The fifth act rehearsing today is Israel, who will be represented by Eden Alene in this year’s competition with her entry ‘Set Me Free’
What did we think of the rehearsal?
The song opens with blue-tinted laser lights surrounding Eden and her five backing dancers. The camera circles the troupe in the first verse, before the lights go out in the first chorus. The lights then go up and Eden gets well lit – with the background showing neon lights and the words “Set Me Free” – before heading along the catwalk to the small stage. The augmented reality wall also comes down with neon illustrations of Eden singing – in a “La La Love”-esque style.
Eden stays on the small stage for the second verse and chorus before making her way back to the main stage for the breakdown. At the end of the bridge, Eden’s outfit – a long glitzy white jacket – is pulled apart to reveal a stringy black catsuit. Eden then dances will delivering the final chorus and whistle notes. The finishing shot comes when the dancers lift up a portion of Eden’s hair to reveal a braid formation in the shape of a crown.
Now what did our team think of Israel’s rehearsal?
Rory: Eden Alene easily has one of the biggest “star qualities” in the Contest. I do like the neon take on the song – it’s almost like an homage to the original version that work HaShir Shelanu L’Eurovizion. However, with the exception of the last minute, I am a little underwhelmed by the performance. The dancers do little to elevate the staging and there isn’t much interactivity between Eden and the troupe. Hopefully, that chemistry will come across better in the second rehearsal, but for the meantime I’m not completely sold on it.
Jazzi: Eden looked increasingly more confident with each run through she did, I am surprised she attempted the high notes but she did and did really well with them. The dress reveal I find a little unnecessary however it does add to the performance. I feel Eden for now is saving her voice to keep practicing the high note which is totally fine. She looks great but I do feel there are stronger uptempo female songs in this semi but I do feel juries will appreciate Eden’s vocal ability!
Rosie: Eden is a consummate performer, and this stage show feels absolutely effortless for her. Her vocals were fantastic, the staging is dynamic without being distracting, and it fits the tone of the song very well. It’s a great stage show from Israel, which holds its own amongst a run of female-led uptempo numbers. Will it be memorable enough to make it to the final? I wouldn’t be surprised to see it there.
What do you think of Eden’s first rehearsal? Let us know in the comments below or at social media. Don’t forget to follow ‘THAT Eurovision Site’ over at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News Source Credit: EBU/ That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Shai Franco
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