The first single, " Moi... Lolita", resurrected the rich French musical tradition pioneered by
Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoca ...
in 1964 with the song "Pauvre Lola", inspired by the celebrated novel ''
Lolita ''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humber ...
'', creating the image which defined Alizée in the early years of her career. She won an M6 award in 2000 and returned with a follow-up album, ''
Mes courants électriques ''Mes courants électriques'' (English: ''My Electric Currents'') is the second studio album by the French singer Alizée, released on 18 March 2003 through Polydor Records, Polydor. Unlike her previous album, which was entirely in French, this a ...
'', in 2003. This second album was also quite successful, though less so than her first album. A video album shot during her European concert tour soon followed. "Moi... Lolita" became her most successful to date. It enjoyed success throughout most of Europe and parts of East Asia, reaching number one in several countries. The associated music video portrayed Alizée as an impoverished rustic teen visiting a dance club in the city with her little sister, pursued by a young man who had lent them the bus fare to get there, but whose romantic interest in her she never returned. (Now offline. .) The song was later used in the UK trailer of the 2006 film, ''
A Good Year ''A Good Year'' is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed and produced by Ridley Scott. The film stars Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, Didier Bourdon, Abbie Cornish, Tom Hollander, Freddie Highmore and Albert Finney. The film is loosely based o ...
'', and was a part of the film's soundtrack. The single was from her debut album, ''Gourmandises'', released in 2000. The album, written by Farmer and composed by Boutonnat, sold over 788,000 copies in France – it reached
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...
status in just three months. In 2001, the album was launched internationally and Alizée became the highest-selling female French singer ever. The album went on to sell over two million copies worldwide. Farmer and Boutonnat kept a tight rein how the album was marketed and controlled the image in which Alizée was portrayed. In the meantime, Alizée gave very few interviews, and even when she did, they did not stretch beyond 20 minutes per journalist. Neither did she agree to any photoshoots. Her second single "
L'Alizé "L'Alizé" (English: "''the trade wind''") is the second single by French singer Alizée. Released in December 2000, it featured the song "L'alizé" as well as an instrumental version of it. Later two limited editions followed, which featured fou ...
" (2000), also from the same album, followed soon. It also hit number one in France, and gained some international success. The video of the "sexily alliterative" song (compare its title to "Lola", a variant on "Lolita") shows a miraculously acrobatic (even airborne) Alizée frolicking amidst popping bubbles in front of a pink backdrop, erotically singing about her cautious search for a true love. The video was shot in a studio in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, which had a 25-metre-by-10-metre painted canvas to serve as the background, with real bubbles. This single was followed up with another single from the same album – the title song "
Gourmandises ''Gourmandises'' (English: ''Delicacies'') is the debut studio album by French recording artist Alizée, released worldwide on 13 March 2001 by Polydor Records. It was certified double platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographiq ...
". The video, which shows a group of teenage boys and girls on a picnic, was shot in a day. The last single from the album was " Parler tout bas", about coming of age, and was illustrated with a surreal music video. In France, "Parler tout bas" was the third single, then followed by the release of ''Gourmandises''.


2003–2004: ''Mes courants électriques'' and ''En Concert''

In 2003, Alizée returned with her second album ''
Mes courants électriques ''Mes courants électriques'' (English: ''My Electric Currents'') is the second studio album by the French singer Alizée, released on 18 March 2003 through Polydor Records, Polydor. Unlike her previous album, which was entirely in French, this a ...
'' ("My Electric Currents"). With the release of this album, she changed her image from a "Lolita" to that of a more toned-down teenager. This album was also written by Farmer and Boutonnat and sold 400,000 copies in France. The first single from this album, "
J'en ai marre! "J'en ai marre!" (English: "''I'm fed up!''") is a song performed by French singer Alizée, written by Mylène Farmer. Released in February 2003, the song is Alizée's fifth single as the lead artist, and was the first song from her second studio ...
" (also known as "Mon bain de mousse" in Japan), was released in 2003. The music video for this shows Alizée in a glass cage singing while having water splashed on her. The plexiglass cage, three-by-three meters in dimension, was constructed in a
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
ian studio, and the shooting of the video took two days. The other singles from this album were "
J'ai pas vingt ans "J'ai pas vingt ans" (English: "I'm Not Twenty") is the sixth single by Alizée, released in June 2003. The single featured, in addition to the solo version of the song, an instrumental version as well as "I'm Fed Up!", which is the English version ...
" and "
À contre-courant "À contre-courant" (English: "Against the current") was released on 7 October 2003. It is the seventh single by French singer Alizée. It featured the single version of the song as well as " I'm Not Twenty", the English version of " J'ai pas vingt ...
". The video for "J'ai pas vingt ans" ("I'm Not Twenty") resembles the ambience of a concert with Alizée dancing in the midst of several other dancers. "À contre-courant", the last single from the album, was shot in an abandoned coal factory. The albums features English versions of four tracks. The translations are artistic translations rather than literal, attempting to capture the rough feeling and concepts rather than the specific words and expressions. In some cases they are "dumbed down", lacking the clever French wordplays of the originals. Following the release of ''Mes courants électriques'', Alizée went on a countrywide tour of France, along with a performance each in Belgium and Switzerland, during the second half of 2003. The tour started off with a performance on 26 August 2003 in Paris. It concluded with her performance on the prestigious
l'Olympia The Olympia (; commonly known as L'Olympia or in the English-speaking world as Olympia Hall) is a concert venue in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France, located at 28 Boulevard des Capucines, equally distancing Madeleine church and Opéra G ...
hall in Paris and eve of 17 January 2004 at the
Le Zénith Le Zénith () is the name given to a series of indoor arenas in France. The first arena, the "Zénith Paris" is a rejuvenation of the Pavillon de Paris. In French culture, the word "zénith" has become synonymous with "theater". A zénith is a ...
concert hall in the same city and had covered major cities including
Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
,
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...
,
Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...
,
Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...
, and
Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlies ...
. A live CD and DVD, ''
Alizée en concert ''Alizée En Concert'' is the first live album by French recording artist Alizée. It was released on 18 October 2004 by Polydor Records and Requiem Publishing. The album chronicles Alizée's 2003-04 En Concert Tour. It was recorded in several a ...
'', composed of selected performances from her tour, was launched a year later in the autumn of 2004. The audio CD contained tracks, taken from her two studio albums. The DVD featured video footage of the same performances as on the CD, along with bonus footage of her rehearsals.


