FEATURE
Muzique Magazine Interviews Dance-Pop Artist Eveline
Israeli pop singer-songwriter and dancer recently released the music video for “Waiting For The Summer,” a bright, fresh song about anticipating warm weather.
Inspired by Michael Jackson, Eveline entered the creative world of dancing and singing, followed by writing her own music. Later, she wrote a children’s book, Teddy and Mandy.
Similar to many people, Eveline is energized by the summer season. The lyrics to “Waiting For The Summer” mirror her mood.
“The summer is finally here / The winter is gone / And the sun makes me strong /The fall passed by / And it colored the sky / The spring is away / I’m here to stay / The summer is near / I have no fear.”
Vibrant and colorful, the video’s visuals depict the essence of summer – blue skies, the feeling of freedom, beaches, and the pulse of life.
Muzique Magazine spoke with Eveline to find out how she got started in music, who influenced her sound, how the video came together, and what listeners might expect from her in the future.
What’s your favorite song to belt out in the car or the shower?
Wow, hard to choose because there are so many good songs, well if I’m in a romantic mood then the song I’ll belt out in the shower or in the car is Bruno Mars’s “Versace on the Floor,” but if I’m in an energetic mood I’ll belt out Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.”
Who is your favorite music artist?
My favorite music artist is the one and only King of Pop Michael Jackson. I have been a fan since the age of 5, I grew up on his music, you can even find videos of me on my YouTube channel dancing to his dance moves and singing his songs. You can see that Michael Jackson influenced me especially when I perform.
How did you get started in music? What’s the backstory there?
Music is an integral part of me. I define myself as a music addict. It all started at age 5, when I watched Michael Jackson’s amazing video, “Black or White.” I fell in love with Michael’s talent and music right away. I started imitating his dance moves in front of the mirror. The magic, the charisma, the stage presence of Michael drove me crazy. I started to realize more and more that I love to dance, I discovered my sense of rhythm I discovered that music is my life, my refuge and that I cannot imagine my life without music.
Gradually I was exposed to more artists, started performing as a dancer, and fell in love with the spotlight. Over time, I developed my musical talent, I started writing and composing, playing keyboards, and discovered my vocal ability.
I define myself as self-taught. I taught myself the first dance moves in front of the mirror while watching videos of my favorite artists like Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Paula Abdul.
During my childhood, I was in various classes: dancing, singing, etc. But because I grew up in a conservative family and because my family immigrated to Israel from the USSR, I did not have the emotional and financial support to develop my talent. But giving up on music, was out of the question so I decided to continue to develop my talent on my own. I did not grow up in a musical environment. Regarding this, I felt completely lonely and few people believe in my talent. Music is the air I breathe. And I have a lot of music to give.
What musicians/singers influenced you the most?
The musicians, singers and dancers who have influenced me the most are,
Older generation artists: King of Pop Michael Jackson is my biggest inspiration, the lovely Janet Jackson, Queen of Pop Madonna, Paula Abdul, an amazing dancer and choreographer, Prince, an excellent musician, and an outstanding performer.
Artists from our generation: Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.
What inspired your new song/music video “Waiting For The Summer?”
What inspired the song and the video, “Waiting For The Summer,” is my endless love for the summer season. I look forward to summer with longing every year, especially in winter. Summer is the most colorful and amazing season for me. I love summer clothes, swimwear, and love spending time at the beach and looking at the ocean. The sense of freedom and positive energy that accompanies summer gives me a good feeling.
Writing and composing a song about summer felt very natural to me. After I recorded the song, I had no doubt that a song of this kind needs a video, since I am a very visual person and in addition, I grew up on video stars. I had no doubt that I would make a video for the song, and that way I would also be able to demonstrate my dancing skills. Since I am an independent artist I was looking to shoot a video according to the budget I had. I hired a photographer and together with him we wrote the concept of the video and we were looking for a suitable location, I built the choreography for the video and chose the outfits myself. No doubt it was challenging, the video was shot for one long day. It was an amazing experience and I am proud of the result.
What’s the music scene like in Israel?
The music scene in Israel consists of several genres: Israeli pop, Israeli rock, and oriental music is the dominant genre in Israel. Unfortunately, my music was rejected in Israel, but I received warm responses from the US and Europe.
From childhood I loved music in English especially American pop, I always knew that one day I would create music of this kind. As an artist it is important for me to be true to myself when I create, original music comes from the heart. I write songs, stories, and poetry in Hebrew and English. Writing pop songs in English is one of my favorite things.
In addition, I have published a children’s book in Hebrew and English called Teddy and Mandy. Creation is a big part of me.
What do you want people to take away from the video?
I want people to take from my video the positive energy of the song, the rhythm that will make them dance, the colorfulness that will make them smile, and the beautiful beaches of the Middle East. We all go through crises and hard times, especially now in the Corona period, if my song or video would make someone happy and make someone smile, dance, have fun and be positive it would be a great achievement for me as an artist.
Why do you make music?
I make music because music is my biggest passion. I love music since I can remember myself, cannot imagine my life without music. Music plays in my head every day all day, whether it’s a nostalgic song by a favorite artist or a song I heard recently or a song I wrote recently, or a brand new original song that wants to be written. Life without music is a gray, boring and meaningless life. When I create I feel alive. Not a day goes by without me having thoughts about music or engaging in music. I make music because that’s my essence and when I hear people enjoy my music it lifts me up and gives me the strength to keep creating.
How are you handling the coronavirus situation?
Dealing with corona situations is really not easy; it is probably the darkest period of my life. During this time I lost a lot but what keeps me going is music. I am an advertiser by profession. I have a bachelor’s degree in advertising and social sciences. I worked in an advertising agency for 3 years and because of the corona, I was fired from my job. My boyfriend and I broke up after a long relationship, we raised a dog together and the dog stayed with him. I got an offer from a record company in Los Angeles and in the end, it didn’t work out. And now my mom is in the hospital, she’s been sick for a long time. What gives me strength and hope is my love for music. I believe things will get better. I chose to share with you the difficulties I am going through because I know that many people experience many difficulties during this period. Music is my comfort, my refuge, and the light in my life. Maybe my story will inspire people not to give up despite the difficulties and hold on to what comforts them and gives them happiness and hope.
Looking to the future, what’s next?
I’m looking to the future; my goal is to make a lot of music. I have written 50 songs so far and have only released 2. Being an independent artist is very difficult, not only do I create my music from A to Z: writing, composing, singing, participating in the song production process, and building the choreography for the video, I also fund everything myself. It is definitely not simple, every artist needs a support system even an insanely talented artist. I sincerely hope that in the near future I will get an offer from a record company, but this time it will work out and I will finally be able to put out many more songs, provide cool music and great entertainment. Looking forward to it.
