Born and living just outside Tel Aviv, multi-instrumentalist Erez’s grainy textures and potent atmospheres forged with her synths and ingenious beats bravely straddle genres, energized further by the environment in which she’s grown up.
While the music she makes in collaboration with her partner and co-writer, composer and producer Ori Rousso exploits many of the more physical dynamic elements of electronic music, it also embraces a cerebral sensitivity that’s made her one of her home city’s most exciting, idiosyncratic artists to date.
For NOGA EREZ, there was never any doubt that, whatever music she chose to make, and whatever she felt about her homeland, she could never ignore her surroundings. After all, even escapism acknowledges there’s something to escape from, and at times – like many who’ve grown up in Tel Aviv – Erez has wanted to shut herself off from a world rendered beyond comprehension by forces beyond her control. But if there’s one thing Erez isn’t – and sometimes it’s easier to say what artists as complex and fresh as her aren’t than are – it’s naïve. And what this means is simple: her work reflects the manner in which she’s learned to live. As she puts it, “I have this idea of giving people moments of thought and inspiration, and at the same time offering escapism and fun."
It’s not the easiest of goals, but few succeed as well as Erez. While the music she makes in collaboration with her partner and co-writer, composer and producer Ori Rousso, exploits many of the more physical, dynamic elements of electronic music, it also embraces a cerebral sensitivity that’s made her one of her home city’s most exciting, idiosyncratic artists. As inspired by Björk, M.I.A. and fka Twigs as by Flying Lotus, Kendrick Lamar and Frank Ocean, the grainy textures and potent atmospheres forged with her synths and ingenious beats bravely straddle genres, energised further by the environment in which she’s grown up.
Consequently, another of Erez’ goals is, as she puts it, “to process the world, and deliver ideas on how to process it. If you're able to create a musical context that captures the state you were in when you were writing it, that can potentially bring someone closer to understanding their own world.” In her case, this means articulating the fierce anger that lies behind the hypnotically percussive “Dance While You Shoot”, about the realisation that “you can’t live without the government that ensures your basic needs, but at the same time takes your money, keeps you in the dark about the real, important matters that affect your life directly, while drowning you in manipulative media, ignorance and bureaucracy.”
Then there’s the edgy “Pity”, provoked by a court case concerning a gang rape filmed on phones and shared across the web. “We took it to a more day to day level of being a woman in a men’s world, the need to use your ‘feminine’ qualities to get around, and the borders that can be crossed while you try to do that.” And that’s not to mention the extraordinary grit of “Off The Radar”, which addresses contemporary fears of being anonymous or forgotten, and “our indecent urge to leave our mark by publicly sharing thoughts and ideas without due consideration, purely for the rush we get from approval and affirmation.”
Erez was born four days before 1990, the year the Gulf War started, and it would be impossible for her now, as an artist, to ignore what’s been going on around her all her life. Nonetheless, she admits that, for a while, she retreated from the highly politicised climate in which she was raised. “As I became more aware of everything going on – the complexity of the situation, and how it affects lives on both sides – my reaction was to separate myself from it. I got rid of my TV and stopped consuming news completely.”
She found sanctuary in music, but withdrawal is rarely permanent, and if there’s tension in Erez’ work – and there’s plenty, as it happens – then it’s an acknowledgement of this simple truth. “Most of the time it's easy just to ignore what’s happening, but every now and then reality makes that impossible.” Erez is, however, thoroughly self-aware, and acknowledges how “we are very lucky not to live near the borders, not to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and to have shelters and technology protecting us. But with this sense of luck comes a sense of guilt for being able to do something like make music while lives are being taken.”
Uncompromising and unpredictable, sophisticated and bold, Noga Erez is clear about her ambitions. “Our way of trying to keep in contact with our feelings and fears, and of avoiding emotional detachment about everything, is music. Human beings can come from completely different places but share a fundamental basis of emotions. In my opinion, music is the form of art or communication that expresses that most accurately.” The conversation starts now.
Bad Habits
Noga Erez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mama years left behind no future in sight
Mama warts, wounds, blood, stains, sweat in my eyes
Mama dirt, mud, glass, nails, scratches in my mouth
My my, nowhere to go, please talk to me
I can't hear, no line, trigger finger, stand by
Mama can't keep quiet though I know the place is wired
Wet traces on the floor
I'm no one but who the fuck are you?
