She’s a French beauty known for her stunning looks and equally divine voice. And on Friday Alma deployed those attributes yet again during a dazzling first rehearsal inside the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv.

Wearing a black and silver dress which she designed herself, the songstress turned the stage into a runway as she marched from camera to camera looking radiant and confident. She’s grown in confidence in recent months and that was visible from start to finish. The Lyon-born stunner is taking in the excitement and turning it into fuel to slay.

In many ways the stage show is built around clichés — but she makes them her own and, owing to some technical tricks, gives them a thoroughly modern spin. The performance opens with a daytime shot of the Paris skyline. Owing to the stage’s spaceship-like quality, it’s almost like aliens have landed in France. But instead we see lovely Alma, who repeatedly nods to her music video. We see the Eiffel Tower on the LED wall and floor, and she literally dances on it and its sides owing to the cameras. Eventually the camera starts to spin and Alma is lost in a dizzying array of images — city buildings, Parisian sky.

The camera cuts need to be tightened — at times the stage swallows Alma. Because of the pattern of her dress she sometimes blends into the buildings behind her, as if she were a window or door. But with a few tweaks and adjustments, she’ll no doubt open those windows and doors and grab a Top 10 finish. Depending on how the second rehearsals go, she’s likely to climb even higher.

Alma — “Requiem” | REVIEW AND REACTION

France: First rehearsal at Eurovision 2017

France: First press conference 2017

Alma interview

 

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CyxCy
CyxCy
6 years ago

Go Alma! Everything is possible! ^-^

This song is a masterpiece and Alma had the talent, the voice and the beauty of victory!
[ If only I could a little bit looks like her! XD]
Our country prove this week that we love Europe, so now, I wish Europe fall in love with Alma! <3

Zebb
Zebb
6 years ago

Viy-realness with these rotations. I could give some nails to their delegation if they would be aware of that book.

SlyBZH
SlyBZH
6 years ago

Boring song, boring staging as usual with France. The lessons have not been learned since last year. Now #15 with bookies and this will continue to flop. no surprise, definitely bottom five.?

doluvic
doluvic
6 years ago
Reply to  SlyBZH

poor moralist , go in hell

doluvic
doluvic
6 years ago
Reply to  doluvic

where have you seen a boring song here big dumb@ss?

doluvic
doluvic
6 years ago
Reply to  SlyBZH

bookies are your religion!? you’re so pathetic, we can do nothing for you, you are definetely lost

Friedenau
Friedenau
6 years ago

Pff… serioursly??? This is what I call an Euro-favorite… an entry that al the euorfans love, but the day after the contest, when it achieves a top 22 everybody says “why???” excuse me, but this song screams bottom 5 all over the place. Even Spain has more changes to place better with the pinha colada look… I like it, and I like Alma, but this is a French bottom, I am AFRAID

doluvic
doluvic
6 years ago
Reply to  Friedenau

doubling pathetic

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
6 years ago

General question:
Could the French Election result play a factor in Alma’s ESC result this year?

Eve
Eve
6 years ago

I love this song and Alma looks stunning!
idk what to think about staging from this short clip, it seems little bit dizzy, we’ll see.. I think it’s good decision to not use dancers, she needs to be in center of attention.

M_K
M_K
6 years ago

The 30 sec obviously does not to the performance justice… I have feeling that it’s gonna look great on screen. She also sounds better than I expected.

Concerning the clichés… as far as I remember it’s only the second time that France uses Parisian landmarks in the background. The last time was in 1959, I guess (they had a picture Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre in the background). Of course, the Eiffel Tower has been used countless times in the postcards.

Denis
Denis
6 years ago

France always disappoints with the staging, always comes of as weak and “under-rehearsed.
But the song is so good! I loved it since I first heard it. Despite weak performance I still think top 10 is possible.

WolfClaw
WolfClaw
6 years ago

My Top 6 for Automatic Qualifiers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXDyoUHRhY0

Let me know what yours are!!

doluvic
doluvic
6 years ago
Reply to  WolfClaw

PATHETIC

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
6 years ago

Her vocal continues to be really impressive but similar to Amir last year, I do not think they gave her the staging to make this work. Those cameras are going to have to be really close up not to make the stage look empty. Why is she so static?
The theme is such a good idea but I don’t know if it has been executed as well as it could have been.

doluvic
doluvic
6 years ago

Requiem, la chute est lente, ivre, l’autre joug, ma peau aime, 8 ans et des poussières, a demi pardonnée, avec des est-ce, l’amour fou, !!!!! Ouh la la ! all are masterpieces ! all readers should listen these beautifuls songs on spotify !!! Go you won’t be disappointed, Alma is so talented I love her universe !!

Maniac
Maniac
6 years ago

Where are the dancers 🙁 , this is going to be between 10th and 15th place
btw. she looks AMAZING !

Stephanie
6 years ago
Reply to  Maniac

If you watch the reaction video again, William says that having dancers onstage would be a distraction (but if you notice closely in a part of the backdrop, you will see silhouetted dancers in the lighted windows). I have to agree with him, I prefer the more simple approach the French have, and with the right camera angles (which both Alma and Edoardo said in their press conference will hopefully be fixed for the Sunday rehearsal) I think this will be something very special to see on screen.

