Hello and welcome to another post on The Blogging DJ. Today I will be continuing to look in-depth at each of the forty-one acts competing in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. We are over halfway there now (hope you are all not too bored of this series yet) and are off to the host country, Israel. Netta won last year’s contest with “Toy”; can Kobi Marimi make it two wins on the trot with “Home”?
Selection Process
As they have done since 2015, the Israeli host broadcaster Kan picked their entry through the music competition HaKokhav HaBa. After getting through the auditions, heats, semi-final and beating three other acts in the final, Kobi Marimi won the right to represent Israel as the host nation in Eurovision 2019. The song was internally selected and was released to the public on the 10th of March, nearly a month after Kobi was selected. As host nation, Israel has automatically qualified to the Grand Final and has been drawn to perform in position fourteen in the running order.
Music Video
The Blogging DJ’s Review
From a crazy chicken lady to a classy traditional ballad, Israel is certainly showing their versatility in this contest. Kobi has a really brilliant voice and I’m sure it will shine further in a live performance. This isn’t cruise ship nor musical theatre, it feels more personal and powerful than that; it is like a modern song in the classical genre. Having said that, though it is clear he is singing every word with emotion, it leaves me slightly cold. I can appreciate it but it stirs nothing in me, and I can’t put my finger on what is stopping me from connecting. But it is an entry that the home crowd will love and Israel may do fairly well if the live is up to scratch. 7
Live Performance Video
“Home” has not yet been performed live. When it has done and a video is made available, that will be placed here.
Odds
According to Oddschecker, you can currently get odds ranging from 50/1 to 250/1 on Israel winning the Eurovision Song Contest for the second year in a row. This suggests that bookmakers and betters don’t see this song as making any kind of impact on the leaderboard in the Grand Final.
Record at Eurovision
Israel have competed in the Eurovision Song Contest forty-one times since making their debut in 1973, performing in the Grand Final on thirty-five of those occasions. They have won the contest four times, thanks to Izhar Cohen & the Alphabeta (1978), Gali Atari & Milk and Honey (1979), Dana International (1998) and lastly Netta, who held off the challenge of Cyprus to win last year with her kooky yet catchy song “Toy”.
So what do you make of the Israeli entry for Eurovision 2019? Do you think it can follow Netta and keep the Eurovision trophy at “Home”? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below and stay tuned for more Eurovision preview posts in the coming weeks.
The Blogging DJ 
A much better classic ballad than Croatia for example and a very likeable effort to me but I’d prefer a little uplifting element somewhere. Despite the inspiring lyrics it feels at times too depressing. An early favourite of mine that now starts to drop in my rankings.
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