2005–2007: The hiatus and release in Mexico

In 2005, after the success of her first tour and first live album release, Alizée first disappeared from the limelight, then reappeared in the media as it was revealed she was pregnant. She gave birth to a girl, Annily, on 28 April 2005 (the child she had with
Jérémy Chatelain Jérémy Chatelain (born 19 October 1984) is a French singer, actor, and fashion designer. In 2003, he married Alizée Jacotey with whom he has a child, Annily. Since 2011, Jérémy and Alizée have lived separately. He participated in the seco ...
), and put her career on hold. However, the tabloids devoted several articles, for the name Alizée appeared with others, including the false listings of the
Clearstream affair The Clearstream affair was a political scandal in France in the run-up to the 2007 presidential election. The name refers to the Luxembourg bank Clearstream Banking S.A, now wholly owned by Deutsche Börse, which was alleged to have aided many pr ...
. After several rumours of an imminent return, especially in collaboration with the band Indochine, Alizée left
Universal Records Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
to sign with
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
(
Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
) in August 2007, also revealing that the '' En concert'' album and tour were her last collaboration with her mentors. Meanwhile, a compilation of the live album was re-released in early 2007 in Mexico by
Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, Dutch law. UMG's cor ...
as a CD+DVD release, following the featuring of the songs on local radio stations. With the re-release and renewed interest, the songs climbed up the music charts in the country. The album became a hit, peaking at number four in the International Chart on 28 May 2007, and number eight on the main albums chart. ''En concert'' has a Gold certification for shipments over 50,000 copies only in Mexico.


