- Her winning song 鈥淭oy鈥� became an anthem for others who, like her, have been bullied or made to feel like an outcast
- Her upcoming tour, which begins on November 12, includes venues in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Britain, as well as a November 17 show at the Salle Wagram in Paris
TEL AVIV: With a multicolored kimono, clucking sounds and chicken-like dance moves, Israeli singer Netta Barzilai won over audiences with a hit inspired by the #MeToo movement to claim the Eurovision Song Contest.
Now as she sets off on her first European tour the pop star has told AFP in an interview that she aims to pass on a message of empowerment after overcoming her own self doubts.
Her winning song 鈥淭oy鈥� became an anthem for others who, like her, have been bullied or made to feel like an outcast.
She has said her childhood was marked by teasing over her body and bouts of bulimia.
鈥淲e鈥檙e made to feel small in all kinds of situations. I don鈥檛 want to feel small anymore,鈥� the 25-year-old said Saturday at her publicist鈥檚 apartment in Israel鈥檚 economic capital Tel Aviv.
鈥淚 want to empower and love, to be empowered and empower others. Because when we send out good energy, it comes back at us and makes the world a better place.鈥�
Her upcoming tour, which begins on November 12, includes venues in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Britain, as well as a November 17 show at the Salle Wagram in Paris.
Articulate and intense, Barzilai said she applied for a spot representing Israel in 2018鈥檚 Eurovision in Lisbon because she was failing to make ends meet as an experimental musician.
鈥淚 knew nothing about Eurovision,鈥� she confessed.
Before the contest shook up her life, Barzilai said, she and her band would 鈥渂e paid in beer and basically jam.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檇 get drunk, sing on the tables, eat French fries off people鈥檚 plates and sing about them,鈥� she recounted.
鈥淚 tried to get a job in music but was too unique to stand behind someone as a backing vocal or to sing in weddings.鈥�
Barzilai鈥檚 mother pushed her to leave Tel Aviv and return to their home in central Israeli city Hod Hasharon and her father suggested she learn agronomy and join him in the family business.
In despair, she turned to an Israeli reality singing show, the winner of which would represent the country at Eurovision.
She never expected anything would come of the local exposure beyond maybe 鈥済etting gigs.鈥�
But she eventually made it through and took her eccentric look and show to Lisbon, where her victory earned Israel the right to hold the 2019 Eurovision, which will take place in Tel Aviv.
Basking in the 鈥渟uperman powers鈥� she received after her win, Barzilai can now return to Europe as a star with a repertoire blending her Eurovision fame and avant-garde roots.
There have been calls for artists to boycott next year鈥檚 Eurovision in Tel Aviv over Israel鈥檚 occupation of Palestinian territory, but Barzilai doesn鈥檛 think a boycott will solve anything.
鈥淚nstead of boycotting we should think how we can help, how to improve the situation,鈥� she said.
鈥淭ell me where to sing to solve the world鈥檚 problems and I鈥檒l go.鈥�
Unconcerned that the calls to stay away could harm next year鈥檚 event, she added: 鈥淚 think it will be very happy here and those voices are small ones.鈥