Israel | What we know about "Toy"
After a national final second only in length and complexity to Lithuania, Israel is (almost) ready to reveal its entry for this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
The song, Toy, will be performed by Netta Barzilai, the one-woman band and incumbent winner of The Next Star (Israel's answer to The Voice, but without the spinny chairs) and is set to be released on Saturday.
While IPBC has kept details of its entry tightly under wraps this year, we do know that it was written in partnership by Doron Medalie and Stav Beger. Eagle-eyed Israeli fans will know Medalie as the genius behind Golden Boy (2015) and Made of Stars (2016), the former of which achieved Israel's best placing in seven years. Medalie has also showcased his songwriting prowess further afield, achieving top ten placings with both Dime (Spain 2003) and OPA! (Greece 2010).
Netta Barzilai rose to fame on the most recent series of The Next Star, where she and her trademark vocoder won critical acclaim from both judges and viewers at home. During her 10 week run on the show, Barzilai hit the headlines for her quirky covers of a litany of pop classics, including Tik-Tok, Barbie Girl and, of course, A-Ba-Ni-Bi, Israel's first Eurovision winner.
Whether Barzilai will taste similar success with Toy remains to be seen, but don't forget to check back here on Saturday for a first look at the official video.
