The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 37 competing songs in Eurovision 2023. Next we review France, who have chosen La Zarra with “Évidemment”.
Were we evidently fans of the song? Read on to find out!
La Zarra – “Évidemment” (France Eurovision 2023)
Review: La Zarra – “Évidemment”
Simon: Oh-la-la, c’est bon! La Zarra serves so much Frenchness that it gets the baguettes crunchy and the champagne popping. The laid back and cool vibe suits this song and, although I don’t think we are up in the heights of Barbara Pravi of 2021, it gets me vibing and wanting to sit at a beach hotel in Nice or Cannes. Hope the cool vibe can be transferred to the stage as well, because this can redeem the “Fulenn” mishap from last year and get France a decent left-side-of-scoreboard result.
Score: 8
William: La Zarra isn’t just a singer — she’s a force and a feeling. The song starts with sultriness and mystery and slowly turns to strength and seduction. Rather than delivering something obviously feel-good and full of bubble gum smiles, she explores the treachery of time, her endless search for love and her desire for truth in a world without easy answers. There’s a sense of delayed gratification — the song reaches its climax rather late. That climax could be bigger — I trust that will come with visuals in Liverpool. I love a woman with long nails and an oblong hat. Such attitude and flair is a reminder that the French disco era is now.
Score: 7.5
Renske: “Évidement” is a classy song with initially an exciting build-up. However, after it reaches its first chorus, it stays flat and does not surprise anymore for the remainder of the song. Songs like these risk being forgotten in a 26-song Grand Final. Having often-used elements, including a bridge just before the last chorus, does not aid its game either. All in all a decent effort, but unfortunately, not a standout among this year’s cast.
Score: 5.5
Ruxandra: Mesmerising. France has both: a sad romantic song with strong French vibes and a dance hit! It’s like a mixture of authenticity and modern music, with metaphoric lyrics that seem to underline well the desperate feelings of longing, a failed romance. While many other reactions expressed their worries about how this song will be staged, I have no worries at all about it. La Zarra is very expressive and she feels every single word that she is singing, I am sure that she could fill the whole stage just by doing something similar with the music video: to stay alone on stage with some lights effects and some smart camera angles.
Score: 10
Lucy: When La Zarra was announced for France, the cries of MOTHERRRR could be heard all the way from her homeland Canada, and she has most certainly lived up to her title with “Evidemment”. Honestly, I was a bit like “oh, hmm, ok”, not quite appreciating the build up to the disco drop on the first chorus, but in time I understand it. This suits her so well, and it’s oh so very French.
Score: 7.5
France Eurovision 2023 ranking
In the Eurovision 2023 Wiwi Jury, we have 20 jurors but only have room for five reviews. The remaining scores are below:
|
Antranig: 8 Cinan: 9 Dayana: 8.5 Deban: 6.5 Diego: 8.5 Forrest: 9 Jonathan: 7 Kristín: 6.5 |
Luis: 8.5 Oliver: 8.5 Pablo: 8 Rick: 8 Ron: 4 Samuel: 8 Tom: 8.5 |
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 4 and a high of 10.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 7.83/10
What do you think of France’s Eurovision 2023 entry? Share your own score and review for La Zarra’s “Évidemment” below!
Too bad that this is overshadowed by the suoer calculated Tatoo.
Pure class! Well done, France!
La Zarra showed that there’s another way to represent French music and attitude other than Barbara Pravi’s Piaf style.
She is so captivating, stage charisma and great voice. I bet they will do a similar performance as per the official music video but with big visuals and smart camera angles. Guess she’s wearing black too.
I think France will do well with juries, not sure about the public.
“It’s ICONIC, it’s the moment and we’re sliving for it. 5.5”
French classic, I like it!
I just have a feeling it will be much more impactful on the big stage in Liverpool than the studio version or other performances we have seen and I consider it a dark horse. I thinknit will stand out.
I cannot believe someone is actually able to rate it lower than a 7 out of 10… that is crazy! Some will be shocked, surprised, and/or upset with the final result this coming May that is for sure. LOL!
