Last month Israel‘s broadcaster KAN ditched its plans for a three-show televised national final. The new plan is to use an online vote to choose Eden Alene‘s song for Rotterdam. And now the shortlisted songs are out and Israeli viewers can vote for their favourites.
Each viewer can vote once, for two songs. The two songs with the most votes overall will qualify for the online grand final. They’ll be joined by a third song, a wildcard entry selected by KAN’s song selection committee.
The three songs will then face a superfinal and the winning entry will become Eden’s song for Eurovision 2021.
The voting is open now and will close on 13 December, giving viewers just under two weeks to decide their favourites.
Eden Alene’s potential songs for Eurovision 2021
Demos of the nine songs for Eden have been released. At this stage, Eden has not recorded her version of any of the songs, with various studio singers taking vocal duty on the demos. One of the songs is titled “La La Love”, but it has no relation to Ivi Adamou’s Eurovision 2012 fan favourite.
The songs cover different genres of music, from soul to pop to dance music. The clips on the voting site may be geo-blocked, however we’re adding links to other versions as they become available.
- “Coming Out”
- “Can’t Stop a Hurricane”
- “Flying”
- “La La Love”
- “Rise Up Today”
- “Set Me Free”
- “Shoulders”
- “Spilling Magic”
- “Ue La La”
Eden Alene’s journey to Eurovision 2021
Eden came to fame on the 2017 edition of The X Factor in Israel. In 2019 she was a contestant on The Next Star for Eurovision, which selected the artist Israel would have sent to Eurovision 2020. Eden’s song for 2020 was selected on a separate national final, where “Feker Libi” won.
After Eurovision 2020 was cancelled, broadcaster KAN invited Eden back to represent Israel at Eurovision 2021. This year, rather than using a televised show, her song for Rotterdam will be selected using an online vote.
What do you think of the songs for Eden? Which three should make it to the superfinal? Which song should get the ticket to Rotterdam? Tell us your thoughts below!
Spilling Magic seems best to showcase Eden’s voice.
The full version was posted on youtube – https://youtu.be/ymK3TSiKJBg
This seems to be the best fitted for Eden.
As a ballad spilling magic is the best song, as a bop ue la la is the best. One of them must be selected
I really don’t think these are as bad as people make them out to be. We have to remember these are demos, so things about the songs may change by the time Eden sings them. All of them at least have some potential. My only disappointment is that none of these are as good or lyrically interesting as When It Comes To You, which I think is Eden’s best song by far. Seriously, go listen to it if you haven’t yet.
It’s a good song but not for Eurovision.
La la love is a BIG HIT!!!!!!!!!
All of these sound like Eurovision rejects… I feel sad for Eden 🙁
O.k shoulders and hurrican
Or rise up and set me free
I think are the final 4.
i voted for shoulders and set me free, i feel they have hidden potentials which could be elevated if revamped correctly. i was almost voting for ue la la but i dont think it fits eden nor i could take it as seriously as others.
Unfortunately her songs aren’t the best…Feker Libi was so good!
Maybe Ue La La (however it’s monotonous), La La Love and Rise Up Today.
Hurricane – absolutely loved it, would do great with Edens voice. Unfortunately didn’t vote for it because of two reasons that lowered it. Historically Israel succeeds better with upbeat songs and not ballads, and also 100% english is a downer for me. I love songs that mix languages. Coming out – Disco song in 2020? Also, do the composers and the kan board know that electronic voice alterations are banned in eurovision? It maddens me when the people who need to pick the song dont even know the rules. Same with Neta’s lopper machine in 2018 and Swedens song with… Read more »
I hear there’s a buzz about Ue-La-La on social media which makes me wonder: Are you and others who are thrilled about Ue-La-La aware that it’s barely two minutes long and if so, are you simply counting on an upgrade or a revamp? I would argue that there are a lot of similarities here to ‘Kiss and Make Up’ (Dua Lipa) and even some similarities to Tamta’s ‘Replay’ instrumental chorus, so if you believe that it stands out from all the rest, it is for all the wrong reasons. Besides, it compels Eden to play along with seductive and suggestive… Read more »
Youre making a few very valid points. Oh, well, Ive already voted. We’ll just wait and see what happens.
