| "Toy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byNetta | ||||
| from the EPGoody Bag | ||||
| Released | 11 March 2018 (2018-03-11) | |||
| Recorded | 2018 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:00 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Stav Beger | |||
| Netta singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Toy" onYouTube | ||||
| Eurovision Song Contest 2018 entry | ||||
| Country | ||||
| Artist | ||||
| Languages | English[b] | |||
| Composers |
| |||
| Lyricists |
| |||
| Finals performance | ||||
| Semi-final result | 1st | |||
| Semi-final points | 283 | |||
| Final result | 1st | |||
| Final points | 529 | |||
| Entry chronology | ||||
| ◄ "I Feel Alive" (2017) | ||||
| "Home" (2019) ► | ||||
| Official performance video | ||||
| "Toy" (First semi-final) onYouTube "Toy" (Final) onYouTube "Toy" (Reprise) onYouTube | ||||
"Toy" (Hebrew transliteration:טוי) is the debut single by Israeli singerNetta Barzilai, composed and written byDoron Medalie and the song's producerStav Beger,[a] the song was released on 11 March 2018 along with its official music video clip, which was directed by Keren Hochma. Itrepresented Israel in theEurovision Song Contest 2018 held inLisbon, winning the contest.
The song reached the top of the charts in Israel. It held the title of the most viewed video on theEurovision Song Contest's YouTube channel until it was surpassed byRussia's2020 entry "Uno" in July 2020.
"Toy" was composed and written byDoron Medalie and the song's producerStav Beger.[a][2][3] Its lyrics are mostly in English, with the exception of the Hebrew phraseאני לא בובה (ani lo buba, "I am not a doll"), and the slang wordסטפה (stefa, meaning a pile of banknotes).[4] The Japanese wordbaka (バカ "stupid") is also used extensively and thePokémon characterPikachu is used once. "Trump-pam-pau" refers to the then-President of the United States,Donald Trump, as Doron Medalie revealed in April 2019 to the Israeli media.[5]
Between 29 October 2017 and 13 February 2018,Netta competed inHaKokhav HaBa L'Eurovizion –the fifth season ofHaKokhav HaBa–, the show that theIsraeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC/Kan) used to select its performer for the63rd edition of theEurovision Song Contest. She won the competition and became the Israeli performer for Eurovision.[6] A committee of the IPBC/Kan internally selected later for her the song "Toy" as theIsraeli entrant for the contest.
"Toy" was released on 11 March 2018 along with its official music video clip, which was directed by Keren Hochma.[7] The song was leaked online a day before the official release.[8]
On 8 May 2018, the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest was held at theLisbon Arena inLisbon hosted byRádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) and broadcast live throughout the continent and abroad. Netta performed "Toy" seventh in a field of nineteen songs, and qualified for the grand final. After the grand final it was revealed that it had achieved first place, based on a combination of fourth placing from televote and first from jury.[9]
On 12 May 2018, Netta performed again "Toy" twenty-second in a field of twenty-six in the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest. At the close of voting, the song placed first winning the contest, based on third placing with 212 points from the jury and winning the televote with 317 points, achieving overall first place with a combined score of 529 points.[10] Its win marks Israel's fourth win at Eurovision along with the wins in1978,1979, and1998.[11]
As the winning broadcaster, theEuropean Broadcasting Union (EBU) gave IPBC/Kan the responsibility to host thefollowing edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Its first semi-final, held on 14 May 2019 inTel Aviv, opened with Netta performing a new version of "Toy".[12][13] She also appeared in the opening sequence of the grand final held on 18 May 2019, performed her new single "Nana Banana" as part of the interval acts, and presented the trophy to the winner.[14] Also in the grand final,Verka Serduchka performed "Toy" as part of the "Switch Song" interval act.[15]
The song held the title of the most viewed video on the Eurovision Song Contest's YouTube channel until it was surpassed byRussia's2020 entry "Uno" in July 2020.[16][17]
Charlotte Runcie ofThe Daily Telegraph awarded the song five stars out of five, describing it as "gloriously bizarrepop" with "playful lyrics and a powerful vocal performance".[18] In 2022, Ben Kelly ofThe Independent named it 39th bestEurovision-winning song of all time.[19]
Allegations were made that the performance of the song at Eurovision featuredappropriation ofJapanese cultural imagery as a "prop", including Netta wearing akimono andbuns, and the performance's staging featuringManeki-nekos—a Japanese symbol of luck.[20][21] Netta did not respond to the allegations, but did state in previous interviews that she was a follower ofJapanese popular culture, particularly thePokémon franchise.[22]
On 3 July 2018, Israeliinfotainer Guy Pines reported thatUniversal Music Group may file a lawsuit claiming "Toy" similarities in rhythm and harmony withThe White Stripes' song "Seven Nation Army".[23][24] Universal sent a pre-suit notice letter to the songwriters Doron Medalie and Stav Beger, claiming copyright infringement.[25][26] In February 2019 the Israeli composers agreed to give writing credit toJack White,[27] and a share in theroyalties for the song.[28] Medalie and Beger had reportedly agreed to give Universal some of the song's distribution rights in certain territories, potentially exposing the song to an even larger audience.[29]
Recording and management
Personnel
The song reached the top of the charts in Israel.[30]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[55] | 3× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| Poland (ZPAV)[56] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
The song is featured in the gameJust Dance 2019.
| Preceded by | Eurovision Song Contest winners 2018 | Succeeded by |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
