The second week of “The Next Star” began with the recap still under the amazing impression left by Eliav Zohar from the second episode last week. Zohar, who reached the standard of human curiosity (the son of MK Miki Zohar, etc.) also managed to get out of it – and deliver a great performance with “Michal”, his own original song that broke the boredom of the musical punch (again, an exciting piano ballad with The appearance is heavenly when the screen rises”) – including inevitable comparisons to Gal Torn (because they are both singers, of course; not because they are both men who sing harshly). Zohar impressed the audience very much, and me too, and he may have more plots down the road.
I got the musical talent from my mother, the ability to shout from my father. Eliav Zohar, “The next star”. Screenshot/ Arch 12
Those who still have an intriguing future ahead of them are two singers who stood out from this episode – and are aiming high. One is Suzanne Bacher, who in my opinion brought the best performance of the evening with Adele’s “The One And Only” – including a playful smile in the face of the rock-hard Assaf Amdorsky (who was still the only one who didn’t give her the blue hoi, and finally gave in). Bacher is charming, and above all very authentic – in a season that is trying very hard to transmit power and strength (for the climactic moment of the major curtain raiser), she transmitted something very light and it went through the screen wonderfully.
The second is a classic “production favorite” – Ms. Nofia Yedidia, which marks a somewhat irritating trend this season. I call it the “dying to be” syndrome (the forgotten format of singer impersonators that was once broadcast on Channel 24, hosted by none other than Didi Harari) – a recurring motif of singers who “look like”, or humming to… here is one who looks like Moshe Peretz, here is one Who sings like Ofra Haza, here is someone who is Kofi Itai Levy – and of course it was impossible to avoid the comparison with the star judge, Ninet, when they brought someone who really looks like her. For those who didn’t understand the hint – then she also chose Ninet’s “Hero” (composed by his uncle Tessa the Giant), and did a very nice job with it. The people of “The Next Star” tried very hard to tell us that she is the favorite (at some point Rotem Sela actually shouted it on the screen, in case you didn’t understand who to vote for). Yedidia can manage even without the back of the format.
It can also do without spare wheels. She is a friendly viewer. “Next Star”. Screenshot/ Arch 12
And in general, there is a feeling that the judgment of the singers is not trusted enough. Maybe because of the very low average age (or is it just me), a sort of “parental authority” has been created for the judges, and the production should immediately back them up in the colorful family or some story, and not let things speak for themselves. Precisely this episode proved how much live talent there is among the sounds of this season, and the classic case – or perhaps the disappointment of the episode – came precisely from such a direction. The case of Amit Levy.
The man with the horribly generic name (I was sure that the legendary right back of Maccabi Tel Aviv was about to take the stage), brought the colorful story – a 16-year-old boy who is looking to invest in “crypto”. But again, the question is the ability to move beyond the colorful story. And Levi succeeded; He chose “Call Out My Name” (a very bold choice) and once again – managed to get out of the mold a bit with something a little sexier, a little more ‘dirty’. As usual, it was not received with love by the crowd that is looking for sugar at any price, and unfortunately not by the judges either. It’s a shame, because this flavor was needed for this season.
Abraham Grant was proud. Wait, what do you mean it’s not the same one? Amit Levy “Next Star”. Screenshot/ Arch 12
And speaking of complaints, here’s another thing that stands out a bit negatively this season: too many unnecessary things. For example, the fact that each contestant has to present his personal story twice – once in front of Essi Vertom in “Testimonial” behind the scenes, and once on stage when he meets the judges. Why? Is it so hard to read an investigation? Does anyone really think the judges are hearing the story for the first time?
Or for example the new corner that started in the third program, aka “Judges’ Roulette” – where one judge has to perform another judge’s song because… why actually? Do you have to entertain the viewers in the studio who are crying every second song because you only put exciting songs on the playlist? Are these singers who lack screen time? Oh, thank you “The Next Star” for promoting remote fringe artists like Ninet, Shiri Maimon and Ran Denker.
How much for nothing. Esi Vertom, “The next star”. Screenshot/ Arch 12
The judges become the only heroes of this season. “A Star is Born”, as I remember, started when the judges were unknown characters in the background – Mati Caspi (yes, he judged the first season) and Tsadi Sharfati mainly functioned in the auditions, and the stage was given to the singers. Today in “The Next Star” the picture is completely reversed: the judges insist on taking all the focus, without noticing that we are after all looking for the singers.
And after all that, came the sad sentence of the evening – the moment when Novia Yedidia is on her way to the stage to perform Ninet’s song (remember, the biggest star to leave the show in all her years). Itai Levy asks if “it was the music video in black and white”, Denker answers that it was “a music video in the field”, and Vaninet caresses him and says: “Finally someone here is listening to my music”. And if Ninet complains that she is not listened to, what will the wall mosses say?