Alizée made her début with the single, Moi... Lolita on the 4 July 2000. It is her most successful single to date. It was a instant hit throughout most of Europe and parts of east Asia, reaching number one in several countries. Alizée's image was that of a seductive Lolita character, referring to the novel by Vladimir Nabokov. The video for the single showed Alizée as a village girl visiting a night-club. Four months after the single her debut album "Gourmandises" was released. The album written entirely by Farmer and Boutonnat, has sold over 1,3 million copies in France. It was certified Platinum in just three months by the SNEP. In 2001, the album was released internationally, and she became the highest-selling female French singer in 2001. The album went on to sell over 2 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 mean time, 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 followed soon after. It was also successful giving her first number one in France, and gained some success internationally. The video of the "sexily alliterative" song shows Alizée amidst soap bubbles against a pink backdrop singing about herself. The video was shot in a studio in Brussels, 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. The video, which shows a group of young boys and girls out on a picnic, was shot in a day. The last single from this album was Parler Tout Bas, which deals with the theme of dreams and a loss of innocence. In France, "Parler tout bas" was the third single followed by the release of "Gourmandises".
In 2003, Alizée returned with her second album "Mes Courants Électriques". 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. The style of the music didn't change so much but the album was more critically acclaimed than the previous one. While it had much success in and outside France, worldwide it managed to sell 1.000.000 copies, less than its predecessor. The album has an international version featuring English versions of four tracks.
The first single from this album, Je N'ai Marre! 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, 3 by 3 meters in dimension, was constructed in a Parisian studio, and the shooting of the video took two days. An English-language version of this song, titled I'm Fed Up, was also released, and featured similar visuals for the music video. The other singles from this album were J'ai pas Vingt ans and À contre-courant. Like Je N'ai Marre, J'ai Pas Vingt Ans, Youpidou and Amelie M'a Dit also had English versions. 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 this album, was shot in an abandoned coal factory. Unlike the other two singles, there was no English-language rendition of this song.
Following the release of her second studio album, Mes Courants Électriques, Alizée toured around France and had two performances in Belgium and Switzerland, during the second half of the year 2003. The tour started off with a performance on August 26, 2003 in Paris. It concluded with her performance on the eve of January 17, 2004 at the Le Zénith concert hall in Paris and had covered major cities including Lyon, Rouen, Lille, Grenoble and Dijon, among others.
A live CD and DVD, titled "Alizée En Concert", comprising of selected performances from her tour, was launched a year later in the fall 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. The compilation was re-released in early 2007 in Mexico by Universal music as a CD+DVD release, following the featuring of the songs in 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 4 in the International Chart on May 28, 2007, and number 8 on the main albums chart. En concert has a Gold certification for shipments over 50,000 copies only in Mexico.
Following her marriage in late 2003, Alizée took a hiatus from singing and avoided appearing in the media. She welcomed her first child Annily in 2005. Her first television appearance in two years was on MTV France on February 18, 2006.
After almost two years of fan speculation, on April 3, 2006, a handwritten message, signed Alizée, was received by the webmaster of the fansite Le Nid d'Alizée, stating that she is working on the third album.
On July 7, 2006, the show Le JT de la musique on French TV channel "Europe 2 TV" reported that Alizée has separated from her former producer and song writer Mylène Farmer and was working on her third album. It was also reported that the lyrics of the new album were being penned by Jean Faulques. Her husband, Jérémy Châtelain produces a lot of the album.
Her third album Psychédélices was released in December of 2007. Despite the promotion it had moderate success in France, where it reached number 16 on the albums chart. The album only held its peak position for one week on each chart and fell in the second week. The album was more of a success in Mexico, it debuted at number 44 in the Mexican Top 100 Albums Chart. The album peaked at number 15 in the main chart and number 1 in the international chart. It has sold 300,000 copies so far. Many of her fans were disappointed by this album as it was not produced by Mylène Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat. The critics considered it as artistically inferior of her previous efforts.
Only one single was spawned in France from Psychédélices, called Mademoiselle Juliette. It missed the top 20 peaking at number 22. The second single release, Fifty-Sixty, peaked at number 65 in the Mexican single charts. In 2008 Alizée recorded a new studio version of Madonna's hit single La Isla Bonita and was included on a special edition for her album, Psychédélices in Mexico. The song so far has gone on to become a hit becoming Alizée's first top ten single on the national top ten airplay chart.
