This week we head to a big five nation for our weekly Q&A with a Eurovision fan. From France we speak to Juliette aka @LaTaupe2a on Twitter.
What is your name and where are you from?
Hi! My name is Juliette, and I am from France.
What do you do or tell us something interesting about you?
I'm gonna start studies at university; I am studying litterature and languages. And I also write articles on a French Eurovision blog called "L'Eurovision au Quotidien", where I share my ideal contestants for France. I am passionate about books, languages, but especially music. I love all types of music, from pop to jazz, from rock to folk, from classical music to Disney songs.
When did you first get into Eurovision?
The first memory I have of Eurovision is Lordi winning the contest in 2006. But I was very young, so aside from Lordi, I don't remember the other songs. Then time passed, and I didn't watch the contest at all, until 2017 when Alma represented us. I was so struck by "Requiem" that I decided to watch the grand final to see if she would do well. In 2018, I started to watch national finals, and I also took interest in the Junior contest. 2019 was my first full season as a confirmed Eurofan.
That is great to hear, 'Requiem' was a fantastic song and yes it's easy to go full Eurofan pretty quickly! ~ Aussievision
Which is your favourite Eurovision year and why?
I would say 2018, because it was the first year where I really discovered the mechanisms of the contest, with the NFs, the pre-parties and all. And this year was so diverse in terms of music genres. There was hard-rock, ethno-jazz, hip-hop, dark pop, pop-soul, electronica, country-rock, funk, and so many others. Plus, Salvador Sobral's victory with a song fully in Portuguese seemed to have inspired some countries, because there was so many beautiful new languages to discover, like albanian, georgian, armenian or montenegrin. That was a rich and eclectic year, and the winner was really cool too, although I hated it the first time I listened to it. But "Toy" became a grower, and I was really happy when it won.
How do you think France have been doing in Eurovision recently? What changes would you like to see in 2020?
I don't want to be harsh, but I think France has one BIG problem: their songs. It started very well with Amir, it was wonderful with Alma... And then we picked "Mercy" and "Roi", when we could have been in the top 10 with "Ciao" and "Tous les Deux"! No, I'm still not over it... The thing is that we have good intentions, great messages to deliver, but the songs (I'm talking about "Mercy" and "Roi" in this case) are not good. They are bland, forgettable, their lyrics are not so well-written, and they feel unfinished. Everyone who knows my obsessive passion for Eurovision also knows I've rarely been sweet when it comes to my own country; I have high expectations because I know just how the French music scene really is. We could do so much better than that, we have so many talented artists to show and share, especially in the indie genre. For 2020, I hope we will finally send a song I will like, because I'm tired to always criticize my country for its choices. As long as I like the song, well, they can do anything they want... I've seen Destination Eurovision would be coming back, and I am happy and afraid at the same time. I hope some changes will be made in the voting process, and that we will have a more diverse songs line-up. I try to be optimistic; next year, there will be no drama, and I will finally have my country high in my top.
The French music scene is amazing and really do hope you find a song that finishes high. I think most fans end up being much harsher on their own countries than others!
If you could change one thing about Eurovision what would it be?
I would change only one little thing, something that I find quite frustrating. When artists perform on stage, the musical background is pre-recorded, and if I remember correctly, they can't really play any instrument since the orchestra was deleted. I would bring the possibility for artists to bring and play instruments on stage. Other than that, nothing bothers me, and the contest is fine the way it is.
Which artist would you like to see return to the competition?
I would love to see a lot of people actually. Maybe Alekseev, MÉLOVIN (these two would be amazing in a duet by the way), Miki, maybe Eliot, Paenda, IRIAO, Norma John, MioDio, Carousel, Maraaya, Nika Kosharov... Well, way too many singers actually.
Maraaya and Alekseev are great choices!
If you could pick only three Eurovision songs to listen to for the rest of time, what would they be?
""sebi" because it would help me to calm down when I'm stressed. "Fairytale" because I would always be happy while listening to it. And "Midnight Gold", because there is nothing better than a bit of Georgian brit-rock! This song would be the symbol of my passion for indie music.
That is a very eclectic mix!
Which Eurovision song:
Is the best winner?
"Fairytale" of course. So charming, catchy and timeless... And that violin solo is so brilliant! "Amar Pelos Dois" and "Arcade" follow closely". In the old ones, I adore "Poupée de cire, poupée de son", "Puppet on a string" and "All Kinds of Everything".
'Poupée de cire, poupée de son' is one of our all time favourites, incredible song.
Has the best live vocal?
Probably "Suus", "La Forza", "Zero Gravity" or "Rythm Inside".
Was robbed?
Be ready for a long list of songs who were either robbed by juries and televote, or by the fandom: "I am Yours", "Black Smoke", "Forever", "Dying to Try", "Blackbird", "That Night", "For You (Sheni Gulistvis)", "Limits", "On a Sunday", "Mother", "Three Minutes to Earth", "The Real Thing", "Siren", "Complice", and that's all I can think about at the moment.
Haha you have a long list! Though I do agree with you on 'I am Yours' particularly, it did not deserve nil point ~ Dale
Is the best from this decade?
That one is complicated... Probably "We Could be the Same", "Birds" or "Madness of Love".
Is your guilty pleasure?
I genuinely like "Aven Romalle", "Miss Kiss Kiss Bang", "Divine", "Cake to Bake" and "Still in Love with You".
We have some similar tastes - LOVE 'Divine' and 'Still in Love with You' ~ Dale
Any other interesting honourable mentions?
Well, shoutouts to "Hunter of stars", "City Lights", "Running" (Hungary 2014), "Heartbeat" (Latvia 2016), "Taken by a Stranger", "Adio" and "Love Injected"; these are masterpieces.
Again, great choices!
And finally...
Tonight Again, Sound of Silence, Don’t Come Easy, We Got Love or Zero Gravity?
Definitely "Zero Gravity". This song is quite artsy and unique, which I like, but at the same time it has that pop instrumental that makes it more accessible for the common viewers: it's a lovely mix between genres, and it has a powerful message and story behind it. And don't even get me started on that epic staging! "Zero Gravity" was my absolute favorite when the line-up of "Australia Decides" was announced. I was happy when it won, and I knew it would go far in the contest. And it did!
Merci beaucoup Juliette!
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