Day 1 – Netta gives us an Asian-inspired Toy – REVIEW

ESCXTRA are live from Lisbon for day 1 of rehearsals ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018! The countries rehearsing today, in chronological order, are Azerbaijan, Iceland, Albania, Belgium, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Israel, Belarus, Estonia and Bulgaria.

We’re streaming live from the press centre

Furthermore, read our handy guide for a more detailed look at this contest’s rehearsal schedule.
In addition, for our immediate reactions to every single rehearsal, you can follow our live stream from the press centre at the Altice Arena by visiting our YouTube channel.
The latest artist to rehearse is Netta from Israel. We have just watched their first run through of TOY live on screen and here is our initial reaction.

Staging

There’s a LOT of maneki-nekos for some reason…you know those waving gold cats in Chinese takeaways? Those. Netta’s stood behind her looper, but now it’s all lit up, and the gold and white combination looks incredible. She’s using the looper a lot throughout the performance and it looks so creative. Near the end of the song, she’s helped onto the catwalk by her “stupid boy” and dances with the dancers. It. Looks. Amazing.
 

Vocals

Netta is starting with the “Oooh!” “Ouch!” introduction rather than straight into the song which we LOVE. Netta’s vocals are spot on, especially that big note at the end which she absolutely nails. The only issue is with the backing vocals during the rooster cuckaroo noises, at times they sound very strained and way off…so, sort out the backing vocals and this is absolutely perfect.

Costumes

Netta’s wearing a Japanese inspired outfit, think of a short, pink, glittery kimono with a corset. Her backing dancers are wearing black body suits with pink and white stripes. Overall, this all works marvellously as a package!

Watch the rehearsal!

Stay tuned for our reaction to ALEKSEEV as they rehearse Forever next for Belarus. If you want to know what to expect for the rest of the day, check out our rehearsal schedule here. Meanwhile, remember to tune in to our live stream from the press centre for instant reactions to each rehearsal.