2007–2009: ''Psychédélices'', ''Tout Alizée'' and Latin American success

After a three-year hiatus, a time spent out of the media spotlight, Alizée returned in December 2007 with a new album, '' Psychédélices'', the first one to be made without the creative supervision of her former mentor Mylène Farmer. The album, which features 11 tracks, was made available for digital downloads 26 November 2007, with a full release on 3 December 2007 on the
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
label. It includes collaborations with
Bertrand Burgalat Bertrand Burgalat Born: July 1963 French musician, composer and producer. Background Bertrand Burgalat was born in the Corsican town of Bastia in 1963. His father, a high-ranking civil servant, was the sub-prefect of the island at the ti ...
,
Daniel Darc Daniel Rozoum (20 May 1959 – 28 February 2013), known as Daniel Darc, was a French singer, who achieved success with his band Taxi Girl (together with Mirwais Ahmadzaï) between 1978 and 1986, and also as a solo artist. After Taxi Girl was di ...
,
Oxmo Puccino Abdoulaye Diarra (; born 3 August 1974), better known by his stage name Oxmo Puccino (, ), is a French-Malian rapper. Career A longtime hip hop fan, at age 21 Diarra began his collaboration with the fledgling rap collective Time Bomb, honing ...
,
Jérémy Chatelain Jérémy Chatelain (born 19 October 1984) is a French singer, actor, and fashion designer. In 2003, he married Alizée Jacotey with whom he has a child, Annily. Since 2011, Jérémy and Alizée have lived separately. He participated in the seco ...
, Michel-Yves Kochmann, and Jean Fauque. The first single from the album was "
Mademoiselle Juliette "Mademoiselle Juliette" (English: "''Miss Juliet''") is a song by French singer Alizée, which was released as the first single from her third studio album '' Psychédélices''. It was released on 30 September 2007, Alizée's first single in 4 yea ...
", officially released on 30 September 2007. It was accidentally released early on the
Virgin Megastore Virgin Megastores is an international entertainment retailing chain, founded in early 1976 by Richard Branson as a record shop on London's Oxford Street. In 1979 the company opened their first Megastore at the end of Oxford Street and Tottenha ...
website on 23 September 2007, but was taken down later citing an error on the part of Virgin Music France. The single was later made available in online music stores as well as on radio stations, and went on to capture the No. 13 spot on the legal music downloads charts. To promote the single, Alizée appeared on the French radio station
NRJ NRJ (NRJ is an acronym read as Nouvelle Radio Jeune, or ''énergie'' in French, pronounced , literally "energy") is a private French radio station created by Jean-Paul Baudecroux and Max Guazzini in June 1981, and was widely popularized than ...
on 27 September 2007. The video for the single was released for broadcast on 19 November 2007, though it was made available on MSN France on 16 November 2007. It was released on physical media, both CD and vinyl, on 21 January 2008. Another track from the album, " Fifty-Sixty", was leaked two months before the album was released. Though the song was not mentioned by name, the leak was confirmed in a press release which revealed the title and release schedule of the album.Translation
"Fifty-Sixty" later launched as the second single from the album in February 2008. The lyric of "Fifty-Sixty" tells, in personal and metaphorical manner, of a young model under the guidance of
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
, possibly inspired by real-life story of
Edie Sedgwick Edith Minturn Sedgwick Post (April 20, 1943 – November 16, 1971) was an American actress and fashion model, known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars.Watson, Steven (2003), "Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties" Pantheon Books, pp. 210& ...
. The song ends with a reiteration of how she foolishly believed Warhol thought her the most beautiful model of all. Three music videos were released for the single, one for the album version of the song and the other two for two remixes. An Alizée website, ''Psychedeclips.com'', was dedicated to the video series, the first of which was released on 5 May 2008. Coinciding with the new album, a new official website was created, which, despite being announced on 11 September 2007, was kept under wraps until 28 November 2007. The album was also promoted via an official artist profile at MySpace. Advertising and marketing campaigns for the album began 22 November 2007 with ad campaigns on NRJ Radio,
TF1 TF1 (; standing for ''Télévision Française 1'') is a French commercial television network owned by TF1 Group, controlled by the Bouygues conglomerate. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network. TF1 is par ...
-TV, and the web. In March 2008, Alizée visited Mexico for the first time in a short promotional tour. On 5 March, she was supposed to hold the second-ever public autograph session of her career but it was cancelled due to problems with the store's security. She held an improvised press conference to apologise to all her Mexican fans and to explain that it was not her fault. Sony BMG Mexico also released a statement saying it was not Alizée's fault, that it was the store who had problems with the security, and that they did not expect so many people in attendance; fences had been broken and children were in danger. Alizée also promised to make amends by having another autograph session when she returned to the country on the following tour. She also stated that her tour would start on 18 May in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, followed by concerts in Mexico and then France. She also commented that piracy in music has two sides, "one good" and "one bad", saying that sometimes it is good because her music reaches places that she never thought to reach. After the success of Alizée's tour in Mexico, and in an attempt to mitigate the damage caused during her first promotional visit, Alizée announced an autograph session with fans on 26 June 2008 in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
. Over 300 CDs were signed and the record label executives of Sony BMG Mexico presented a Gold certification for shipments over 50,000 copies of ''Psychédélices – Mexican Tour Edition''. A new cover singing in Mexico was
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's cover "
La Isla Bonita "La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, with additional lyrics by Bruce Gaitsch, the song was originally presented by Leonard ...
"; it went on to become Alizée's first top-ten on the airplay chart. Following the success of ''Alizée en concert'' and ''Psychédélices'' in Mexico, Alizée's former music label,
Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, Dutch law. UMG's cor ...
, released a compilation album titled '' Tout Alizée''. The compilation, which is a Mexico-only release, consists of 15 tracks (with 4 remixes) from her first two studio albums. It is augmented with a bonus DVD featuring some of her music videos. The compilation reached No. 22 on the Mexican Top 100 Albums Chart and No. 3 on the Mexican International Top 20 Albums Chart.


