Corsican-Marseillaise Singer Lilly Captivates Early in “Star Academy” 2025 Return
Paris,France – The highly anticipated return of TF1’s “Star Academy” launched October 18th with 3.26 million viewers tuning in to watch 17 new hopefuls begin their musical journey. Among them, 22-year-old Lilly, a singer-songwriter from Corsica currently based in Marseille, has already garnered meaningful attention, with some social media users comparing her potential to that of previous winner Pierre Garnier.
Lilly’s musical foundation is deeply rooted; she began singing at age 3 and playing guitar at age 6, a passion shared with her father. Her style blends French variety, Anglo-Saxon pop, funk, and soul. Before entering the Academy, she honed her performance skills by singing in bars and at weddings.
Beyond music, Lilly is also an experienced athlete, having played basketball for 10 years, even serving as team captain – experience she intends to leverage within the competitive environment of the “Star Academy” castle.
During an October 18th bonus segment, Lilly performed Lola Young’s “Messy” accompanied by her guitar, receiving eager applause and overwhelmingly positive feedback online. Comments on the official Star Academy Instagram post included, “A star is born, she will go very far, even after Star Ac,” “We love his voice,” and “Pierre Garnier for women.”
Lilly is one of two Provençal contestants this season, alongside Mehdi from Avignon. She joins a new cohort of students under the guidance of returning faculty including Nikos Aliagas (host), Michaël Goldman (director), Marlène Schaff (stage expression), Sofia Morgavi (singing), Lucie Bernardoni, and Fanny Delaigue (rehearsal coaches). New additions to the teaching staff include dance instructor Jonathan Jenvrin and dramatic art teacher Alain Degois.
Lilly has expressed her ambition to write her own songs and perform for large audiences, and early indications suggest she’s a strong contender in this year’s competition.