Mes Courants Electriques - Alizee

UPDATE 12/05/05. Alizée has given birth to a girl last week...


As my last review was quite miserable, I thought that I should write a happier review. As Alizée isn't too famous in the UK, I've written a background on her so you understand her life before her second album. Please note that I gave French up achieving A* at GCSE, but I've given it a go to understand her lyrics with the help of Mr.freetranslation.com

...be my favourite singer in the whole world, until I discovered Operacion Triunfo and Madonna.

Alizée was born in 1985 in Corsica. Her parents were middle class people, and she had a happy childhood. In 1999, she appeared on the French show 'Minipops', which was to find a young singer who would win a record contract. She won this show, and she won the right to record an album under the French superstars : Laurent Boutonnat and Mylene ... more

UPDATE 12/05/05. Alizée has given birth to a girl last week...

As my last review was quite miserable, I thought that I should write a happier review. As Alizée isn't too famous in the UK, I've written a background on her so you understand her life before her second album. Please note that I gave French up achieving A* at GCSE, but I've given it a go to understand her lyrics with the help of Mr.freetranslation.com

BACKGROUND on ALIZÉE

Alizée used to be my favourite singer in the whole world, until I discovered Operacion Triunfo and Madonna.

Alizée was born in 1985 in Corsica. Her parents were middle class people, and she had a happy childhood. In 1999, she appeared on the French show 'Minipops', which was to find a young singer who would win a record contract. She won this show, and she won the right to record an album under the French superstars : Laurent Boutonnat and Mylene Farmer.

Her first single, Moi… Lolita, was released in 2000 in France when she was 15 and it sold more than 2 million copies, while staying at number 1 for 10 weeks. This song managed to get to number 1 in: Spain, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Canada, Japan and more… 2 years later, the song was released in the UK. However, it managed to get top 10, which was a great success for Alizée. She didn't even know that the song was going to be released here, and when she was told a month before, she started to learn English for television performances. Although the song had come out 2 years before in France, Alizée appeared on CD:UK and Top of the Pops which got its success.

A month after the release of Moi… Lolita in France, her first album topped the French charts. The album was released in Britain, but it didn't do very well.

WHAT MAKES ALIZÉE SPECIAL?

Probably her looks. Alizée is a very pretty girl, and this is why the World fell in love with her. Her voice is very sweet and small, which increased her popularity.

WHAT MAKES HER SONGS SPECIAL?

Their production. Alizée's two albums have all been produced and written by Mylene and Laurent. The first album was mainly Euro-pop, but the second album had an edge to it which was still pop, but with an element of rock.

WHAT'S ALIZÉE DOING NOW?

Last year, Alizée got married to the French singer Jeremy, and she gave birth recently to a girl. Her single I'm Fed Up was going to be released in April 2005 in the UK, but it didn't happen through to her pregnancy.

ALIZÉE'S VIDEOS

It is true to say that Alizée's videos caused a stir across Europe. Here are a list of every single videoclip she has done:

1. Moi Lolita (Me… Lolita) : April 2000, filmed in - Tours. Directed by Boutonnat

This video features Alizée as the fictitious character Lolita, from the famous book (Alizée's song is based on her). She is a little poor girl who is stalked by this man who wants her, and the opening sequence of the video is that man chasing 'Lolita' down a country lane. Lolita asks him for 500F, and he agrees. She puts it in her bra, and runs back home. When she gets back home, Lolita's mother gets mad and beats her with her washing. So, Lolita takes her little sister, and they take a bus away from the village. This all happens before the first chorus. When the bus pulls away, you see the man driving his car behind the bus.

After this, we see Alizée dancing with not many clothes on in a nightclub until the end of the video, while her sister sits in the corner drinking a cocktail. At the end of the song, we see the man at the club staring at Alizée, and the video cuts out.

-You can see why this video made so much controversy. She was 14 at the time!

2. L'Alize (The Wind) - June 2000, filmed in Paris. Directed by Boutonnat

This song is based on the old fashioned french word, which means wind. This video is very tacky and it is Alizée wearing a white fur jacket dancing in bubbles.

The animal rights people hated this, but the song still did well in France

3. Gourmandises (Gluttony) - Aug 2000, filmed in Toulouse. Directed by Boutonnat

The title track of the first album had another saucy video. Alizée has a picnic with her best friends, and they eat a lot of food. It might seem innocent but it isn't. Most of her friends are boys, and they enjoy eating food off each other, flirting and near kissing moment. Alizée looks very pretty and happy during the video, but once again this video caused controversy. However, it was okay for children's TV (as all the other videos were).

