Eurovision 2018 had many fiery contestants, including Israel’s own Netta Barzilai who managed to steal the competition with ‘Toy’. The single is an ode to independent women with many critics aligning the song to the Me Too movement.
While the song has been described as “bizarre pop”, it’s unconventional sound led it to victory amongst the dozen of other Eurovision entries. In the final, she placed first with televoters and third with international juries, amassing 529 points in total and winning the competition.
‘Toy’ is currently charting in over 25 countries including major European territories/markets such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. On streaming platform Spotify, the song has been able to reach a peak of #52 worldwide. It’s peaked at #1 in both Iceland and Sweden. This has enabled Netta to instantly chart in the top 40 of the Global Digitial Artist Rankings List.
Netta won the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal, with her song “Toy”, marking Israel’s fourth win in the Eurovision Song contest (after 1978, 1979, and 1998).
The accompanying music video for ‘Toy’ has garnered over 36 million views on YouTube but a staggering 164,000+ dislikes. This is attributed to the negative attention it received from media outlets who accused the singer/songwriter of cultural appropriation. After winning, she received more scrutiny due to Israel’s unstable political climate.
Despite receiving some criticism from other contestants, fans and the media for her song choice entry and size, Netta remained positive throughout the competition. In an interview with BBC News, she thought it was amazing that women of all kinds have been able to finally find their voices and firmly stand up for what they believe in. BCC declared:
She talks about finding empowerment and acceptance as a pop star who breaks stereotypes.
To check out all the Eurovision 2018 participants and their respective placements and entries, click here.
