Since his Eurovision journey started two years ago, Bilal Hassani has made it clear he’s a long-time Eurovision fan. And on Monday he used not only the eyes of a fan but also the experience of being a former representative to assess France’s fortunes at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Speaking on the radio show Ça fait du bien, the LGBTQ icon gave his diagnosis for France’s many lows since it last won with Marie Myriam in 1977. Without questioning the talent of the artists or their chosen songs, he suggested the country’s failures come down to its attitude to Eurovision. He thinks there is a lack of positivity and optimism at large.
“We’ll win when we stop thinking we’re losers,” he said. “Because that mentality sends the wrong signal to the universe, and it makes us repeat that story.”
Bilal Hassani readily admits that he approached Tel Aviv with the enthusiasm of someone happy just to be taking part, rather than as someone with the naked ambition to win.
“I went to Eurovision in the spirit of participation. I said to myself, ‘I’m doing Eurovision, it’s crazy’, and that’s all I remembered.”
Building on his own love of the contest, he wishes France would cherish the fact that it’s an automatic qualifier — and that it has the guaranteed opportunity to take part in the grand final.
France at Eurovision 2021
As far we already know, Tom Leeb will not represent France in 2021. In June, France’s Head of Delegation Alexandra Redde-Amiel confirmed that France will use a new national selection format named Eurovision France, c’est vous qui décidez. This show replaces the most recent selection format Destination Eurovision.
Redde-Amiel also confirmed that the show will be produced in-house and hosted in a French regional city by French Eurovision commentator Stephan Bern. The national final will involve a public vote, but producers have not yet confirmed whether the show will also have a jury vote.
France Télévisions is currently looking for contestants. Applications remain open until September 30.
What do you think about Bilal’s analysis? Is he right? Should French contestants change their attitude for Eurovision 2021? Tell us your thoughts below.
Awww! I couldn’t stand “Roi” like at all but Bilal is such a warming and beautiful person, so happy to have seen him as part of the Eurovision family!
Bilal is love, Bilal is life…
To Bilal: Thank you so much for performing at the ESC. You have been an icon and continue to be so. Positivity of course always helps any performer. However, that positivity has to come from the rest of Europe in order for France to win. France sadly cannot vote for itself (legally), so it is rather that other Europeans have to be positive about the French entry before one of its artists can win the ESC. I hope that makes sense.
I feel like if France believes it can do well, and the performer has that optimism, that can generally be contagious. Even if they can’t vote for themselves, that positive attitude for that song can make other european countries want to vote for it. If a singer was singing a song that they thought was a bad, losing song, who would want to vote for that?
maybe france had a chance to win last year, had your fans not hijacked the voting and robbed seemone lol
When you look at how the Big 5 has been doing in the past 5 years, France has been in the middle of the scoreboard for the last 3 editions (I thought Mercy and Roi would be top 10, Tom Leeb would’ve been in the bottom 5 if I had my way).
Also here is a table of Big 5 averageness:
1st place: Italy
2nd place: France
3rd place: Germany
4th place: Spain
5th place: United Kingdom
I partially agree with him. The interest for Eurovision has been increasing over the years with a peak in 2016 when the ESC song became a hit before ESC, never happened before. Amir is now a big name in France. The team has been doing it right since 2016 (2015 had a very good staging as well but it’s a different story), but their song and performance in 2016 wasn’t as strong as Ukraine/Russia/Australia/Bulgaria. They did pretty well though. 2017 was a different story. Did extremely well in televoting but somehow bad with juries. I think Alma was not a… Read more »
Yeah people often forget about Natasha St-Pier, she got a top five finish and is still somewhat popular. I love your analysis of their most recent entries. I agree, I too have good vibes for their next national selection!
I agree with him on this: “Bilal Hassani readily admits that he approached Tel Aviv with the enthusiasm of someone happy just to be taking part, rather than as someone with the naked ambition to win” The right, healthy attitude. There is no bigger international stage for a singer / band to display their music. With millions of viewers, so many possibilities. Of course it’s nice doing well. But even nicer I suppose as a musician to have ben able to show what he/she really stands for musically. The most important thing shouldn’t be winning, but present a song you… Read more »
I don’t think I fully agree with Bilal’s analysis. When you look at Amir and the French delegation’s reaction, in 2016, when they received their televote score, you could tell they were extremely shocked and disappointed, and clearly had anticipated winning. It wasn’t the reaction of a team who was just there to show face and make up numbers. Whilst France has not contended for the win in recent years, one has to acknowledge the vast improvement, results-wise, in their last four attempts, compared with the previous four. They have been able to move in the right direction. Furthermore, France… Read more »
Agree, but Frans coming 5th was expected and deserved imo, it charted all over Europe, they still play it from time to time in Slovenia
I think he is mostly talking about the french public and media, not the France 2 team and fans who are very positive and motivated. Because every year when the song is released all the french public is immediately very negative, event when the songs were good with Alma and Amir.
