The final episode of season 2 of "Nouvelle École" was released this week on Netflix. We know the winner's name, but there's more to the show than that. This grand finale is an opportunity to take a look back at the new season of Rap FR's must-see show, and try to sum it all up.
Season 2 in upgrade mode
When the first season of "Nouvelle École" was filmed, the sometimes reluctant world of French rap expressed a few fears. These fears were quickly swept aside by the quality of the first season of the TV talent show, to which a few criticisms could nonetheless be levelled. The jury, notably Shay and Niska, were sometimes a little lacking when it came to analyzing performances in depth, to help the candidates progress and give them real artistic tips. But it's clear that all these minor criticisms have been taken into account, in order to give us an even better season 2. And it's succeeded, it's fair to say, now that it's over. Shay, much more serious, and Niska, much more diligent, have clearly muscled up their game, and the editing has left more moments of deliberation and reflection for the jury, so that viewers can better understand the choices. An indispensable aspect, especially when you consider how many up-and-coming artists watch the show for inspiration.
In season 2, everything seems to have been more controlled, more polished and even more rhythmic than in the previous season, while the number of episodes remains the same. It's also clear that a great deal of attention has been paid to pacing, as we see a little less detail of the candidates working on their projects as the tests progress, sequences more present in season 1. And it must also be said that in terms of entertainment, we've been more than served, with some very memorable moments throughout the season. Casting, in particular, with some candidates performing on stage in front of thousands of people, and doing very well indeed. During the featurings too, with some very surprising moments, notably Lpee's with Soso Maness for an incredible remix of the hit "Petrouchka". Last but not least, the crazy finale, with three very high-level performances, each in a very different universe, from Coelho, Yuz Boy and Dau. With great choreography on stage, a real sense of style and showmanship, and some top-quality tracks, season 2 comes to a fitting end.
It's also an opportunity to talk about the quality of the contributors, which has increased again compared to season 1, with a real contribution. Rim'K came to lend his expertise to the jury at the start of the season, and Médine accompanied the candidates during the cypher, a highly perilous exercise for this new generation who are no longer necessarily accustomed to these large group freestyles. With kindness, but also with accuracy in his remarks and advice. Kalash, who brought Shay to the West Indies, an area too often overlooked by major labels when it comes to scouting rap talent. Or Soso Maness, who was perfect in accompanying Lpee through the feats, and it showed on stage. We also appreciated the presence of Arsenik's two mainstays, who came to advise the new generation for the battle. In short, each contributor provided real added value, another indication that season 2 is a success.
Nouvelle École Season 2
The finalists:
A deserving winner, worthy candidates
But you can't have a great season of a singing competition without a great winner. Yuz Boy is that big winner. Unexpected, perhaps, for those who had seen his little misfire on stage with Kalash in the previous episode. But his performance in the final won over our jury and convinced them. It has to be said that he had worked hard on his subject: a griot to introduce the song (African poet-musicians who pass on traditions and stories orally), and to honor his Malian origins, then the top of the outfit falling off, much to the delight of Shay, who had a hard time getting over it. Finally, a track, "Yafama", which confirmed all the good things we thought of the artist and justified all the hopes placed in him. The young man from Saint-Ouen has his own universe, made up of references that aren't necessarily mainstream, changing flows, a facility for varying the speeds and intonations of his rap, a healthy dose of street, and a wide range of musical influences, from rap to opera to dancehall. An artist in a class of his own, far removed from genre standards.
In doing so, "Nouvelle École" affirms its desire to showcase artistic approaches rather than "streaming machines", whose art is already too close to what is currently being done. Another very good point for season 2, but the other two artists also offered us something very qualitative. Coelho, with her single "AMF", in a totally mastered egotrip for a track that would have every chance of being a hit. In fact, we hope to hear more of this track in the future, as the chorus is very effective. And Dau, with his track "Finale", and his incredible energy, which we also hope to see in future projects, notably this slightly "Travis Scott" vibe, but more streetwise. Although it was Yuz Boy who finally walked away with the famous 100K, the two finalists could very well have won too, as the jury's final deliberation shows.
This will be the last comment to close this review of season 2, and it concerns the general level of the candidates. Overall, the level was very good, especially technically, but also in terms of personalities, since we didn't have the big moments of tension or lack of respect for the DJ that we saw in season 1. The jury did a very good job of pre-selection. The fact that they had chosen a few artists with small careers and a few projects already released undoubtedly helped to raise the overall level even further. Once again, very good choices, because whether it's Lpee, Coelho, Yuz Boy or SLKrack, they've all taken the test very seriously, despite having already started a few years ago. In short, congratulations to Netflix, the participants and the speakers for a very successful second season of "Nouvelle École". Here's hoping the third will be even better!
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