La Zarra = 10/10 – this years absolute best song! A definite top 10, most likely a top 5 finish – and if there is any justice, a TOP 1 result!
can’t believe Deban scored it so low…
Deban and Susan have… quite the taste
It’s a good song but not in my top 10. Anyway I wish her luck in the gran final!
I like the song, but not love it. She’s got so much charisma though that the song becomes better with her performance. I wish her good luck in Liverpool, she deserves a good position.
Not disappointed by the wiwi jury ? This is a potential winner for me, even if the chances are slim since there’s some formidable competition of course.
Does anyone know what happened to La Zarra? I’m asking after seeing her latest stories on IG saying she was dealing with something. :/
The same was also posted to Twitter. I think it best that her privacy is respected, and I wish her well.
Yes, I was just wondering if she ever explained anything publicly. I don’t wish to invade her privacy and also wish her well. 🙂
Upon its release, my initial reaction to this was one of disappointment. A combination of France being willing to ditch their national final and every bit of information I could find about the artist herself, had me really hyped that France might be serving up a potential winner. Well, they’re definitely not. But, this is probably my biggest grower of the season and the one song that, every time, I come back to re-rank, moves up. It’s one that has a lot to appreciate on repeated listens, probably more so than what you’d pick up in terms of initial impact… Read more »
Stunning analysis very well worded !!
I’m convinced and i didnt have the same opinion before Reading !
Thank you! Although, I’ve got to stop putting songs “in that 11th-12th range”, it’s causing severe mathematical problems.
It wasn’t as good as I thought it would be, but it’s still a potential top 5 song.
FRANCE – La Zarra is a true star, and this feels like one of the most ambitious projects of ESC 2023. After (very undeserved) penultimate place last year, France goes back to what made them successful in 2021: A chanson about an artist exposing their inner hopes and fears. But this is *obviously* not only that, as it also infuses it with disco beats, and makes it a bop. Her magnificent voice is effortlessly owning every note. There is something really refined in this package, and I respect that. I feel like I should be able to connect more on… Read more »
We mostly agree on this as well, although the “la grande France” is one of the parts I find to be a show-off in this song. I would wonder where you have this song in your top. I don’t think it’s as low as 26th (the place I have it) but it’s I think outside your top 15 isn’t it?
That part of my list is a bit wonky so far, but I expect France to be my 20th or 21st. So, not far off. I feel like I’m underrating it, and I do think it’s really quality song, but there are several more entries I connect with more or which I listen to more at this point. Still, La Zarra is a captivating artist, so I am ready to be mesmerized at ESC finals.
Yes I agree. For me it’s also a case of a song just not being compatible with my personal taste. Pure disco has never been my thing. I would have liked to see a different alternative approach to French chanson than this. Nevertheless, this is what we got, so I am curious to how it will be staged.
I do feel there is a magnificent voice there but, I can’t help thinking that this song isn’t showing that off enough. I wish it moved away from that low-key opening much quicker and gave La Zarra more to do.
Actually I really find France’s song for this year overhyped and boring.
This time I feel like a college student desperately in need of a deadline extension for an essay. I just haven’t given this the attention it clearly deserves. My first impressions were that the song was fine, and it settled into a “once in a while” light rotation on my playlist. Today, though, I am feeling it like I never expected to. Maybe it’s all the drama following La Zarra at the preparties, but suddenly the anxiety of an outsider twice-over (nationally, ethnically) preparing to sing “la Grande France” rings loud and clear; not overdramatic, but just right. I love… Read more »
Ironically, as a French, the “la Grande France” line is part of the reason why I can’t get into the song all that much.
It will definitely do that. I don’t think it’s a song that you completely get based off a single listen. Borderline top ten feels right for this entry.
OVERrated
I will remain impartial on this one so I won’t say anyhting except that she has my support more than ever.
What if Édith Piaf had lived enough to meet disco music and put her spin on it? Though for now it feels more like an entry that will settle down for a comfortable top 10 position than a proper contender to win the contest, we still don’t know what France has in mind for its staging, so I would keep an eye on it. La Zarra’s retro aesthetics makes an interesting pair with the sassy she puts on her music. If we go past the grandiosity of the intro and the drama surrounding the verses and pay attention to the lyrics,… Read more »
With this entry, I think France would gladly take that top ten position if you offered it to them right now. I’m quite excited about the staging possibilities though. I feel like France, in both ESC and JESC of recent years, haven’t put many feet wrong when it comes to how they present their songs. This definitely gives them more to work with than the likes of Bilal or Madame Monsieur, so I’m hopeful!
