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Eurovision Contestants 2015: Switzerland

It’s her "Time to Shine," but it is her time to win?

Who knows, maybe Mélanie René"s last name will help her, as she shares it with the husband of Céline Dion — the last singer to win the contest for Switzerland, back in 1988. Unfortunately, since its first participation in 1956, the country has come in last position five times, and won only twice.

Knowing that both winning songs were sung in French, it looks like René will have to be particularly convincing to justify her singing in English. But as she puts it in "Time to Shine," "No matter what they say I will follow my heart, I think it’s time for me to stand up and hold my ground." You go, girl.

The inspiration behind the music video is definitely reminiscent of Disney's Pocahontas. René lives in the forest with her horse, and sings among the trees: her love for Mother Nature may come either from Switzerland, where she lives, or from Mauritius, where she was born. But the song doesn't have much to do with the environment: It’s a general message of hope for humanity — and, we're guessing, for the singer too, as she confessed that winning the Eurovision Song Contest was a childhood dream. Aww.

Our vote:

Does it make you want to visit that country? 3/10

Was there enough glitter? 3/10

Ok to quit your day job? 2.75/10

OVERALL AVERAGE: 2.91/10

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Dottoré!

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Photo of a ceiling lamp in front of a blue wall

"Because the ceiling lamp isn’t moving"

Mariateresa Fichele

I can feel the earthquake. Or at least, I think I can, because the ceiling lamp isn’t moving. I run upstairs in a frenzy to check on my son. He is sound asleep.

My husband is asleep, too. He hasn’t felt the earthquake, but he has heard me move about. Of course he has.

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