Netta will represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon with her song “Toy” — a freestyle, Mediterranean women’s anthem with Oriental / Mizrachi sounds. She’s unleashed a chicken cluck heard round the world — she trended globally on YouTube in Spain, the U.K. and beyond — and is leading the odds to win this year’s contest.

Her full name is Netta Barzilai, but following the path set by other leading ladies like Beyoncé and Madonna, her stage name is simply Netta.

Following Netta’s victory on “The Next Star for Eurovision 2018”, a special committee listened to 140 song submissions and chose “Toy” — by Doron Medalie and Stav Beger, as the Israeli entry.

The Oriental / Mizrachi sound takes centre stage here, providing a fantastic core around which Netta can improvise. The song is mainly in English, although you can hear some Hebrew words in the song, such as “Ani Lo Buba” (I’m not a puppet) and “I don’t care about your ‘stefa’, baby” — ‘stefa’ is a slang term for wads of cash.

While “Toy” is definitely a song of female empowerment, it’s also a song of empowerment for us all….regardless of our gender. Netta clucks like a chicken not merely for our amusement, but also to let the haters know it’s time to back off. As she told wiwibloggs in a recent interview: “The noises are supposed to imitate the voices of a coward — a ‘chicken’. Someone who doesn’t act the way he/she feels and treats you like a toy.”

You can check out Netta’s video below, as well as the lyrics of “Toy”.

“Toy” — Netta

Toy Lyrics — Netta Barzilai

Look at me, I’m a beautiful creature

I don’t care about your “modern-time preachers”

Welcome boys, too much noise, I will teach you

Pam pam pa hoo, Turram pam pa hoo

Hey, I think you forgot how to play

My teddy bear’s running away

The Barbie got something to say: Hey! Hey! Hey!

Hey! My “Simon says” leave me alone

I’m taking my Pikachu home

You’re stupid just like your smart phone

Wonder woman, don’t you ever forget

You’re divine and he’s about to regret

His baka-bakum, bak-bak bakumbai…

I’m not your toy

You stupid boy

I’ll take you down

I’ll make you watch me

Dancing with my dolls

On the MadaBaka Beat

Not your toy!

A-A-A-Ani Lo buba!

Don’t you go and play with me boy!

A-A-A-Ani Lo buba!

Don’t you go and play… Shake!

Kulului, Kulului, Ah, wedding bells ringing

Kulului, Kulului, Ah, money man bling-bling

I don’t care about your ‘stefa’, baby

Pam pam pa hoo, Turram pam pa hoo

Wonder woman, don’t you ever forget

You’re divine and he’s about to regret

His baka-bakum…bak-bak bakumbai…

I’m not your toy

You stupid boy

I’ll take you down

I’ll make you watch me

Dancing with my dolls

On the MadaBaka Beat

Not your toy!