A few hours ago, Israeli broadcaster Kan announced that, after a hiatus of four years, and for the first time since before the Covid pandemic, Keshet 12’s talent show format Rising Star, or HaKokhav HaBa, will return as the selection process for the country’s next Eurovision artist.
The contest, which began in 2013 on Channel 2 and is hosted by Eurovision 2019 host Assi Azar, among others, consists of new artists performing covers of well-known songs for the appeal of the judges, who mark them live using a sliding scale, and the viewing audience, who vote via an app. Contestants need to reach a 70% threshold with both to “pass” to the next round.
The show was used for six years between 2015 and 2020 to select Israel’s act for Eurovision, with an internally-selected song each time. It proved hugely successful, as during this period, Israel never failed to qualify for the final, and in 2018, after newly-discovered talent Netta Barzilai won Rising Star, and the right to bring Toy to Lisbon, they won the Contest and found a new international popstar. Her inventive cover of Sing Hallelujah and Papi Chulo is the most watched performance from the show ever, with over 19 million views on YouTube.
This year, renowned Israeli popstar Noa Kirel was internally selected to represent her country with Unicorn. She finished third overall, and second with the juries, in Liverpool, with a total of 326 points in the final.
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