EL AL | Atmosphere

Magazine I Interview

Million Dollar Baby

We sat down with popstar Noa Kirel, Israel’s representative for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, to discuss fame, Eurovision fever, her new look, love, life, and everything in between / By Maya Cohen

Eurovision "Taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest is not only an absolute honor, it's also an incredible opportunity for me to advance my career on an international level. This global platform will allow me to reach millions of people everywhere in the world. Of course, such considerations bring on a certain dose of stress and apprehension. The best-case scenario is of course to win the thing – but honestly, what does winning mean these days? What does winning mean to me? Once upon a time, winning meant reaching first place full-stop; but nowadays, even if you don't, the Eurovision is still a way to get ahead. Doing my country proud, giving the best performance I can, reaching as many people as possible with my song– in my mind, if I do all that, I've won. The worst-case scenario is not reaching the final – and people don't often realize how tough it is to achieve merely that – especially when you're from Israel".

Home "To me, home means family. I live in Ra'anana with my parents, and I have two older brothers. One lives in the US and the other in Ramat Gan. In the evenings when I get home from endless hours of work, I spend time with my boyfriend Tomer and I disconnect from everything, enjoy my mother's food, and avoid discussing anything work-related. I have a wonderful relationship with my parents who are involved in every decision I make. They're a crucial part of my career". Age "I've been performing since the age of 13 and I often get asked if it made me grow up too fast. I don't think so. I believe I'd be just as mature as I am, had I not gone into the entertainment business. I've always been mature for my age, and I always knew what I wanted and where I was heading. Though this line of work does entail

Photo: Tal Abudi

22 ATMOSPHERE MAY 2023