Netta Barzilai is sassy, she’s fun and she can sing – and now the Israeli has won the Eurovision Song Contest with a catchy techno dance tune about women’s empowerment.
In a tense finale, the 25-year-old pre-competition favorite beat out competition from 42 other countries’ performers to claim the music extravaganza’s annual crown at the grand final with her song Toy.
Australia’s Jessica Mauboy came in 20th among the 26 finalists with her song We Got Love.
Australia got the lowest score of just nine points from the television vote, despite coming 12th in the jury vote.
The Darwin-born Mauboy put in a note-perfect rendition of her song, but Barzilai ran away with the victory at Lisbon’s Altice Arena.
It’s the first time in its four years in the contest that Australia has placed outside of the top 10.
“This has become one of the greatest moments of joy and pride in my life – I loved every minute and felt the support of Australia every step of the way,” Mauboy said.
Last year’s winner, Portugal’s Salvador Sobral, had criticised Barzilai’s winning song as “horrible music”.
In Toy, 25-year-old Barzilai makes funny noises, including a clucking sound like a chicken and barely decipherable words, and uses a looping machine and synthesizer. The lyrics say, “I’m not your toy, You stupid boy, I’ll take you down.”
She garnered an impressive 529 points, though it was well short of the 758 achieved last year by the Portuguese winner Salvador Sobral.
It’s the fourth win for Israel, which has been in the contest since 1973.
“Thank you so much for choosing difference, thank you for celebrating diversity,” said the 25-year-old. “I love my country, next time in Jerusalem.”
Read the article by Justin Burke in The Australian.