France’s Slimane was the first artist to reveal his song for Eurovision 2024 — way back on November 8.
And in the months since then, with around 20 other songs announced, he’s remained a threat on the odds table and in the hearts and minds of his many fans both inside and outside of Eurovision.
Now that we’re in the throes of Eurovision national finals season, he’s also turning the volume up on his campaign — and in the most beautiful way possible.
On Thursday Slimane performed a live orchestral version during the first semi-final of Croatia’s Dora 2024.
?? Emotion, voice, presence — France’s #Eurovision 2024 singer @Slimaneoff was pure class tonight in Croatia.
— wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) February 22, 2024
pic.twitter.com/K0L96CUSfE
The re-orchestrated version of the song showcased his power and vulnerability. The final minute seems to push him to the limit — yet he handles it flawlessly without breaking a sweat. You hear him performing totally a cappella and standing several metres from the mic. But his power carried his voice and his pitch-perfect tones.
The style was, as ever, a moment in itself. Slimate was chic in all-black, teaming a leather jacket with a knee-sweeping skirt.
This was chill-inducing and a reminder that Slimane remains a major threat to take it all this May.
Did you love it as much as we did? Let us know down below!
Mon amour en Croatie.
— Slimane (@Slimaneoff) February 22, 2024
It was such an amazing moment to sing in CROTIA for @HrtDora pic.twitter.com/hWPz5d2U8N
Slimane vient d’interpréter « Mon amour » en tant qu’invité à la sélection croate pour l’#Eurovision et en a proposé une version réorchestrée. La dernière minute est folle, magistrale. LES FRISSONS !pic.twitter.com/U37dD64nTE #DORA
— Fabien Randanne (@fabrandanne) February 22, 2024
?? En el eurofandom vemos meadas fuera de tiesto por encima de nuestras posibilidades, pero la más grande de ellas diría que es la de la gente que se empeña en decir que esto no es bueno.
— Luis Fuster (@luisgfuster) February 22, 2024
Francia es firme candidata a ganar #Eurovision por mérito propio.pic.twitter.com/eDk6nuA31C
WOW WOW WOW FUCKING CHILLS ??????? pic.twitter.com/jOPSENy9aa
— ESC Tom (@EurovisionTom) February 22, 2024
Am I the only one who misses when selected artists used to go to other countries’ national selections to perform ???
ZzZZZ… BOOOOORING
Smells like Paris 2025
I understand, why Slimane climbed up to 7 in the odds. This Performance was really touching though I had not been a big fan of that amour-pathos in the studio-version.
Same here. With this live performance he showed his skills for me connecting with his emotions.
Well Done
Excellent. Love that Progressive roll throughout the chorus. First time hearing it… Long time humming it… That can’t be a bad thing from FR.
*for FR
Beautifull.
He is able transporting his raw and pure emotions.
His stage presence is very good.
Well Done.
Bonne chance de la France!!
The way he spits everywhere is just disgusting. Say it, don’t spray it bro
I know, at this point the odds don’t say much, but he was always outside of the Top 10 and now he’s going to 7th. I really hope he’ll have the same success in the contest as Marco last year, people were sleeping on him up until his final performance.
For me this works and it will stay put in my personal Top 5!
He’s a great singer but you can’t deny that the song is very dull.
Right. This Page is full of french fans…
You’re kidding yourself if you don’t think France has a chance to win. They finished 2nd with Voilà, and only because Måneskin slayed.
“Mon Amour” is far from the quality of “Voila”, though.
You wish.
Hahaha keep dreaming baby
I agree with all the positives, but the stand back moment seems odd to me. He’s just as loud away from the microphone as he is singing right into it. So is it just a prop?
Yes he has a second microphone on him. But that’s a clever trick for the average viewer!
A trick? What a lie, always something to try to discredit, always…
Why would it discredit him? The effect works, that’s all that matters
I not 100% sure it does work because an “average viewer” might think he is miming at that point.
Or think it’s the “pre-recorded backing vocalist”
Slimane even better than before, bonne chance !
Very good performance, this is a top 10, maybe top 3 with the juries. But I think one of the joke songs will win the televote, maybe Finland.
No, not Finland – that´s too cheap even for the public.
Baby Lasagna eventually will.
The lack of ballads will certainly benefit him, top 5 is highly possible
His fashion choice is also much better here than the one in the music video, I hope they won’t go back to that
With so many entries going for the televote this year, there’s an opening for a song to really clean up with the jury vote. This could be it.
I will admit, though, that the singer is better than song. Reminds me a little of Laura Fabian in 1988.
Lara** I miss the edit function on here.
Fantastic performer with the blandest song. I wonder how that can translate in the results.
Thinking about it: last year, Marco Mengoni ended up 4th with the same characteristics. Good voice but mid song. So a top5 should be possible for Slimane.
Good singer and I commend him for that, but if this generates excitement and motivates people to vote, there is something wrong with ESC 2024. And I hope they will find some fresh and original music in general, because this is generic and seen all before, and what’s the worst – he is not selling it to me. For example, Eugen yesterday failed to wow with his voice, but sold the love song with his real emotions, you can see the song has a meaning for him. Slimane is just theatrical.
Respect your opinion Ultima, but I feel he won’t seem generic and unoriginal on the night because not many of the acts are doing stuff like that this year. So yes, other performers work the camera like that, but none I’ve seen so far from the class of 2024, which seems to be loaded with acts trying to do the next Cha Cha Cha or SloMo. Points will roll in.
Or Hard Rock Hallelujah (frightening/witchy tactics)
Frustration, more?
Way above all the rest – so far! Greetings fraom Norway
It’s been said. That minute where he stands back from the mic and let’s it all out ??blew??me??away. So far this is the stand out for the jury winner.
