Israeli teenager Nadav Guedj will beat the odds and make it to the grand final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, according to predictions by bookmakers. The 16-year-old Rising Star reality television contest winner will sing the song “Golden Boy” in the second semi-final of the campy international event.
The Mediterranean pop tune with English lyrics was composed and written by Doron Medalie, who has also worked with Israeli singers Eyal Golan and Omer Adam.
“I understand the scale of the Eurovision but I am not getting stressed. I am proud to represent Israel,” Nadav told Ynet.
The Israeli song – and singer – have garnered quite a bit of hype so far. Comments on the Eurovision social media boards agree that the Israeli entry to this year’s song contest should score the coveted “deux points” from at least some of the voting countries.
The Eurovision Song Contest’s official slogan this year is Building Bridges, and Nadav seems to be doing just that with his song.
Unlike the Miss Universe selfie snafu when Miss Lebanon decried Miss Israel for breaking into the frame, Nadav has a very public Lebanese fan who has hugged him, traded flags with him, and has even called on the international community to vote for the Israeli-French singer.
“Israel deserves to make it to the final,” 24-year-old Ahmed told Ynet. “The song is among the best 10 songs this year, in my opinion. Israel also deserved to get to the final with Moran Mazor (in 2013), but people didn’t vote for her because of the country that sent her. I was very angry that she didn’t make it.”
Israel has won the competition three times since entering the contest in 1973. In 1978, Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta won with the song “A-Ba-Ni-Bi.” In 1979, Gali Atari and the Milk & Honey group won with the song “Hallelujah” and in 1998, Dana International won with “Diva.”
Nadav previously was featured as one of ISRAEL21c’s “19 under 19: Outstanding Israelis to watch.”
Now fans in many countries will be watching him compete in the second Eurovision semi-final on Thursday (May 21). The final will air live on Saturday (May 23).
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