Merci, France, for being the gift that just keeps on giving. Yesterday saw the official reveal of Amir as the French representative for Eurovision 2016. But France 2 is not wasting any time and have today gone one step further, releasing the music video for “J’ai cherché”.
Watch: Amir releases “J’ai cherché” music video
Notably, the music video keeps the song in its full form, so this is still not the version we will hear in Stockholm. The video intersperses shots of Amir singing with two separate, but similar stories. One focuses on a young boy training to be a ballet dancer, whilst the other is a girl learning a martial art. Both struggle, but find the strength to keep progressing and ultimately reach their goals. It’s a great message that really works well alongside the lyrics of the song.
The whole thing feels incredibly professional and slick, in keeping with the “taking it seriously” tone that France seems to be employing this year. This ain’t Lisa Angell fading in and out of clouds, y’all!
Watch: We react to Amir’s “J’ai cherché”
Even before the music video hit, it seems that Amir has been a big hit across the continent with fans. As we showed yesterday, the news of his confirmation cut France’s odds significantly. Some of our readers comments included “he definitely has the chance to bring France its best result in years” (ct_greece) and “Best French song in a very very very long time” (Darren). C’est bien!
What do you think of the “J’ai cherché” music video? Let us know in the comments section below or through our Twitter page!
its little too much like heroes but more french… nothing new France not surprisinf because some reason israelis speak french in eurovision industry
C’est fantastique, merci Amir, merci la France! I simply love the song, the video, the looks. I’m so gonna vote for France. Hopefully douze points de l’Espagne for France.
This is a cool song. But I remember how I also had my hopes for Sebastian Tellier, Jessy Matador and Anggun and they all didnt do so well. So I don’t expect this song to do well either. It has a potential to get lost among all the screaming and drama.
A mi lo que me queda CLARO…Es que esta entrada va a ser muy POPULAR, tanto para el publico gay para el heterosexual…y demas sexualidadades del mundo.Guapo Amir “VIVA LA FRANCE”
@Pastora Soler haha!: Try to breathe … this is Eurovision and not your reality show … it’s a song contest not a video contest … if that isn’t clear, then I don’t know what is clear to you much less your age. Greetings 🙂
I love this song! Hopefully Amir will have a killer staging at the big night and brings France finally back in the top 10!
This is a feel-good song with a heart and a performer that knows how to naturally charm and connect with an audience. However, it’s so middle-of-the-road that it could be easily overlooked. It’s very much tailored to Amir’s comfort zone so perhaps simplicity is what we need my friends… Here’s Amir’s audition back in late 2005 for Israel’s ‘Next Star’ season 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mqn7d9EbAs The judges said they were curious to see him advance to the next phases, but one of them said that for someone as young as he is (21), he projected a goody two shoes impression to last… Read more »
@Charles
mmm let’s see
This an article ABOUT A MUSIC VIDEO and here everyone can express their FREE opinion about that topic, irrelevant or not for the competition.
MY opinion: I don’t like this music video. I LIKE the song.
So where is the problem? Should i love all the music videos in the whole world?? How old are u? 4????
Get over it.
@Pastora Soler haha! Can you actually realize that the video is irrelevant for the competition but the actual song is? Great!
@charled
Mmmmm never would like something like that.
Can you accept that i don’t like this music video?? Thank you.
Best French song for a long, long time.
It is almost as if the French selectors have realised that they should give Europe something that they might like instead of trying to tell us what we should like.
It’s the first french entry I like this much in a loooong time!
I can’t stop listening to this, really catchy chorus. Well done France, hope it can make top 10 in Stockholm.
Fabulous, I love it. Merci Amir!
@Pastora Soler haha! I am sure you would want a video recorded at a gay club or bathhouse … that would be far more fun even though it would still be so cliched as hell!
Absolute favourite … and what makes it even more special is that this entry is not surrounded by the strategic bs that so often trademark Russia, the Christian Björkmann swedish pressure or the desperate need for attention on behalf of Azerbaijan … This is a song that speaks for itself. That’s we need more often in Eurovision.
France as a country lost touch with the competition since the late 80s early 90s … and this might catch them by surprise … after all their last win was in 1977.
He looks so happy and enthusiastic to be singing this song 🙂 And why not? It’s a great song! Hope France does as well as they should this year.
I am waiting for Lithuania and Estonia to close my top 10, but France for sure is in it.
Best song so far this year.
It’s growing on me, a very good song with a beautiful video!
I absolutely love this! I’d be seriously happy to see this win in Sweden!
Great video, great message, nice song, good singer… every component is here. Hopefully France will do good on ESC for once.
In my opinion, this is one of the best all-time music videos for Eurovision. Well done France.
Enough said. 🙂
Big big fan of this! Best entry since Allez Ola Olé. France CAN do well if they send their best and this song is excellent pop
France has really upped their game, although I also liked them in 2014 and 2015. But this song is way more competitive and if this doesn’t do better than France is used to… well, that would be a crime.
great song
inspirational video
This could do really well in Stockholm
Bonne Chance!
Love it. The song is a bit repetitive, so the shorter version should be perfect. I’m really rooting for France – one of the few cheerful, upbeat songs so far this year.
Definitely voting for this in May! Get on it Australia!
I’m French, so I follow all the news about Amir. So I can tell you that the young dancer in the videoclip is the winner of a French TV show called “Prodiges”. I also can confirm that the end of the song will be remix by Nazim and the Skydancers, for giving a stronger end at the song. N. André says that “the single is taking off” and the official song (3 minutes) will be presented on 12th March. If you want to read (in french) an interview which show all the details of the French selection of this year… Read more »
Yes, the song is going to be remixed so I think it will be even better !
Brilliant choice by France. Unfortunately, since it’s France it’s probably going to be robbed as always…
Superbe!Fantastique! Formidable! J’adore cette chanson! 9/10!
LOVE it. It is my new number 1, Austria is #2. I have both French songs first so I guess I should visit France sometime soon 😛
I like this song, but sometimes a lyric vid is sufficient, especially in 2016 🙂
France’s best song since 2010. Amazing surprise!
Well, it’s a music video. That’s all. And it more or less appears to me as just another example of shooting a video just for the sake of having one. I can’t see it adding anything interesting to the song, which is already a quite enjoyable one as it is, so it seems a bit pointless to me. And why is the sound in mono?
Off-topic: Here is another set of song reviews: http://escsongreviews.com/2016/03/02/songcheck-2016-norway-finland-slovenia/
I just have one thing to say to him: baise-moi.
I don’t like the music video, so cheap and boring.
But i love the song ^^
The song is going to be remixed ! It will be even better !! Amir WINNER
Great video!
The song is within my top half for sure. 🙂
J’adore cette chanson! Superbe clip! 🙂
Already loved the song on first listen but the more I listen to it the more I love it, and the music video is perfect, YAAAAAAY FRANCE!!
Melodifestivalen favourite Frans has released a music video for If I Were Sorry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4emC0VDQGz8
Félicitations à la France!!! Un chanson parfait! Congratulations to TF. They’ve done a very nice work this year!
A remix version (and I think, 3 minutes version) will be presented on the 12th of March.
France really do have a good song here
Wonderful!!! I hope this does well an even win!! Cest Bien France! Maybe go an tie Sweden’s victories heh!