French PM Questions Song Choice

Posted by James W. Coates Apr 16, 2008

France’s choice of an electronic song for the Eurovision contest has caused a stir in that country. So much buzz surrounds Sebastien Tellier’s “Divine” that even French MP Jacques Myard has had his say on the matter.

But it’s not that the song’s an electronic dance track, where usually more pop-orientated tracks are used, or even the song’s sexually charged atmosphere that has the country in such an uproar, it’s more the lyrics, or rather the choice of language those lyrics are sung in, that’s causing debate.

Culled from Tellier’s Sexuality album, he chose to have the lyrics sung in English to appeal to a more international audience. But some, such as Myard, feel the song represents more the country than just a song and feel belittled.

Myard may ignore that most European acts that have had any success following the Eurovision contest (Abba, Celine Dion) mostly gained that attention from singing in English.

On another note, most of France’s more internationally renowned electronic acts including Daft Punk, Air and Justice tend to sing English lyrics.

Each year European countries choose an act to represent it in a song contest pitting artists against other European countries. This year Belgrade, Serbia hosts the contest with the final to be held on May 24.