Huh?
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
Huh
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
Huh
I'm no one but who the fuck are you?
Huh
I pass that black flag,
Got a habit of looking away but the warning shines neon
You put the well there, tough love with tough tests you put me on now
Mama nowhere to go, please talk to me
My my years left behind no future in sight
Mama, soft land please, make it fast and sweet
Crash, drown, who knows
Tell you right before I go
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
Huh
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
Huh
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
Fuck are you
Fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
Fuck are you
Fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
Fuck are you
Fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but fuck you!
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
Fuck are you
Fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
Fuck are you
Fuck are you
I'm no one but fuck you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
Fuck are you
Fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
I'm no one but who the fuck are you
Fuck are you
Fuck are you
That's my letter
Best revenge I won't see you later
Words speak louder than actions
I hope you read it and hit rock bottom
I hope your wife will die out of boredom
I hope your children say you disgust them,
Your nothing for them
Your time is almost over
The final act,
I smile when you break you are so fake,
And I'm so ready, air becomes heavy,
Around my machete, I feel so sweaty, I feel so dirty,
You did what Soprano did to Moltisanti
The bell is for me, I guess it's time
Excuse me but I've got a ladder to climb
That's my cue, I'm through
Now you're no one, fuck you
The lyrics in Noga Erez's song Bad Habits speak to a sense of frustration, anger, and rebellion directed towards the authority figures in one's life. The song begins with the singer calling out to their mother, who seems to have abandoned them, leaving them with nowhere to go and no one to talk to. The repetition of the line "Mama, nowhere to go, please talk to me" highlights the singer's desperation for guidance and support.
As the song progresses, the singer's anger and frustration intensify, as they become more aware of the ways in which they have been mistreated by those in power. The line "I'm no one but who the fuck are you?" speaks to a disregard for traditional hierarchies and a refusal to be silenced or dominated by those who claim authority. The reference to a black flag and the warning that shines neon suggests a sense of danger and oppression, perhaps alluding to political or societal threats.
Towards the end of the song, the singer's tone shifts from one of desperation and frustration to one of revenge and empowerment. The line "That's my letter, best revenge I won't see you later" suggests a sense of empowerment in being able to express oneself through writing and to assert control over one's own narrative. The final line "Now you're no one, fuck you" is a powerful assertion of independence and defiance, signaling a refusal to be dominated by those who seek to control and oppress.
Overall, the lyrics of Bad Habits speak to a sense of rebellion and empowerment in the face of oppression, as the singer asserts their own identity and refuses to be silenced or controlled by those in power.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama, nowhere to go, please talk to me
The singer is desperate for guidance
Mama years left behind no future in sight
The singer is reflecting on a bleak past and fearful of an unforgiving future
Mama warts, wounds, blood, stains, sweat in my eyes
The singer is physically scarred by life's struggles
Mama dirt, mud, glass, nails, scratches in my mouth
The artist is overwhelmed by the harsh realities of life
My my, nowhere to go, please talk to me
The artist is still pleading for help
I can't hear, no line, trigger finger, stand by
The singer feels cut off and on edge, as if waiting for something to happen
Mama can't keep quiet though I know the place is wired
The singer feels the need to speak out despite the danger
Cracking walls, my thoughts are leaking
The artist's internal struggles are starting to surface
Wet traces on the floor
The physical manifestation of the artist's internal turmoil
I'm no one but who the fuck are you?
