Israeli pop star Nunu reflects on five years of music, war, and survival

Israeli pop star Nunu, whose real name is Neomi Aharoni-Gal, marked five years in the music industry with a celebratory concert at the Barby venue. The event featured guest stars and a sold-out crowd, momentarily evoking the carefree atmosphere of 2022.

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I think one of the most fun moments I’ve had, maybe the most fun day of my life, was opening for Maroon 5. That was one of my very first shows with my band, playing songs we had never performed live on such a massive stage before. We were all completely in the clouds – up in the clouds. I remember us coming off the stage and just jamming in a total state of ecstasy because the high was so intense.

However, the milestone celebration underscored the precarious nature of sustaining an artistic career amidst geopolitical turmoil. Nunu's journey highlights the challenges faced by artists in a market susceptible to sudden disruption, particularly following the events of October 7, 2023.

Her career trajectory includes a significant moment in 2022 when she opened for Maroon 5 at Yarkon Park. Nunu described this experience as one of the most enjoyable days of her life, recalling the intense euphoria of performing with her band on a massive stage for the first time. She noted the stark contrast with headliner Adam Levine's highly controlled, isolated performance approach.

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It doesn’t matter. Just to see him and simply be there... there are no words.

The true test of Nunu's resilience came with the onset of conflict on October 7, 2023, which brought the local music industry to a standstill. The artist made the difficult decision to postpone the release of her album, 'Haganuz' (The Shelved), which she had worked on for a year. She explained that the decision was painful, both due to the personal and societal impact of the war and the significant investment of time and money into the project. The album remained unreleased for nearly three years, awaiting market stabilization.

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Of course, there was the human difficulty and the massive reality check of October 7. It was an immense pain in its own right, just in daily life – living through a war here is a heavy weight, and compared to that, everything else shrinks into comparison. But professionally, one of the hardest and most painful moments was deciding to shelve an album, after working on it for a whole year, investing in it artistically, and putting out all that money.