France FRANCE 2021 - Barbara Pravi - Voilà

[escYOUnited]

Écoutez moi
Moi la chanteuse à demi
Parlez de moi
À vos amours, à vos amis
Parler leur de cette fille aux yeux noirs et de son rêve fou
Moi c'que j'veux c'est écrire des histoires qui arrivent jusqu'à vous
C'est tout

Voilà, voilà, voilà, voilà qui je suis
Me voilà même si mise à nue j'ai peur, oui
Me voilà dans le bruit et dans le silence

Regardez moi, ou du moins ce qu'il en reste
Regardez moi, avant que je me déteste
Quoi vous dire, que les lèvres d'une autre ne vous diront pas
C'est peu de chose mais moi tout ce que j'ai je le dépose là, voilà

Voilà, voilà, voilà, voilà qui je suis
Me voilà même si mise à nue c'est fini
C'est ma gueule c'est mon cri, me voilà tant pis
Voilà, voilà, voilà, voilà juste ici
Moi mon rêve mon envie, comme j'en crève comme j'en ris
Me voilà dans le bruit et dans le silence

Ne partez pas, j'vous en supplie restez longtemps
Ça m'sauvera peut-être pas, non
Mais faire sans vous j'sais pas comment
Aimez moi comme on aime un ami qui s'en va pour toujours
J'veux qu'on m'aime parce que moi je sais pas bien aimer mes contours

Voilà, voilà, voilà, voilà qui je suis
Me voilà même si mise à nue c'est fini
Me voilà dans le bruit et dans la fureur aussi
Regardez moi enfin et mes yeux et mes mains
Tout c'que j'ai est ici, c'est ma gueule c'est mon cri
Me voilà, me voilà, me voilà
Voilà, voilà, voilà, voilà
Voilà​

 

[popavapeur]

A top 5 is likely a top 10 is imho a lock but a win.. wouldn't put that foot too much forward.

 

[QwaarJet]

A top 5 is likely a top 10 is imho a lock but a win.. wouldn't put that foot too much forward.

Why not? You have everything you need to win.

 

[Ana Raquel]

Serious songs, which of course doesn't necessarily mean conservative nor "bland".

Zitti e Buoni, Voilà, Tout l'Univers - all could be a great step in this direction. So were APD and Arcade (even though I had Arcade in my personal bottom 5 in 2019). So would've been for example Lie to Me or Soldi. On the other hand I Don't Feel Hate (as much as I personally like it), Russian Woman or Toy... Nope. Sorry, but nope.

Sis??????????????

 

[John1]

Why not? You have everything you need to win.

he's still in shock of our 2016-2018's stagings and our disappointing results, that's why.

A top 5 is likely a top 10 is imho a lock but a win.. wouldn't put that foot too much forward.

Ukraine, Portugal, Israel and NL (even more for the latter lmao) didn't even dare to believe in a win. We'll win and i'm totally here for it

 

[HayashiM]

Sis??????????????

Yeah?

No, I don't think Russian Woman would've been a good Eurovision winner either. I can enjoy it in the right mood. I respect its message, I respect how great job they did with the staging, I like Manizha's personality and I am very sorry about how she got treated in her own country.

But if we only speak of the song, it still remains an unbaked cake made under pressure from ingredients at hand, that only afterwards got some really nice garnishing and whipped cream, and every skilled composer will recognise it for exactly that. Given the circumstances of its creation, it is admirable. But it still is a song that when shown as the great ESC winner would only perpetuate the image of ESC as of something overly silly that is not to be taken seriously by 80% of professional musicians.

Many if not most ESC-fans are probably ok with such image, and would possibly outright crave for the 2000's to be back. I would very much prefer continuing a tiny bit more in the other direction towards fun yet still professional and serious (which is for instance how Zitti e Buoni is done, one might not like its genre, but it is fun and extremely professional at the same time), so people in my country don't take me for a mentally impaired at the mere mention of Eurovision being my hobby.

I wouldn't hesitate a second to show Voilà, Tout l'Univers or Zitti e Buoni to any of my friends, musicians or not. But I wouldn't be so sure about Russian Woman (or I Don't Feel Hate and quite a few others).