The artist is asserting their individuality and questioning the authority of those around them
I pass that black flag
The singer is confronting a warning sign or symbol of danger
Got a habit of looking away but the warning shines neon
The artist is acknowledging their tendency to ignore warning signs even when they're blatantly obvious
You put the well there, tough love with tough tests you put me on now
The singer is recognizing that they've been pushed to their limits by someone they trusted
Mama nowhere to go, please talk to me
The singer is still begging for guidance
My my years left behind no future in sight
The singer is still feeling hopeless about their future
Mama, soft land please, make it fast and sweet
The artist is asking for a painless way out
Crash, drown, who knows
The artist is contemplating different ways to die
Tell you right before I go
The singer wants to have the last word
That's my letter
The singer is referring to a goodbye message to someone they despise
Best revenge I won't see you later
The artist believes that their lack of presence will be a form of revenge
Words speak louder than actions
The artist believes that their words will have a stronger impact than their absence
I hope you read it and hit rock bottom
The artist wants to inflict emotional pain on the recipient of the letter
I hope your wife will die out of boredom
The singer is being intentionally cruel and wishing suffering on innocent people
I hope your children say you disgust them,
The artist wants the recipient to feel rejected by their own family
Your nothing for them
The singer believes that the recipient of the letter means nothing to their family
Your time is almost over
The singer believes that the recipient is nearing the end of their life
The final act, I smile when you break you are so fake,
The singer believes that their enemy will have an emotional breakdown and they will find satisfaction in it
And I'm so ready, air becomes heavy,
The artist is mentally preparing for the confrontation
Around my machete, I feel so sweaty, I feel so dirty,
The artist is using violent imagery to describe their readiness for action
You did what Soprano did to Moltisanti
The singer is referencing a violent act from a popular TV show as a comparison to the harm they will inflict
The bell is for me, I guess it's time
The singer is figuratively representing the end of life as a bell tolling
Excuse me but I've got a ladder to climb
The artist is ready to move on from their current situation
That's my cue, I'm through
The artist is ready to leave
Now you're no one, fuck you
The artist is using their last words to assert dominance over their enemy
Writer(s): ori rousso, noga erez
Contributed by Ryan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@NogaErezMusic
Holy s*#t we’re going on tour!
GET TICKETS : https://nogaerez.lnk.to/KIDSTourYD
NORTH AMERICA 2021
Sept 17 I Carborro, NC - Cats Cradle #
Sept 18 I Charlotte, NC - The Underground #
Sep 19 I Washington, DC - Sixth & I #
Sept 21 I New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom #
Sept 23 I Cambridge, MA - Sinclair #
Sept 30 I Dallas, TX - HiFi
Oct 02 I Houston, TX - HOB Bronze Peacock
Oct 07 I New Orleans, LA - House of Blues - Parish
Oct 12 I Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line
Oct 13 I Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
Oct 14 I Detroit, MI - El Club
Oct 15 I Indianapolis, IN - HiFi
Oct 17 I Nashville, TN - Basement East
Oct 24 I St Louis, MO - Off Broadway
Oct 26 I Denver, CO - Marquis
Oct 27 I Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
Nov 04 I Seattle, WA - Crocodile Showroom
Nov 05 I Vancouver, BC - Fortune
Nov 06 I Portland, OR - Aladdin
Nov 10 I Los Angeles, CA - El Rey #
EUROPE 2022
Feb 08 I Madrid, Spain - Sala Independence
Feb 09 I Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
Feb 11 I Nimes, France - Paloma
Feb 12 I Reims, France - Cartonnerie
Feb 14 I Lille, France - Aeronef
Feb 15 I Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
Feb 17 I Paris, France - Badaboum
Feb 19 I Cologne, Germany - Artheater
Feb 21 I Warsaw, Poland - Hydrozagadka
Feb 22 I Berlin, Germany - Lido
Feb 24 I Prague, Czech Republic - Chapeau Rouge
Feb 25 I Vienna, Austria - B72 / Flex
Feb 27 I Zurich, Switzerland - Mascotte
Mar 01 I Hamburg, Germany - Uebel & Gefahrlich
Mar 02 I Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
Mar 04 I London, UK - Omeara
Mar 08 I Dublin, Ireland - Pepper Canister Church
*We’re working on more dates - Stay tuned
@landonwhite1197
MY WIG HAS NEVER BEEN SNATCHED HARDER OMFG NOGA’S SNAPPED ON THIS ONE
@spokpisahov3219
Уу,уччуууяууууууууу
@freakphysics
This is insane. Lens flare everywhere, violent camera and the song is just dope. Keep it on, girl.
@rkxo8775
She's man 🥵
@swangi1230
She needs to collab with M.I.A. 🙏🏼 that would be such a banger tbh
@badgerrideau1876
Noga and ori are inspirational.!!
@lianlandsberg4746
My oh my, the words are BIG
@VAVORiAL
Been listening to her for around one and a half year now. Never thought she's that much of a savage, whatthefuck. But I like it.
@louisgaillard6500
I discovered you through this song, I immediately fell in love with the energy it puts on...
@patricijagoricanec6085
HELL YEAH