As France became on Wednesday night the first country to fully show its cards ahead of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, one thing was made clear: they’re not here to play.
France abandons the ideas that did not yield the expected results in 2022 and 2023 and goes for one of the biggest names in its pop scene with Slimane, who delivers a powerful ballad in Mon amour, the kind of ballad that takes aim squarely at the listener’s heart and hits right in the center. The raw emotion can be felt in Slimane’s voice as he pleads in his lyrics for an unnamed lover to come back to him, and vows to do whatever it takes to make them happy (“the impossible if you want it”).
For the live performance, the song is expected to heavily rely on Slimane’s vocals, as the instrumentation consists primarily of a piano and some percussion kicking in by the tail end of the first half of the song, but the singer’s voice remains at the front and center of the song all the way from the start to the finish. But he has proven, even early in his career during his stint on The Voice, that he can deliver the goods in that regard.
The live premiere last night also proved that France does not need to overthink the presentation for this one, as Slimane delivered a captivating performance in an empty stage, showing that he can impress the audience on his own with little additional fanfare. The singer’s vocals and presence can and should be the key points of the performance, and they are what will need to be focused on.
Releasing the competing song this early in the Eurovision season is always risky, but from Slimane and France, it feels almost like a statement of intent: “We’re ready. Bring it on.” And with forty other countries reportedly waiting in the wings, it’s only a matter of time before someone else steps up to the plate.
These are our thoughts. Feel free to let us know yours in the comments.
World Music Rankings 