2010–2011: ''Une enfant du siècle'', new style and transition

At the beginning of 2009, Alizée had to cancel a concert in France. She announced then that she was already working on her future album, which would sound very different from all of her previous recordings. The album was called '' Une enfant du siècle'' and was released in France on 29 March 2010. A teaser could be seen on the Internet, called " Une enfant du siècle" ("A child of the century"). According to British website ''
Popjustice Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 by UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for ''NME'', ''The Guardian'', ''Attitude'' and many others. It is composed of the work of editor Robinson, features editor Michael Cra ...
'', the first single is partially in English and it is called "Limelight". On 15 February 2010, they uploaded the full version of the song and a clip from the music video. The special collector edition of the album was made available for pre-orders on 4 February 2010. However, it was later confirmed by ''Popjustice'' itself that "Limelight" was a teaser single, and the official single from Alizée's fourth album was "
Les collines (Never Leave You) "Les collines (never leave you)" (English: "The Hills (Never Leave You)") is the 12th single by the French singer Alizée Alizée Lyonnet (''née'' Jacotey; born 21 August 1984), known professionally as Alizée, is a French singer, dancer and ...
". The full album leaked on to the Internet on 19 March 2010. The album was released in France on 29 March 2010. It received mixed-to-positive reviews by critics, praising her radical change from her teen pop roots, but also criticising her perceived lack of interest in the project, and the uncatchy nature of the melodies. On that day, Alizée signed autographs at the Virgin Megastore in Paris. The album is inspired by and depicts the life of
Edie Sedgwick Edith Minturn Sedgwick Post (April 20, 1943 – November 16, 1971) was an American actress and fashion model, known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars.Watson, Steven (2003), "Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties" Pantheon Books, pp. 210& ...
. Alizée performed in Israel in a tribute to
Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoca ...
on 28 July 2010 in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
at the National Opéra. She covered a song called "Dis-lui toi que je t'aime", originally sung by
Vanessa Paradis Vanessa Chantal Paradis (; born 22 December 1972) is a French singer, model, and actress. Paradis became a child star at the age of 14 with the international success of her single "Joe le taxi" (1987). At age 18, she was awarded France's high ...
, accompanied by the national orchestra. She also performed a song with Israeli singer
Harel Skaat Harel Skaat ( he, הראל סקעת, born 8 August 1981) sometimes known by the mononym Harel is an Israeli singer and songwriter. He represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song " Milim" ("מילים", "Words"). Skaat h ...
. The music video of the first single "Les collines (Never Leave You)" was released on 19 March 2010 on Alizée's official YouTube channel.


2012–2013: ''5'' and ''Danse avec les stars''

