🇫🇷 Road to Basel: France

Road to Basel: France. We cannot wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. Therefore, we take a closer look at one of the contestants each day. Today, we highlight France.

Louane

Louane Emera, known simply as Louane, is a beloved French singer-songwriter and actress whose heartfelt music and captivating stage presence have earned her widespread acclaim. After rising to fame through her participation in The Voice: la plus belle voix in 2013, Louane quickly established herself as one of France’s most promising young talents. Subsequently, her debut album, Chambre 12, became a chart-topping success, showcasing her ability to blend emotional depth with accessible pop melodies. Furthermore, known for hits such as “Avenir,” Louane effortlessly conveys vulnerability and strength in her music. Consequently, her performances are praised for authenticity and warmth, qualities that resonate deeply with audiences across generations. Additionally, Louane’s diverse talents extend to acting; notably, she received a CĂ©sar Award for her role in La Famille BĂ©lier.

Maman (what does AI say?)

Louane’s 2025 release, “Maman,” is a heartfelt and introspective ballad that elegantly captures the emotional complexities of motherhood, memory, and identity. Co-written by Louane and Tristan Salvati, the song is deeply personal, drawing inspiration from Louane’s own experiences of loss and becoming a mother. Moreover, with delicate melodies and poignant lyrics, “Maman” reflects the powerful bond between parent and child, bridging the past and the future. Additionally, Louane’s vulnerable yet powerful vocal performance enriches the song’s universal appeal, profoundly resonating with listeners. Through “Maman,” Louane explores themes of love, reflection, and generational continuity, showcasing her artistic maturity and emotional authenticity.

Internal selection

In 2025, France TĂ©lĂ©visions opted for an internal selection process to choose their Eurovision representative. Consequently, on January 30, 2025, they announced Louane as the chosen artist. Subsequently, Louane unveiled her song “Maman” during a live performance at the Stade de France on March 15, 2025, coinciding with the halftime show of the Six Nations rugby match between France and Scotland. As a result of being a member of the “Big Five,” France automatically qualifies for the Eurovision Grand Final, scheduled for May 17, 2025, in Basel, Switzerland.

France in the Eurovision Song Contest

France has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since its inception in 1956. Soon after joining, the country achieved its first victory in 1958 with AndrĂ© Claveau’s “Dors, mon amour.” France subsequently won four more times: Jacqueline Boyer with “Tom Pillibi” (1960), Isabelle Aubret with “Un premier amour” (1962), Frida Boccara singing “Un jour, un enfant” (1969, a four-way tie), and Marie Myriam’s “L’oiseau et l’enfant” (1977), which remains their latest victory.

Moreover, other notable entries include Amina’s “C’est le dernier qui a parlĂ© qui a raison,” which tied for first place but finished second after a tie-break in 1991, and Barbara Pravi‘s “VoilĂ ,” which achieved second place in 2021. Consistently, France competes as part of the “Big Five,” granting automatic qualification for the final.

A random French entry

We let the website random.org select a French entry from Eurovision history. It is the 1958 winning song, “Dors Mon Amour”, sung by AndrĂ© Claveau. With the money, he didn’t buy a car or a yacht. No, he bought a cow!

Betting odds

Currently, France takes a third place in the betting odds for winning the Eurovision Song Contest. That means only two entries make more change to win the whole thing. If this comes true, it would be one of the better scores for France, especially in the last few years.

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel.

 

 

 

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Martijn

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70 years of Eurovision, slipping into the sixties

