Noga Erez - Toy

Tel Aviv singer and producer Noga Erez isn’t one to shy away from controversial topics. On explosive debut single ‘Dance While You Shoot’ she took aim at governments who are “drowning you in manipulative media, ignorance and bureaucracy,” while the recent ‘Pity’ was inspired by a particular sexual assault case that was documented by several people as it happened. With ‘Toy’, the latest track from her upcoming debut album ‘Off The Radar’, she’s no less incendiary. What’s most striking is how much Noga can say with relatively few words. Written from the perspective of someone who has simply inherited their position rather than earned it, she sings “I wear a crown with my head down/ Long heavy gown/ Cause my bent spine,” focusing on how power can so easily corrupt a person. The final, repeated line “they say love will kill us all” is a chilling hyperbolised take on manipulative rhetoric designed to keep those at the top safe in their comfortable positions. Set against a minimalist but still danceable beat, with ‘Toy’ Noga has continued her remarkable streak of fun yet highly politicised pop that feels totally vital in today’s society.