Agreed, J’ai Cherche was definitely better than Frans
*looks at BBC and the UK*
It’s a huge contest. It’s difficult to win even if you do everything right! The important thing is that when you have a song with the potential to win, that you present it in the best way possible. 2016 was France’s chance. Might be a while before they get another one.
when was arcade ever criticised for its staging? nearly everything I’ve seen about it said it was beautiful
oh I see. I just never saw any of it, but I wasn’t saying it didn’t happen. I just dont see how people could dislike the staging, the colour palette was beautiful, it was personal, touching, and simple, idk I just rly liked the whole package of Netherlands 2019 🙂
Tibor wrote: “… people suffer a complete amnesia as soon as the contest is over.”
Indeed, that is a symptom of ESC fever. It is also associated with high alcohol consumption. I wonder if the two are related? 😀
They will win when they start recruiting from their pool of hugely talented artists and stop sending talentless wannabes like Bilal or buying terrible swedish rejects like they did this year.
“Roi” was written by Madam Monsieur.
They wrote two bad songs then. Mercy was an insincere tearjerker performed by someone who looked like an evil executive. Roi was simply eurotrash nothingness.
How would you like them to look like then?
I still don’t understand how it is a big deal for France and not other countries. Also it happened only once.
i just love Bilal! he is so likable and speaks FACTSSSSS
I don’t get why people are disliking this
France will win again when they return to modern, catchy well performed numbers. They where on such a roll with Amir in 2016, Alma in 2017 and Madame Monseuir in 2018. 3 quality French eateries that where classy, well produced, current and typically French.
Funny enough, Bilal was not one of those good performers and the whole performance and styling was incredibly cliche.
Their 2020 entry was forgettable too. Go back to 2016-2018 and France could win again.
They really need to work on the performance and stop using those Eiffel Tower cliché backgrounds, svp.
Entries*** not eateries, although French eateries can be classy too lol
Ok Tibor the lesson giver, obviously with absolute knowledge and taste, but about your country, is it so irreproachable about Eurovision, I don’t think so, then….
He is saying the state of mind in France has to change so what is the problem , you’re agree with him, no need to denigrate the quality of the songs and singers sent cause the results in esc and the success are two different things, the results of the esc doesn’t reflect the success and the quality of songs and singers.
You said it’s because of the quality of their songs and singers France didn’t get good results, not for something else as Bilal said, insinuating the quality was poor, and I just said you’re wrong cause Alma Madame Monsieur or Bilal for example were successful and had quality songs, successful in and out the fandom before and after the contest and didn’t get good results in eurovision, then the artists and the songs are not the main problem it seems as you think. Insinuating the quality of the french acts was poor, yeah it’s denigrating moreover when it’s wrong.
You know, France’s results over the past years have been pretty good considering where they were. I still listen to “J’ai chercè” and “Mercy”, I adore those songs but France’s stagings leaves a lot to be desired. I think “Mercy” suffered from the no LED year because a lot of people don’t understand french, but they could’ve done more with it anyway. Amir came 6th despite the quite underwhelming performance, visuals and vocals although he’s likable and charming. He still came 3rd with the juries, so I think it could’ve been so much more France that year
I think it’s mostly the fault of them having in the Big 5. People are going to see them for the first time and if the song isn’t as outstanding as the ones from qualifying countries, they will end up being in the bottom. They should learn from Italy or step out of the Big 5, because I’m still not a fan of this idea. They literally pay their way into the Grand Final, something that other countries (especially Montenegro) could never do because of money. Also there are definitely 5 better songs than the ones from the Big 5… Read more »
I’m not a big fan of Big 5 idea and I agree but to be fair with France.. they would have qualified comfortably these past 4 years. They didn’t rob any country spot.
And again and again this big 5 thing…..without the big 5 and their money, no eurovision, it’s not so hard to understand and no thank you they don’t need to learn something from Italy, Italy is not the absolute example.
The fact that the Big 5 pay a lot more, it allows other countries and especially small countries without many money to participate anyway because it reduces the amount of their entry fees, in some ways they pay for the other, so no they don’t robbed their participations in final. Nothing unfair here because all countries benefit of the money given by the big 5
I have nothing against big 5, but isn’t it obvious that they pay the most money since they actually have the most money, I mean do u expect Estonia and Slovenia to pay for it?
Of course they can’t but they can anyway take part of it thanks to the big 5.
.
Since Amir the opinion of french people about Eurovision is changing in a good way, but people loose hope because when France makes efforts and deserve a good result, they don’t get it especially in 2017 and 2018. Losers is not the good word, but resigned, France has tried many many sort of styles in recent years without being really awarded for that……so it’s not a losers feel but a loss of hope simply.
The same could also be said for the UK, as well as increasing spending for the contest and not the pittance afforded by the BBC
Well said! But hopefully this change has begun and maybe step by step we will achieve something!