Two huge events rocked the local music industry and apparently they are diametrically opposed. On the one hand, the end of a successful pop duo, and on the other, an unprecedented performance by the country's most popular star. But there is a common conclusion for both.
In recent years Statik and Ben El and Noa Kirel have been pumping hard the dream of conquering America.
As if the level of success and fame in the Levant is self-evident and all that remains is to sell ice to the Eskimos who invented the inspiration on which they actually built themselves.
On his face, the ground has been prepared and the global music industry is more open than ever to voices from around the globe, as evidenced by huge stars from Korea to South America, names like Spain's Rosalia and the boy band BTS managed to cross the hurdle in the USA.
In Israel, news was reported this morning about the attempts of Static and Ben El and Kirel to break through overseas.
Every new music video, every combination of a well-known name and every appearance of theirs in the American media, the headlines appear immediately, evidence of a PR and promotion system prepared in advance.
But all the times that Haim Saban pours money to attach another producer to the pair of boys from Israel with the help of which they will try to produce Schlager or any expensive music video in which Kiral sings in English for five units - they are just a headline in Israel.
A huge show in Arkon.
Kirel, photo: Koko
As an Israeli journalist at the heart of the global entertainment industry and a reporter for the leading music magazine "Billboard" I have often been asked how successful they really are.
I was asked by Israelis the meaning.
When I passed the question on to local colleagues they did not know who I was talking about.
The hype of a 'performance in LA' is evident only in Israel.
And the majority of the audience that comes is local Israelis who are ironically thirsty for Hebrew.
And this is true for other musicians who have made their way to the great America and every time they visit the country, they remind themselves of how busy they are with the new chapter in their lives.
But in practice, they return to Israel again and again and their livelihood depends on it, to be photographed for a campaign, to judge reality shows, to be interviewed on entertainment programs and to sprinkle Hollywood stardust everywhere.
The disbandment of Statik and Ben El and Noa Kirel, which transfers the chips to Yarkon Park and Eurovision, is not a direct admission of the broken international dream, but certainly a suspicious indication.
In the case of Kirel, who is still racing with full vigor, it seems that perhaps the decision to represent Israel in the European singing competition is a tactic to recalculate a course in bringing the career abroad and that maybe salvation will come from there. The most obvious example is the rock band Moonskin from Italy who won a year ago and have been starring on TV in the USA ever since , performing constantly, hooking up with Mick Jagger and actually becoming the biggest success story to come out of Eurovision since Abba and Celine Dion.
Sorry, Neta.
Exactly five years have passed since Gal Gadot put Israel on the map with the box office success of "Wonder Woman" and since then she has become one of the most recognized stars in the world, an unprecedented representation for us in Hollywood.
It is inevitable that the breaking of the psychological barrier will influence artists in their field to try and reproduce the success.
But dreams separately and reality separately.
From time to time we hear about an actor who has been cast in a big movie or nominated for a prestigious award.
These alone are much more significant achievements than what the colleagues from the world of music have done so far.
Is there a chance that an Israeli musician will really break through abroad? I wish, the profit would be ours. Certainly in a time when global public opinion is not in our favor and every local success story is an opportunity to improve the national image.
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us