Whatever is her score on may 13th, she’ll remain one of the (or may be the) brightest personality of ESC 2023.
Even though I personally don’t resonate all that much with our entry this year, I’m happy to see La Zarra’s positive reception in the fandom. Fingers crossed for a good result in May, I really wish her the very best, and that she can change the public opinion about Eurovision in France!
Maybe the expectations were high when France announced La Zarra because the song didn’t really delivered what I personally was expecting. In my opinion, this the typical case when a superb artist elevates an otherwise average song. I’m sure the jury will eat up the package but I’m not sure about the audience. So, unless the live performance shows us something different, I see France around the 9th-12th placeswth a top 6-7 with juries and around 15th with the audience. France stands in my 19th place: 10. Ireland (7) 11. Armenia (7) 14. Moldova (7) 15. Estonia (6.75) 17. Australia… Read more »
It’s just amazing ? I really think that this could be Frances year!
French is my mother tongue and all I can say is that the lyrics are lame.
I dont speak French and of course care about everything else around an entry then (when I dont understand the lyrics).. the entire entry just gives off a great vibe and the production is so catchy and so well done. And La Zarra is just mesmerizing herself so she is my favourite of the year!
France is in my top 5 again this year. This entry just oozes class and elegance. I’ve always had a soft spot for disco music so this entry is 100% right up my alley. This could easily have come across like another Ralph Siegel fail like San Marino 2017 but this entry is among my most listened and loved entries of the year.
It’s a 9/10 for me. I hope France does well next month!
For me, the best thing about this entry is the performer. La Zarra has a striking look, a very resonant, beautiful alto, and I’m sure she will be one of these performers that will captivate a good part of the audience by just standing on stage looking fabulous. As for the song, although for some reason people are apparently still instinctively starting to write about baguettes, when it comes up, I have to give the French team credit for trying to break the mould of the classic chanson by replacing most of the orchestra with a classic disco sound after… Read more »
Your analysis is very smart. La Zarra, sure, is a character and will deliver a performance trying to elevate live what is already a top-notch production song, with a lot of work put into the arrangements and melodic crossroads. I appreciate you noticed the distinctive genre it has from previous entries from us, in the same time keeping some universal codes of what we’re “supposed to be” known for, because it’s also what seems to work for specific countries in the contest (think about Spain, UK or Portugal). There’re a lot praising some countries for diversity and darings through the… Read more »
Thanks for your kind words and for making my words sound much more flattering than they actually were. 🙂 I believe, La Zarra was a good choice, but I will never be okay with a country like France scrapping their national selection. The song is good and well produced, but even though it is more outside the box than, say, “Voilà” was, it’s still a little too closely pressed against the box for my personal taste. But that’s okay, because as I said, the star is the performer. And I would talk about last year, but I fear, that I… Read more »
Generally, I am agreeing with the sentiment of having a NF when possible, but there’s a flip side to it. Looking at what happened in Albania and Belgium. In theory, if they held an internal selection, we could have gotten Evita and T’inquiete instead of Duje and Because of You. Who’s to say that if the French NF took place, that La Zarra wouldn’t have lost to something as campy and as melodramatic as these two? It’s always a risk… But I guess it always is, and in most cases, it’s still the one worth taking.
The thing is, I’m not looking at it through a lense of success or failure. I know that only a fracture of my favourites are going to win their national finals, but that is part of the excitement. On the other hand, there are a lot of finals in which I enjoy several songs, so even if all the countries gave me all my favourites instead, I would still prefer having the national finals. I’m here for the music, the show is fun to watch, but ultimately I don’t really care about results. Come to think of it, not a… Read more »
Definitely in agreement when it comes to your main points. Firstly, La Zarra herself is the strongest element of this package and brings a certain level of guaranteed success just by being La Zarra. I think she could be reading off a traffic report in Liverpool and would still avoid the bottom three.
