20 m2

The sixth season winner of Nouvelle Star, Amandine Bourgeois collaborated with a team of songwriters and composers on her full-length debut, 20 M2. A fine effort relative to most Pop Idol-type albums, 20 M2 should delight fans and might surprise those who scoff at reality television singers. The personality, vocals, and versatility of Bourgeois were never really in question, of course, not after her performance on Nouvelle Star, where she sang everything from Calogero, Zazie, and Johnny Hallyday to Pink Floyd, Donna Summer, and Amy Winehouse, and indeed she puts a lot of herself into 20 M2, co-writing many of the songs, singing them with passion, and developing an individual style all her own. Her style is pop/rock that veers away from the middle of the road and into alternative rock territory, with guitars, both acoustic and electric, factoring heavily into her music. What is most questionable about Bourgeois therefore is her songwriting ability, something that doesn't factor into a show like Nouvelle Star. Showcasing her songwriting ability for the first time, Bourgeois is credited with co-writing a little over half of 20 M2, generally in collaboration with her father, Jean-Claude Chailleux, and a couple times with Corinne Louis, and she composes most of the album in collaboration with Guillaume Soulan. The songs that aren't penned by Bourgeois are contributed by a cast of accomplished singer/songwriters, namely Ariane Moffat ("L'Homme de la Situation"), Joseph d'Anvers ("Tant de Moi"), Jeanne Cherhal ("Étranger"), Rose ("Du Temps"), and Ludéal ("Sans Lui"). While these outside contributions comprise most of the album highlights, Moffat's "L'Homme de la Situation" and d'Anvers' "Tant de Moi" in particular, Bourgeois' self-written songs are enjoyable all the same and often revealing. For instance, the album-closing "Sale Bain" is a far stretch from hit material, but it's one of the album's most enjoyable songs, revealing a curious side of Bourgeois that fans will appreciate.