The singer Neta Barzilai, winner of Eurovision 2018, is expected to perform once again tomorrow at the biggest singing competition in the world. Barzilai will perform at the Eurovision final which will be held this evening in Liverpool, as a guest in the artistic part – and at the press conference today (Friday) the number in question was revealed for the first time.
For the last time in front of the journalists: watch the return of Noa Kirel as she looks in Liverpool
Immediately after the performance, Barzilai was interviewed by Israeli media teams. “Barzilai takes part of a string of songs by past singers from the competition and performs the eighties hit “(You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” by the British band “Dead or Alive”.
“It’s really crazy, I don’t know how to explain it in words, I feel like I’m taking part in something super big, and how fun it is to be here when Noa is doing it and it’s really very exciting, because these stories are coming together, they’re all here, Doron (Madeli), Noa ( Kirel) and me (Bezaleli)… everyone is here, it feels like a very complete story.”
The interview with Neta Barzilai
What is it like to return to this Eurovision family?
“It’s a warm family, they hug me really tight here, they’ve always hugged me really tight, it’s a great happiness and it’s fun. What we’re going to see on stage is something we went through very hard. Twelve crew members worked on my look. Currently six crew members are working on it , one who holds my wings, one who makes sure that the corset is right, one who does my makeup, one who does this… thing… it’s really, really a hysterical celebration, you can only do circus like that at Eurovision.”
why this song
“This is actually the artistic part of all the songs that came out of Liverpool. Of course the Beatles came out of here and it was very difficult for me to touch a Beatles song, and ‘dead or alive’ is a song that had a terrible effect on me when Kesha and Florida released it. I remember I went looking for it and that was the time The first I found out where this music came from, because I realized it was a novelty, when I realized they were from Liverpool and they did it, then I realized there was no option and I had to do this song. And there’s something so fun about innovating something like that. It was a ‘back and forward’ job, We send them and they send us back notes. I worked on it with my producer Avshalom Ariel and it was exciting, exciting, exciting.”
The return of Neta Barzilai
-When does it come out?
“The moment it goes on stage, it goes on Spotify.”
How scary is it to be in the air several meters high?
“I’m not sure how many meters I’m in the air, but it’s something between ten and thirteen. It’s very scary up there, it’s like you’re standing there… There wasn’t an audience yet, but I’m supposed to be standing in front of an audience of Arina Shlomo. It’s like you’re scared, What will happen if you fall on them? I’m imagining all the possible scenarios. My microphone is tied to my wrist like a bracelet, so God forbid I don’t drop it from my hand and kill someone. It’s crazy. I land in the crowd, I literally take off above them.”
You know how it is Eurovision fans, if you happen upon a Eurovision winner, it’s a gift for them.
“A great way to go.”
This bird looks to us, the Israelis, like a small dove of peace.
“She has an olive branch in her mouth which is very symbolic.”
Would you switch with Noa? Now, do another final?
“Listen… I’m not jealous of her. I’m not jealous of this pressure ‘she went up to 4, she went up to 3, she went back down to 3, oh my.’ To see her do it. To see her represent us with such honor. Really doing it, like a unicorn, doing it like a mare, who have that blindfold. Infused with purpose. I talked to her two days ago and she told me ‘I’m going to practice.’ I told her, ‘Tell me, are you sane? Are you going to practice today?’, she’s a psychopath, she’s doing it amazingly, I trust Doron and Yuval Cohen, and Itay Bezaleli, and the entire Israeli team who do an amazing job.”
So there is no chance to see you again at Eurovision?
“Never say never”.
