Moi... Lolita

"Moi... Lolita" (English: "Me... Lolita") is a song by French pop singer Alizée, released in 4 July 2000 from her debut studio album, Gourmandises (2000), through the label Polydor. The song was written by Mylene Farmer, and production was managed by Laurent Boutonnat and Farmer as well. Lyrically, the song plays with themes of youth, seduction, innocence, and rebellion, all wrapped in a mysterious and dreamy tone.

Released as the debut single from her debut album "Gourmandises", it was a record-breaker throughout her native France and all of Europe, establishing her image and becoming known as the "Lolita Girl". Upon release, the single was met with positive reviews, complimenting the production of the song and the mixing of vocals. Recording sessions took place in Studio Guillaume Tell, located in Suresnes.

The single was certified gold by Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique for exceeding sales of up to 1 million copies, just within two months of release. The single also gained attention elsewhere in Europe; in Switzerland, the single was certified platinum for sales of 50,000 by International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. In the Netherlands, the single was certified gold for sales of 40,000, certified by the NVPI. Reaching number 1 on the charts of three countries (Italy, Poland, and Spain), it entered the charts of 11 total countries, making it one of the best selling singles in contemporary French music history.

Background and composition

In 1999, Alizée appeared on the M6 channel's talent show Graines de star. Initially she 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" by Jennifer Lopez and "Ma Prière" (a single released by Axelle Red in 1997). She went on to win the Meilleure Graine award for most promising young singing star of tomorrow. Her winning performance was seen by Mylène Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat, 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 song was instrumental in showcasing Alizée's image as that of a seductive Lolita character, referring to the 1955 novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. The lyrics to the song also make several references to the songwriter, Mylène Farmer. Recording sessions took place in Studio Guillaume Tell, located in Suresnes. The song is played and composed in B minor, with a tempo of 108 beats per minute.

Critical reception

Peter Robinson from NME highly acclaimed the song, stated: "It's pop as pop should be: the perfect marriage of innocence and experience of which the French, from Birkin to Paradis, have always seemed overwhelmingly capable. All this plus it has one of the most electrifying middle eights ever committed to record."

Commercial performance

In France, "Moi... Lolita" peaked at number two for 13 nonconsecutive weeks on the SNEP Singles Chart, being unable to dislodge "Les Rois du monde" by Gregori Baquet, Damien Sargue and Philippe D'Avilan from the number-one spot. It stayed in the top five for 24 consecutive weeks, and when Alizée's following single, "L'Alizé", reached number one, "Moi... Lolita" was still at number three. The song was certified gold two months after its release by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). In the United Kingdom the song was acclaimed by the NME who recognised it with a "Single of the Week" award. It became a rare example of a foreign-language song to chart highly in the UK, peaking at number nine on the UK Singles Chart to become the highest-charting French-language song since 1995, when Celine Dion's "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" peaked at number seven.

Music video

The video for the single was directed by Laurent Boutonnat and was first premiered on 26 July 2000 on M6. It shows Alizée in a nightclub dancing and having fun. In the first part of the video Alizée is running away from a man who professes his love for her and gives her a money bill when she asks for it. Later, she flees from her abusive mother, with her little sister, to a nightclub and starts to dance. The video ends with Alizée and the little girl leaving and the man from the beginning following them.