Noa Kirel talks Eurovision 2023, 'power of the Unicorn’ with i24NEWS
'We all have the same DNA, no matter your religion or where you come from. Let’s listen to each other and understand we’re all the same'
Noa Kirel, the 22-year-old Israeli pop star, recently spoke with i24NEWS about representing the Jewish state at the Eurovision Song Contest, her career aspirations, and what “the power of the unicorn” means to her.
“I just really love what I’m doing. I’m so passionate about it. It’s intense and hard and full of emotions,” Kirel told i24NEWS. “Sometimes it's not that 'glowy,' but it’s been my dream since I can remember. I’m going to keep going to achieve my goals.”
The singer noted that she was planning to showcase her unique culture to the rest of the world through her music.
“I’m Moroccan and Austrian. Israelis are so mixed. I want to bring that, the sassiness and the vibe, my culture, to my music,” Kirel said, adding that it is her passion to reach the world.
Last month, Kirel revealed her song “Unicorn” which she will perform at Eurovision. The official music video – in which she sings “I got the power of the unicorn” – currently has over 3.5 million views on YouTube.
“It’s all about self-empowerment and empowerment to all,” Kirel said in response to the question of what the “power of the unicorn” meant to her. “The power to say what you want, what you feel, to dress how you want, to do whatever you want to do to be who you want to be.”
“I started my career at 13 years old. In the beginning, I got a lot of criticism about what I was doing as a young woman and artist,” she recalled. “At that time, I felt everybody was trying to put me down, and then I discovered this invisible horn that I needed to embrace, and I believe everyone has their horn that makes them different. Believe in yourself, in your dreams, because you can do anything you want.”
Kirel further explained that through the lyrics of “Unicorn,” she was promoting coexistence and togetherness, an apparent reference to Israel’s negative image among much of the international community.
“I’m saying in the song, ‘Hey, do you want to check my DNA?’ We all have the same DNA, no matter your religion or where you come from. It’s all about that, let’s listen to each other, it doesn't matter where you come from or what your religion is, just listen to each other and understand we’re all the same.”
With less than a month to go before the Eurovision Song Contest, held on May 9-13 in England, Kirel admitted that competing will be a situation in which she has never been before.
“It’s stressful and the level (of talent) is very high, which is also good because I’m in good company. There are a lot of risks with Eurovision, but I'm looking at it in a good way in that it’s a huge platform for my career. This is what I want to do, I want to perform all over the world, and it's an amazing way to expose myself. So I’m going to focus on the positive things.”