The third season of Star Academy, French version of Spanish Operacion Triunfo and English Fame Academy, not to be mixed up with "(A La Recherche De La) Nouvelle Star", the equivalent to American Idol, ended in December 2003. The 8 "best" contestants have already released their 1st singles, that you will find compiled here.1. " De l'eau " - Elodie Frégé: Surprise winner of this edition, Elodie is following the steps of Nolwenn Leroy, winner of StarAc 2. This is a power ballad that starts slow and builds up on the chorus. It's not the best track on Elodie self-titled debut album (released March 2004) in my opinion, but it is a hit. Interesting to note that Elodie wrote 3 songs on her album, something that was not permitted to previous winners. The album includes a duet with Michal.2. "C'est un beau roman (c'est une belle histoire)" - Michal, Patxi, Lukas & Premix: the boys who made the top 8 plus Edouard cover this 70's hit by Michel Fugain. Nice sing along song, fair track.3. "Le monde est stone" - Elodie, Sofia & Morganne: the 3 girls who made the top 8 cover a classic from "Starmania" musical. The voices are flowing well all together and the arrangements are different. Good version.4. "Tu mets de l'or" - Michal: Runner up Michal, a Polish pianist described by the teachers as the most brilliant of the lot, will release his first album in April 2004. This first single surprises at first: it's a waltz! The romantic and melancholic lyrics suit the boy well. I'm curious about the album, announced as a mix a piano ballad and electro sounds a la Daho. It should include a duet with Elodie and a song in Polish...5. "Roxanne" - Sofia Essaïdi: From the first show down all bookmakers were giving the Maroccan perfect pro as the winner. She inexplicably losts the girls semi final to Elodie. She sang this Police hit twice on the show, once in duet with Sting, once in "Moulin Rouge" style. The single is jazzy and classy and show off her technique.6. "A l'anglaise" - Patxi Garat: His idol is Rafaël, it shows in his song writing: unlucky boys semi finalist wrote and composed this good song with intelligent lyrics. This style suits his short vocal range. Working good in the charts so far.7. "Duel" - Morganne Matis: Morganne goes pop rock with heavy guitars. The girl has a good voice, the track is fair, but is it distinctive enough?8. "Le chaos" - Lukas Delcourt: Lukas has always been honest: before StarAc he never sang a note. He won his place among the 8 best thanks to teen girls who saved him from exclusion 8 times, a record in the show history (he's good looking, got a lot of charisma and is the best dancer of this edition). But he also gained support from people who appreciated his dedication, real passion for the stage and hard work. His first album will be released in April 2004 and should be in N'Sync (as this single) and Justin solo work style.9. "Oui ou non" - Premix: Pierre, Romain and Edouard made the clever choice to associate themselves in a band (the first band born out of StarAc). The boys wrote, composed and produced their first album (just released in April 2004) that includes their first catchy single.Three contestants are not sure yet to release an album. They get the chance to record a second solo track on this compilation.10. "Alice" - Sofia Essaïdi: At first place I was unsure about the song but the more I listen to it the more I like it. With arrangements a la Garbage and somber lyrics about disillusions (the Alice in question is Alice in Wonderland), Sofia lashes out some frustrations about the way StarAc production treated her. Let's hope we'll hear more.11. "Dans le rang" - Patxi Garat: another good track from Patxi, in the same French folk style with less irony and bittersweet smile than A l'anglaise.12. "Assez de larmes" - Morganne Matis: another pop rock track heavy on guitars. She is popular but following the steps of Emma Daumas, from StarAc 2 might make it difficult for her to establish her own career.If you like this, pick up "Star Academy 3: les meilleurs moments" with the same contestants. "Star Academy 3 fait sa bamba" and "Star Academy 3 chante Elton John" complete the serie. A live album should also be released in the coming months (the 9 contestants present on this compilation are currently on extensive tour).