Nouvelle École season 3 sets the stage and social networks alight

New jury, new rules. Such is the doctrine of Nouvelle École season 3, available on Netflix since July 4, with the finale on Sunday July 21. The iconic SCH is still on hand to lead the way, and as usual, he's adding color to the season with his “ma gatée” and plated ponytail. This year, however, France's biggest rap competition said goodbye to Shay and Niska, and welcomed Aya Nakamura and SDM with open arms as new members of the jury. It's a change that has won unanimous acclaim from the young audience, who never cease to point out how likeable Aya is, and how iconic SDM's reactions are. With compilations of the best moments and humorous video montages of the most legendary contestants, season 3 of the Netflix-produced rap competition is an unparalleled success compared to the previous two seasons, which had already achieved record viewing figures. As well as being a breeding ground for talent, the show is also a meme machine, with Kenz's «ding dongggg» and Newton's auto-tuned «je suis sur un fil» provoking unstoppable laughter from the judges. This season, no more castings at home, the 18 Belgian and French talents travelled directly to the capital to begin their adventure. And what talents they were. From AMK, who has already released a sound with Nekfeu, to Dadi, who confessed to being the nephew of rapper Naza, the level was very, very high. 

Although there's still plenty of room for improvement, this latest season also shows that women are more present, and above all, unafraid to make their voices heard. There's Aya Nakamura, who doesn't hesitate to put a contestant in his place (and rightly so) when he tells her he doesn't think she's right to judge him, Kenz, who's sanguine but endearing, giving the audience a protective mom vibe, and a talented female DJ who accompanies the contestants in style during their performances. But the most memorable girl-power moment of the season was Clara Charlotte's performance in the battles, when she literally set the stage on fire, extinguishing her opponent Yorssy after a few less-than-appreciative comments about her being a woman. « I'm so fresh I could even hook up with your sister », « you are wearing tn I am wearing heels, you're a pony I'm the stallion »,« even in the life you invent for me I am more famous then you», the 23-year-old rapper literally created an anthem for femininity, taken up by countless young girls on social networks. A landmark moment not only in this season, but in the entire history of Nouvelle École, whose release on popular listening platforms is urgently demanded by the public. 

In addition to creating entertainment for its audience, Netflix uses this program to give visibility to, and even act as a springboard for the careers of, young people who often come from disadvantaged backgrounds, but are nonetheless packed with talent and, above all, with a lot to say. This was the case for the winner of the first season Fresh la Peufra, who not only went home at the end of the show with 100,000 euros in his pocket, but also with a new fan club that still follows him today, two years after the broadcast. Indeed, the 27-year-old from Liège now boasts well over 470,000 followers on Instagram, features with some of the biggest names and a gold record. He is now listened to by 684.7 thousand people every month on Spotify. Was he such a great talent that he would have emerged sooner or later, or was he a pure Nouvelle École product that would have been harder to create without the help of the small screen's visibility? We'll never know. What we do know is that the series is a goldmine of emerging talent just waiting to be heard, and that the rap world is eager to discover. Winner or not, there's no doubt that everyone who goes through the Nouvelle École process comes out a winner. It remains to be seen who the big winner will be this year.