In September 2017, Barzilai auditioned for season 5 of "HaKokhav HaBa", Israel's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with "Rude Boy" by Rihanna. After receiving 82% of the votes, she advanced to the second stage of the competition where she sang "Hey Mama" by David Guetta. In February 2018, she performed "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls, and although she lost a duel to Ricky Ben Ari, she proceeded to the next stage after being selected by the judges. The last song Barzilai performed in the competition was a mashup of "Gangnam Style" by Psy and "Tik Tok" by Kesha. After receiving 210 points from the judges and audience, Barzilai won first place and the right to represent Israel in Eurovision.