When I read your review I noticed that you used the words ‘cringey’ and ‘unremarkable’ more than once which pretty much sums up the notion that each one of the songs is missing something. I actually happen to think that ‘Spilling Magic’ is the most coherent song from the bunch: The lyrics are more profound than in other songs and I can see Eden sing with emotion that reaches the heart of an audience. However, I’m realistic enough to know that most of us fall into the trap of what Europe expects from an Israeli entry. It’s also crystal clear… Read more »
Well, given the excerpts it looks like Haifa 2022 isn’t happening.
unfortunately we don’t have any standards to compare to (yet), nor hear the final version which could benefit from eden’s voice and energy. but so far i’m not positive either
TBH I don’t think Israel is in it to win it this year. Like elsewhere and due to Covid 19, the economic situation is not great, not to mention the massive effort of hosting the 2019 edition. And having said that, I don’t see an option of Israel winning Eurovision and not hosting it the next year. So I don’t think this is Israel’s best possible offer. I think Israel is just aiming for a final and decent result in it. Just my thoughts on the subject…
Even though none of the four songs last year had the je ne sais quoi you need to be a winner, they were all great efforts. These ones just sound mediocre to bad. It’s a shame because Eden is one of the best performers to represent Israel. She has charisma and talent for days but that won’t matter if the songs aren’t there.
We can’t rule out a scenario like the one that took place in 2016 with ‘Made of Stars’ because once Eden and her manager, publicist and record label learn which 3 songs are in the race, they can apply pressure and demand alterations if they aren’t satisfied with their quality and suitability. They could even possibly suggest a contingency plan. Since each one of the 3 songwriting teams will work closely with Eden and take her and her teams’ input into account, the finalized studio versions will likely sound a lot different than the demos. It doesn’t change the fact… Read more »
That’s a good point. Israel came up with the best revamp in modern ESC history. However, Made of Stars already had two versions in existence – Hovi’s original effort and the more subdued ethnic version by Nofar Salman, suggesting it was an easy song to revamp. That may not apply to these nine songs. Let’s remember, a revamp tends to undermine rather than elevate a song. Israel 2016 was more of an exception rather than the rule.
For those struggling with thegeoblocking – The youtube channel Misja Eurowizja has uploaded a recap of all 9 songs.
I voted for ue la la and shoulders, I think they have most potential to do reasonably well at eurovision. Last year I said that rakata or feker libi would give us a top-10 rank. This year I’m less sure.
I’m disappointed that from the 9 songs, only two of them have amharic lyrics.
I loved hurricane, but historically, Israel normally does well with upbeat songs and crashes when we send ballads.
How are you guys listening to this? None of the links work.
FLYING’s demo sung by a man but could be tailor made for Eden’s vocals.
Great tune.
You will need a VPN app to enter Kan’s page. You’ll be able to listen and vote.
Some of the demos were arguably flat and some others were interesting, but I’m really keen on the chosen song teams reworking the lyrics — Especially for Shoulders, that is a banger but those verses, people, they are something else.
Am I the only one who likes ‘Rise up Today’? Can def. hear Eden sing that one
The verses are much better than the chorus. There is a good build up that doesn’t deliver the drop or the climax you’re waiting for. The chorus in Amharic is pleasant but feels totally mismatched with the uptempo beat leading up to it.
I take my words back, i think after listening to the songs few times that spilling magic is a beautifull dong that can give fight to ue la la, all depends on the staging but one thing is gor dure eden alene voice in spilling magic will be something to remember, im feeling it
I hope Spelling Magic is going to be the professional committee’s wildcard, but the lyricist must change the line ‘I’m going just a bit more happy’ because its bad syntax: you can be happier, but certainly not ‘a bit more happy’. There is no such thing as ‘going happier’: you can ‘get happier’ or ‘get back to your old self’. This song shows a higher level of proficiency than the other songs in terms of depth and solemnity, but it isn’t an instant ear-warmer nor is it stylistically unique so I can’t see Israelis voting for this in droves.
