Israeli pop star Noa Kirel signs multimillion-dollar deal with Atlantic Records
Singer, 19, signs 'broadest, largest and most comprehensive agreement ever signed [by] an Israeli artist'
Pop star Noa Kirel signed a multimillion-dollar recording deal on Wednesday that the Israeli media is calling the largest ever for an Israeli artist.
A representative for the 19-year-old Kirel told Israel’s Channel 12 that the deal — which includes management, public relations, marketing and production — is the “broadest, largest and most comprehensive agreement ever signed [by] an Israeli artist.” The agreement has reportedly been in the works for two years.
A day before signing, she released a new song called “Million Dollar,” which already has over two million YouTube views.
Since releasing her first song at the age of 14, Kirel has become Israel’s most iconic young pop singer. She has had multiple chart-topping hits in her native country and has won the MTV European Music Award for Best Israeli Artist three years in a row (2017-2019).
In performances, her wardrobe ranges from Middle Eastern-chic to the way out (like her fellow Israeli star Netta). Known for her dancing, she frequently performs in platform high top boots.
In February, Kirel made headlines after being drafted into the Israel Defense Forces, but she isn’t carrying a gun or sitting behind a desk. Kirel joined the orchestra corps, which performs in parades, official military and state ceremonies, graduation courses and other shows to entertain troops. To accommodate the high-powered star, the Israeli military provided Kirel with her own band, complete with backup singers and dancers.
Controversy has followed Kirel since she first put on her army fatigues. After a May performance for troops on an IDF base in honor of Israel’s Independence Day, Kirel’s backup dancers were relieved of their posts, and the entire army program for dancers was canceled. Israeli media reported that senior army officers thought the performance, which included two men dancing behind her, “disgraced the military.”
מתוך הופעת עצמאות VIP של טוראי נועה קירל לחיילי צריפין. וכן, לא התבלבלתם, אלה רקדנים צבאיים pic.twitter.com/AwhBfoJkrJ
— צחי דבוש (@TsahiDabush) May 1, 2020
Later in the same month, Kirel raised the eyebrows of military brass again, when she appeared in a commercial for the Israeli TV and movie streaming service Yes+ wearing a U.S. army uniform and singing a parody of “Let the Sunshine In” — the song from the anti-war musical “Hair.”
“We saw something we did not like on screen,” a military spokesman was reported as saying.
Still, under the terms of her service, she is allowed to continue to work and promote her career.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