 

[A-lister]

I think the competition actually does keep the momentum, even though few winners become real international hits. But like you I love it when I hear Eurovision music on other platforms; radio, cover-versions, etc. And it would be great to see and hear more of that. But I am not willing to make changes to the ESC format to achieve that.

It's true that this is supposed to be a song competition. Originally it was. But we all know that the winner not only depends on the song, but it depends hugely on the "wow-factor" it is able to create on stage on the night of the final.
Another thing; how well a given entry does will depend on the other entries that same year. In a year of ballads a real banger has the chance to shine, while (for example in a year like this) votes may be split between the bangers.
The winning artist normally also have to have (fairly) good vocals these days.

I think these are some reasons that it's not necessarily the most radio-friendly entry that wins. Or the one with the most potential of becoming an international hit.
I can take a look at myself. I have had favourites that have fallen flat on the night of the final - and even kept me from voting.
Amar Pelos Dois was highly relevant - simply because on the night of the final Sobral managed to get the most people to vote for him and his song.
If Barbara walks away with the trophy this year I find that highly relevant - for the same reason.

I'm not really proposing a change to the format really, nor that Eurovision should be a place to "hunt for radio hits". I believe Eurovision is such a big platform in itself that with the right promotion it could even create trends/hits and doesn't really have to follow them, but with that said a classical chanson or bossanova jazz isn't going to have much life outside of the contest let's be real (regardless if we like them or not).

It's not about killing diversity, I love the diversity in Eurovision and want it to be even more diverse if possible, but there is a discrepancy between how much people it reaches and how little impact it actually has on music outside of the format, I mean if entering Eurovision means that you will be lost and forgotten as an artist or even be considering "risking your career", then yes one can question the credibility of the concept.

 

[A-lister]

Yeah?

No, I don't think Russian Woman would've been a good Eurovision winner either. I can enjoy it in the right mood. I respect its message, I respect how great job they did with the staging, I like Manizha's personality and I am very sorry about how she got treated in her own country.

But if we only speak of the song, it still remains an unbaked cake made under pressure from ingredients at hand, that only afterwards got some really nice garnishing and whipped cream, and every skilled composer will recognise it for exactly that. Given the circumstances of its creation, it is admirable. But it still is a song that when shown as the great ESC winner would only perpetuate the image of ESC as of something overly silly that is not to be taken seriously by 80% of professional musicians.

Many if not most ESC-fans are probably ok with such image, and would possibly outright crave for the 2000's to be back. I would very much prefer continuing a tiny bit more in the other direction towards fun yet still professional and serious (which is for instance how Zitti e Buoni is done, one might not like its genre, but it is fun and extremely professional at the same time), so people in my country don't take me for a mentally impaired at the mere mention of Eurovision being my hobby.

I wouldn't hesitate a second to show Voilà, Tout l'Univers or Zitti e Buoni to any of my friends, musicians or not. But I wouldn't be so sure about Russian Woman (or I Don't Feel Hate and quite a few others).

The fact that you put an actual competent track like "Russian Woman" (given the timeframe she had to work with) next to an obvious joke track as "I Don't Feel Hate" is a choice.

With all due respect, but I think you simply don't like "fun" music. You disregard dance music as "jokes" (even though a song like "Toy" for instance is one of the very few Eurovision songs I've actually heard played in a club or on radio), and I really wouldn't put "fun" and "joke" in the same basket. I think we can agree that music is for different purposes, but if you're at a party or in a club, you'll most probably hear dance music rather than something like the Italian song this year, simply because fun, upbeat, catchy and easy-to-the-ear is what alot of people want in those circumstances, it's simply a question of demand and supply. I really like the Italian entry this year and think it would be a good fresh winner for Eurovision, don't get me wrong, but fun? Questionable description.

Quirky and tongue-in-cheek doesn't mean unprofessional, and I disagree with you, a classic chanson in 2021 is probably less credible as a winner than a song like "Toy" that actually was played somewhere outside of the contest. If credibility for you is what a little group of let's call 'em "music snobs" for lack of better words think is "quality or not quality" then sure, but in the larger scale of things, music is an industry and maybe you think this group are "music professionals", but I'd say music professionals are people who work in the industry and knows what works with the public and what doesn't. We can argue back and forth about if a song like "Voilà" is more "quality" than a song like "Toy", but in the end of the day is the latter type of song that has some chance of surviving outside of the Eurovision bubble (personal taste aside).

