Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Que Dieu me pardonne

The local favorite Youtuber Bilal Hassani won the French national final Destination Eurovision 2019 with his Roi , a song co-written by last year's winners Madame Monsieur . The international juries weren't that impressed placing it only 5th. And for a reason. The song has its moments but the problem is Bilal himself. The character will keep average European voters guessing is it a boy or a girl even if it shouldn't matter in 2019, and the rest of us will be only listening if and when his voice breaks and will he make it to the end of the song. The French delegation better think a proper back up for him in form of backing singers and rethink the whole staging again as how it is, it isn't good. Shame. International juries preferred Seemone's French ballad filled with fragile emotion and Silvàn Areg's French cabaret and even Emmanuel Moire's and Chimène Badi's more radio friendly pop tunes. But televotes changed it all.... Time will tell how wise th...

France's Destination Eurovision is again one of the best national finals with lots to offer in terms of today's radio hits and modern music yet having a clear French sound and enough variety to make it very interesting. Corsican makes a comeback as a possible Eurovision language with Battista  Acquaviva. After three liveshows two semifinals will follow with nine eantries each, four of them advancing to the final after 50-50 televote-international jury. Among songwriters we have last year's Madame Monsier for Bilal Hassani and Alma of 2017 for Naestro, who is my front runner with Emmanuel Moire who I have wanted for Eurovision for years, sadly his song isn't as strong as I'd want it to be. Below is my first hearing ranking. Sadly, most my favorites are in the first semi-final.... Update 1: The first semi-final gave rather surprising results, and my faves are already out. On the other hand the night deliveres a lot of weak vocals and uninspired performances to...

Better late than never is the case of Masoe who has released a video for his Paradis . The song was one of my favorites in the Destination Eurovision 2018 for France (same concept is coming also for 2019 btw) but didn't quite impress in the semifinal placing only 7th out of nine. There's something about it I liked since the first hearing.... especially the chorus and his falsetto voice. It's all very French somehow. Love it. Hopefully he tries again in 2019!

Who is Mercy? Read her story here What is the best way to overcome jetlag but watch some Eurovision? The French final took place last night and took quite a long time but was rather entertaining show anyways as far as I can recall while dozing off a few times ;-p  Each of the finalists performed twice, first with a guest star and then their entry. In the end the international jurors gave out their points before the televoters votes were added, and the voting did keeep up the drama til the end. The international jurors votes went all over the place but in the end Madame Monsieur scored big with the televoters and jumped from the juries 3rd place to a win. Worth noting is Eurovision General Christer Björkman gave them only 2 points underlining what I was thinking myself: Mercy is a lovely atmospheric song, very chich and elegant, very French and I do like it a lot but.... will European televoters get it or will it be lost in the crowd? My guess is it will do a lot poore...

  After two succesful years with Amir and Alma France seems to have found their lost Eurovision identity again, and this year's choice for a national final could have gone so wrong after those two internally selected and hand picked by the new Head of Delegation Edoardo Grassi, mais non! This is propably one of the strongest national final selections this year. This blogger would be ready to send to Lisbon 7-9 of these based on the snippets alone ( click the titles below ), and I would kick out only three of them at this point. Of course, we haven't yet heard the whole songs nor seen the staging and the artists ability to sing live and look good on telly while doing it but.....  At this point my top contenders are Masoe and Nassi, both delivering a song that sounds what French hit music is right now in my ears.  Well done, France! Maybe Marie Myriam, guest of honor in Destination Eurovision will finally see someone take off her crown as the reigning French Eur...

France is having a national final again after 2014's disaster but compared to that year's small scale affair this time it'stwo semifinals and grand final. Today, apparently accidently a promo for the shows was put online revealing 12 of the 18 acts, then withdrawn and instead only one of the acts was confirmed with a presentation and a teaser video. The name, Malò , is on the list previously published, plus all the names are easily found online, so...? This blogger notices immediately Luc Arbogast... And who are the other six? Updates : June the Girl has been also confirmed. As is Louka . And Igit . And Emmy . And the first one outside the list: Madame Monsier . Next one's from the list: Sweem . Then again a name outside the list: Noée . Third name off the list: Pheno Men . Lucie (Vagenheim) is the fourth name outside the list. Back to the list with Enéa . And then again a surprise. Sarah Caillibot . Masoe is the 6th name off the list. The rest should be on the l...