The French national selection 'Eurovision France: C'est vous qui décidez' is just around the corner and it will soon be time for France to decide which act will be the successor to Barbara Pravi's very successful entry 'Voilà', which came runner-up at the Eurovision Song Contest last year.
From Breton bangers to chansons d'amour and everything in between, there are a wide variety of musical genres in store at this year's French selection.
12 members of the Aussievision team have ranked their top 10 of the 12 songs on offer at 'Eurovision France: C'est vous qui décidez' from 12 points to 1 point, Eurovision-style.
Let's find out which entry has earned the team's "douze points":
12. Hélène in Paris – 'Paris mon amour' (18 points)
Highs: 8 points from Hugo
Lows: 0 points from Dale, Emma, Fleur, Hayley, Kyriakos, Laura, Steven, and Tim
"Ok don’t hate me for loving this! Fully aware this is not for Eurovision, but I’m such a big fan of 60s/70s jazz piano sound and this ticks all those boxes, I just had to rank it high. Can’t explain how much joy I get out of this. Nostalgia is not the right word because I didn’t live through those times, but it reminds me of all the 60s movies and TV I love." ~Hugo
11. Saam – 'Il est où?' (29 points)
Highs: 8 points from Steven
Lows: 0 points from Dale, Laura, and Mike
"Look, I know 'Voilà’ did really well (and believe me, I loved it and was pleased), but another similar song - with a startlingly similar ending - the following year? I mean, it might be a safe option, as Saam is great and performs the song with the requisite animation and gusto. But I wouldn’t advise it." ~Steven
10. Joan – 'Madame' (35 points)
High: 6 points from Fleur and Hugo
Low: 0 points from Guy, Mike, and Tim
"Pure musical theatre, but very good musical theatre. The song gives space for Joan to show personality, act a bit, and demonstrate vocal ability. Like Juliette Moraine's song last year, I'm not sure if there's a ceiling to how well this sort of thing can do at Eurovision, but it's certainly very good and I'm glad to see such diversity of genres in 'C'est vous qui décidez' this year. Also, after Barbara Pravi, maybe this is exactly the sort of thing viewers want from France! Don't rule Joan out at all - I foresee, at the very least, a big jury score." ~Teddy
9. Joanna – 'Navigateure' (40 points)
Highs: 8 points from Fleur, 7 points from Steven
Lows: 0 points from Teddy and Emma "Not re-inventing the wheel here, but this is a well produced, well sung French pop song. Certainly a competent effort that would finish in the top 20 at Eurovision. It just might be too safe. Very radio friendly but that's okay." ~Fleur
8. place: Cyprien Zeni – 'Ma famille' (44 points)
Highs: 6 points from Emma and Laura
Lows: 0 points from Fleur
"This isn't the most distinctive song in the world, but it's very likeable and Cyprien is an appealing performer. The instrumental reminds me a little of Max Cinnamon's "Ailleurs" from Destination Eurovision 2018, but the slight African influences in the bridge and chorus give this a bit more kick than its competitors. I don't think we're going to be seeing Cyprien at Eurovision this year, but this is a very respectable effort and I'd be curious to see more from him next year." ~Teddy
7. Elliott – 'La tempête' (50 points)
Highs: 8 points from Hayley, 7 points from Dale and Mike
Lows: 0 points from Hugo and Teddy
"This song feels really familiar to me, it is a really nice song. Elliott seems very comfortable in front of the camera and looks like he really wants to put on a good performance. I will look forward to seeing this sung live." ~Hayley
6. Marius – 'Les chansons d'amour' (51 points)
Highs: 12 points from Teddy, 10 points from Kyriakos
Lows: 0 points from Guy and Hayley
"My watchwords for this year have been simplicity, minimalism and melancholy, and this song therefore pushes all the right buttons for me. Marius has an unusual but compelling presence onstage, and the song has a timeless quality to it, never pushing too far into melodrama or overstatement. Frankly, this is the closest that any of the French songs this year gets to making me feel what Babs Pravi and Voilà made me feel last year - and that is the highest compliment I can think to give." ~Teddy
5. Julia – 'Chut' (56 points)
Highs: 12 points from Emma, 8 points from Guy
Lows: 0 points from Kyriakos and Steven
"Chut is right up my alley musically - it has such an indie vibe, it sounds like it should be on the soundtrack of a Quentin Tarantino film. Julia's performance is sultry and she really sells the song - even if you can't understand what she is singing, the theme of keeping quiet comes across in her performance and actions. This will be one I'll be listening to well after national final season is over." ~Emma
4. Elia – 'Téléphone' (67 points)
Highs: 10 points from Guy, 8 points from Emma, Kyriakos, and Tim
Lows: 1 point from Steven
"It might not be the best song in the selection but watching a recap, this really stood out musically. It sounds really accessible for a non-French audience and it just would be a good change up in Turin" ~Tim "Great studio track, but methinks this will fall really flat on stage." ~Hugo
3. Pauline Chagne – 'Nuit Pauline' (69 points)
Highs: 10 points from Dale, Fleur, Laura, and Mike