Following the success of Alizée En Concert and Psychédélices in Mexico, her former label, Universal Music released a compilation album, titled Tout Alizée. The compilation peaked at No. 62 on the Mexico Top 100 Albums Chart and No.20 on the Mexican International Top 20 Albums Chart.
During the Psychédélices tour, she had to cancel a tour date in Paris, stating that she was already working on her new album and it would sound different from all of her previous recordings. The album Une Enfant Du Siècle and was released in France on 29 March 2010. The theme of the album is the life of American model Edie Sedgwick from the birth till the death, based on the style of Andy Warhol. He isn't mentioned in the lyrics but the album has many references on him. The album received positive reviews from critics. However it peaked at No.24 on the French Album Chart aswell as No.22 on the Mexican Albums Chart. The single Limelight was released as a teaser single, being uploaded on 15 February 2010 on British website Popjustice. The main single Les Collines was released on 26 April 2010.
In 2011, she and Jérémy Chatelain divorced.
In Spring 2012, Alizée announced a new album would be released. However Sony delayed the album to Autumn 2012. In the meantime she was featured on the single Clara veut la Lune by Alain Chamfort.On 27 June 2012, Alizée announced on live chat that the first single, À cause de l'automne from the new album was to be released 28 June 2012. She also revealed that for the new album she was working with Jean-Jacques Goldman, BB Brunes and Thomas Boulard were also working on the album, The first music video was shot on 15 July 2012 and was released on 5 December 2012. The video features Alizée exploring the themes of autumn (i.e playing with autumn leaves and umbrellas). The first performance of the single was on RFM radio on 21 December 2012 where she sang the song in a live broadcast. It charted at 131 on the French Singles Chart. The album was yet again delayed to Spring 2013. In January, she revealed the artwork and name for the album, which is named 5. The album incorporates dance-pop,rock and ballads. This was her first album to not chart in the French Album Chart.
In 2014, following the success of her appearance (and win) on popular French tv show Danse avec les stars , she released her sixth studio album, Blonde on 23 June 2014. The single Blonde was released months earlier on 18 March 2014. The song peaked at No.63 while the album peaked at No.20. It was considered a commercial failure.
Alizée now owns a dance studio in Ajaccio, Corsica with her now-husband Grégoire Lyonnet and welcomed a baby girl called Maggy Lyonnet on 24 November 2019.
Lui Ou Toi
Alizée Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quand il m'abandonne
Toute la vie
Est loin
Où est "LUI"
J'aime sa voix d'homme
Sans lui "IL" n'est rien
"Lui" est plus vieux
Je porte son pull marine
L'eau de ses yeux
Est bleue, d'un bleue des mers de chine
"IL" est mystérieux
Dans sa stratosphère
Entre les deux, je voulais
Les deux
J'ai dans le cœur comme un poids
Dans la gorge comme une épine
De n'avoir fait le choix
"LUI" ou "TOI"
Les fenêtres sont en bois
Et ce plus assassines
Qui coulent au fond de moi
"LUI" ou "TOI"
Où est "IL"?
Quand il n'why a personne
Toute la ville s'éteint
"TOI" et "LUI"
Mes deux moitiés d'homme
Sans eux je n'
Suis rien
"LUI" est si fort
Je ris quand il s'ennuie
Quand il a tort
Là, je l'aime encore, il dit
Qu' "IL", est amoureux
Comme l'eau aime la vague
Moi, sans les deux, j'ai do vague
A l'âme
J'ai dans le cœur comme un poids
Des larmes d'encre de chine
Qui me montrent do doigt
"LUI" ou "TOI"
Retrouver au fond de moi
Des rondes enfantines
Mais les chevaux de bois
Sont froids
The lyrics to Alizée's song "Lui ou toi" explore the singer's struggle to choose between two men. The song opens with her wondering where "he" ("IL") is when he leaves her and how her entire life becomes distant in his absence. She contrasts this with "him" ("LUI"), whose deep voice is a significant part of her life, suggesting that without "LUI," "IL" is nothing. The singer then describes the two men, with "LUI" being older and her wearing his navy sweater. She also comments on the color of his eyes, which reminds her of the blue sea. In contrast, "IL" is mysterious and seems to exist in his own world, separated from her.
Even as she describes the two men, the singer is unable to make a choice: "Between the two, I wanted both." The weight of not deciding affects her, and she feels a heaviness in her heart and a pain in her throat. She sings about the wooden windows and how they become more deadly as they represent the agony of her decision. She realizes she must choose between "LUI" and "TOI" (you) but is torn between the two. Even as she thinks about the decision, she cannot find any comfort, and everything feels cold, like "les chevaux de bois" (wooden horses).