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 1959 France chose to organize the contest in Cannes. Eleven countries came together. No Luxembourg this year, but the United Kingdom was back. Monaco made its debut. The presentation was in the hands of Jacqueline Joubert, who would go on to do so more often. The big favorite was Domenico Modugno. After the success of “Volare,” he entered for Italy again. He did not show up for the first rehearsal. He did not consider it important. The French broadcaster thought different and scheduled a rehearsal for him anyway. He did not win by a long shot. His “Piove” finished in sixth place only. Also noteworthy were the participants from Germany: the recently deceased Kessler Sisters, who sang their song entirely in sync. But France did not want to grant Italy the victory. The same applied the other way around. And where two dogs fight over a bone, the third one runs off with it. And that was the Dutch Teddy Scholten. With the artfully rhymed “Een beetje,” she took first place, much to her own surprise. When someone from the production team urged her to go to the stage because she had won, she didn’t believe a word of it. And yet it was true: the Netherlands had won for the second time in four years. 1960 It became a bit too much for the Dutch broadcaster to organize the contest yet again. Therefore, the British BBC took over. The contest moved to London, and for the first time, but certainly not the last, Cathy Boyle hosted the event. Thirteen countries participated. Luxembourg was back, and Norway made its debut.Big stars participated. Siw Malmkvist represented Sweden. Camillo Felgen competed for Luxembourg (in Luxembourgish!). Rudi Carell, who would later become a big star in Germany, competed for the Netherlands. None of them finished high. The winner was 19-year-old Jacqueline Boyer. Conductor Franck Pourcel was displeased that she had to perform last. After all, she had to go to bed early, the conductor said. At Pourcel’s request, the entire rehearsal schedule was rearranged. And Jacqueline won! “Tom Pillibi”, a song about a pathological liar, became a huge success and an international hit. 1961 The Eurovision Song Contest returned to Cannes, France. Jacqueline Joubert hosted it for the second time. By then, the number of participating countries had grown to sixteen. Spain, Yugoslavia, and Finland made their debut. Lale Andersen participated for Germany. She had gained fame during World War II with the song “Lili Marleen”. A Greek also took to the stage, which was the first time. Although Greece itself was not yet participating, singer Jimmy Makoulis represented Austria. The final unintentionally became very exciting between Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. Unintentionally, because for a long time, too many points were accidentally recorded for the British on the scoreboard. The British duo, The Allisons, did have the big Eurovision hit of that year with “Are You Sure?”. Frenchman Jean-Claude Pascal won for Luxembourg. In “Nous, les amoureux,” he sang of a love that was disapproved of by others. Only much later Pascal admitted that this song was about the love between two men. In this, Pascal was far, very far ahead of his time.

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March 30, 2026 No Comments
History
Martijn

70 years of Eurovision, slipping into the sixties

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 1959 France chose to organize the contest in Cannes. Eleven countries came together. No Luxembourg this year, but the United Kingdom was back. Monaco made its debut. The presentation was in the hands of Jacqueline Joubert, who would go on to do so more often. The big favorite was Domenico Modugno. After the success of “Volare,” he entered for Italy again. He did not show up for the first rehearsal. He did not consider it important. The French broadcaster thought different and scheduled a rehearsal for him anyway. He did not win by a long shot. His “Piove” finished in sixth place only. Also noteworthy were the participants from Germany: the recently deceased Kessler Sisters, who sang their song entirely in sync. But France did not want to grant Italy the victory. The same applied the other way around. And where two dogs fight over a bone, the third one runs off with it. And that was the Dutch Teddy Scholten. With the artfully rhymed “Een beetje,” she took first place, much to her own surprise. When someone from the production team urged her to go to the stage because she had won, she didn’t believe a word of it. And yet it was true: the Netherlands had won for the second time in four years. 1960 It became a bit too much for the Dutch broadcaster to organize the contest yet again. Therefore, the British BBC took over. The contest moved to London, and for the first time, but certainly not the last, Cathy Boyle hosted the event. Thirteen countries participated. Luxembourg was back, and Norway made its debut.Big stars participated. Siw Malmkvist represented Sweden. Camillo Felgen competed for Luxembourg (in Luxembourgish!). Rudi Carell, who would later become a big star in Germany, competed for the Netherlands. None of them finished high. The winner was 19-year-old Jacqueline Boyer. Conductor Franck Pourcel was displeased that she had to perform last. After all, she had to go to bed early, the conductor said. At Pourcel’s request, the entire rehearsal schedule was rearranged. And Jacqueline won! “Tom Pillibi”, a song about a pathological liar, became a huge success and an international hit. 1961 The Eurovision Song Contest returned to Cannes, France. Jacqueline Joubert hosted it for the second time. By then, the number of participating countries had grown to sixteen. Spain, Yugoslavia, and Finland made their debut. Lale Andersen participated for Germany. She had gained fame during World War II with the song “Lili Marleen”. A Greek also took to the stage, which was the first time. Although Greece itself was not yet participating, singer Jimmy Makoulis represented Austria. The final unintentionally became very exciting between Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. Unintentionally, because for a long time, too many points were accidentally recorded for the British on the scoreboard. The British duo, The Allisons, did have the big Eurovision hit of that year with “Are You Sure?”. Frenchman Jean-Claude Pascal won for Luxembourg. In “Nous, les amoureux,” he sang of a love that was disapproved of by others. Only much later Pascal admitted that this song was about the love between two men. In this, Pascal was far, very far ahead of his time.

Read More »
March 30, 2026 No Comments
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