Yuval Raphael Explains the Emotional New Single “Papa”

Fresh off her return from Eurovision 2026 as one of the creators of the song “Michelle,” Yuval Raphael released a new single yesterday, “Papa,” which she wrote with Dana Lev, Tzlil Klifi and Nadav “Navi” Aharoni. In an interview Monday on Kan News radio’s “BeHezi HaYom,” she discussed how the song was created, why its release was delayed, and why her family appears in the video.

Raphael said “Papa” began as a song that had been submitted for Eurovision 2025. About a year after Eurovision, she met with Klifi and Aharoni, who played her the English version they had sent in. “It was one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard, and I started crying,” she said. “The moment I started crying I told them, ‘Listen, I have to do something with this song.’” The song was then completely reworked, with a new melody and new lyrics, and went through five versions before it was finalized. The only element kept from the original was the repeated “Papa, papa, papa” motif.

Asked what “Papa” means and whether it refers to her father, Raphael said listeners can interpret it as they choose, including “father,” “Father in Heaven,” or anything else. For her, she said, the song symbolizes faith, faith in destiny, and opening the heart to new things. She also said the video is especially personal and family-oriented: her father, mother, sister and brother all appear in it, along with many of her friends who joined as dancers.

Raphael is scheduled to perform Saturday night at Reading 3 in Tel Aviv. She said her peak is being in constant creative work, and that her two biggest career thrills are releasing songs and performing for fans who buy tickets. “Both are happening in the same week,” she said, “so I couldn’t ask for anything better.”