The lyrics are powerful and demonstrate the intense emotional confusion that can arise when presented with difficult choices. The singer is passionate about both her lovers but knows that she can only choose one. The song's title, "Lui ou toi" (Him or You) refers to the dilemma of choosing between two people but also leaves room for the interpretation that the choice could be between two versions of oneself. The uncertainty of which path to take, and the realization that making a decision means accepting the loss of something beautiful, is a common theme in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Où est "IL"
Where is "he"
Quand il m'abandonne
When he abandons me
Toute la vie
All of life
Est loin
Seems distant
Où est "LUI"
Where is "him"
J'aime sa voix d'homme
I love his manly voice
Sans lui "IL" n'est rien
Without "him", "he" is nothing
"Lui" est plus vieux
"Him" is older
Je porte son pull marine
I wear his navy sweater
L'eau de ses yeux
The water in his eyes
Est bleue, d'un bleu des mers de chine
Is blue, the blue of the seas of China
"IL" est mystérieux
"He" is mysterious
Dans sa stratosphère
In his stratosphere
Entre les deux, je voulais
Between the two, I wanted
Les deux
Both
J'ai dans le cœur comme un poids
I have a weight on my heart
Dans la gorge comme une épine
In my throat like a thorn
De n'avoir fait le choix
Of not having made the choice
"LUI" ou "TOI"
"Him" or "you"
Les fenêtres sont en bois
The windows are made of wood
Et ce plus assassines
And they are more deadly
Qui coulent au fond de moi
That flow deep inside of me
"LUI" ou "TOI"
"Him" or "you"
Où est "IL"?
Where is "he"?
Quand il n'y a personne
When there's nobody there
Toute la ville s'éteint
The whole city goes dark
"TOI" et "LUI"
"You" and "him"
Mes deux moitiés d'homme
My two halves of a man
Sans eux je n'
Without them I
Suis rien
Am nothing
"LUI" est si fort
"Him" is so strong
Je ris quand il s'ennuie
I laugh when he's bored
Quand il a tort
When he's wrong
Là, je l'aime encore, il dit
There, I still love him, he says
Qu' "IL", est amoureux
That "he" is in love
Comme l'eau aime la vague
Like water loves the wave
Moi, sans les deux, j'ai do vague
Me, without both, I have a void
A l'âme
In my soul
J'ai dans le cœur comme un poids
I have a weight on my heart
Des larmes d'encre de chine
Black ink tears
Qui me montrent do doigt
That point a finger at me
"LUI" ou "TOI"
"Him" or "you"
Retrouver au fond de moi
To find deep within me
Des rondes enfantines
Childish circles
Mais les chevaux de bois
But the carousel horses
Sont froids
Are cold
Lyrics © LES EDITIONS DU 22 DECEMBRE
Written by: MYLENE JEANNE GAUTIER, LAURENT PIERRE MARIE BOUTONNAT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@grammy9230
Comme l'oiseau s'efforcer dans les hauteurs célestes,
Alors que les rivières se pressaient vers les océans.
L'étoile d'Alizée est plus brillante que le soleil enflamme,
Et avec la chanson survoler tous les pays !!!
Nikolas Rogushin
Как птица стремится в небесную высь,
Как реки спешат к океанам.
Звезда Ализее ярче солнца зажгись,
И с песней лети по всем странам!!!
Николай Рогушин
@grammy9230
The songs of the Angels above the throne,
About the love to a big star.
Again with a magic microphone
Forever young Alizee !!!
Nikolay Rogushin
Песни Ангелов над троном,
О любви к большой звезде.
Вновь с волшебным микрофоном
Вечно молодая Ализее!!!
Николай Рогушин
@grammy9230
Blooms brillante génie dans votre beauté,
Il présente la délivrance et la joie!
Aux yeux de ton brun doré, Alizée,
Le chant du vent et de la douceur printanière !!!
Nikolas Rogushin
Цветёт яркий гений в твоей красоте,
Он дарит спасенье и радость!
В очах златокарих твоих, Ализее,
Песнь ветра и вешняя сладость!!!
Николай Рогушин
@grammy9230
Déesse du bonheur magique
Brillante beauté à l'aube.
Dans la brillance de l'oeil, les ombres du mauvais temps se fondent,
Et son nom est une brise de paradis - Alizee !!!
