Английская Википедия:Hurricane (Eden Golan song)

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"Hurricane" is a song by Israeli-Russian singer Eden Golan, written by Avi Ohayon, Keren Peles, and Stav Beger, and released on 10 March 2024 through Session 42. Inspired by an Israeli perspective of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and its emotional aftermath on Israelis according to Golan and its songwriters, it is set to Шаблон:Esccnty in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

The song came under heavy scrutiny for its original title "October Rain", which along with the lyrics was viewed as a political message alluding to the Israel–Hamas war in support of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). As a result, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organization that manages the Eurovision Song Contest, requested a rewrite of the song in late February 2024. After multiple submissions and rewrites, a final revised version, titled "Hurricane", was approved by the EBU on 7 March. The song in both variations, along with Golan herself, has faced numerous calls for its exclusion from the contest.

Background and composition

"Hurricane" is written by Avi Ohayon, Keren Peles, and Stav Beger. According to Eran Swissa of Israel Hayom, the song details the story of a "young woman emerging from a personal crisis". In an interview with The Times of Israel, Golan stated that despite knowing that competing in the Eurovision Song Contest would "not [be] simple", she nevertheless wanted to represent Israel "because of [the song's] meaning... we can bring everything we're feeling, and everything the country is going through, in those three minutes. To speak through the song to the world." Hannah Brown, in an analysis for The Jerusalem Post, wrote that the song was "about loss and redemption". Ohayon later stated in interviews that "we knew we were going to write about the [Israeli] situation... We tried to do it in a way as subtle as we can, with a subtext".

It is reported to be a rewrite of an earlier variation of the song that was titled "October Rain", in response to it being rejected by the European Broadcasting Union to enter the Eurovision Song Contest. Brown later stated that "Hurricane", while keeping the same messages as "October Rain", used "more poetic, less specific terms". Shayna Weiss, an Israeli pop culture scholar, stated that the lyrics "can mean a lot of different things. That's probably how [the song was] allowed. But it's obvious what they mean when it's Israel's entry to Eurovision." In another analysis by Kveller's Lior Zaltzman, they stated their belief that the lyrics could be interpreted to reference world views on Israel and the advocacy for the return of Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity. Zaltzman later added that the image of a hurricane "does very much seem to describe the Israeli state of mind post-October 7".

Hours before its official release, the song was leaked in its entirety by a pro-Palestinian supporter on Twitter who proclaimed "Israel is committing genocide", later stating they leaked it to support people who wanted to pirate the song. It was officially released on 10 March 2024 in a special broadcast on Israeli channel Kan 11.

Music video

Along with the song's release, an accompanying music video was released on the same day. Brown of The Jerusalem Post stated that she thought the music video, which featured dancers in a field, "clearly reference[d]" the Re'im music festival massacre. In another analysis from a Ynet report by Shira Danino, the clothing was interpreted by Danino to display hidden messages relating to the 7 October attack. Golan's clothing, which had a hole in it, was claimed to resemble a gunshot; a collar tie worn in another costume was claimed to represent a yellow ribbon, a symbol for advocation for the release of captives held by Hamas. In addition, the dancers, who wore white clothes in the beginning of the video and later switched to black clothes at the end, symbolised "white celebrations on the kibbutz lawns" and mourning, respectively.

Reception

Critical response

The song in both variations has received negative reviews from local Israeli media. Noa Limone, writer for Israeli newspaper Haaretz, wrote a heavily negative review of the song's original variation. Limone derided the song for a lack of "any significant statement", stating that "even AI has more soul than this gibberish... it would have been better to send a song like 'Harbu Darbu', because at least it has something to say. Something warlike, vengeful, some say racist, but at least clear." Dudi Fatimer of The Jerusalem Post also wrote a negative review on the revised "Hurricane", stating that the song was "boring" and was "more suitable for Army Radio's playlist than [Eurovision]", adding their opinion that Golan should have put in more Hebrew lyrics and that "I was hoping for a song that would touch me, make me feel proud as an Israeli... this song is really not going in that direction."