I agree but eden is better in ballads usually so it is also a factor. It must be in the final so eden will be able to sing it
I voted for “Ue La La” and “Set Me Free”. Based on audience reactions on social media it seems like it has really come down to these two songs. With Shoulders having a shot too maybe. That said, all the people here need to calm down. You’re listening to sketches of the songs not final versions. Eden is not singing any of them. The three songs that will advance will undergo significant edits and alterations to accommodate Eden. The winning song will also have the benefit of a music video which will obviously help a lot in building social media… Read more »
true agree with everything u said!
No wonder KAN decided to extend the deadline…
Of the four we have links to at the moment, ue la la is the only good one. The other three are generic and a bit boring. I will wait on the other songs since I havent heard them, but for now I’m not super impressed.
Also I find it really weird that they did not record the songs with Eden’s vocals but want us to vote anyway. I guess the studio artists were cheap and easy to get into the recording booth, but it seems a poor way to judge how they will sound at eurovision.
Anyone know how to listen to all the songs in full? None of the links seem to work ?
Shoulders is easily my favorite but the lyrics are SO CRINGE. Candy Crush? Really?
Set Me Free is second favorite, those lyrics aren’t as cringe. All in all, some potential goods songs. But among all nine, I had expected more Roots or Savior in the Sound esque songs.
Only one youtubelink still works…
Hi Mariko, you can use KAN’s official web site to listen to the song. Simply clike on the song name to hear it:
https://www.kan.org.il/Item/?itemId=80611
I was able to listen to the first 2 songs, but then it stopped working. I wonder if it was geoblocked also.
Install VPN app, but there is anywya one guy on YT who is posting all those songs on his YT channel “Michel ESC”
Thanks for trying to help, but the VPN I use don’t have an Israeli option, so in the channel you mentioned all the songs keep geoblocked except “Coming Out”. It was one of the 5 I was able to check in KAN’s site (without a VPN). The player simply doesn’t load for the other 4, no matter how much I refresh the page or if I’m using a VPN.
Set me free. The cosen song for me.
I’m sorry but these songs sound like they were scraped from the bottom of the barrel. They do a huge disservice to Eden because all of them are mediocre at best with disappointing song progressions and hardly no drop choruses. If I had to pick the least two flawed songs under duress, I’d go with ‘Coming Out’ and ‘Shoulders’ but this is a terrible selection and there’s no reason to pretend otherwise.
There are 2-3 songs here with potential. But need a lot of work. The lyrics in many are so cringe.
My mon amour, be be be… Terrible!!
The thing is that the lyrics in Ou La La is so silly that I love it XD
Shoulders and Ue La La should pass through. Ue La La is the best choice for Israel. 🙂
Nice selection, though some are a bit flat and I would have liked them to have a more richer instrumental production.
I gave my vote for ‘Shoulders’ and for ‘Rise up today’.
Hope both will make it to the final (pretty sure ‘Shoulders’ will) and it will be interesting to see and hear Eden’s versions.
Team SHOULDERS! It fits Eden so well.
Imagine Serbia placing higher than Israel in May and Eden’s singing “Can’t Stop A Hurricane” 😀
I really like this ballad though 🙂
Considering the songs on offer and that Hurricane will be one of the most established acts in Rotterdam, I’d say that Serbia would need a flop for Israel to do better than then this year.
Does anyone know when will we listen to eden’s delivery of the songs? I like uh lala and shoulders but I wanna hear her voice with the song to determine which sounds better. Good luck Israel!
try in facbook of kan ??? ?????????
https://www.facebook.com/groups/kan.eurovision they post all the songs
The best ones out of the bunch are La la love and Can’t stop a hurricane. The titles of the songs don’t make me gag other than gag how awful they are but they were the most interesting and stood out from the rest.
Congrats to this interesting selection of songs. Some even reflect the hard times we all are going through in an appropiate way.
I could imagine all in Rotterdam, personally I would prefer “Coming Out “.