4. J'en Ai Marre (I'm Fed Up) -April 2003, filmed in Paris. Directed by Boutonnat

Alizée was now a woman, and we are now on the album, which I'll be reviewing after this. Alizée is trapped in a glass box, and she gets water thrown on her while she is flocking around in it. Alizée wears a lot of layers, and this video has nothing bad about it

5. I'm Fed Up - SAME AS ABOVE, but in English

6. J'ai Pas Vingt Ans (I'm not twenty) - July 2003, filmed in Paris. Directed by Boutonnat

Another boring video. Alizée is dancing on stage with other women. She is wearing a horrible pink pvc suit, and it isn't very classy. However, Alizée does play the guitar, and drums, although it is obvious that she doesn't have a clue what to do!

7. I'm not twenty - SAME AS ABOVE, but in English

8. A Contre Courant (Against the current) - October 2003, filmed in a warehouse. Directed by Garner

This video, the first not directed by Laurent Boutonnat, is very creative and artisty. Alizée is running around in a warehouse away from a man doing acrobats. The video is stunning, and Alizée's best. It is the same through out and at the end, Alizée walks out of the warehouse looking happy.

9. Amelie M'a Dit (Amelie told me). January 2004, filmed in La Rochelle during Alizée's 2004 tour

This video is footage of Alizée's tour when she performed one night in La Rochelle. It has all the highlights of her performance and the live version of the song was released at the same time as her LIVE DVD.

---Mes Courrant Electriques--- (My Electric Currents...?)

The album was recorded during the early part of 2003 in Paris and Stockholm. Laurent Boutonnat produced and wrote the songs, and Mylene Famer wrote the lyrics. It was released in France, but it only got to number 5 in the album charts. The first single, J'en Ai Marre got to number 1, and this preceded 3 other singles, and a live DVD of the tour she did in 2004.

I bought this album in Spain for 5E in 2003. I was very exited to listen to it, and it didn't upset me at all. On the front of the album, Alizée is on a giant shoe, and pictures of her here are in the booklet. There is also a tartan theme on the back and on the booklet, but this doesn't hide the fact that this album was going to be a classic! 2 versions of this album were released : a French one, and an international one. I bought the international one (as it was from Spain), and the difference was that the International songs had certain songs in English with the French versions at the end.

1. I'm Fed Up
The first single off the album, as I said, did well around Europe. It got to number one in Spain, Germany, and France, and it was successful in other countries in Europe.

Instrumentation: Electric Guitars, keyboards, drums, strings, horns. Sounds like a rock song, but it is clearly pop when you hear it.

Lyrics: Poor. Alizée sings about 'Bubbles and water, legs up for hours, my goldfish, she's under me'. Mylene Farmer is bad at English lyrics, and it is really embarrassing

Length: 5:12 (Radio edit 4:11)

My rating : (Amid the horrible lyrics) 9/10

2. A Contre Courrant (Against the current)

This song, the third single of the album, was Alizée's first non top 10 single in France. It did well however in Germany.

Instrumentation : Keyboards, heavy drums, marimba, heavy electric guitars at the end. This song is very simply, and there are many keyboard effects including wind.

Lyrics : I don't do French, but looking at freetranslation.com, I can tell you that it is talking about attack the sea!

Length : 4:32

My Rating : 9/10

3. Toc de Mac (fake of mac ?!).

According to my french friend, this song is about pimps, but I don't understand: it's a really happy song! This is one of my favourite songs on the album, and it has a relaxed feeling to it.

Instrumentation : Heavy drums, keyboards, electric and acoustic guitars. This song again has many electro effects with Arpache effects, and Alizée even sings falsetto!

Lyrics : About pimps apparently.

Length : 4:29

My Rating : 9/10

4. Amelie Told Me

Alizée in English again! This song is extremely nice and relaxed, but it is about a deceitful girl who messes around Alizée's life. It starts off with Alberti guitar, and Alizée's voice has a lot of reverb. The live version of Amelie M'a Dit was released in France in 2004. It didn't do very well.

Instrumentation: Drums, acoustic guitars, keyboards, electric guitars (very faint), clarinet, strings. This is a very sweet song.

Lyrics: It is about a girl who makes Alizée feel bad about herself : 'Sleeping beauty, no I'm not, I'm ugly'.

