At the start of the year, France announced they would be sending one of their biggest stars to represent them at Eurovision. As a result, Louane will be performing the song ‘Maman’ and is emerging as a favourite to win the contest.
Read on to learn more about Louane, her career so far and how her Eurovision entry compares to her previous release of the same name.
Who is Louane?
Born Anne Edwige Maria Peichert, 28-year-old Louane is best known by her stage name. She was born in Sainte-Catherine in Pas-de-Calais to a Polish-German father and a Brazilian-Portuguese mother and is one of six siblings.
At the age of eight, Louane was diagnosed with ADHD which she told French news publication 20 Minutes made her “an insomniac, hyperactive, and unruly kid” whose parents often needed to employ a tough love approach to calm her down. Tragically, Louane lost both her parents as a teenager with the loss of her mother inspiring the lyrics to both her Eurovision entry ‘Maman’ and her 2015 song of the same name.
In 2018, singer Florian Rossi joined Louane on a tour and the two became a couple. In 2020, Louane gave birth to their child Esmée and in October 2024, Louane and Florian announced their engagement.
Career
Louane’s first TV appearance was in 2008, when Louane was just 12-years-old. The reality show, L’École des stars, aimed to find outstanding child singers between the ages of 8-12 and was ultimately won by an 11-year-old Valentin.
Five years later, Louane’s major breakthrough would come through her participation in the second season of The Voice: la plus belle voix. In her blind audition, Louane performed ‘Un homme heureux’ by the French classical composer and singer-songwriter William Sheller. All four judges turned their chairs for her and Louane ultimately opted to be mentored by prominent French musician Louis Bertignac. Another memorable moment from her time on the show came when Louane dedicated her performance of ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon to her father, who had died just three months before her participation in The Voice. You can watch her performance below:
Louane made it to the show’s semi-finals before being eliminated. Shortly after this, she starred in the film ‘La Famille Bélier’ in which she played a teenager who is the only hearing person in a deaf family. She received high praise for both her singing and acting in the role, winning the César Award for Most Promising Actress. Louane has continued to act alongside singing throughout her career, providing French dubs for the films ‘Trolls’ and ‘Incredibles 2’ as well as starring in the French TV series ‘Visions’.
Louane has released five studio albums with her first two albums, ‘Chambre 12’ in 2015 and her self-titled sophomore effort in 2017, topping the charts in France and Switzerland. Her subsequent releases, ‘Joie de vivre’ (2020), ‘Sentiments’ (2022) and ‘Solo’ (2024), all placed in the top 10 of the French album charts.
‘Maman’: Past and Present
Louane’s 2025 Eurovision entry is not the first time she has released a song dedicated to her late mother. In 2015, ‘Maman’ appeared on her debut album ‘Chambre 12’. When compared to her Eurovision entry, both songs are a fascinating exploration into Louane’s journey through her grief as well as becoming a mother herself.
In the 2015 song, Louane opens by telling her mother that “the lovers go from bed to bed […] to escape all this melancholy” whereas her 2025 song begins with “No more lovers, no more beds/In the end, you see, I built my life.” Additionally, while the second verse of the 2015 song says that “promises” with the aforementioned lovers are “made as quick as they dissolve”, in the 2025 version she is able to tell her mother that she has “found love, indelible”. Finally, Louane’s journey is solidified through the songs’ choruses with the younger Louane telling her mother “Je trouve pas de sens a ma quête, maman” which translates as “I can’t find a sense to my quest, mum.” However, the elder Louane has finally found a sense to her quest, telling her mother “Maintenant c’eÑ•t moi qu’elle appelle Maman” or “Now I’m the one she calls mum.” The final maman is sung by Louane’s daughter Esmée, demonstrating that she has been able to come full circle and emerge from her grief.
While recordings of the 2015 version of ‘Maman’ are available online, the song has been removed from streaming platforms and even ‘Chambre 12’ to make way for Louane’s Eurovision entry. Speaking to French daily newspaper Ouest-France about the decision, Louane explained:
For the first time, I’m finally well. And this new song exists for that reason. I would like it to be the only thing that we remember, rather than dwelling on the past.
Eurovision 2025
Louane debuted ‘Maman’ on Saturday 15th March as a half-time performance during the France vs Scotland rugby match of the 2025 Six Nations tournament. This performance saw Louane joined by a parade of drummers while she was suspended mid-air on a platform in the Stade de France. While this was certainly an incredibly grand way to debut your Eurovision entry to the world, France’s Head of Delegation has confirmed that the Eurovision staging for ‘Maman’ will be “very different” to her debut.
As a member of the Big Five, France automatically qualify for the grand final. However, for the second year running France will have a chance to impress viewers by performing in the semi-finals. This year, Louane will perform in the second half of the second semi-final, in between Georgia and Denmark and will also perform at the Eurovision in Concert pre-party in Amsterdam.
France are currently third in the odds to win Eurovision, behind Sweden and Austria. While we’ll have to wait until May to see how she fares, we certainly wish Louane the best of luck and can’t wait to see ‘Maman’ in Basel.
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