Eurovision is known for throwing some unexpected performances our way, from pop songs about feeding bananas to wolves, to Finnish heavy metal bands dressed like demons. This year’s winner, Bulgaria’s Dara, didn’t disappoint, with a performance of her aptly-titled “Bangaranga” that featured some rather… overstimulating dancing and costuming choices. (Why were her dancers all wearing creepy clown masks for the first part of the song? The world may never know.)
But France’s entry came with its own surprises. France always has a guaranteed place in the Eurovision finals, as one of the “Big Four” countries (also including Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom), which contribute significantly to the European Broadcasting Union, which produces the contest. Yet this year’s representative came by way of Salt Lake City.
Monroe, the 17-year-old who represented France in the Eurovision finals over the weekend, is a French-American soprano born and raised in Utah. After years of singing in her local Mormon church, she went pro, going on to win Prodiges, a French classical music competition show, in 2025. Her success garnered her a record deal with Warner Classics, and she released her self-titled debut album at the end of last year.
She has since made a few other high-profile appearances, including a recent performance with Josh Groban on the song “Hymne à l’amour.”
For Eurovision, Monroe performed the operatic love song “Regarde!” written by Fred Savio, Fredie Marche & Violin Phonix. You can watch the entire performance below.
Catherine Rickman is a writer, professional Francophile, and host of the Expat Horror Stories podcast. She is currently somewhere in Brooklyn with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @catrickman.