Now, Italy this year is interesting, because I think it is a song that can manage to satisfy both music "snobs" and the market (not a club banger, but could work with a remix and also perhaps on radio), just like "Soldi" managed to do, and in that sense it would indeed be a great winner because it's a win-win and both camps will be happy I'd reckon (except for people who are too conservative). "Voilà" however will remain a Eurovision-bubble song, regardless how good it might be, so how will a song that has no chance of cross-over to "the real world" outside of the bubble and is simply dead on arrival in that sense a winner that would help the credibility of the contest? Again, demand and supply, there is no major demand for something like this, and it's not the type of entry that can help set trends either I'm afraid.

 

[HayashiM]

The fact that you put an actual competent track like "Russian Woman" (given the timeframe she had to work with) next to an obvious joke track as "I Don't Feel Hate" is a choice.

With all due respect, but I think you simply don't like "fun" music. You disregard dance music as "jokes" (even though a song like "Toy" for instance is one of the very few Eurovision songs I've actually heard played in a club or on radio), and I really wouldn't put "fun" and "joke" in the same basket. I think we can agree that music is for different purposes, but if you're at a party or in a club, you'll most probably hear dance music rather than something like the Italian song this year, simply because fun, upbeat, catchy and easy-to-the-ear is what alot of people want in those circumstances, it's simply a question of demand and supply. I really like the Italian entry this year and think it would be a good fresh winner for Eurovision, don't get me wrong, but fun? Questionable description.

Quirky and tongue-in-cheek doesn't mean unprofessional, and I disagree with you, a classic chanson in 2021 is probably less credible as a winner than a song like "Toy" that actually was played somewhere outside of the contest. If credibility for you is what a little group of let's call 'em "music snobs" for lack of better words think is "quality or not quality" then sure, but in the larger scale of things, music is an industry and maybe you think this group are "music professionals", but I'd say music professionals are people who work in the industry and knows what works with the public and what doesn't. We can argue back and forth about if a song like "Voilà" is more "quality" than a song like "Toy", but in the end of the day is the latter type of song that has some chance of surviving outside of the Eurovision bubble (personal taste aside).

Now, Italy this year is interesting, because I think it is a song that can manage to satisfy both music "snobs" and the market (not a club banger, but could work with a remix and also perhaps on radio), just like "Soldi" managed to do, and in that sense it would indeed be a great winner because it's a win-win and both camps will be happy I'd reckon (except for people who are too conservative). "Voilà" however will remain a Eurovision-bubble song, regardless how good it might be, so how will a song that has no chance of cross-over to "the real world" outside of the bubble and is simply dead on arrival in that sense a winner that would help the credibility of the contest? Again, demand and supply, there is no major demand for something like this, and it's not the type of entry that can help set trends either I'm afraid.

Fuego was in my 2018 top10 before the rehearsals even started. So was She Got Me in 2019, Hasta la Vista and Chains on You last year and so is Adrenalina this year. La Venda was my joint n°1. I am still not over Cicciolina losing to Aksel (though yes, the bears were perhaps a tad bit too much). I could dive deeper in history and you could perhaps argue some of these aren't 100% dance tracks or "my definition of fun" for some people, but I believe I have made my point.

What you've heard outside of the contest still varies based on your own bubble - the country you're in, the radio you listen to, the type of club you go to. For me, besides all of the obvious Czech entries, it would be Euphoria, Fairytale, Horehronie, Fuego, My Last Breath, and Amar Pelos Dois. However, what you or I have heard somewhere is statistically irrelevant. If you do your research, you'll learn that Amar Pelos Dois surprisingly charted in more countries and in higher places than Toy or Fuego did (and none of the three can remotely compare to Arcade). So, no, success of Eurovision winners outside of the contest doesn't depend on them being uptempo/fun or retro/modern. I would even be willing to make a bet that in case it wins, Voilà will at least replicate Toy's chart success. I don't agree with your premise that Toy can live outside of the bubble while Voilà can't, amongst other things I think you don't take the entire demographics and all types of radio stations into account.

