The country that wins Eurovision not only gets the pleasure of holding it, but also gets an automatic pass into the Grand Final. That means there’s no pesky semifinal grind for Switzerland this year. So while their artist Zoë Më will be performing on Tuesday night, she knows that it’s just a fun practice run for the real deal on Saturday.
And her song?
I can’t complain about Switzerland bringing something French, because it’s a French-speaking country, and Basel is practically in France. But it does seem interesting that out of the four songs this year that contain French, three of them are traditional chanson-style songs.
I mean, Zoë’s song may sound like a wistful sad girl song at first – perhaps a French cover of something by Victoria from Bulgaria – but just after 2 minutes, the strings and swirling melodies kick in, and we’re listening to something that is unmistakably from the French chanson tradition.
I don’t think this is a good or bad thing – I think it’s a trend in the contest that is going to delight lovers of traditional French pop, because Zoë, Claude, and Louane are all giving us very servicable examples of the genre. It’s not a chore to listen to any of them.
But Voyage as a song is, ultimately, like the Voyages Zoë references. It has a fleeting effect on my brain. It’s enjoyable when I’m in it and forgotten as soon as I’m dragged into other, heavier concerns (Katarsis and Tavo Ayks, for example.)
The one final thing I find intriguing about this song is the video, where Zoë Më seems to be leaning heavily into the manic pixie dream girl stereotype. The video has a grainy quality to it, like it was shot on film instead of digital equipment, and in it, Zoë Më remains at a reserve from the rest of the people in the shot. She seems to be an observer of the street, rather than a participant, only managing to connect with the small girl. The whole thing in a way reminds me of Amelie, where the protagonist only knew how to experience life by meddling in the lives of others. (And yes, even though I’m an American, I’ve seen French films other than Amelie. I am particularly partial to the works of director Francois Ozon and a little actor you may have heard of, my boyfriend Tom Leeb.)
Anyway, Voyage is cute, but falls squarely in the “sometimes a song can just be a song” category for me this year.
dudepoints.fun 