It’s May, and for many Europeans, it’s the return of something very important. Non, je ne parle pas du soleil (no, I’m not talking about the sun), but Eurovision!

Not familiar with it? Basically, every participating country submits a singer and song to represent them. From there, the songs are performed in 2 semi-finals and a final, then the vote is decided via a jury and the public. You can read more about how that works on the post I wrote about France’s 2015 submission.

Last year, France picked Lisa Angell who performed “N’oubliez pas.” Unfortunately, the song wasn’t very successful, garnering only 4 votes. Yikes.

France seems to have a pattern of doing a fun and catchy pop song one year followed by a slower song the next. “N’oubliez pas” was slow, so that means this year’s is fun and catchy! And it really is…

Cette année (This year), France chose 31-year-old Israeli-French singer/songwriter Amir to perform in the contest in Stockholm. “J’ai cherché” (I’ve Been Looking) was written by Amir, Nazim Khaled, and Johan Errami.

Here are the results after the semi-finals.

The following 10 countries qualified from semi-final 1:

Azerbaijan
Russia
The Netherlands
Hungary
Croatia
Austria
Armenia
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Malta

The following 10 countries qualified from semi-final 2:

Latvia
Georgia
Bulgaria
Australia
Ukraine
Serbia
Poland
Israel
Lithuania
Belgium

You may have noticed that France isn’t listed as a qualifier. As per the contest rules, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and the host country all perform in the final because they are the biggest monetary contributors in the contest.

Want to hear this year’s entry? The song already has some English in it, but the translation published below is courtesy of Eurovision’s official page.

 

J’ai cherché un sens à mon existence
I was looking for a sense in my existence
J’y ai laissé mon innocence
I have lost my innocence in doing so
J’ai fini le cœur sans défense
I finished my heart without defense
J’ai cherché
I was looking for
L’amour et la reconnaissance
Love and recognition
J’ai payé le prix du silence
I paid the price of silence
Je me blesse et recommence
I hurt myself to start again

Tu m’as comme donné l’envie d’être moi
You gave me like the need to be me
Donné un sens à mes pourquoi
Gave a sense to my whys
Tu as tué la peur
You killed the fear
Qui dormait là, qui dormait là
Sleeping there, sleeping there
Dans mes bras
In my arms

You-ou-ou-ou-ou
You’re the one that’s making me strong
I’ll be looking, looking for
You-ou-ou-ou-ou
Like the melody of my song

You-ou-ou-ou-ou
You’re the one that’s making me strong
I’ll be looking, looking for
You-ou-ou-ou-ou
Like the melody of my song

J’ai cherché un sens,
I was looking for a sense
un point de repère
A point of reference
Partagé en deux hémisphères
Divided into two hemispheres
Comme une erreur de l’univers
Like an error of the universe
J’ai jeté tellement de bouteilles à la mer
I threw so many bottles into the sea
J’ai bu tant de liqueurs amères
I drank so many bitter liqueurs
Que j’en ai les lèvres de pierre
That I got lips of stone from it

You-ou-ou-ou-ou
You’re the one that’s making me strong
I’ll be looking, looking for
You-ou-ou-ou-ou
Like the melody of my song

You-ou-ou-ou-ou
You’re the one that’s making me strong
I’ll be looking, looking for
You-ou-ou-ou-ou
Like the melody of my song

Au gré de nos blessures
According to our injuries
Et de nos désinvoltures
And to our casualness
C’est quand on n’y croit plus du tout
It’s when you don’t believe in at all,
Qu’on trouve un Paradis perdu
That you will find a paradise lost

En nous-ou-ou-ou-ou
Within u-u-us
Oh, you, you, you, you

You-ou-ou-ou-ou
You’re the one that’s making me strong
I’ll be looking, looking, looking for
You-ou-ou-ou-ou
Like the melody of my song
Like the melody of my song

You-ou-ou-ou-ou
You’re the one that’s making me strong
I’ll be looking, looking for
You-ou-ou-ou-ou
Like the melody of my song
Like the melody of my song

You-ou-ou-ou-ou
You’re the one that’s making me strong
I’ll be looking, looking, looking for
You-ou-ou-ou-ou
Give me your love with my song
Give me your love with my song