Between 1 and 6 February 2012, Alizée appeared in several shows on French television. She announced that a new album was scheduled for spring 2012, marking a return to roots music which would be released on the
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
label; Sony subsequently announced that the album was to be delayed until the autumn of 2012. In April 2012, she was featured on the single " Clara veut la Lune" by
Alain Chamfort Alain Chamfort (born Alain Joseph Yves Le Govic; 2 March 1949) is a French singer of Breton origin. Life and career Chamfort was a promising pianist in his youth, and the piano became his instrument of choice. His first band The Dreamers h ...
. On 27 June 2012, Alizée announced on live chat that the first single from the new album, " À cause de l'automne", was to be released 28 June 2012. The first music video was shot on 15 July 2012, but was only released on the
VidZone VidZone was one of the largest online music video VOD services in the world, operated by London-based company VidZone Digital Media and Sony Computer Entertainment. The online service provides free streaming of music videos from the VidZone.tv ...
platform for
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
. Alizée also revealed that for the new album she was working with
Jean-Jacques Goldman Jean-Jacques Goldman (; born 11 October 1951) is a French singer-songwriter and music record producer. He is hugely popular in the French-speaking world. Since the death of Johnny Hallyday in 2017 he has been the highest grossing living French p ...
,
BB Brunes BB Brunes is a French rock band, part of the "new French rock scene" (la nouvelle scène rock française).BB Brunes en ...
, and Thomas Boulard (singer and guitarist of the rock band
Luke People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...
). On 12 July, a limited collector's edition of the fifth album became available for pre-order. The original release date was changed from 1 October 2012 to March 2013. A "Collector's Box was released for " pre-order page states 23 January 2013 as for the release. In December 2012, the official video of "À cause de l'automne" was published on Alizée's
VEVO Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
channel, initially available only in France and made available for the rest of the world in February 2013. The first performance of her latest single was on RFM radio on 21 December 2012, where she sang the song in a live broadcast. Alizée announced
Alexandre Azaria Alexandre Azaria also known by his alias Replicant (born 3 September 1967) is a French composer, songwriter and musician. He presently signs only by his own name. In bands Azaria started in the 1980s as musician in bands. He was in the French roc ...
as the "artistic director" for her newest album, '' 5''. In January, the name and the cover of the album were shown on a
Star Academy ''Star Academy'', called ''Operación Triunfo'' ("Operation Triumph") in Spanish-speaking countries, is a highly successful television pop music talent contest with viewer voting and reality show elements. Format There are many versions of t ...
, where Alizée made an appearance. She promoted the album with performances during Soccer Beach Show of
Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
,
Alain Chamfort Alain Chamfort (born Alain Joseph Yves Le Govic; 2 March 1949) is a French singer of Breton origin. Life and career Chamfort was a promising pianist in his youth, and the piano became his instrument of choice. His first band The Dreamers h ...
's ''En concert'' at
Le Grand Rex Le Grand Rex is a Parisian cinema and concert venue. Location and access It is located at , boulevard Poissonnière in the 2nd arrondissement, on the grands boulevards. Its facades and roofs, as well as its hall and its decor have been lis ...
, and during her participation in
Les Enfoirés Les Enfoirés (, 'The Tossers' or 'The Bastards') is the name given to the singers and performers in the yearly charity concert for the Restaurants du Cœur The Restaurants du Cœur (literally ''Restaurants of the Heart'' but meaning ''Restau ...
2013 concert at the
Paris-Bercy Gare de Paris Bercy, officially Gare de Paris Bercy Bourgogne - Pays d'Auvergne, is one of the seven mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. It handles about 4.3 million passengers annually according to the estimates of the SNCF, m ...
hall and
Le Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists o ...
2013 opening ceremony performance in
Porto-Vecchio Porto-Vecchio (, ; it, Porto Vecchio or ; co, Portivechju or ) is a commune in the French department of Corse-du-Sud, on the island of Corsica. Porto-Vecchio is a medium-sized port city placed on a good harbor, the southernmost of the mars ...
, where she sang the second single from the album, "
Je veux bien Je or JE may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''JE'' (TV series), a Canadian television newsmagazine series on TVA * Joy Electric, an analogue purist synthpop group Businesses and organizations * Johnny's Entertainment, a Japanese talent agenc ...
". She also promoted the album in the January/February 2013 issue of the French edition of the '' Inked'' magazine. In August, Alizée was confirmed to be participating in the upcoming fourth season of the popular reality show '' Danse avec les stars'' (the French version of ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 ...
'') for the promotion of '' 5''. About a month later, she announced that she was again in the studio for a "surprise" and in September revealed her collaboration with the singer
Olly Murs Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom, ...
in a new, French version of his single "
Dear Darlin' "Dear Darlin'" is a song by English recording artist Olly Murs, from his third studio album, '' Right Place Right Time'' (2012). The song was released as the third single from the album on 26 May 2013. It was co-written by Murs, Paul Flowers, Ed ...
". Alizée won the first place in ''Danse avec les stars'' in November 2013. As announced by
MetroNews Metro International is a Swedish global media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the ''Metro'' newspapers. Metro International's advertising sales have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 41 percent since launch of the first news ...
, Alizée would perform during
NRJ Music Awards An NRJ Music Award (commonly abbreviated as an NMA) is an award presented by the French radio station NRJ to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. The awards ceremony, created in 2000 by NRJ in partnership with the televisi ...
on 14 December 2013. She performed "
Scream & Shout "Scream & Shout" is a song by American recording artists will.i.am and Britney Spears, taken from the former's fourth studio album '' #willpower'' (2013). It was released on November 20, 2012, by Interscope Records as the second single from t ...
" with
will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...
, singing the lines originally sung by
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
, including the line "Alizée, bitch"; along with "Le tourbillion" with Tal.


2014–2018: ''Blonde'' and hiatus

Development of the sixth album started in fall 2013 when it became clear that Alizée would be very successful on '' Danse avec les stars''. Recording of the album began in December 2013, and featured contributions from
Pascal Obispo Pascal Michel Obispo (; born 8 January 1965) is a French singer-songwriter. Biography Pascal Obispo, son of Max Obispo (a former Bordeaux Girondins football player of Basque origin) and Nicole Guérin (originally from Angers), was born on 8 J ...
, Lionel Florence and
Zazie Isabelle Marie Anne de Truchis de Varennes (born 18 April 1964), better known by her stage name Zazie, is a French singer-songwriter and former fashion model. Her greatest hits include "Je suis un homme", "À ma place" and "Speed". She co-produce ...
. The first single, "
Blonde Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can ...
", composed by Obispo, was released in March 2014, with the album of the same name released on June 23. Another song, "Alcaline", was released on 16 June as a single. The album received mixed reviews and was not as successful as expected, which led to an upcoming tour being cancelled. In September 2014, Alizée contributed to the single "Kiss & Love" for the charity event
Sidaction Sidaction is a major French public event that started in 1994 in France for raising awareness and collecting charitable funds for AIDS. It donates important sums to various AIDS charities, HIV/AIDS research, institutions specializing in medical ca ...
, and announced her participation in the 2014–2015 ''Danse avec les stars'' Tour. She also took part in ' with a cover of the song "Tendre Rêve", originally from the soundtrack of ''Cendrillon'', the French version of ''
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
''. In December, Alizée announced that she would be dubbing a character in the animation film ''Clochette et la créature légendaire'', the French version of ''
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast ''Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast'' is a 2015 American computer-animated fantasy film directed by Steve Loter. It is the sixth and final installment in the ''Tinker Bell'' film series, based on the character Tinker Bell from J. M. B ...
''. After appearing on ''Danse avec les stars'', Alizée began actively working as a dancer in various shows, eventually opening a dance academy in her hometown Ajaccio with her husband Grégoire Lyonnet, the AG Studio (''Studio de danse Lyonnet''). In October 2017, she announced that she wanted to put her music career on hold to focus on her "first passion", dancing.


