Earlier this week the Wiwi Jury—our in-house panel of music un-professionals—caught the Eurostar to Paris to review Amandine Bourgeois’ “L’enfer et moi”. Did the experience leave us feeling like we were caught in hell? Or was Amandine’s sultry voice pure paradise? Read our reviews to find out…
Wiwi: Vive la France! Amandine has been done wrong, and that is what makes this song so right. The video is among the sexiest and most twisted we have ever seen in the run-up to Eurovision and Amandine pursues the schizo-crazy vibe with 100% commitment. She has a raspy voice and she isn’t afraid to use it. And, having seen her perform at Eurovision in Concert, I can confirm that she knows how to command the audience. The jury should eat this up, and I hope you do too. And if you don’t Amandine will probably saw off your wang and pour hot wax on the wound.
Score: 8/10
HK Dick: I applaud France for their brave choices in Eurovision. The last few years has seen them move from the typical French dreary ballad to taking chances with songs that have not been justly awarded on the scoreboard. Here is another, though this one had me slightly less excited. I love the opening, the darkness of the music, and the mood of the song. But it never builds into anything. It’s almost like there is another minute of the song somewhere that we haven’t heard yet. Still, top marks for trying. I just wish the UK would be so bold.
Score: 6/10
Bogdan: What I like about France each year is that they don’t seem to care about the Eurovision trends and, year after year, with few exceptions, they are sending a quality song (unlike the UK, who also stopped caring, and who misinterpret Eurovision as Euro-trash, and rarely fail to send a shite song). Amandine Bourgeois is a great singer and “L’Enfer Et Moi” is a great song, reminiscent of Lady Gaga’s “Teeth”. I don’t see it winning Eurovision, but hopefully it will end up in Top 10, where it belongs.
Score: 8/10
Alexander: This song doesn’t do anything for me, probably because I don’t really like the dark vibe it has going on. I do appreciate that it’s different than all the other entries though, and it’ll definitely stand out in the final.
Score: 3/10
Deban: Amadine Bourgeois is a jack of all trades, but a master of rock. She rose to prominence after winning Nouvelle Star in 2008, and went on to release two successful albums. Having her in the contest is really exciting, and her rock number hones in on that excitement. The beauty of “L’enfer Et Moi” is its versatility. It works as Easy Listening, Pop, or Jazz, and it elevates the typical Rock anthem. Amandine is a cool chick, and she exudes a sophistication that’s rarely celebrated in her chosen genre. Yes, she wears a lot of angst, but she’s also aware of her angles.
Score: 7/10
Mr Häggkvist: This is the reason I love Eurovision so much. This is a song we don’t expect. The singer looks mean. She is proud to perform as a baddie. And those lyrics are pure hate. She’s really into revenge, but come on: the girl was hurt by this guy. Making his life hell is the least she can do. Rock on psycho!
Score: 8/10
Vebooboo: Among the plethora of ballads this year, this is undoubtedly my favourite. It is the most unique and soul-infused by a mile, and Amandine worked the stage like no other in Amsterdam. She probably got one of the loudest rounds of applause, and for a Big 5 country to do so is always a huge feat. Do I think Amandine will win? No. But do I think people will remember her performance? Absolutely. And isn’t that victory enough for a celebrity who is looking to use Eurovision as a PR platform? Following in Patricia Kaas’ footsteps isn’t easy, but Amandine does it gracefully and with funk. I just hope she had fun getting high in Amsterdam as we overheard her mentioning that to a couple of reporters!
Score: 8/10
Wiwi Jury Verdict: 6.86/10
Wiwi Jury Final Ranking: #10 out of 39 contestants
You can see the latest reviews and standings on the Wiwi Jury page. You can also listen to all 39 entries on our contestants page.
Quirky and laid back jazz. Loved it.
Yessssssssssss – some grit and power. Liked it a LOT. Okay so the video has her looking a bit like Gloria Estafan locked in a gothic Bronte novel and she clearly doesn’t like Mondays, but the song has all the right ingredients.
I love this song and video. It’s a cross between Adele and Amy Winehouse. I hope she gives a good live performance and does well.
It’s reported the staging will be similar to the music video.
@Penny The only reason why France bombs every year is because they make some stupid staging mistake every year. The gymnasts last year were really distracting away from the song.
@Alexander I just had that subject, the French revolution and all, in history class today. And ofcourse, ‘Bourgeoisie’ came up. First thing I thought of: Amandine.
I really like Amandine’s entry and completely agree with the Jury – if only the UK were so bold! I’d love to see Amandine in the Top 10 but I’m not sure if she’ll get there…if she gets running order 17th-26th then she may have a chance à la Pastora Soler in 2012 of making the Top 10, otherwise I see a comfortable placing in the 12-15 range – then again I thought Anggun would perform strongly and she bombed in Baku……
An amazing song that has some kind of buildup until the last powerful line.
This is a hard one. I love the vibe fo the whole song, but televoters simply do not eat this. They won’t like it, they won’t appreciate it, which is unfortunate.
And SVT/EBU/ W/e, could you please give France a place in the running order that finally doesn’t suck for once?! France deserve to sing on spot #20 or lower, if not last after all the crappy orders it has drawn.
I’m curious about her last name…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgeoisie
GREAT SONG. Finally: something with edge!
I am going to put this song in my top 10 – despite France not being popular in recent years ( and I keep liking them – maybe that’s the problem lol ) – this one will do well for them – its great and very well presented. Good luck France