EUROVISION 2019 REVIEW: FRANCE - Bilal Hassani - Roi

Time for a new review!

Today, we turn to France, who after another incredible edition of Destination Eurovision (shout out to Aysat), Bilal Hassani beat fan favourite Seemone to go to Tel Aviv with 'Roi'.

Here are my thoughts:

What I Like: What I probably like most about 'Roi' is actually Bilal himself. I was one of the few Eurovision fans who wanted him to win over Seemone because something about him shone through. The way in which he performs 'Roi' could seem insincere but he performs it in such a way that I feel he believes in what he is saying and its charming to watch. I also like his live vocal unlike many others, as I genuinely can't tell if its vocal croaks or just raw emotion. I also think the Destination Eurovision staging worked really well in creating a narrative arc, where we see videos of Bilal as a child, culminating in Bilal doing the crown symbolism alongside the LED of him as a child which made for a powerful end shot. I'd actually love to see them keep those elements in Tel Aviv, so I hope its incorporated in some way. Also, a quick shoutout to the 'and i know oh oh oh' part. That part of the song gets me bopping every time.

Not to mention it seems Bilal is overjoyed to be in the contest and its been lovely seeing him connect with all the other artists and their entries over his Instagram over the past few days.

What I Don't Like: I was so happy when this won but it dawned on me recently that I don't really go back to 'Roi' that much and I tried to figure out why. I guess the song is a little linear and there are other countries doing it similarly, but Bilal seems to excel in the performance aspect of the others. The French to English parts are a little messy and maybe break the fourth wall when it comes to the song feeling sincere, although I don't have such a big problem with them as others do. Maybe I'm just ready and waiting for the revamp when we hit rehearsals? We know the revamp is going to add extra power and impact to the song, something I think the song maybe lacks a little bit in the pre-chorus and chorus production-wise. Or maybe I'm just frustrated that is wig 'Israel' for the contest in May isn't called Tel Aweave? Who even knows at this point...

Prediction: Okay, this is in the final but how well its going to do is quite difficult to picture. I haven't been impressed with a French stage show in a long time but they had a good setup in Destination Eurovision this year, so maybe times are changing. They also must have faith in the revamp to wait until rehearsals to share it. I think this is touching on top 10, but it'll be dependent on running order and whether this can come together on such a big stage.

Final Score: 7/10

Summary: A motivational ballad sung by a more than competent performer who's identity stands tall and proud on stage adding extra depth to this entry. I'm excited about the fact there is still more to uncover about this entry and I still consider this a dark horse.

Thank you for reading! Please leave a like on this post and check out my other blog posts. Also, feel free to follow me @ESCTBy for more Eurovision ramblings!