But I don't really care or speak all that much about Eurovision winner's charting. I care about respect for the contest, and no, I don't talk about "snobs" only, as much as the bubble might think like that about others. I truly speak about most musicians and the general public. Sweden is a Melfestland and as I gather, the Melfest final is a borderline national holiday for you, just like the world ice-hockey championships finals is for us in . Yet the situation in other countries is very different. In , the attitude towards Eurovision of the average Joe is that it's pure garbage. But don't take my word for it, just ask our friends, how is their general public's attitude. Or yet even better, go and google some discussions about Eurovision for instance on quora.

You might want Eurovision to start trends, I think it first needs to gain more respect, and no, I don't write that from a snobbish point of view, at least I really don't think so. Its winners charting here or there won't solve anything - one of our largest radios won't even play eurovision songs, just because, you know, they are from Eurovision . What could greatly help that respect to grow would be if the said winner didn't make chicken sounds as a part of her performance (I know there's meaning behind those in Toy, however a random listener doesn't). I have acknowledged Manizha's work in the limited timeframe for writing her song in my previous post already, but those circumstances aren't an argument. They don't change anything about the song's nature - a random listener doesn't know about that timeframe and won't exactly see the staging that greatly saves Russia's ass. They will just hear a mess, which also mostly was the original reception here until the staging popped out - Russia hasn't really performed all that well in the ranking game, mostly placing between 20 - 25th spot until recently.

The winner can be a ballad, a dance track, powermetal entry, rap entry or anything whatsoever, I'd just be glad if it didn't sound like a joke - a joke not as perceived by me, or you, or a snobby member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, but as perceived by common people who might have never even heard of Eurovision.

 

[A-lister]

Fuego was in my 2018 top10 before the rehearsals even started. So was She Got Me in 2019, Hasta la Vista and Chains on You last year and so is Adrenalina this year. La Venda was my joint n°1. I am still not over Cicciolina losing to Aksel (though yes, the bears were perhaps a tad bit too much). I could dive deeper in history and you could perhaps argue some of these aren't 100% dance tracks or "my definition of fun" for some people, but I believe I have made my point.

What you've heard outside of the contest still varies based on your own bubble - the country you're in, the radio you listen to, the type of club you go to. For me, besides all of the obvious Czech entries, it would be Euphoria, Fairytale, Horehronie, Fuego, My Last Breath, and Amar Pelos Dois. However, what you or I have heard somewhere is statistically irrelevant. If you do your research, you'll learn that Amar Pelos Dois surprisingly charted in more countries and in higher places than Toy or Fuego did (and none of the three can remotely compare to Arcade). So, no, success of Eurovision winners outside of the contest doesn't depend on them being uptempo/fun or retro/modern. I would even be willing to make a bet that in case it wins, Voilà will at least replicate Toy's chart success. I don't agree with your premise that Toy can live outside of the bubble while Voilà can't, amongst other things I think you don't take the entire demographics and all types of radio stations into account.

But I don't really care or speak all that much about Eurovision winner's charting. I care about respect for the contest, and no, I don't talk about "snobs" only, as much as the bubble might think like that about others. I truly speak about most musicians and the general public. Sweden is a Melfestland and as I gather, the Melfest final is a borderline national holiday for you, just like the world ice-hockey championships finals is for us in . Yet the situation in other countries is very different. In , the attitude towards Eurovision of the average Joe is that it's pure garbage. But don't take my word for it, just ask our friends, how is the general public's attitude. Or yet even better, go and google some discussions about Eurovision for instance on quora.

You might want Eurovision to start trends, I think it first needs to gain more respect, and no, I don't write that from a snobbish point of view, at least I really don't think so. Its winners charting here or there won't solve anything - one of our largest radios won't even play eurovision songs, just because, you know, they are from Eurovision . What could greatly help that respect to grow would be if the said winner didn't make chicken sounds as a part of her performance (I know there's meaning behind those in Toy, however a random listener doesn't). I have acknowledged Manizha's work in the limited timeframe for writing her song in my previous post already, but those circumstances aren't an argument. They don't change anything about the song's nature - a random listener doesn't know about that timeframe and won't exactly see the staging that greatly saves Russia's ass. They will just hear a mess, which also mostly was the original reception here until the staging popped out - Russia hasn't really performed all that well in the ranking game, mostly placing between 20 - 25th spot until recently.

