From Rejection to No. 1 Hit: How Sasson Shaulov Beat Omer Adam

What began as a missed opportunity for one of Israel’s biggest pop stars has become a breakthrough moment for another.

Omer Adam, one of the country’s most successful singers, originally recorded the track “A World in Two Colors”, written and composed by rising artist Sasson Shaulov. The song was nearly finalized for release when Adam unexpectedly decided to shelve it, industry insiders revealed.

Shaulov, instead of letting the work languish, recorded the track himself. Two weeks after its release, it has already amassed 1.7 million views on YouTube, over 250,000 streams on Spotify, and secured the No. 35 spot on Israel’s official music chart, “The Hitlist.”

According to sources familiar with the process, Adam’s version had been “almost ready, with only minor finishing touches left,” before he abruptly pulled the plug. The reasons behind his decision remain unclear, but observers now suggest Adam may have passed on one of this year’s biggest potential hits.

Produced by Matan Dror, the song highlights Shaulov’s growing presence on Israel’s pop landscape. In fact, “A World in Two Colors” is just one of five Shaulov tracks currently featured on The Hitlist. His most dominant success remains “Tamid Ohev Oti” (“Always Loves Me”), which spent weeks at No. 1 and currently sits at No. 19.

For Shaulov, the trajectory is unmistakable: what started as a song passed over by a household name has become the latest proof that he himself is shaping up to be one of Israel’s defining hitmakers.