I’m not your toy
The song TOY by Netta won Eurovision in 2018, but what made the song world famous?
Sang by Netta, written by Doron Medalie, and produced by Stav Beger, the Israeli group conceived a song capable of competing in Eurovision.
Netta masterfully uses different pitches in the song to articulate her voice. The song has a very interesting timbre as at certain points it’s timid and soft, then rapidly changes to a loud popping message being thrown at you. The song is extremely upbeat with elements of electronic music/electro-pop.
Netta used an unusual chicken dance and sound to help her song stand out which accounted for a large portion of the points that she earned due to the uniqueness.
The lyrics are mainly in English to reach a wider audience by have points in the song where it goes back to Hebrew due to Netta’s Israeli nationality. Areas where this occurs consist of when Netta sings, “אני לא בובה”, which translates to I am not a doll. The song consists of lyrics such as “I’m not your toy, you stupid boy.”
These lyrics are extremely influential mainly within the female population as, through song, gives them a voice to resonate their feelings with. Netta also explains, “Women, this year have been searching and finding their voices which is great, which is amazing, and very very important. But you know, it’s an empowerment song in general for everybody, for everybody who has been struggling to be themselves, struggling with their bosses, with the government, somebody stepping on them.”
The song is influential to so many different communities and allows people to have a voice in a world that seems to constantly undermined them.
References
(1) Katz, Galia. “Netta Barzilai as an Israeli Symbolic Goods.” Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai – Ephemerides, Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, 1 Jan. 1970, www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=943966.
(2) Leach, F. S. “Eurovision Song Is Not Pop: How National Identity in Eurovision Defines the Function of the Eurovision Song.” Studenttheses.uu.nl, 2018, studenttheses.uu.nl/handle/20.500.12932/31013.
(3) “Singing Ethos, Pathos, and Ethnos: Three Generations, Four Israeli Eurovision Victories, 1978–2018.” Cyberleninka.ru, cyberleninka.ru/article/n/singing-ethos-pathos-and-ethnos-three-generations-four-israeli-eurovision-victories-1978-2018/viewer.
(4) “Netta.” Eurovision Song Contest, eurovision.tv/participant/netta-barzilai. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
(5) “Netta – נטע – Toy.” Genius.com, genius.com/Netta-toy-lyrics.