Upcoming concerts

Alizée announced her return to the stage to perform her greatest hits during the summer of 2024:
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
(June 29), as part of the Love the Twentie festival, and
Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...
(June 28),
La Seyne-sur-Mer La Seyne-sur-Mer (; "La Seyne on Sea"; oc, La Sanha), or simply La Seyne, is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2018, it had a population of 62,888. La Seyne-sur-Mer, which is pa ...
(August 2) and
Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
(August 15) as part of the La Kermesse festival.


Personal life

Though described as a very shy and reserved person, Alizée likes performing in front of audiences. (Now offline. .) Although she is most famous as a singer, she prefers dancing, and is quite proficient in classical dance,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
, Italian style ballet, tap and
flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
. Alizée married fellow French singer
Jérémy Chatelain Jérémy Chatelain (born 19 October 1984) is a French singer, actor, and fashion designer. In 2003, he married Alizée Jacotey with whom he has a child, Annily. Since 2011, Jérémy and Alizée have lived separately. He participated in the seco ...
in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
on 6 November 2003. They have a daughter named Annily (born 2005). The public found out about their marriage in February 2004 when ''
Voici ''Voici'' is a French language weekly celebrity and gossip magazine published in Paris, France. History and profile ''Voici'' was founded in 1987. The magazine is published on a weekly basis and is based in Paris. The weekly is owned by the Germ ...
'' magazine released a copy of their marriage certificate in an article. She was quiet about her private and family life and kept her child out of the press to the best of her ability, but since 2011 has been much more open about her private life. Jérémy and Alizée divorced in early 2012. During '' Danse avec les stars'' in fall 2013, Alizée met and started to date Grégoire Lyonnet, whom she married on 18 June 2016. In an Instagram post dated 24 May 2019, Alizée announced that she was pregnant with her second child. She gave birth to a daughter on 24 November 2019.


Artistry


Music and voice

Alizée has a
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
vocal type and range. She started her musical career with songs she described as "soulful pop music". In 2000, she erupted in the musical world, becoming an international sensation because she was the most successful female French singer in a long while. Alizée is known for blending electronic sounds with pop, such as
psychedelic pop Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the late 1960s, elements included " trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, backwards recording, ...
, and most recently mainstream
Europop Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...
. At the time of her debut,
NRJ NRJ (NRJ is an acronym read as Nouvelle Radio Jeune, or ''énergie'' in French, pronounced , literally "energy") is a private French radio station created by Jean-Paul Baudecroux and Max Guazzini in June 1981, and was widely popularized than ...
Radio said about her, "The Queen of Europop is a French Lolita". In her debut album, Alizée used Europop with mellow sounds, world music and the classic French
chanson A (, , french: chanson française, link=no, ; ) is generally any lyric-driven French song, though it most often refers to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval and Renaissance music. The genre had origins in the monophonic s ...
. The second album was primarily
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
sounds, instrumentals and electronic sounds mixed with the sounds from her last album. The third album marked a change, replacing her earlier styles with
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...
sounds and a very rhythmic world music. The single "Fifty-Sixty" is dedicated to the memory of model
Edie Sedgwick Edith Minturn Sedgwick Post (April 20, 1943 – November 16, 1971) was an American actress and fashion model, known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars.Watson, Steven (2003), "Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties" Pantheon Books, pp. 210& ...
. For her fourth album, she had another radical change in musical style with a new genre for her career: ''Mainstream'', with strong rhythms compared to her previous three albums. Alizée made clear that the renewal is a big part of her contribution to music.


