The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — continues to rank and review the 43 songs competing in Eurovision 2018. Next we head to France where the Destination-Eurovision-winning duo Madame Monsieur has “Mercy”. Were we moved by their message? Read on to find out!
Madame Monsieur – “Mercy”
“Mercy” reviews
Anthony: “Mercy” is a simple but effective pop tune. And although Madame Monsieur did well on highlighting the refugee crisis through their lyrics, it might be a case of lost in translation for non-fluent French speakers. Adding to the fact they only finished third with the international juries at Destination Eurovision, there’s a risk France could end up begging for mercy.
Score: 6.5/10
Chris: Simple and beautiful, “Mercy” ticks a number of boxes right out of the gate. It’s easily accessible on a number of levels: for starters, it has one of the “easiest” stories to explain of the year. Couple that with a striking lead performer in Emilie and you’re already on to a winner. Many of the French phrases used are also fairly recognisable: it’s a remarkably well constructed song. Merci, Madame Monsieur, for bringing one of the true standouts of the year.
Score: 8.5/10
Deban: Madame Monsieur have crafted a beautiful piece of pop music that is simple, yet stirring. Minimalist in style and presentation, the strength here is their emotion and the song’s play on words. “Mercy” is touching when it’s on, but forgotten when it’s gone. Hopefully, the right visuals would fix that.
Score: 6/10
Jordi: Le France is another time showcasing their powerhouse status when it comes to Eurovision. And this year’s stars – Madame Monsieur – serve such a beautiful gem among today’s 43 selected entries. Simplicity at its best, subtle yet sophisticated, this piece speaks on its own while cleverly giving voice to an important subject social matter. And joining their emotional message, a magical but quiet quality is palpable. By bringing their song to life in the stage France can’t go wrong with this one.
Score: 9.5/10
Robyn: I’ve been a fan of the French Eurovision renaissance, but I’m not feeling “Mercy”. It’s a nice enough song, but I’m struggling to find the great emotional resonance that some fans find. I suspect it’s down to the language. My two years of high-school French is enough to pick up a few basic phrases, but the depths of the lyrics are lost on me. It will take some clever staging to get the message across.
Score: 6/10
Jovana: France has been one of my favourite countries in Eurovision ever since I started watching it. And this year they have delivered once again. “Mercy” is a perfect combination of art pop and contemporary pop, such that it is not too contemporary to be mainstream, and too artsy to be snobby. With a good staging and a little bit of luck with the running order, “Mercy” could easily be another great result for this Big 5 country.
Score: 9/10
In the Wiwi Jury we have 20 jurors but only have room for six reviews. The remaining scores are below:
Angus: 9/10
Antranig: 8/10
Bernardo: 5.5/10
Bogdan: 10/10
Cinan: 7.5/10
Jonathan: 7/10
Kristin: 8.5/10
Luis: 9.5/10
Padraig: 8/10
Renske: 8/10
Ron: 6/10
Sebastian: 6/10
Steinunn: 9/10
William: 6/10
We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 5.5 and a high of 10.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 7.67/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
Leave a Reply
145 Comments on "Wiwi Jury: France’s Madame Monsieur with “Mercy”"
This song is really good and i wouldn’t mind to see this win.I like the message . the only thing i worry about is the live performace,it left a lot to be desired. This song can really tank live, if its not done properly. They need to work on that. Otherwise this is a 7/10 for me.
Really hoping for Paris 2019, I’d be happy to only have to go for a walk to go to the show! Anyway, I’m not usually happy with our national entries, but Edoardo Grassi is doing a great job since 2016. “Mercy” is my overall 4th this year (and that never happened before) and is probably the biggest dark horse of this edition. Would be a more suitable winner than Israel and Bulgaria (and, please, Czech Republic, just no)
I’m sorry but I’m not a fan of it. I know it will do well in Lisbon, it’s not a winner song tho. The song lacks some kind of energy and charisma – I mean, it’s not about that there are no fireworks on the stage or that they are not screaming. For me they fail to translate emotions behind the meaning. Italy, that also has strong meaning behind the song, is much better to me in my opinion. Good luck, France, anyway 🙂
Thank god for those 0,06, right wiwiblogs? Still Cyprus… You can’t correct that damage done.
