Israel’s public broadcaster, KAN, have announced that Israeli pop star Noa Kirel will represent the country at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.
UPDATE: 10th August
KAN has confirmed Noa Kirel as the representative in a press conference. Noa has additionally posted on Instagram about her participation
I think I said everything I had to say about my excitement, the weight on my shoulders and the pride I feel.
@noakirel on Instagram
Thank you for all the love you are spreading , for the huge support you gave me from the moment I was chosen and for the privilege to represent my country 🤍
(First published 11th July 2022)
Noa Kirel was selected from an initial shortlist of 78 artists by a 10-person committee of music professionals and KAN executives, with her being their first choice. Kirel is the first Israeli act to be internally selected via this committee to represent Israel at Eurovision since 2014, when the Israeli Broadcasting Authority internally selected Mei Finegold. However, this committee has been known to select popular artists for Eurovision, notably internally selecting famous acts like Ilanit (1973 and 1977), Rita (1990), and Dana International (1998).
Kirel has been a major player in the Israeli pop scene from a young age, releasing her first single, “Medabrim” (trans. “Words”), at the age of 13. Since then, songs like “Killer,” “Million Dollar,” and “Trilili Tralala” have mad her a staple of the Israeli music industry. Since 2021, she has started to pivot towards building a carer outside of Israel, releasing fully English tracks “Please Don’t Suck,” “Thought About That,” and “Bad Little Thing,” the latter of which she performed live at the 2021 Miss Universe pageant.
She’s no stranger to the Eurovision circle either. In 2019, Kirel was a guest judge on HaKokhav Haba, Israeli’s artist selection method for Eurovision that year. Earlier than that, in 2017, Kirel released a Hebrew language cover of Eleni Foureira’s 2016 hit “Ti Koitas” with Togolese-Israeli rapper Stephane Legar.
No details regarding her song have been released as of yet.
Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest
Israel debuted at the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Ey Sham” by Ilanit, ultimately placing 4th behind Eurovision legends Cliff Richard, Mocedades, and Anne-Marie David. Since then, Israel has won the Eurovision Song Contest four times: in 1978 with “A-Ba-Ni-Bi” by Izhar Cohen and the Alpha-Beta, in 1979 with “Hallelujah” by Gali Atari and Milk & Honey, in 1998 with “Diva” by Dana International, and in 2018 with “Toy” by NETTA.
In 2022, Israel used X Factor Israel to select their Eurovision entry. In a close final vote, Michael Ben David was chosen with the song “I.M.” He did not qualify for the final, finishing 13th in the second semifinal with 61 points.
Have you heard Noa Kirel’s music before? Are you excited for Israel’s entry this year? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to follow us on Spotify and YouTube!
