Ninet tayeb

“Let me… Let me… Let me entertain you,” Ninet Tayeb wails at the end of her stark piano- based cover of Robbie Williams’ cheeky dance rock tune “Let Me Entertain You”. When Robbie Williams sings these words you’re supposed to smile and laugh, but when Tayeb, the Israeli singer-songwriter, blasts into the same phrase it sounds like a command or even a threat. Tayeb will entertain you whether you like it or not. With her hard-hitting, guitar-based songs, her abrasive vocal stylings, and song titles like “Shot In The Ass,” it’s hard to believe that Tayeb was the winner of Kochav Nolad, Israel’s version of Pop Idol. Sure, she’s got the vocal range to be a traditional pop star, but where did all the fury come from?

“When I went to Kohav Nolad, I was only 18 and it was the first season, so I was sure I was going to just another talent show— nothing too big,” Tayeb tells CMJ via e-mail. “But suddenly everyone knew who I was. It was a crazy time!”Kochav Nolad may have been the launching pad for Tayeb’s musical career, but that doesn’t mean the experience has defined her ever-shifting musical identity. After winning the program and being catapulted into the limelight, Tayeb was cast in a television series called Our Song that was loosely based on her own life. The show ran for four seasons and once it was over Tayeb was eager to get back to making music. Her debut album Barefoot was released in 2006 and was a big hit in Israel.

However, Tayeb wanted to move beyond the more poppy material from her first album into darker, riskier terrain. “The main thing I wanted to do was to explore every possible [type of] music I could,” writes Tayeb. “I wanted to sit down and listen to every possible record. The first album that I fell in love with was Jeff Buckley's Grace. A friend gave it to me and from the first listen I knew that this album will change my life. Jeff became a huge inspiration for my life— musically and spiritually.”

She soon became entrenched in rock music, spending hours listening to British and American artists like P.J. Harvey, The White Stripes, The Kills and The Flaming Lips. Armed with a new set of musical influences and a new attitude Tayeb began to take control of her career in other ways: she began to play a larger role in writing and producing her own songs. “Hopefully people will connect to what I'm doing,” she writes. “I really want to hit the road with my band, really looking forward to it.”

Tayeb is currently staring in Israel’s production of the rock musical Spring Awakening while also continuing to work on her English language debut. The English songs that are currently available show the powerful range of Tayeb’s voice, which can switch from Alanis Morissette-like screams to a more delicate cadence that brings to mind Regina Spektor at her most feisty. The songs also feature a more aggressive rock sound that suggests Tayeb is a lot more than Israel’s version of Kelly Clarkson. She’s going to entertain you, but it’ll be on her terms.
- CMJ