The winner can be a ballad, a dance track, powermetal entry, rap entry or anything whatsoever, I'd just be glad if it didn't sound like a joke - a joke not as perceived by me, or you, or a snobby member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, but as perceived by common people who might have never even heard of Eurovision.

I hear you, so you do like some upbeat fun tracks then I got the assumption this wasn't your shtick at all but I was clearly wrong so sorry for that.

Well, you are right about markets differ, but we are living in a globalized digitalized world and surely there are niche forums and radio stations out there, but in general what you hear on a mainstream radio station in Sweden isn't all that different from somewhere else in Europe (most of the big artists come out from influential big American based labels and are either Americans, Canadians or Brits and that's just how the industry looks like).

As for the clubs I heard "Toy" in, well at least in three different European countries

I do "get" your point, but I think we view it from two different perspectives, you still refer to music professionals not from a market point of view, more like I dunno "musicians" or something, wheres I refer to people in the business and the market and here again it's a question of demand and supply, and if Eurovision constantly produces winners that no DJ or radio programmer want to touch let alone even consider, then we do have a credibility issue even if said winner would be of "quality".

As for charts, these days with streaming a song's popularity need to be looked on longevity, because most Eurovision winners do chart high in the first week, only to disappear soon after. So maybe Salvador charted similar to "Toy" in some countries, I'd still argue the latter had a bigger impact simply for being picked up by more channels and thus Salvador remained a bit nichy and "bubble".

I still think we have a very different understanding of "fun" vs. "joke", so I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree, but summing up I do understand your point, and I can get some of it but I think we just look at it from different perspectives.

 

[fango]

The camera movements make me so dizzy.
I don't know if there is a problem with the sound, the sound is weird.
Personally, I think that she sings too hard and too much, a bit pretentious.
I know many fans like this kind of "French style" chansons.
Sorry, I don't like this, even if it is in the top 3 in the odds.
I'm very happy that France has a chance to win ESC and become the host country, but not with this song....

 

[Ana Raquel]

Yeah?

No, I don't think Russian Woman would've been a good Eurovision winner either. I can enjoy it in the right mood. I respect its message, I respect how great job they did with the staging, I like Manizha's personality and I am very sorry about how she got treated in her own country.

But if we only speak of the song, it still remains an unbaked cake made under pressure from ingredients at hand, that only afterwards got some really nice garnishing and whipped cream, and every skilled composer will recognise it for exactly that. Given the circumstances of its creation, it is admirable. But it still is a song that when shown as the great ESC winner would only perpetuate the image of ESC as of something overly silly that is not to be taken seriously by 80% of professional musicians.

Many if not most ESC-fans are probably ok with such image, and would possibly outright crave for the 2000's to be back. I would very much prefer continuing a tiny bit more in the other direction towards fun yet still professional and serious (which is for instance how Zitti e Buoni is done, one might not like its genre, but it is fun and extremely professional at the same time), so people in my country don't take me for a mentally impaired at the mere mention of Eurovision being my hobby.

I wouldn't hesitate a second to show Voilà, Tout l'Univers or Zitti e Buoni to any of my friends, musicians or not. But I wouldn't be so sure about Russian Woman (or I Don't Feel Hate and quite a few others).

I don't see how can it be considered "not serious" though? at least to the point that is in the same category as Jendrik, for example?

If you prefer a more professional image to the contest, to each their own, I guess. I really can't see how she isn't serious. Is it the campiness? Being campy shouldn't take away the seriousness of the song, from the representation it gives to the denounce it makes.

Just bringing another perspective here, but... perhaps the problem is not Eurovision itself, but the professional musicians? Especially in the case of Manizha. This could also start a debate of what is considered serious and/or professional? What are the criteria? How much of cultural background is taking into account? Or even... who are these musicians? Who do they represent? What are the chances of them ignoring/overlooking the cultural influence of an artist's work? etc etc.

But this would be a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong debate

 

[Ladynoir]

The camera movements make me so dizzy.
I don't know if there is a problem with the sound, the sound is weird.
Personally, I think that she sings too hard and too much, a bit pretentious.
I know many fans like this kind of "French style" chansons.
Sorry, I don't like this, even if it is in the top 3 in the odds.
I'm very happy that France has a chance to win ESC and become the host country, but not with this song....

