Israel’s Eurovision 2024 entry “Hurricane” by Eden Golan, which placed fifth in Malmö, has been declared the most played Israeli song on Israeli radio in 2024 by ACUM.

Israel’s Eurovision 2024 entry “Hurricane” by Eden Golan, which secured a surprising fifth place in the competition’s final, has achieved another milestone. ACUM (Israeli Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers) recently announced that “Hurricane” was the most played Israeli song on Israeli radio stations in 2024.

From Controversy to Success

“Hurricane”, which represented Israel at the last Eurovision, was written by Keren Peles, Avi Ohayon, and Stav Beger. It was released on March 10, 2024, following controversies and struggles to modify the lyrics as per the European Broadcasting Union’s demands. The EBU had initially disqualified the original version of the song, “October Rain”.

Overcoming Challenges

Despite calls for boycotts, loud booing from the audience, violent hatred, and protests demanding Israel’s disqualification from the competition due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel, Eden Golan managed to secure fifth place in the final.

Post-Eurovision Achievements

“Hurricane” has not only dominated Israeli airwaves but has also gained international recognition. It recently ranked 18th among all Eurovision songs in the “ESC Top 250” by the Eurovision website Songfestival.be, an annual ranking held on December 31st to celebrate the new year. Eden Golan also performed the original version, “October Rain”, at the UN ceremony marking the anniversary of the October 7th massacre.

Resonating with the Israeli Public

The song’s success on Israeli radio reflects the strong connection Israelis felt towards it, viewing it as a representation of their experiences during this challenging and significant year for Israel at Eurovision. Despite numerous obstacles, “Hurricane” managed to secure second place in the public vote during the Eurovision final and fifth place overall, despite the jury ranking it 12th.

Israel in Eurovision 2024

“Hurricane” is the name of the song performed by singer Eden Golan, who was chosen to represent Israel after winning the tenth season of “HaKochav Haba”. Israel advanced to the final after winning the second semi-final with 194 points, and in the grand final reached fifth place with 375 points. In the public vote, Israel came in second place, just 14 points behind the first place.

This is the second consecutive time that Israel has reached the top five, an achievement it had not attained since its streak of successes in 1998-1999.

Source: Acum.