Noga Erez is an Israeli musician, singer-songwriter, keyboardist and produc… Read Full Bio ↴Noga Erez is an Israeli musician, singer-songwriter, keyboardist and producer.

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.

Toy
Noga Erez Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wear a crown
With my head down
My heavy gown
Has my bent spine
Unleash the crown
With my head down

They say love would kill us all

I am the son
Of your leader
Give me your loves
And I'll stay down
Down

They say love would kill us all
They say love would kill us all

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Noga Erez's song Toy are open to interpretation, but one possible meaning is a commentary on the oppressive nature of society and the pressure to conform to society's expectations. The singer wears a crown but keeps her head down, suggesting she may feel burdened by the weight of her responsibilities and expectations. The heavy gown could represent the societal conventions and expectations that constrain her, leading to a bent spine. However, the singer also wants to unleash the crown, potentially a call to action to break free from these constraints and expectations.

The line "they say love would kill us all" could be a reference to the idea that love, in the context of societal norms, is dangerous if it goes against the norm or is not socially acceptable. The singer may also be questioning the validity of societal norms and questioning if love truly would kill us if we didn't conform.

The second verse introduces the idea of the son of a leader, potentially representing the pressure to live up to familial expectations and continue the status quo. The singer then asks for love, potentially as a way to escape these expectations and conventions, but also acknowledges that in doing so, she may still stay down, suggesting challenges to achieving true liberation.

Overall, the song Toy can be interpreted as a call for individuals to break free from societal constraints and expectations and to question the validity of societal norms. It's a commentary on the pressures of conforming to expectations and the cost of doing so.

Line by Line Meaning

I wear a crown
I hold power and authority

With my head down
I am humble and mindful of my position

My heavy gown
I carry the weight of my responsibilities

Has my bent spine
My position has caused physical and emotional strain

Unleash the crown
I am ready to exercise my power

They say love would kill us all
The all-consuming nature of love can be dangerous

I am the son
I am a product of my family's legacy

Of your leader
I follow in the footsteps of those who came before me

Give me your loves
I demand loyalty and devotion

And I'll stay down
I will maintain my position of power

They say love would kill us all
The all-consuming nature of love can be dangerous

Contributed by Isaiah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

No Related Genres

More Genres

No Artists Found

More Artists Load All

No Albums Found

More Albums Load All

No Tracks Found

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

@Lisa-gy7gb

7y↑65

Listening to this with headphones is the best.

@CsawIvu

7y↑17

Fusions always work for me!!! The mix and track mastering.....works of art. I noticed as I listened to "Toy" and "Can You Dance While you shoot", that my attention (AUnVisual) would switch from the video to my speakers. Thats some serious depth in the mix, and just excellent!!!