Einar Schiff, writer for Ynet, wrote an opinion piece in response to Kan changing their song to meet Eurovision requirements, heavily criticizing Kan. In it, Schiff stated that "If folding were a sport, [Kan] would get a perfect score". Schiff criticized Kan for still participating in the contest, stating that "artistic freedom" had been traded for "unavoidable political and diplomatic pressures during wartime [and] pressure from [Isaac Herzog]". He further accused Kan of a failed attempt to artwash Israel's participation amidst the war, writing, "the illusion that we can be a small country at war that has inflicted tens of thousands of casualties, including innocent men and women, and even children who are always innocent, and still behave as if it's 1999, has exploded because they thought they could act with vigilance and not wisdom."

Weiss compared "Hurricane" to Jamala's "1944", a song about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars from Crimea in 1944 that won the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 for Шаблон:Esccnty. Weiss later added, "I think [Israel] tried the Ukraine route."

Calls for exclusion

Both variations of the song have faced numerous calls for its exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, along with earlier calls for the exclusion of Golan herself and Шаблон:Esccnty since the beginning of the Israel–Hamas war. Multiple media outlets related to Eurovision, such as Eurovoix and ESC Xtra began to limit their coverage of Israeli participation in the contest. Numerous petitions, particularly from Nordic countries, had been created to call for Israel's exclusion by February; one from Iceland managed to gain over 10,000 signatures. When "Hurricane" was leaked hours before its official release, Ynet recorded instances of Palestinian supporters calling for Israel's exclusion, along with stage protests at Eurovision if the song was permitted to compete. Calls were also made for national broadcasters in Europe to boycott the contest if Israel participated; one such call was made by Ione Belarra, the leader of Spanish left-wing political party Podemos, in February. Opposition to calls for exclusion have been made; also in February, around 400 celebrities and musicians signed a letter that supported Israel's inclusion in the contest.

Eurovision Song Contest

HaKokhav HaBa, songwriting process

Israel's broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC/Kan), utilized Шаблон:Lang, a reality singing competition, to select their singer for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. At the end of the competition, Eden Golan emerged victorious on 7 February 2024, winning the right to represent Israel in the contest. The songwriting process for the broadcaster's entry had started three weeks earlier, with the song being selected by an internal committee.

Controversies, delayed EBU approval and subsequent rewrites

Originally, the song was titled "October Rain" according to a 19 February report by Israel Hayom. Beger joined late into the songwriting process, and later entered into a dispute with Ohayon over royalties. Two days later, Ynet writer Ran Boker reported that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organization that runs the Eurovision Song Contest, rejected the entry based on grounds of political content. In response, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC/Kan) initially responded by stating that it would not change the lyrics or its content, putting the song's entry into Eurovision in jeopardy. In a contrasting statement, the three songwriters later stated that while they didn't oppose changing the lyrics, they received no specific instructions on what to change. Golan later put out a statement in response to criticism towards the song, stating that she was "aware of what's happening but understand the dialogue" while also continuing preparations to participate in the contest according to her acquaintances.

Subsequent leaks of the lyrics of "October Rain" by Шаблон:Lang and Ynet described the song as a ballad that built up to a climax, alluding to "the condition of Israeli civilians" in the 7 October attack along with the Re'im music festival massacre. After another song titled "Dance Forever" was rejected on 28 February, Kan, despite previous statements, opted to make changes to the lyrics of "October Rain" in order for the song to be eligible after Israeli president Isaac Herzog pressured Kan to make changes. The rewrite and recording of the song, now called "Hurricane", was completed on 3 March. After another rewrite requested by the EBU, the final version of "Hurricane" was sent for approval on 5 March. "Hurricane" was approved two days later.

At Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Israel was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the second half of the show after Israel requested to be in the second semi-final as 6 May, the rehearsal day for the first semi-final, is Yom HaShoah, Israel's Holocaust remembrance day.

Release history

Release history and format for "Hurricane"

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label	Шаблон:Abbr
Various	10 March 2024	Шаблон:Hlist	Session 42