Public image

Even though early albums portrayed her in a sexy,
Lolita ''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humber ...
-like manner, Alizée was modest, demure and family-oriented in public during her teenage years. For her second album, she mostly kept a similar style but with more electronic influences. Her hairstyle was usually a simple
bob Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places *Mount Bob, New York, United States *Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Bob (surname) ...
and her
make-up Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
was designed to emphasise and enhance her natural beauty. For her third album, Alizée changed her style radically in terms of both music and image, with a more mature performance and more elaborate make-up, clothing and hairstyle. For the promotion of this album, she posed for a French magazine, '' Technikart'', in the " Like a Virgin" style of her idol
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
. After a two-year hiatus, she returned with a fourth album whose style was more "
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...
" and which saw her seeking a new and wider audience. Alizée is very fond of tattoos, of which she has many. The best known is the large
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
-style
Tinkerbell Tinker Bell is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan'' and its 1911 novelisation ''Peter and Wendy''. She has appeared in a variety of film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, in particular the 1953 an ...
on her back, which reflects the fact that she had regarded the character as a mascot since childhood, amassing a large collection of its statuettes. It was often shown during her promotion of the ''Psychédélices'' album, presumably because
Psyche Psyche (''Psyché'' in French) is the Greek term for "soul" (ψυχή). Psyche may also refer to: Psychology * Psyche (psychology), the totality of the human mind, conscious and unconscious * ''Psyche'', an 1846 book about the unconscious by Car ...
is something of an ancient forerunner of Tinkerbell. The
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
superheroine
Sailor Moon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 52 individual chapters were published in 18 volumes. The seri ...
, who shares a few commonalities with Tinkerbell, is prominent on Alizée's right arm. Over the years, Alizée has been declared a fashionista, appearing in various fashion magazines, beauty and culture. She has attended major fashion weeks in the world and smaller events. In the 2010 "Sexiest Women in the World" polls run by the French edition of ''
FHM ''FHM'' (For Him Magazine) is a British multinational men's lifestyle magazine that was published in several countries. Its master edition contained features such as the ''FHM'' 100 Sexiest Women in the World, which has featured models, actres ...
'' magazine, readers voted Alizée as the second-sexiest woman out of 100. Since 2012, Alizée has appeared in many magazines and publications including the January/February 2013 issue of the French edition of ''Inked'' magazine which featured a photo shoot, including on the cover, of her as a manacled and bloodied punk princess by the French photographer Julien Lachaussée, and many more. In 2013, she was one of the guests of honour for her friend
John Galliano John Charles Galliano (born 28 November 1960) is a British fashion designer from Gibraltar. He was the creative director of his eponymous label John Galliano and French fashion houses Givenchy and Dior. Since 2014, Galliano has been the creat ...
at
Paris Fashion Week Paris Fashion Week (french: Semaine de la mode de Paris) is a series of designer presentations held semiannually in Paris, France with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the French Fashion Federation. ...
2013. Alizée was ranked fourth in a list of the most influential female artists in France by the amount of followers in social media in March 2014.


Legacy

Alizée became an international pop culture icon immediately after launching her recording career. Media said she was one of the most controversial female vocalists of the 21st century, that she had broken into the music world at 17 years old with a worldwide success, that she spearheaded the rise of post-millennial Europop and became its "queen", and that "Alizée early on cultivated a mixture of a sweet
Lolita ''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humber ...
innocence and experience that broke the bank". Her debut album ''
Gourmandises ''Gourmandises'' (English: ''Delicacies'') is the debut studio album by French recording artist Alizée, released worldwide on 13 March 2001 by Polydor Records. It was certified double platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographiq ...
'' sold 700,000 in only three months in France, and 1,000,000 in Europe in 2001. In early 2001, she won the
NRJ Music Awards An NRJ Music Award (commonly abbreviated as an NMA) is an award presented by the French radio station NRJ to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. The awards ceremony, created in 2000 by NRJ in partnership with the televisi ...
for Francophone Revelation after she won an M6 Award in late 2000. She was also nominated for the same category in the
Victoires de la Musique Victoires de la Musique (; en, Victories of Music) is an annual French award ceremony where the Victoire accolade is delivered by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The classical and jazz ...
. " Moi... Lolita" is one of the best-selling singles in France and Alizée's most famous single to date. She also has two singles in the French Top 100 singles of the 2000s. In 2002, ''
Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...
'' newspaper announced as Alizée's music was the top earning French music of the year thanks in part to Farmer and Boutonnat's collaboration, which earned 10.4 million €. The "
Mademoiselle Juliette "Mademoiselle Juliette" (English: "''Miss Juliet''") is a song by French singer Alizée, which was released as the first single from her third studio album '' Psychédélices''. It was released on 30 September 2007, Alizée's first single in 4 yea ...
" video released on 19 November 2007 is listed at 138 in the countdown of 150 most important videos of the last 15 years of the
MTV Latin America MTV is a Latin American pay television network that was launched on 1 October 1993 as the Hispanic American version of MTV. It is owned by Paramount Networks Americas, a subsidiary of Paramount Global. The channel broadcasts music videos as well ...
channel. "Moi... Lolita" became a worldwide sensation, with the singer becoming a phenomenon and a national obsession in France. She is known for her fast rise to fame, and in media became known as "the most famous Lolita", and is today the French singer with most exports from France.