Length : 3:51

My Rating : 9/10

5. C'est Trop Tard (It's Too Late)

Suzi Quatro has a big influence into this song. Alizée is extrememly rock now. The song starts off with electric guitars and heavy side sticks. By the chorus, Alizée is singing over heavy electric guitars and bass, and even I can hear her singing ' J'en Ai Marre' again and again. It's brilliant!

Instrumentation : Heavy guitars, heavy bass, heavy keyboards, heavy reverb, heavy rock!!

Lyrics : Alizée has had enough and it's too late!

My Rating : 9/10

6. Tempete (Temptation)

Tempete is a haunting Ballard about cheating on your lover with a militaristic beat. Alizée claims that she is sorry to her ex-lover, and she wants him back. For once, you can hear Alizée's sweet voice come out from under the pop. This song could have easily been on the Gourmandises album. It reminds me off this song: Mon Maquis (My Revolution) from that album, and that is hailed as one of Alizée's classics.

Instrumentation : Snare Drums, low piano drone notes, tubular bells. You hear Mylene Farmer singing backing vocals a bit too loudly (if you remember from the 80s, she had a massive throaty voice!)

Lyrics : Alizée is sorry and she wants her lover back after she cheating on him.

My Rating : 9/10

7. I'm Not Twenty!

Alizée's second single again is rock, with a soft edge. It starts off just with electric guitars and bass drums, and by the chorus, there is a medley of electric guitars, keyboards, and heavy drums. You can see why this song did well, but with the video, you can't forgive Alizée's wardrobe manager!

Instrumentation : Heavy guitars, heavy drums, keyboard effects, and a wind chime. This song reminds me a lot of Jennifer Ellison's Bye Bye Boy.

Lyrics : Alizée is scared about turning that horrible old age of 20! Come on sweetie… it's not that old. And she is still 19 nowadays! It is Mylene Farmer producing some more horrible lyrics in English (hmm… what rhymes with 'free'?)

My Rating : 9/10

8. Hey! Amigo!

By this point in the album, Alizée has decided to get a bit too happy with exclamation marks. This was the first song I heard on this album, and it is one of my favourites. It is about a girl she knew in Barcelona, and she is thinking what she'd say to her when they next meet. It is a chilled out summer song, and it is weird hearing a French singer singing in French about Spain! I suppose it is a change after Cristie singing about Málaga in Puro Teatro (see my review on it!).

Instrumentation : Acoustic Guitars, strings, tubular bells, drums, mandolins. The mandolins come in at the middle 8, and they stay until the end.

Lyrics : Alizée is wondering what to say to friend from Barcelona when they next meet. The options are 'Hey! Amigo; Hasta Luego; Hasta Manana…. (any famous spanish phrases otherwise).

My Rating : 9/10

9. L' E-Mail a des Ailes (The email to the ailments)

This song has a real french feel to it. Alizée's sad, and she emails her friends for support. It has acoustic guitars, and keyboards through out, and the drums are accompanied by a tamborine. It is another feel good song. And for the first time in Alizée's history, there is a key change! It gets introduced by dulcimer bells, and it's the moment when Alizée's friends and family reply to her email with support.

Instrumention : Acoustic Guitars, Keyboards, tambourine, drums. Quite similar to Hey Amigo/Amelie Told Me.

Lyrics : Alizée is sending an email to all her friends and family to tell them of all her problems. Her heart has broken by her boyfriend, and she's low. By the end, she has got emails back of support, and she's happy again.

My rating : 9/10

10. Youpidoo

Alizée's last song is another song in English. She sounds incredibly English, which is very good. But the song doesn't create a good impression before the first chorus. There are noises of a small child saying Youpidoo and Alizée's sings 'gee'. Otherwise, this song is childish, playful and cheeky.

Instrumentation : Strings, Electric Guitars, drums, keyboard effects

Lyrics : Awful. 'I saw you down the street talking to the bees'… okay… What does Youpidoo mean?

My rating : 8/10

11-14 : The english songs in French

11. J'en Ai Marre
12. Amelie M'a Dit
13. J'ai Pas Vingt Ans
14. Youpidou

Overall rating : 9/10.

---Websites---

Official : http://www.moi-alizee.com

This site is brilliant. It has webchats with Alizee, news, photos, and more. Also it has 5 language options : English, French, German, Spanish and Russian.

Non-Official : http://www.alizee-fanpage.com

This site is even better! You can download every music video has ever done, and the news always comes here first.

Amid the lyrics, this album is brilliant. It is a real change to innocent Alizée in Gourmandises, and as it is available to buy in the UK, you should buy it!
 

...less