Barzilai was born in Hod HaSharon, Israel. Her mother is from a Sephardic Jewish family (of Moroccan-Jewish and Libyan-Jewish descent), whereas her father is from an Ashkenazi Jewish family (of Polish-Jewish descent). As a child, Barzilai lived in Nigeria for four years, where her father, who is an engineer, worked on a project for Israeli company Solel Boneh.
Barzilai attended Hadarim High School in Hod HaSharon and was a counselor at an Israeli youth movement HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed. Prior to her military service in the Israel Defense Forces, she spent a Service Year volunteering in the paramilitary Nahal. She completed her military service in the Israeli Navy Band. Afterwards, she studied electronic music at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, however she did not complete a degree there.
In September 2017, Barzilai auditioned for season five 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 in which 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 at Eurovision.