"Moi... Lolita" is a song by French singerAlizée, released as her debut single and the first from her debut studio album, Gourmandises. The single topped the charts in Italy and Spain, while reaching the top five in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Background
In 1999, Alizée appeared on the M6 channel's talent showGraines 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". 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
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.
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
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 the number-three position. The song was certified gold two months after its release by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. In total, the song sold over 1,282,000 units, becoming the 31st best-selling song in France. 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.
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 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.
Uses in the media
The song was used in Ridley Scott's film A Good Year in both the trailer and in the film.