Yeah… it’s too late to add more points for Cyprus. Ah, well! 😉
Its all too slick and too clever. Gallic elegance goes a long way but the song runs out of ideas halfway through. Its all an exercise in style but this contest needs more than that. This year its about music with filling. They will entertain the snobs and ppl with big noses but the voters will be left bored. Its not about which big name designed your polonecks and arrogant footwear….its about who wrote your song.
I don’t like the politics in eurovision and I don’t like the black polonecks and the woman is not pretty with a big nose 2/10
OK, so apparently I’m not allowed to post my full review.
It looks like that was trapped in moderation. Here it is! Thank you! 😀
I’m glad to see that your opinions are back, even if under a different format. 🙂
I totally agree with you that the lyrics are amazing. Interestingly enough, I found the English version even more effective than the French.
Je serai aussi fière de cette chanson si j’étais français. Bonne chance 🙂
The fact that this wasn’t even my winner in Destination Eurovision shows how strong the selection was (given, it was my second and my winner Ok Ou Ko would have been my first place in the contest).This song has a message, great vocals and sounds like a radio song. I love this style and this could do very well with the juries. This entry is deffo in my top 10.
10/10
The most obvious political song of the year is ”not political” to you ; well maybe it’s because you have a child -like grasp of politics …if you had lived in the former Soviet Union you’d have believed everything the government spoon fed you while at the same time insisting that it’s ”not political ” !
Just forget politics and concentrate on the music that you do actually know something about
It’s a song about humanism, not polítics. People who cant understand that are deprived of sensitivity and compassion.
Miguel and Eugene said it well.
Then I’ll just add that there’s a difference between doing social commentary (in this particular case about a subject that has, of course, political ramifications) and being political. For example: if you write a song about an abandoned kid that lives on the streets of a big city, you’re not necessarily blaming the current administration for that, unless you include this particular thought on the lyrics.
We share a favorite song, Sabrina. 🙂 Still, my rating is 0.5 higher, keeping it consistent for us. 🙂
I haven’t even tackled that in my review, but I 100% agree this isn’t political. It may somewhat collide with general views of the current left politics, but it’s basically a matter of general compassion. The song doesn’t name countries or religions.
Sorry but you simply don’t understand politics …you have just wrote in a previous comment below that the ”anti-war message is strong here” …..THAT is a profoundly political comment , but apparently you aren’t aware of it ..you probably think that every anti war protest march from the Vietnam war to the war in Syria is ”not political ” either ..you probably think that the ”Appeasement policy ”of Britain and France in the 1930s was not political because it was ”anti-war ”
I don’t care if this song has a deep message or not.
This song has a great melody and good vocals too. I felt like repeating it since the snippet of the song was released. In terms of production too it sounds modern.
The fact that it has a great back story is an added good thing but irrelevant for me.
An 8.5/10
France
Jury:7.67(3rd/31)
Modified score: 9.13(3rd/31)
Total: 16.8(3rd/31)
This is going to win Eurovision!
Go refresh your La Marseillaise, y’all!
Your assumption is very insulting to me as a Eastern European! The most racist country in Europe is France itself which now chants a merciful anthem! Just get away, please!
It’s not an assumption, it’s common knowledge , regardless of what an imbecile like you thinks
20-25 in the final
That’s more like it!
Best written song of the contest BY A CLEAR MILE. Had to say that first and foremost.
Mercy just feels like it was the natural progression in France’s ESC path. The juxtaposition of Mercy as in a name/begging/Thanks it’s nothing short of brilliant. The artists got a really strong look and the whole package balances itself between being accessible and high-end. The message is underlying on a clever and easy-to-follow package, making the French feel available for all without being alien. Overall, France should be really proud of what they’ve sent, they are on their way to good things.
