Moi... Lolita

"Moi... Lolita"
Single by Alizée
from the album Gourmandises
Released	4 July 2000
Format	CD single, CD maxi
Genre	French pop, electronica
Length	4:26
Label	Universal, Polydor
Writer(s)	Lyrics: Mylène Farmer Music: Laurent Boutonnat
Producer(s)	Laurent Boutonnat Mylène Farmer
Alizée singles chronology
"Moi... Lolita" (2000) "L'Alizé" (2000)

"Moi... Lolita" (English: "Me... Lolita") is a song by French singer Alizée, which was released as her debut single and the first from her debut album Gourmandises (2000) when she was 15. It was popular in France, Spain, Belgium, Georgia, Austria, the Netherlands, Israel, Lebanon, Ukraine, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia, Greece, Italy, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom and many other countries.^[1]

Background

In 1999, she 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 veteran songwriters 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.

Composition

	"Moi... Lolita" "Moi... Lolita
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The song was instrumental in showcasing Alizée's image as that of a seductive Lolita character, referring to the novel by Vladimir Nabokov.

The lyrics to the song also make several references to the songwriter, Mylène Farmer.^[2]

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."^[3]

Music video

The video for the single was directed by Laurent Boutonnat and was first aired on July 26 of 2000 on M6.

The video is about 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 money. Later, she goes with her little sister (in the video) 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.

The video for the single, which was the first to be filmed of her, showed Alizée as a village girl visiting a nightclub.

Chart performances

The song peaked at number two in France, and stayed in the top five for 24 consecutive weeks, held off from the top position by "Les Rois du monde" by Gregori Baquet, Damien Sargue and Philippe D'Avila. When her following single "L'Alizé" reached number one, "Moi... Lolita" was still at a number-three position. The song was certified gold two months after its release by SNEP.^[4] In total, the song sold over 1,282,000 units, becoming the 31st best-selling song in France.

In the UK the song was acclaimed by the New Musical Express 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.

Uses in the media

• The song was used in Ridley Scott's film A Good Year in both the trailer and in the film.

Track listings

CD single - France

1. "Moi... Lolita" (single version)
2. "Moi... Lolita" (the piano version)

CD single - UK

1. "Moi... Lolita" (single version) — 4:16
2. "Moi... Lolita" (Lola extended remix) — 6:30
3. "Moi... Lolita" (illicit full vocal mix) — 8:05
4. "Moi... Lolita" (CD rom video) — 4:50

CD maxi - Germany

1. "Moi... Lolita" (radio edit) — 3:40
2. "Moi... Lolita" (single version) — 4:16
3. "Moi... Lolita" (Lola extended remix) — 6:30
4. "Moi... Lolita" (hello helli t'es a dance mix) — 5:50
5. "Moi... Lolita" (Lolidub remix) — 3:45
6. "Moi... Lolita" (the piano version) — 4:20

Charts and sales

Peak positions Chart (2000 - 2001) Peak Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[5] 5 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 4 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[6] 2 France (SNEP)[6] 2 Germany (Media Control Charts)[7] 5 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[8] 15 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 2 Poland (Polish AirPlay Chart)[10] 1 Romania (Billboard Romanian Top 100)[11] 56 Russia (TopHit Chart)[12] 1 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[10] 1 Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)[6] 11 United Kingdom (Official Charts Company)[13] 9 Chart (2002) Peak Position Austria (Ö3 Top 40)[6] 5 Denmark (Tracklisten)[6] 9 Italy (FIMI) [6] 1 Taiwan (Hit Fm Top 100)[6] 3 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[6] 52

End of year charts End of year chart (2000) Position Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[14] 6 French Singles Chart[15] 3 Swiss Singles Chart[16] 28 End of year chart (2001) Position Austrian Singles Chart[17] 66 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[18] 16 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[19] 96 Dutch Top 40[9] 6 French Singles Chart[20] 54 Swiss Singles Chart[21] 82 End of year chart (2002) Position Austrian Singles Chart[22] 34 Certifications Region Certification Certified units/Sales France (SNEP)[4] Gold 1,282,000[23] Netherlands (NVPI)[24] Gold 40,000^^ Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[25] Platinum 50,000^^ ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. "ALIZÉE - MOI... LOLITA (CHANSON)". Lescharts.com. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
3. Robinson, Peter (November 26, 2014). "Alizee : Moi… Lolita". NME. Time Inc. Retrieved September 12, 2005.
4. "French single certifications – Alizée – Moi... Lolita" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
5. ""Moi... Lolita", in various singles charts". Top40-charts. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
6. ""Moi... Lolita", in various singles charts". Lescharts. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
7. "Alizée singles, German Singles Chart" (in German). musicline. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
8. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
9. "Single top 100 over 2001" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
10. "ALIZÉE - MOI... LOLITA (SONG)". Spanishcharts.com. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
12. ", TOPHIT.RU". Tophit.ru. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
13. ""Moi... Lolita", UK Singles Chart". Chartstats. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
14. "2000 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Archived from the original on 17 April 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
15. "2000 French Singles Chart" (in French). SNEP. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
16. "2000 Swiss Singles Chart" (in German). Swisscharts. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
17. "2001 Austrian Singles Chart" (in German). Austriancharts. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
18. "2001 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
19. "2001 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
20. "2001 French Singles Chart" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
21. "2001 Swiss Singles Chart" (in German). Swisscharts. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
22. "2002 Austrian Singles Chart" (in German). Austriancharts. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
23. "Les Meilleures Ventes Tout Temps de 45 T. / Singles". InfoDisc. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
24. "Dutch single certifications – Alizée – Moi... Lolita" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers.
25. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Alizée)". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.