Critical response

Despite the marketing hype and commercial success, there were mixed critical responses to the launch of "Moi... Lolita", Alizée's first single. The critics felt that the similarity in style to that of Mylène Farmer was too striking. Some felt that her ''Lolita'' image overshadowed her singing prowess, describing her as "desperately trying to be sexy", and many were ready to write her off. Some of her songs have been described as "sweeping, atmospheric ballads" whose "melodies are so sparkling and beguiling", and from which Alizée manages to "squeeze more emotion than the usual pop package". Alizée's three albums include a wide range of songs, from catchy pop tunes to soulful ballads.
Radio France Internationale Radio France Internationale, usually referred to as RFI, is the state-owned international radio broadcaster of France. With 37.2 million listeners in 2014, it is one of the most-listened-to international radio stations in the world, along with ...
featured ''Gourmandises'' as their CD of the week, stating:
The ten songs on Alizée's debut album, Gourmandises (Goodies), have all been expertly manufactured by the Farmer hit-machine. Sweet syrupy pop ditties are wrapped in silky synths, violins and catchy techno beats and judging by the success of Alizée's sexily alliterative second single, L'Alizé, the Farmer team have hit upon a winning formula.
...Gourmandises the French word for sweets (or candies) is the appropriate title of French pop princess Alizée's debut album. Like an aniseed ball, the mix of pop tunes and ballads are pleasant and consistent throughout, but at the same time never too adventurous. The French lyrics may spoil the album for some but the catchy tunes and lyrics (even though they may mean little to the average English speaker) highlight the universal language of pop...
...Sixteen-year-old Alizée is France's answer to the teen queen phenomenon. With one notable exception: Alizée has real talent...
In recent years, critics have commented upon the maturing of Alizée's image and style, and her being a growing artist full of "classy" sounds, and having a strong voice. They have observed how "Lolita", who had begun her career at the beginning of the new century, has transformed into a mature woman and accomplished singer throughout the years.


Charity work

Alizée was involved in charity work through
Les Enfoirés Les Enfoirés (, 'The Tossers' or 'The Bastards') is the name given to the singers and performers in the yearly charity concert for the Restaurants du Cœur The Restaurants du Cœur (literally ''Restaurants of the Heart'' but meaning ''Restau ...
, a group of French celebrities who organise fundraising concerts every year. The proceeds from these concerts go to '' Les Restaurants du Coeur''. The organisation, set up by French comedian
Coluche Michel Gérard Joseph Colucci (, ; 28 October 1944 – 19 June 1986), better known under his stage name Coluche (), was a French stage comedian and cinema actor. He adopted ''Coluche'' as a stage name at age 26, when he began his entertainment c ...
, helps feed the poor. Alizée participated in these concerts in 2001, 2002 and from 2008 to 2013. In 2011, the singer participated in the Collectif Paris-Africa to fight against famine in Africa (similar to
USA for Africa United Support of Artists for Africa (USA for Africa) was the name under which 47 predominantly U.S. artists, led by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a U.S. and UK number one for ...
). She recorded the song "Des ricochets" along with 60 artists for the compilation album '' Collectif Paris-Africa pour l'UNICEF''.


Works


Discography

Studio albums * ''
Gourmandises ''Gourmandises'' (English: ''Delicacies'') is the debut studio album by French recording artist Alizée, released worldwide on 13 March 2001 by Polydor Records. It was certified double platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographiq ...
'' (2000) * ''
Mes courants électriques ''Mes courants électriques'' (English: ''My Electric Currents'') is the second studio album by the French singer Alizée, released on 18 March 2003 through Polydor Records, Polydor. Unlike her previous album, which was entirely in French, this a ...
'' (2003) * '' Psychédélices'' (2007) * '' Une enfant du siècle'' (2010) * '' 5'' (2013) * ''
Blonde Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can ...
'' (2014)


Dance


Dance shows

*'' Danse avec les stars'' –
season 4 Season 4 may refer to: * "Season 4" (''30 Rock'' episode), an episode of ''30 Rock'' See also * * Season One (disambiguation) Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughte ...
(2013) *''La danse fait son show'' (2014) *'' Danse avec les stars'' – season 7 / week 8 (2016)


Dance tours

*'' Danse avec les stars Tour'' (2013–2014) *'' Danse avec les stars Tour'' (2014–2015) *'' Danse avec les stars Tour'' (2016) *'' Danse avec les stars Tour'' (2017)


See also

*
Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique (SACEM) is a French professional association collecting payments of artists’ rights and distributing the rights to the original songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Founded ...
*
Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique The National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing (french: Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique; SNEP) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym ...
* French Top 100 singles of the 2000s *
List of best-selling singles in France Best-selling singles in France Over 5 million copies 2 million or more copies 1,200,000 copies to 1,800,000 copies 1,000,000 to 1,190,000 copies 900,000 to 990,000 copies References {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Best-Selling Singl ...


References


Bibliography

*


External links

*
Official YouTube channel
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alizee 1984 births 21st-century French dancers Danse avec les stars winners French electronic musicians French dance musicians French women pop singers French women in electronic music Living people Musicians from Ajaccio Polydor Records artists RCA Records artists Sony Music artists Universal Music France artists Synth-pop singers World Music Awards winners