9.5/10
One of my top 5 countries for the trophy
The scores of Robyn and Deban are not really surprising for me, but William is disappointing me since I nearly always share his opinion…
When it comes to the song, the reviews of Colin and NickC pretty much summed up my feelings, so I won’t repeat them and risk that the right-wing haters throw their dirt on me, too…
Yes, run away- they would kill us if they could for having mercy and emphaty. As an academic, I am really curious what could create so much hate and disdain towards other human beings.
I think the answer is – unfortunately – quite easy… simple-mindedness and fear…
some friends and I btw had a preview voting party tonight and France was the runaway winner – before Switzerland, notably..
Funny enough, Switzerland is my number 2 as well
I think this is the song with the most special vibes this year. It’s emotional and at the same time cheerful. The production is lacklustre but I don’t mimd it because it’s a very unique song. This will probably do very well with the televote.
7/10
*mind
Spain got a higher score than this masterpiece? OMG!
My 2nd place this year- appropriate average for “mercy” ????
It’s « Merci Mercy »,
It’s not « Mercy,Mercy » !
Oh. I stand corrected.
It doesn’t really change anything for me though. However you spell it, it does get a ,tad repetitive. And the casual viewer won’t stand a chance of hearing the difference either. I literally cannot tell when it’s one meaning and when it’s the other if the context isn’t clear lyrically (my French isn’t that strong but maybe that helps) since they pronounce it the same way. I know the subject material of the song but little else.
Anywho. You should learn something new every day, so… check! 🙂
One of my favourites this year!\
After probably the best national selection this year, Madame Monsieur couldn’t lose the ticket to Lisbon. Their performance was stunning! I love this song! It makes me emotional every time I hear it. Great composistion, great voice, great performance, great message. I love everything about it!
It’s rare for me to give a 10, because the song must be perfect. This is almost perfect, so it’s a 9.5/10.
P.S.: Hope we get to beautiful Paris next year!
PARIS2019!
Overrated score!!! This one doesn’t even deserve 2!!!
”we’re talking about human lives when we’re talking about “the refugees”
go away, please go away, just do that please.
you breathe the air for no good reason.
Are you neo-fascist? You should hang out in some KKK forum, or dark web, not ESC website
Listen you hypocrite AMERICAN that you are. Don’t tell me how to talk with this GERMAN – M_K that has destroyed Europe with his politics. He should welcome refugees only in his country, and in his personal house.
Oh, I see. You must have been following me around for quite some time because even I can’t remember when was the last time I mentioned in the comments that I’m German.
Are you Romanian?
You’re close.
Hungarian?
I have to admit I phrased that statement in a cheesy way and I hope that this is the reason for your harsh comment. English is not my native language but I want to express myself properly, so here’s another try:
We often refer to the hundreds of thousands of people who came to Europe as “the refugees”. This song reminds us that they’re individuals and that they all have their own stories to tell.
Better?
No, your country will have the same fate since 2015 since the refugee crisis began. People will even think Schulte sings about refugees. At least voXXclub were not in that risk.
Erm, the message of the song by voXXclub is actually “let’s dance together, no matter where you’re from, let’s dance for those who can’t live free”. So basically, out of the six songs in the German national final, you picked the only one that actually has kind of a “let’s overcome borders” message to prove your point. Haha.
As if anybody outside Germany will ever know what voXXclub sings about….is about the funny genre. But you had to send Salvador 2.0. Give him a sweater with ”SOS Refugees” too.
Nah, I’m not so sure about that. Michael doesn’t seem to me like the kind of guy that wears sweaters.
Michael’s song might be about sheltering and staying together but it doesn’t scream refugees. Plus, if it was about refugees, I don’t think Michael would have been first in the televote, with how polarizing the migrant crisis issue is in Germany.
@ M_K
why do you even bother to answer this troll? He’s not trying to make an argument like you… I mean, refugee crisis actually is a topic which can be discussed controversially, but he’s not doing that. Just spreading his hatred… kudos to you though for being so patient…
I always answer trolls because remaining silent means agreeing by default (at least that’s my opinion)… so at least I had the last word in this “discussion”. 🙂
There’s a “if you don’t like this song you’re a bad person” quality to this that makes me dislike it. This sounds like propaganda to me, unlike Italy, who have a similar message but feel authentic and from the heart.