But yeah, the song is not vocally challenging enough to be the contender that the performer probably deserves. There is definitely a ceiling to this entry that some fans are just not seeing.
I agree that this has a ceiling, but I don’t think that the reason for it is the lack of a vocal moment. We had a couple of winners without one over the last decade, hadn’t we?
It’s not so much a lack of a vocal “moment”, as I do think that this song attempts to have one. It’s just that it is pretty much just that, a singular moment. Be nice if she had more to do leading up to that.
And yeah, not every winner-level song needs that vocal standout in order to be successful but some songs do need it. I think concept-wise and instrumentally, this isn’t *that* far off.
Same as with Sweden then… Loreen makes the entire performance. Every year we see some amazing performers making their entries better than what they are… but that is literally the entire meaning of Eurovision – finding a package that works. France works, Sweden works, Finland works… by any other artists those songs would not been the same…
It will be interesting to see, where I’ll place Loreen, then. 😉
I agree that sometimes the performer is bigger than the song. But even a tremendous performer can’t accomplish anything without a decent song. For me personally, the song always takes precedence, anyway.
Ridiculous scores
Classy elegant and dramatic. Perfect french entry, I really hope juries won’t ignore it. Frame since 2021 is a powerhouse with amazing entries and this better stays like that.
Rating: 9/10 (9th)
I like it, but France could easily be another fan favourite flop
I would like them to add English subtitles on the screen during the Eurovision performance, so that the viewers can understand what she is singing. I liked the vibe of an old French diva..
That´not necessary for me. I can understand French a little.
This is my all time winner this year. Third year in a row France manages to sneak into my winners position, idk how they do it honestly. I’ve been playing this song on repeat it has a beautiful melody and the beat is addictive. 10/10
Evidently, France knows what the ESC viewers want. A diva, a bit of chanson, a bit of disco, a money note, some nationalism and a bit of class. All the of those aspects are in this song. For that reason, I’m not going to touch this one musically. Someone else can try musically analysing it if they want to, but I’m taking this review off. There are also undertones that indicate the singer is there to embody the whole of France, which is evidently changed by a recent event. One can read that the song is about performing at Eurovision… Read more »
I am up to a conversation! France is one of the most difficult entries for me to rate this year. The lyrics are certainly somewhat similar to the ones in Voila. We have an elegant woman, an artist, displaying her inner struggles to the world. She hopes for understanding and acceptance. Perhaps, in the case of Evidemment, we are indeed talking about France itself? The lyrics are vague enough to allow that interpretation. Or, if we take in account the lyric of being good enough for ”la grande France”, we are actually referring to a group of people or ideas… Read more »
About “la Grande France”, there’s room to interpret it as a request to the French and European listeners who discovered her two years ago. After 3min of paying tribute to French heritage playing with musical and fashion symbols thanks to her song, this former hairdresser from Canada is asking the crowd if they want to adopt her as a singer and make her a place in their hearts, next to the icons Édith Piaf or Dalida.
“Did I succeed to sing the great France?” I think I would answer with a big YES
One of my favourites this year but I don’t deny that i’m a little worried that the televote forgets about it. I think it finishes on the left of the leaderboard.
I ve always liked this song since it’s release and each time i see her perform it grows on me more. Classic France meets Disco> i think this could be the surprise to come again depending on draw position
25) France – Renske pretty much sums up my thoughts on this song. I was rather disappointed when it first was released, but it has grown on me… I just don’t find it that interesting to listen to, but I’ll gladly have it on in the background. La Zarra of course sells it and is probably the reason it can do well in the final. 6/10
It’s been too long since we last saw the contemporary, mainstream face of France at Eurovision. More “French” than French, “Evidemment” sounds like a cigarette-smoking daughter of Piaf, Dalida and Madame Croissant Aubeurre. But how can I deny the sheer elegance and intoxicating glamour of la Grande France? La Zarra, like her famous musical predecessors, exudes refinement, class and sophistication, with a hint of tragic backstory. She’s a movie character come to life – Catherine Deneuve in Belle du Jour, Delphine Seyrig in Last Year At Marienbad – rocking her exuberant, shimmering dresses and round head thingies. Whether it’s haute… Read more »
Love your final sentence! And I’m slowly arriving at the same conclusion. For my taste, I think La Zarra fits better on that disco floor and I wish, in the song, she’d get there a bit sooner and enjoy her time there a bit more. 😉
Rehearsals are the first week of May right?
