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Ethiopian-Israeli Teen Eden Alene Just Won Israel’s ‘X-Factor.’ Watch Her Stunning Performances.

The 17-year-old singer capped her victorious run with a rendition of Christina Perri’s ‘Human’

by
Yair Rosenberg
February 08, 2018
Via YouTube
Eden AleneVia YouTube
Via YouTube
Eden AleneVia YouTube

Israel’s X-Factor, the Jewish state’s take on the popular reality singing competition, has often spotlighted unlikely actors in Israeli society. In 2014, a 47-year-old Filipino caregiver named Rose Fostanes took home the top prize. Last week, voters across Israel crowned Eden Alene, a 17-year-old Ethiopian-Israeli raised by her single Orthodox Jewish mother in Jerusalem, as the show’s newest champion.

Alene’s remarkable run began with her audition, in which she performed Demi Lovato’s “Stone Cold”:

Alene quickly became a viral sensation in Israel, with clips of her performances racking up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. She followed up her debut with her take on Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”:

Finally, on January 31, Alene captured the crown with her rendition of Christina Perri’s “Human”:

At her audition, Alene said that her dream was to perform a duet with her idol, Beyonce. With her new recording contract, she might one day get the chance.

Yair Rosenberg is a senior writer at Tablet. Subscribe to his newsletter, listen to his music, and follow him on Twitter and Facebook.