”There’s a “if you don’t like this song you’re a bad person” quality to this that makes me dislike it.”
You are right, just ignore it. It’s fans are what they are.
Beautiful song with meaningful lyrics. I listen to French music anyways so this belongs to my playlist no doubt. I felt emotional during their national selection.
But I have some feeling that this might not do that well like the bookies are thinking (I hope I’m wrong). I don’t know why, I love the song but for some reason I got this feeling recently. I do want them to get respectful place, why not even win. I wish them good luck.
I love this so much! Part of my 3 winners along with Serbia and Macedonia. The wordplay, message, It minimalistic sound, everything! I am hoping for a Top 10 possible Top 5 finish. I have a weird feeling the juries will punish this. A 10 for me. Surprised to see William give it a 6 I thought he rated it higher.
I’d say these 2 go found a little nice political party and compete in elections, not in Esc. Italy can join them at rallies. I don’t care about their political view, their sanctimonious preaching annoys me to death. Life vests in the video in quest for pity votes and Jean Paul Gaultier on scene, coz’ they’re French, quoi?! And, oh, the song is not good eather.
Life vests on video – Gaultier on stage
You are right. Such a mess.
I love the fact that France has brought a song well rooted in the best tradition of French pop music. It is pleasant, infectious, and catchy as any pop song should be, but it is such an intelligent song both in structure and message. I also love the final breach before the final chorus. And here is for me the biggest flaw: it gets a bit repetitive towards the end. However, I think it will be my nr 1 this year (still undecided) 9/10
*bridge
Message or not… for me, the song is just okay and nothing special. I’m pissed that it’s so damn overrated by the fandom. It’s okay but I really wouldn’t be happy to see it as a winner.
This song didn’t even enjoy any chart success in EU, peaking at only 37 in Wallonia and debuting at 8 in France. The good message aside (which in this case is used as PR), the production itself is very weak. Good luck nonetheless.
Salvador Sobral didn’t enjoy any chart success before WINNING !
Number 1 in France Itunes Charts !
Well done, France! Meaningful lyrics with a memorable melody… the chorus sticks in our head.
In Tel Aviv, Moldova was received much better than France.
Just think about it. World is tired of your artsy-fartsy lyrics.
When I saw the final of France, the public in studio were very happy with Mercy winning, and Mercy has had a very good reception when it came out, so I think Mm. Mr. can think that they will give the Big 5 their 1st win. 🙂
Merci, Mercy, Merci, Mercy, je vas bien Merci… ??
(I said 1st because when Satellite won, it was only Big 4)
Without any doubt the best song in the competition. Simple and pure and with a beautiful message. I wouldn’t be angry if this would win not one bit.
This song is so beautiful and heartwarming, that goes beyond any ranking. It restores faith in humanity (even for three minutes). I ‘m hoping for an exceptional outcome in the contest and wishing that “professional” juries won’t kill it.
I actually really like this. The lyrics are moving and it’s so French.
But gurl work on the staging. That black silhouette ain’t flattering to that beak
MASTERPIECE.
# PARIS 2019
Is there a summary of all the jury scores revealed so far? Would be helpful now that quite a few have been published.
Now there’s a war starting in Syria, Italy is the one that benefits the most. This one stays in the background.
Watch Italy climbing up the odds soon.
starting?
For TripAD, the last Eurovision winner is probabily Moltiva or Beleive. (Hope I don’t spoil things :X )
YAASSSS
Italy is winning right not on may 12th!
now*
9/10 This song is simple but emotionally deep. It conveys it’s message in a very powerful way; but yet allows some empathy with the story being told. The block colouring with the staging is also very dynamic. I also like the use of mercy and merci very clever. Top 10 song, with its originality could go top 5. Tres Bien.
Music is good, lyrics are great, vocals are adequate. However, to me it just doesn’t work as an ensemble for some reason, it’s almost cringeworthy. Probably because the way of singing and Emilie’s facial expressions are somehow begging for votes without actually conveying the message of the song.