Static and Ben El release their first English song
Pop duo’s ‘Broke Ass Millionaire’ hit streaming services last week
They’re the hottest musical act in Israel right now – at least with the preteen set. And now English-speaking audiences around the world will get to enjoy the musical stylings of pop duo Static and Ben-El, who released their first English single on Thursday.
The song, called “Broke Ass Millionaire,” is set to the same tune as their Hebrew hit song “Silsulim.” The original song says that they can’t afford an overseas vacation in Ibiza, but they are enjoying the breeze from Eilat to the Kinneret – “there’s no summer like this/ in any other country.” But the new English version puts the duo smack-dab in Ibiza – though they still say they couldn’t get a visa.
But they haven’t forgotten their roots entirely. One line in the new song talks about “making it rain with my bar mitzvah money.”
A close listen to the song reveals the trademarks of most classic Static and Ben-El songs: nonsensical lyrics like “I’m gonna build a castle in the sand/ Act like I’m a singer in a famous band,” as well as the casual objectification of women. “Can I get the ladies doing things/ They’ve never done before,” sings Ben El Tavori, who became a father on the very same day the song was released. Static also manages to slip in his iconic Hebrew catchphrase “kal” – which means “easy.”
The song was released Thursday on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon and more. The YouTube version of the song, however, wasn’t available in Israel on Thursday.
The pop duo, who have had a long series of radio hits in Israel, signed an unprecedented record deal earlier this year with Universal’s Capitol Records. The deal, signed back in March, commits the singers to producing seven albums in the next 10 years. Static and Ben El were signed by American-Israeli investor and producer Haim Saban, who said their talents “will speak to music lovers around the world.”
Announcing the song release on Instagram, Static – whose real name is Liraz Russo – promised that “this is actually just a tease towards the full explosion this February.”