France Sings the Name of a Baby Born on a Rescue Ship

MAY 15 2018 · 12:20

Madame Monsieur · "Mercy" · France · 2018 Placement: 13 · Score: 173 · Language: French · Composers: Émilie Satt, Jean-Karl Lucas · Venue: Altice Arena · Host: Lisbon, Portugal · Type: political statement · Broadcast: streaming era Émilie Satt and Jean-Karl Lucas — a married Parisian electro-pop duo — take the Altice Arena stage in coordinated austere black outfits. Émilie stands still and sings. 'Mercy' is named after a Nigerian baby girl born on the Aquarius rescue ship in the Mediterranean on 21 March 2017. The lyrics tell her story. 173 points, 13th place. Netta wins for Israel with 'Toy'. Context The Aquarius was a rescue vessel operated by Médecins Sans Frontières and SOS Méditerranée, pulling migrants from the Mediterranean. France Télévisions's 'Destination Eurovision' selected 'Mercy' over clear pop candidates specifically for the song's political weight. The actual baby Mercy and her mother were reportedly present during the Lisbon semi-final. Legacy 'Mercy' is one of the most cited Eurovision entries in academic studies of political pop. The Aquarius itself was seized by Italian authorities in 2018 and later stripped of registry by Panama and Gibraltar, a real-life escalation that made the song's gesture more weighted. Madame Monsieur continued as a critical-darling French electro-pop duo through the 2020s.