Ukrainian singer-songwriter Jerry Heil – born Yana Shemaieva – has built a career that spans viral hits, a bronze-place finish at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, major social music initiatives, and high-profile creative collaborations.
Over the years, she has evolved into one of Ukraine’s most recognizable artists on the international stage and an increasingly visible cultural ambassador for the country. Kyiv Post presents an exclusive interview with the musician.
Kyiv Post: Your “Dzherelo” show at Kyiv’s Palace of Sports was described by many as one of the biggest cultural events of the season and one of the strongest live productions Ukraine has seen in years. At what point did you realize this was becoming something bigger than just a solo concert?
Jerry Heil: I realized it during the very first call with [Ukrainian director, screenwriter, music video maker, and TV host] Alan [Badoev], when he described how he felt my music and artistic identity at this moment in time. I felt permission to embrace musical freedom and decided there absolutely had to be orchestral arrangements – the kind that make you feel as if you’ve stepped into a film or a theater performance the moment you close your eyes. Alan made sure audiences wouldn’t even need to close them.
Then the puzzle kept expanding as more important figures from Ukraine’s contemporary arts scene joined the project – Ruslan Makhov, the FREEDOM ballet, the ballet led by Nastia Kharchenko, and the Presidential Orchestra, whose performance of the music we created together with my team was an incredible honor to hear. I still relive every stage of the preparation process every single day. It was unforgettable.
After the show, many music experts said “Dzherelo” had set a new benchmark for Ukrainian live performances – in scale, dramaturgy, and visual language. How important was it for you to prove that Ukraine’s pop scene can create world-class events even during wartime?
We never planned to “prove” anything. Our goal was simply to create the kind of show we dream of seeing in Ukraine today. The ambition and talent of everyone who worked on “Dzherelo” made it what it became.
But what I did want to say is that you no longer need to leave Ukraine to experience a world-class cultural event. We are the center of Europe. We have a powerful culture, extraordinary people, and an incredible audience. I feel that the time has finally come when both audiences and artists from other countries are coming here.
And we achieved both. We had audience members who traveled from Croatia, the UK, and Malta, and artists such as Irina Rimes from Romania and Nemo from Switzerland. We want this to become a tradition.
You’ve collaborated with many Ukrainian and international artists. How do you choose your creative partners?
First and foremost, they’re people whose music genuinely resonates with me. Usually, we end up sharing much more than musical taste, and we stay friends afterward. Music truly has the power to unite people.
You’ve already experienced Eurovision as Ukraine’s representative. How did participating in the competition change you?
Eurovision – and the campaigns connected to it – showed me that music is a universal language with real influence, one that can help communicate even the most difficult subjects.
After Eurovision, I started creating much more music in my native language and incorporating national motifs into it. What made me especially happy was seeing how many international listeners stayed with me afterward. People write to me saying this music inspired them to learn Ukrainian, visit Ukraine, and explore our culture.
Of course, it also opened many doors for international collaborations. Irina Rimes once told me she first discovered me during Eurovision – and then there she was, standing on stage at Kyiv’s Palace of Sports.
You actively work for an international audience. How do you maintain a balance between being globally accessible and staying authentic for Ukrainians?
There was a time when I struggled with the feeling that I was constantly jumping between styles. I love writing in different genres and languages, and every new track felt like it belonged to a different artist.
Eventually, I dared to combine all of those musical desires within a single song. That “Frankenstein” approach ended up becoming the defining characteristic of my music – and it allowed me both to experiment and to expand geographically.
You studied abroad. How did that experience shape your understanding of the music industry, and what does Ukraine already do better than the West?
I’ve had very different experiences creating music abroad – both while studying and during songwriting sessions. Recently, I went to Los Angeles to absorb American songwriting knowledge from people actively working in the industry and writing for major artists. I also regularly work in Sweden.
Every place has its own specifics, so I wouldn’t say one is necessarily better than another. But Ukraine definitely has one advantage: speed.
How do your socially driven music initiatives come to life – such as “Earth (Dradada),” the song about demining? What kind of impact do you think these projects have?
These are subjects that deeply concern me, and I want them to concern not only Ukrainians. It’s difficult to measure impact, but major international media outlets – including CNN – have started covering these issues as well.
For me, music is a universal language that makes difficult topics easier to understand and genuinely touches people emotionally. I see that very clearly in comments from listeners around the world.
When we traveled to Japan to discuss demining issues, I spoke with Japanese officials, students, and schoolchildren. I realized that emotion and human experience resonate with people most strongly – even when you speak different languages and live in completely different realities.
That once again confirmed for me that music and art can become the bridge connecting very different worlds through simple but sincere emotions.
How difficult is it to develop your own label under current circumstances?
It’s not easy, but I’m not doing it alone. My area of responsibility is actually the most exciting one – creativity, making music, and supporting artists. Right now, we’re preparing several independent artists for release. In one case, I wrote the song; in another, I’m simply offering guidance and support through my experience.
Where do you draw your strength from?
From peaceful mornings – but also from sleepless nights.
From nature.
From nostalgic conversations with my parents over a glass of wine.
From traveling with my team – they’re family to me too.
From my homeland. Every time I cross the border returning home from a trip, I exhale with relief. This is where I recharge and prepare for new achievements.
And from those very achievements themselves – and, most importantly, from something inside me that constantly pushes me toward them.
If you were in my place as a journalist, what would you ask Jerry Heil?
Maybe something like: “How much is the fish?” [a joke reference to the 1998 song by the German techno band Scooter – ed.]
Or perhaps: “What did you lose on the way to your dream – and was it really worth it?”
Or: “What’s it like to never dance and then suddenly decide to do it publicly in concerts and music videos?”
I like talking about movement not despite fear, but directly into the scariest point of your own consciousness – because it’s incredibly rewarding to discover that this is exactly where the sweetest treasures are hidden.
Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in five years?
As a person – forgive the pathos – because show business constantly confronts you with challenges and difficult questions about yourself. You have to answer them honestly if you want to make it through this game.
And, of course, as someone who contributed to Ukraine’s international sound.
I recently attended a concert by Rosalía. My favorite moment wasn’t the one everyone posted on social media – it was when she simply stood there singing a traditional Spanish folk song. I dream of standing on a major stage somewhere in London and singing a Ukrainian folk song while 20,000 people listen in complete fascination, almost in a trance. I know it’s possible. I know this is our moment – the moment of Ukrainian culture.
I want to be someone who brings a little more artistry into pop music, a little more Ukrainian identity into global pop, and a little more of the world into Ukrainian pop culture.
And I want Ukraine’s major stages to become just as desirable for international artists as the world’s other great venues.
All of this is achievable – and our team is already working on it.