Meet our current Next Up Artist of the Week - Netta! Netta Barzalai is an Israeli pop-sensation made famous by winning the fifth season of her home country's 'Rising Star' reality show and also 2018's Eurovision Song Competition! Above she chats with KIIS FM's Letty B about finding her voice, her international upbringing and the inspirations behind hit song 'Toy!'
On the topic of discovering her ability to create unique vocal noises, Netta explains that childhood bullying pushed her to be a 'class clown' to survive. Through this she found her innate ability to mimic animals and sing.
"It's how I hear. I listen to stuff and it's how it comes out of me...when I hear the melodies and I hear the meat and the chords...I can take it to myself."
For Netta, 2018 was the 'year of the pancake' in that it was when 'everything flipped.' She competed and won the international Eurovision Song Competition and reached an entirely new audience with her artistry.
"I went from a struggling musician to a world known singer. That's insane that all happened in six months. I was a struggling musician in Tel Aviv living with roommates - still living with roommates actually, didn't give that up...I decided to do a reality show because I wasn't making any living. I was too unique to be behind someone and I didn't look good enough to be a wedding singer. I didn't fit in anywhere. It was like - going for the big one or nothing. So I went for the big one. I did a reality show and then I won the reality show, and the prize of the reality show was competing in another reality show - a bigger one. And I won."
Netta also explained that the social impact her win has had on children who feel they don't belong is 'everything to her.'
The song Barzilai won Eurovision with - Toy - was inspired by the 'Me Too' movement, bullying and all who have been 'stepped down (on) a bigger force.'
Watch their full conversation above and Netta's cover of Rihanna's 'Rude Boy' below!