Start Sunday 30 April
Thoughts so thanks
Top 5 for me, even with Spain, Slovenia, Portugal and Moldova
Honestly, I think France has a good shot for a Top 5 with it.
I completely agree with Forrest , it’s a simple 9/10
Ron, are you ok?
I’ve loved this from the first listen and still remains in my top 3. It’s just so classy yet with a coll dance beat. This deserves a top 10 finish
Not my cup of tea but I’m very sure France will do very well.
One of my first unpopular opinions. Had to come eventually 🙂 26th place: FRANCE: France’s song fails to grip me unfortunately. I can deal with the French chanson parts of the song but the disco chorus is not my style at all. The beat there completely throws me off. I also can’t say that I am a fan of the general aesthetics of the song and video clip: they are elegant, yet kinda diva-ish which is an aspect that makes the whole thing feel artificial and unappealing to me. I am all for mixtures of genres and was really curious… Read more »
Haha we all have some unpopular opinions, don’t we? I get your point about the diva-like attitude -I was worried about it as well after watching the video, but La Zarra comes across as very humble and genuine live. I loved watching her smiling and shouting “allez” to the crowd in Madrid, while she was facing major technical difficulties. That was the turning point for me, when I realised that this is probably doing very well in May unless they mess up with the staging.
Of course I will also wait for the live performance. There have been countless times where my too has changed after the lives. I don’t think the song can climb a lot of places in my top since it’s not my style, but it’s not impossible to gain some ground with a good live.
Perhaps. The diva vibe certainly puts me off but I agree the situation is not as bad as it could be 🙂 .
I agree. The whole thing is so artificial and cliché. The fact that French is my mother tongue does not help.
Such a great entry from France this year. French elegance at its best but at the same time such a ‘bop’, I fell in love with the song immediately and it’s still there comfortably in my Top 5 after multiple listens. I was a bit worried about how this would come across live, but La Zarra seems to be very down to earth and she oozes charm and finesse, which I hope will also be the case with the staging – I don’t want to see complicated dance routines with this one. It’s 9.5/10 and 5th place for me. It… Read more »
Simply, an EXCELLENT entry. Elegant, boppy and catchy, with classic French finesse, beautiful and eloquently sang lyrics and, oh mon Deu, La Zarra is STUNNING when performing this fantastic song, giving it a distinc, sophisticated amd artsy aura. As for the music, as French as it can possibly get: the extravagant violins, the delicate rhytmicity, the disco characteristics, THE FUNK, the final climaxing bridge and chorus!! Tremendous! merveilleux, captivant, mélodieux, PARFAIT!
My #3, with a 10/10 rating and one of my FOUR IN TOTAL PERSONAL WINNERS of ESC2023! <3
Top 10 material for France this year!
Very authentically French. The disco route adds a modern spin on it. Not sold on the live performance though. The song lacks a easy to latch on to hook. Would have liked it more if it had that. Had a good first impression of it which has slightly faded with time.
Score : 7/10
Overall: 12-18
La France 9/12
I think France could be set for a top 10 finish this year with the potential to get top 5. When I first listened to the studio version, the opening felt striking however once the chorus kicked in, it did seem to plateau somewhat and not really have enough of an oomph in the production. I am assuming that the power im looking for in the production will come to life in a live performance that has proper sound. I think the music video and La Zarra’s aesthetic is quite striking. I think they should keep that concept and use… Read more »
It’s still my 5th-6th place for the year and the French are on a really good run, but I don’t like Evidemment nearly as much as I do Voila and especially Fulenn. I find it a bit underwhelming in the sense that it was clearly written having the ESC performance in mind (with all of those elements like the dramatic opening, the switch to the nu disco, the bridge with that high note and so on) instead of just being a good song that could stand on its own more, like her biggest track, Tu t’en iras, for example, but… Read more »