That was pretty cheap and cringe. There is no way that a generic French song which is way worse than Voila in every single way wins jury. He stood out because half of the contestants last night were amateurs, he is a good singer but that’s about it. We heard this type of a song 100 times, not only on ESC, if it still generates some feelings for some, that’s certainly a minority.
Ultima you should shut up, cause you’re ridiculing you.
Oddly for me Voila was the cheap/cringe of these two
Still one of my favorites. Wouldn’t mind if it won the whole thing
In my list currently on fifth place.
He came, he sang, he wowed. Bravo Slimane!
I hear people say the song is bad because it’s not doing anything special, the lyrics are bland, the song title is bland, a “male Voilá”.
Is that really such a bad thing though? This guy sings his freaking heart out and he nails it. I think the instrumentation really adds to his vocal tone, creating a wonderful 3 minutes. I for one think this is bound to do extremely well in May.
Some people will always have something bad to say so … however how are the lyrics of Tattoo or of Arcade, they are not reinventing the wheel and that’s not what we ask to a song, a song has to make you feel things… This song does nothing maybe for some people… but for others it gives emotions and it gives chills hearing Slimane singing it and again more this version. A song can’t please to everyone, universal love for something doesn’t exist.
Moreover this song is simply and literally a universal declaration of love that everybody can understand, it has no other pretension, and I must say that the world needs that more than ever in this moment.
I think he needs to keep the emotion but try to control the vocal more. That verged into wailing at times.
the song and the lyrics are generic. He is a great talent.
Bravo on a very strong performance to camera. I had admittedly been sleeping on France 2024 because “Mon amour” is similar in structure to “Home” (Israel 2019), and I recall how that song did not score well. But the main differences for France 2024 are the minor key, the French lyrics, and the descending melody lines (compared to ascending for Israel). I think that juries will have to be swayed by the performance and the staging in order to “mark it up”, so well done to Slimane for already managing to achieve this at Dora. (And, obviously, thank you to… Read more »
I do get winner vibes from the song. But then again there’s probably two or three songs this year that could win. I wouldn’t mind if France won since it’s been a while since they have but don’t forget, Croatia has their own threat!
The lyrics are generic af
What I find funny is that a lot of people love the lyrics of this song but I go from time to time on a Eurovision French blog and people don’t really have the same opinion there. Not that they think the lyrics are bad of course but France sent so many songs with great lyrics in the past, way better than this. My opinion is simply that the approach to music has changed and if we take the standards of 2024 then Mon Amour is indeed well written (still talkin about lyrics). When it comes to the melody I… Read more »
“Sorry if I’m bothering you… I love you, I don’t know why… Do you love me, or not?”
SO DEEP. Honestly the lyrics are terrible and cringey, but nobody speaks French any more so he gets away with it
Ive said it from day 1 – France is a potential winner this year! By far the one that is the most likely runnaway winner with tje juries this year, as juries have proven to LOVE french ballads lately, also they appreciate great vocal performances. And the performance is by far good enough to get a high enough placing in televotes as well to be able to win it all! It is between France and Norway at the moment…No other songs are even close…
Impressive, but I’m not a big fan.
Considering the lack of ballads and slow-tempo entries this year, France is definitely going to do great.
Less ballads than ever this year!
If you ever wondered how the great French language songs won Eurovision in the 1970’s by great singers with an orchestra with this performance Slimane takes us back there. No gimmicks just a great song vocally outstanding.
I didn’t really like the hand gestures to the camera. I think the real reason I was underwhelmed tonight is that I was spoiled by Slimane’s New Year’s Eve performance. At the top of a crowded Champs Elysees, wind blowing, a passionate performance with a glowing L’Arc de Triomphe behind him. Hard to match that.
L’Arc de triomphe is a little difficult to transport. ?
And in any case, when we focus on our monuments, we are criticized for being cliché, as with the presentation clip of Tom Leeb from the Eiffel Tower (Tom who we are unlikely to see again in competition, kidnapped by the cinema)
And I believe that the La Zarra tower has for a long time inoculated the French delegation from focusing on the decorations. The best formula we have found for adults since Amir is simplicity, voice and/or emotion. And Slimane has all these cards.
SVT could arrange for the Arc to be transported, they will even raise the ceiling if necessary.
Seriously, though, for now I’m only comparing it to the Dora performance. I fully expect great things for May, on a magic night in a packed arena… the “frisson” of live raw human talent can easily surpass any flashy spectacle, you are right.
I thought he overdid the hands a bit too, Jonas. He needs to watch and learn from Shirley Bassey.
I think he’s a guaranteed top10 finisher’
Slimline ?
No Slaymane, simply.
Jury vote winner for sure if he does something this epic.
He was really great, happy to see people appreciating his talent.
This was so good. I was covered of goosebumps from head to toe ! My question is that can he convince people to vote for him ? I’m starting to think he will do much better in the televote than people thinks
Still not a winner… jury vote maybe
I really like what they’ve done there. I think we need keep an eye for this one – it’s a solid song with a great performer and if it’s staged well it can create a ‘moment’. France is aiming high again this year.
By the way, Raiven from Slovenia will perform Veronika live for the first time in the second Dora semi. Hopefully that’ll be another treat!
Do. Not. Sleep. On. This.
Potential runaway jury winner and unless this is staged horribly (which I cannot imagine it being), he will draw televotes. The song is really really good, far from a generic ballad and although the lyrics are not exactly Shakespeare, people enjoy the sound of the French language. And if he does what he did at the end of his Dora performance today… We may go to France next year!!
wow, this is a solid contender to win the jury vote
I think we are all speechless ?
We sure are. Incredible performance, honestly.
ok France! I see you…!!!!!