Lows: 0 points from Hugo, 1 point from Kyriakos
"80's infused pop with a FABULOUS campy artist! What is not to love? The Harp-tar also makes an appearance. The song itself is atmospheric and offers something quite unique. Pauline's vocals suit the song and she even adds some operatic-style trills towards the end. A very compelling package overall." ~Mike
"How can one not notice an electro harp in an 80s throwback pop song? This took me back to early 1980s Eurovision in a good way. Whatever is going on here works, it just does. Being a very electro-based song, I really hope that Pauline can pull this off in the live final. I would not be disappointed if this is the chosen song." ~Fleur
"This song has the makings of a modern French classic. 'Nuit Pauline' is very 80s, and not in the way that a lot of 80s-inspired modern chart hits are - in fact it reminds me of Mylène Farmer's early discography! There's something incredibly infectious about the melody too, it's a real earworm!" ~Laura
2. SOA – 'Seule'
Highs: 12 points from Fleur and Guy
Lows: 7 points from Emma, Kyriakos, and Teddy
"Oh wow, I love this!!! This is so contemporary. The production is fine, the siblings really mesh well together. This has the potential to go top 10 at Eurovision again. Also I'm really loving France looking to ethnic diversity to showcase different cultures outside the hexagon." ~Fleur
"Finally, a duo with chemistry (unsurprising as they’re siblings, but still). Their energy and genuine likeability, plus a catchy song with a strong and relatable message, make this an entry I feel would perform well for France." ~Steven
"These guys put on a great performance in the video and have great chemistry. The song is really catchy and the lyrics have a great positive message. I’m looking forward to seeing them perform it live." ~Guy
"This is a song that’s taking risks. It just has a great sound to it that sounds modern and radio friendly. Also the choreography is also an engaging aspect of the performance. Overall a really good package." ~Tim
"A good modern song with great impact! Not sure about the French rap element, but the song seems to manage to blend a few different styles successfully. I do worry that the vocals may end up getting messy live, as there is a lot going on towards the end of the song in the studio version. With some good staging this could really lift." ~Mike
1st place: Alvan & Ahez – 'Fulenn' (128 points)
Highs: 12 points from Dale, Hayley, Hugo, Kyriakos, Laura, Mike, Steven, and Tim
Lows: 5 points from Fleur
"MAGNIFIQUE, INCROYABLE!!! Don’t let me down France, send this to Eurovision! I never expected this to come out of France but I absolutely love it; has the feel as an Eastern banger has, but it’s from France; love the regional representation, great folky feel, verses love at a nice pace then the drop is crazy good, great mix of electronic and instruments. I really hope this translates well live, because this is the full package! Choisissez cette chanson, ça me ferai très plaisir" ~Hugo
"Traditional folk EDM bangers are in and I am here for this. They have done a great job of bring a point of focus with the compelling front man and his full on dancing and musical instrument delivery. The two women provide a wonderful juxtaposition in their serious and seriously good delivery. Love everything about this. Magnifique!" ~Dale "What an intriguing entry!! LOVE IT! Reminds me a little bit of Go_A. A fair bit of instrument experimentation going on, I swear I can hear a didgeridoo in the background of this in parts. I hope France take this risky route this year!" ~Kyriakos
"For me, this is “France does 'Shum' à la française'… and it works. In fact, the slightly tamer chaos works better for me. The electro-traditional music combination, coupled with strong voices and a clear aesthetic, makes for a powerful concept. Great staging will be needed (so as to avoid the mistakes of 'Terra'), but I think a similar audience could be captured, thereby delivering another strong result for France. Wanting France to succeed is, I admit, a factor in my voting." ~Steven
"Without a doubt, the stand out track from a good selection. It has instant impact and mixes traditional elements with a very modern driving dance beat. The song keeps you guessing in what direction it will go and never disappoints. Some comparisons will inevitably be made to Shum, but I don't think it is too similar in vibe. One of the stand out National Final songs of the year! I can't wait to see this live on stage." ~Mike
"This is brilliant!!! It has an ethnic sound to it that really stand out in the song and the aesthetic of the song is brilliant with the two females looking absolutely deadpan and the male doing his best rendition of a one man band … literally. The song just sounds pure and I honestly love it. This will definitely stand out in Turin due to its high risk sound." ~Tim
"I never knew I needed a Breton banger in my life but wow am I glad to see and hear this in the 'C'est vous qui décidez' lineup! It's so unique compared to everything else in the selection, and I love the modern EDM instrumentation mixed with folkloric Breton sounds - cette chanson est absolument magnifique ! Douze points - bravo ! " ~Laura