Funny because I actually think the camera movements are less shaky than during the NF and for me it's a problem. It feels less intense, less vibrant. The cameraman is also way taller than Barbara and it looks like we're watching her from above instead of eyes to eyes.

This is easy to fix, tho. The cameraman needs to make more movements and gets down a bit (even if it's hard since Barbara is so small ).

 

[Ekholmia]

I wonder how the general public will react to this beautiful song. Will they think it's too old fashioned? Or will they go yes this is what we want as the winner of ESC 2021. I'm kinda undecided. One day I think it's fantastic and of course it will win, and then another day i think it's really old fashioned and I get bored by it fast. It all depends on how I feel on that day.

 

[VikingTiger]

I'm not really proposing a change to the format really, nor that Eurovision should be a place to "hunt for radio hits". I believe Eurovision is such a big platform in itself that with the right promotion it could even create trends/hits and doesn't really have to follow them, but with that said a classical chanson or bossanova jazz isn't going to have much life outside of the contest let's be real (regardless if we like them or not).

It's not about killing diversity, I love the diversity in Eurovision and want it to be even more diverse if possible, but there is a discrepancy between how much people it reaches and how little impact it actually has on music outside of the format, I mean if entering Eurovision means that you will be lost and forgotten as an artist or even be considering "risking your career", then yes one can question the credibility of the concept.

Well, I do agree. And it's true; a chanson or a bossanova wont have much international impact after the contest. I love it when the winner (or any of the other contestants) actually DO have an impact afterwards. Luckily that does happen from time to time. And that always is a big pluss for me - and for the contest in general. Diversity is great, also in winners - even though that means that some winners will be forgotten by the outside world pretty quickly...
We are not in the 60s, 70s or even 80s anymore, where the winners often had great impact...

 

[crashworld]

One thing I know is that if this song wins, it will not appear in my Spotify playlist just like how Ukraine 2016 and Portugal 2017 never made it to my playlist. The same applies to Italy if they win. #justnotmycupoftea

 

[Citelis]

I also do not want to see her winning but i can live with it if it happens. I think it's better than both Portugal 2017 and Ukraine 2016 but i do not like any of them after all.

 

[A-lister]

Well, I do agree. And it's true; a chanson or a bossanova wont have much international impact after the contest. I love it when the winner (or any of the other contestants) actually DO have an impact afterwards. Luckily that does happen from time to time. And that always is a big pluss for me - and for the contest in general. Diversity is great, also in winners - even though that means that some winners will be forgotten by the outside world pretty quickly...
We are not in the 60s, 70s or even 80s anymore, where the winners often had great impact...

I can't say I disagree, but wouldn't it be nice though? Eurovision has such a big audience, it shouldn't be impossible.

 

[A-lister]

I also do not want to see her winning but i can live with it if it happens. I think it's better than both Portugal 2017 and Ukraine 2016 but i do not like any of them after all.

For me this one is between Ukraine 2016 and Portugal 2017, I never cared for Portugal 2017 and still don't do, Ukraine 2016 I like though but it wasn't my #1 that year.

What they all three have in common though, and I guess we can agree on that, is next to zero cross-over appeal.

 

[Zeus]

Ukraine 2016 and Portugal 2017 are my favourite winners. For me, France would be like Arcade. It's okay. If it will be between France, Malta, Iceland and Cyprus, than France would be the most acceptable winner for me.

But I would prefer Italy or Switzerland (Belgium and Portugal won't win). France is decent, but a little bit too dramatic for me.

 

[A-lister]

Ukraine 2016 and Portugal 2017 are my favourite winners. For me, France would be like Arcade. It's okay. If it will be between France, Malta, Iceland and Cyprus, than France would be the most acceptable winner for me.

But I would prefer Italy or Switzerland (Belgium and Portugal won't win). France is decent, but a little bit too dramatic for me.

Interestingly, we might have had our disagreements (and some misunderstandings) in here, but I happen to agree with you that if it's going to be between France, Malta, Iceland and Cyprus, then I prefer France to win...

Although, Italy thrown into the mix as potential winner, I am 100% team Italy