Ue la la is the only good one
I am happy to see some genre diversity here. I am sure that in Eden’s performance most of these would pop up even more.
So, on very first listening, I like Can’t Stop a Hurricane, Shoulders, Flying and Spilling Magic. Ue La La has a really interesting hook too.
La La Love is an early contender for the worst lyrics award. I get the well intentions, but come on… ”I don’t need no medication… gonna infect my generation”. Hmm…
I was disappointed when seeing some recaps but I only listened to “Shoulders” and I’m convinced (without listening to the others) this could be a “Roots” 2.0 if they make the chorus heavier, go Shoulders ! Obviously it will qualify among thetop 3, it needs to win.
After some repeated listens, it has to be either Shoulders, Ue La La, or Set Me Free. I’d prefer one of the first two.
I really like ‘Shoulders’. If they revamp the hell out of it and do some edits, it’s a great entry in my opinion.
That is definitely my leaning, too.
It definitely suits what Eden is good at delivering and could potentially do really well if it was polished up.
Such a disappointment after Feker Libi, Rakata and Roots.
I agree, the songs are quite generic with very cringeworthy lyrics.
Most of the songs are dire, generic and outdated. The only good one is Ue La La, with a proper revamp, eden’s vocals and proper music video and no some cheap graphics it actually may qualify.. all other songs are not a qualifying material imo especially in semi final 1, Cyprus is definitely gonna serve a better up-tempo track than any of these songs, maybe Azerbaijan (even Romania) as well, so Israel really needs to have a good song and staging to qualify, because there ain’t space for 3 upbeat-female bops for qualification in semi final 1. Again this are… Read more »
also “Shoulders” isn’t bad and I’d be happy with it. But I do have to say that literally all songs have terrible and cheesy not only titles, but lyrics as well (it was the same last year tho hahha)
La La Love and Ue La La (terrible titles btw) fit Eden´s style the most.
Ue la la is the only song that can work nice on stage, they still need to work on it, revamp it and make it 3 minutes song. Im sure it will be selected, no doubt, the competition is useless in this case
There’s a reason you don’t release the demo’s. That was rough to say the least. Not sure how many revamps it will take to get those songs competition ready.
Feker libi and roots are better from the songs here definitely,but if I’ll ignore this fact there are some songs with potential that eden can make sound better..
After the first listen, coming out, set me free and la la love were the ones I preferred.
Uh la la is probably the one with the most chances, but the lyrics and the message are so trashy.
OK after some more listens I voted for UE la la and shoulders..
They might not be that great now, but they have the most potential for staging and revamp.
I really like three songs, but idk if these songs will have a good impact in Eurovision. I really like Flying, Set Me Free and Ue La La. So I hope, that in NF will be at least one of those songs.
So far, of the 4 songs non-geoblocked, Ue La La is the only great song. Can’t Stop A Hurricane is a good ballad, Flying is a cute gospel song but not enough, and Coming Out is not the worst song ever but certainly not the best out of this bunch. Of this 4, Ue La La was the only one I even thought about replaying (it is also the only one so far with Hebrew).
La La Love is decent with a great drop but the coronavirus lyrics are so on-the-nose that it hurts. Rise Up Today feels very cheap and generic and it doesn’t rly go anywhere, it’s not for me and it shouldn’t go to eurovision, but I really do appreciate the Amharic. Set Me Free is a cute funky bop: the Arabic string flourishes in the drop are outstanding in this song and are easily the best thing about it. Shoulders has bop potential but some of the lyrics are either nonsense or trite, not a bad effort at all tho (also,… Read more »
I’m four songs in and I’ve heard some things that could be as good as (or better than) Feker Libi but I haven’t heard anything on the level of Roots yet.
Still, the variety in these demos is incredible. Eden is such a versatile artist.
I don’t want to be that negative person who compares these songs to Feker Libi but I will. All 9 are underwhelming compared to Feker Libi and Eden’s other options from last year. Personally I’m disappointed but hopefully Eden can improve one of the songs because I want Eden to succeed:)