Nikolas Rogushin
Богиня волшебного счастья
Блестит красотою в заре.
В сиянии глаз тают тени ненастья,
А имя её райский бриз - Ализее!!!
Николай Рогушин
@grammy9230
Survole le souffle du printemps,
Alizee, sur les ailes de mai.
Dans l'univers des diamants
Musique d'amour rayonnante !!!
Nikolas Rogushin
Вознесись в весны дыханьи,
Ализее, на крыльях мая.
В бриллиантах мирозданья
Музыкой Любви сияя !!!
Николай Рогушин
@grammy9230
The days in the rays sing hymns to beauty
The fairies flew to visit Alizee!
Butterflies flit, sakura bloom -
Young stars will soon sing !!!
Nikolay Rogushin
Дни в лучах запели гимны красоте,
Феи прилетели в гости к Ализее!
Бабочки порхают, сакуры цветут -
Звёзды молодые скоро запоют!!!
Николай Рогушин
@grammy9230
Oublié les montagnes et les châtaignes,
Et toute ma vie je n'ai chanté que pour le rêve.
Mais les étoiles et les tulipes ressuscitées,
À l'heure , quand j'ai entendu Alizee !!!
Nikolas Rogushin
Позабыл про горы и каштаны,
И всю жизнь я пел лишь о мечте.
Но воскресли звёзды и тюльпаны,
В час, когда услышал Ализее!!!
Николай Рогушин
@grammy9230
Tu es la joie de la vue, de l'ouïe et de l'âme
Et tissé à partir d'arômes délicats!
Et ta chanson est à propos de les femmes, Alizée,
Dans la prière, belle et sainte !!!
Nikolas Rogushin
Ты радость зренью, слуху и Душе,
И соткана из нежных ароматов!
А песнь твоя за женщин, Ализее,
Молитвенно прекрасная и свята!!!
Николай Рогушин
@grammy9230
Son chanson vole, comme une flèche
Cupidon, pour des rêves de bonheur.
Pour Terre donné la frégate Alizée
Avec des espoirs de perles voiles.
Nikolas Rogushin
Летит её песня, подобно стреле
Амура, за счастья мечтами.
Земле подарила фрегат Ализее
С жемчужных надежд парусами.
Николай Рогушин
@adis1903
Où est 'IL'
Quand il m' abandonne
Toute la vie
Est loin
Où est 'LUI'
J' aime sa voix d' homme
Sans lui 'IL' n' est rien
'Lui' est plus vieux
Je porte son pull marine
L' eau de ses yeux
Est bleue, d' un blue des mers de Chine
'IL' est mystérieux
Dans sa stratosphère
Entre les deux, je voulais
Les deux
Chorus
J' ai dans le coeur comme un poids
Dans la gorge une épine
De n' avoir fait le choix
'LUI' ou 'TOI'
Les fenêtres sont en bois
Et ces pluies assassines
Qui coulent au fond de moi
'LUI' ou 'TOI'
Où est 'IL'?
Quand il n' y personne
Toute la ville s' éteint
'TOI' et 'LUI'
Mes deux moitiés d' homme
Sans eux je n'
Suis rien
'LUI' est si fort
Je ris quand il s' ennuis
Quand il a tort
Là, je l' aime mieux encore, il dit:
Qu' 'IL', est amoureux
Comme l' eau aime la vague
Moi, sans les deux, j' ai du vague
A l' âme
J' ai dans le coeur comme un poids
Des larmes d' encre de chine
Qui me montrent du doigt
'LUI' ou 'TOI'
Retrouver au fond de moi
Des rondes enfantines
Mais les chevaux de bois
Sont froids
@abelfernandez3732
this album is sublime, the atmosphere is great, warm and soft, like a quiet spring afternoon
@newkindage
Wow thats a great way to describe it!
@hervequintard4658
Sublime ET transcendant merci à toi
@dasreichderottomanen3099
Because Laurent Boutonnat, best french composer
@robertomarioprietoprieto2071
Peu importe le message de la chanson, ce qui inspire est la douceur et la tendresse de la voix d’Alizée.
@ninonmota2318
Cette musique a bercé mon enfance et berce encore mon coeur quand je l'ecoute.. 😍
@milamia4821
Alizee beautiful, прекрасное исполнение очень трогательное! Merci! Super! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹💋💋💋👍
@cynicthehedgehog385
Took me a while to start liking this one, but it grew on me.
@emilychabas2682
Ma alizee mon enfance 😍
@Daisy-pl8gj
Moi aussi