Étoile
Étoile
6 years ago

It may “flop” but I am pleased of this scenography. It’s chic and elegant and represents many clichés (good ones) about my country, at least the image that some foreigners may have of France. It’s also very coherent with her song too. Still need to work on camera angles to seduce the viewers. It was created to work more on the tv than the people on Ukraine’s scene. I’ll see with second rehearsal and in the final but after watching many rehearsals of many countries it’s far from the worst. I still believe for a top 15. Little by little… Read more »

MaximefromFrance
6 years ago
Reply to  Étoile

Of course it could flop but everybody can flop, even Italy, who knows? I still believe that the top 10 is almost ensure for Alma, the top 5 is possible but I really hope France can get into the top 3 or even surprise all the fans and win it all! Once again, who knows what can happen in Eurovision? And yes, I think this performance is more for TV than for the people in the arena (after all, the voters see the performances through TV so it’s better like this right?). A last thing, in the backstage video you… Read more »

Étoile
Étoile
6 years ago

What a lovely reply. I agree with everything you wrote. Thanks for your positivity. Go go Alma! Merci l’ami. 🙂

Mumulu
Mumulu
6 years ago

Pls can you do an article about Alma’s new album bc it’s honestly so good, and I think everyone should have a listen!

Étoile
Étoile
6 years ago
Reply to  Mumulu

I’m in love with it too. Ma peau aime and j’ai are my two favourites at this moment. Today her album was the second most listened on spotify. 🙂

Mumulu
Mumulu
6 years ago
Reply to  Étoile

Wooow that’s awesome for her! Yes “Ma peau aime” is just awesome, “A demi-pardonée” too.

Étoile
Étoile
6 years ago
Reply to  Mumulu

Each one are a piece of heaven. ^^

Mattias Sollerman
Mattias Sollerman
6 years ago

Norton will be pleased to see France including the Eiffel tower in their staging.
“Where is she? There’s no way to tell really. Could be anywhere.”

Mattias Sollerman
Mattias Sollerman
6 years ago

Chris apparently already made this remark in the review of all the automatic qualifiers. ^^

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
6 years ago

Yes that’s right, Chris did say that!
With Graham Norton on our UK TVs for 20 years, he has become a part of our psychology!!

AngieP
AngieP
6 years ago

First: she looks amazing!!! I loved her dress! When she said on the interview she’s designed it I was impressed! This is a beautiful, chic, black and white masterpiece! Her look was also good! Going back to the interview, William said it absolutely right: she can wear the simplest piece of clothing and make it look chic! I alway had the impression French women have an innate sense of fashion! Back to the performance! I personally like the Eiffel Tower theme! It’s like night lights of the city, or walking around Paris! I’m confident about her vocals,maybe she’s holding back!… Read more »

John
John
6 years ago

She needs the tango dancers from the video to add a little more drama to the show. The vocals also seem really off, especially compared to her promo performances. Time to tighten everything up!

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
6 years ago

It looks stunning, why is she dropping like a rock in the odds?!

Étoile
Étoile
6 years ago

She was bashed already on internet before the video of her rehearsal was published on the ESC YT channel. The reasons of the people : it’s not full French song (her ESC version is known since march) and that she is alone. Alone for them = bad. I’m actually glad they put the chorus in English because people mentioned Amir but Alma’s song is so different and don’t need persons with her on stage. I guess it was not enough though compared to the empty space last year I think at least they are in the good way. i still… Read more »

Joe
Joe
6 years ago

I like it, but it will have a big fight to finish in the top 10.

Hada
Hada
6 years ago

I do think this needs the dancers, even if they’re not defying gravity.

Also, I’m happy for you France and imma let you finish, but guess which adorable act just climbed to second place in the odds: https://www.oddschecker.com/tv/eurovision/winner/

Ern
Ern
6 years ago

She is a VERY beautiful girl.

However, her vocals need some work. The clips I’ve been watching have not sounded very good at all.

The song, I think, is weakened by the fact that it’s in both French and English. It should have been 100% in French.

Like Israel, I think this will fall just outside the top 10.

Hada
Hada
6 years ago
Reply to  Ern

Also, I’m not sure about the dress. She looks lovely in it, but for some reason I think she should be wearing pants or shorts instead.The dress is cute, but is neither grand enough to compete with the other dresses, nor fresh enough to look fresh and give a pop vibe.

Stephanie
6 years ago
Reply to  Ern

I disagree that it should have been the all-French version, the English was needed so the song could reach more people. Sunday’s second rehearsal should see some improvement, but I’m staying optimistic about Alma’s chances

Bgc
Bgc
6 years ago
Reply to  Stephanie

There’s nothing wrong with having a song in two languages if they sit alongside each other well; Amir managed to do it last year. But the English lyrics in “Requiem” don’t add anything and they disrupt the flow of the song in a way that the chorus in “J’ai cherché” didn’t. The “tell me that you love me” bit at the end is fine, but the chorus sounds so much better en français than it does en anglais. If she had to include more English, I think she should have changed the second verse rather than the chorus. Also I… Read more »