How Eden Golan went from a little girl with dreams of singing to one of the ... trends now
She is just 20 years old and has spent her whole life to this point developing her talent for singing and dancing.
But now, Israel's Eurovision entry Eden Golan suddenly finds herself as one of the most controversial figures in the world.
In the face of huge anti-Israel protests that has seen her forced to remain holed up in her hotel room between Eurovision performances in Malmo, Golan remains defiant - and believes in the power of music to bring people together as a ford for good.
Speaking to MailOnline the singer insists she is trying to focus on the good stuff, saying: 'I've been getting an extremely huge amount of support. I focus on that because people have truly been amazing.'
While she believes people should have the right to protest - 'I think people have the right to speak their mind and say whatever they want' - she says she also has the right to ignore them.
Eden Golan performing her song Hurricane in Malmo, Sweden at the second Eurovision semi-final
Israel's Eurovision entry has caused controversy but despite the negative reactions from the public, Golan is keen for everyone 'to be united by music'
Mass pro-Palestinian protests broke out outside the Eurovision Village in Malmo, Sweden where Palestinian flags were waved
Golan said: 'I'm not blinded or delusional, I am not making up a false belief. But when I go on stage I see how music unites. I am getting messages from people of different nations all over the world.
'They have different beliefs and different opinions but they've connected to the music. We are here to be united by music – that is the slogan of Eurovision and I really feel that we are.'
Eden didn't need to go to Malmo in Sweden to experience antisemitism: it was something she came to know only too well while growing up in Russia.
Born in Israel to parents who grew up in the USSR – father Eddie is a Latvian-Jewish businessman while mother Olga, who is her manager, came from a Ukrainian Jewish family – her parents moved with Eden and her brother back to Russia for her father's work when she was six.
There she studied at a British international school in Moscow as well as taking courses online and taking lessons in ballet and gymnastics.
According to her proud parents, she started singing and performing in earnest before she had turned ten.
Father Eddie recently told Russian TV: 'I completely support Eden in what she chose to do. I will never forget how at the age of nine and a half she came to me and said 'I will be a singer, I will be one of the best singers in the world'.'
Mother Olga added: 'She got into rhythmic gymnastics at the age of three and a half in Israel. Then we moved to Moscow, she was into rhythmic gymnastics there too.
Police have had to be placed outside Golan's hotel in between performances as Israel worry for the performer's safety
Golan's powerful performance is the culmination of years of training and according t her parents she's been singing since she was ten and has even competed in the Junior Eurovision
'I took her to a nearby ballet class, and she was into ballet. She wasn't singing. I always said that Eden's voice was simply to sing in the shower.
'When, on Eden's request, I hired a teacher, she worked on vocals. And the teacher said: 'You know, your daughter has a talent'. Eden was nine when she got into singing.'
A talented gymnast – as fans have noticed during her performances – the change of focus from that towards singing happened after she went on stage during a family holiday to Thailand when she was nine.
She first performed to thousands aged just 11 when she was Russia's representative in the Junior Eurovision Song contest, finishing fifth.
Eden later talked about her singing ambition on screen.
A video on Russian state TV Channel 1 shows her at an audition as a young teenager.
She says to camera: 'Hello, my name is Eden Golan. I'm 14 years old, I'm from Israel, but I've been living in Moscow for 9 years. We moved to Moscow because of my Dad's work. I like Russia very much. There are very nice people here, it's very beautiful, especially in winter.'
She adds: 'I'm praised for being very kind and helping out if someone's in trouble. And I am a very hard worker, meaning I have a goal, and I go for it.'
