Thirty-nine countries are competing with the aim to lift the trophy in Malmö. The thirtieth country to be introduced is Ukraine. The country won the contest in 2005 and this year Zlata Ognevich will fly the Ukrainian flag in Sweden.

Basic information

Performer: Zlata Ognevich
Song: Gravity
Language: English
Music: Mikhail Nekrasov
Lyrics: Karen Kavaleryan

The song

This year’s Ukrainian entry is a sweet fairy tale ballad song. Zlata Ognevich is singing about gravity force which is stronger than her.

Nothing comes from dreams but dreams
Still you believe in wonder
Something happens and it seems
Like a strike of thunder

Nothing comes from love but love
Why is it growing stronger?
I am falling from above
I will wait no longer

I’m like a butterfly
Spinning ‘round a sword as if to dare
I should have stayed up high
It’s stronger than me
My gravity
My gravity

The performer

Zlata Ognevich was born in Murmansk, in the extreme northern part of Russia. Ognevich is a graduate of Rheingold M. Glière Music College and a soloist of the Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In 2010 she made her first attempt to enter the Eurovision Song Contest with Ukraine. Her song was The Island of Love   finished fifth with 30 points. In 2011, she made her second attempt to represent Ukraine in the contest with the song The Kukushka but came second. Zlata’s third bid to win the National Selection was successful with her song Gravity gaining 40 points.

The songwriters

Gravity is written by Mikhail Nekrasov and Karen Kavaleryan. Nekrasov is not new to the Eurovision scene. He was responsible for arranging Ruslana’s winning entry Wild Dances. In 2005 Nekrasov worked on musical arrangement for the Eurovision postcards when Ukraine hosted the contest. Kavaleryan is also a familiar face in the Eurovision circle. He wrote lyrics for Ani Lorak’s Shady lady and Dima Bilan’s Never Let You Go. Gravity is Karen’s ninth bid to win the contest.

The national selection

The Ukrainian national final has seen twenty acts performing. The combination of jury deliberation and tele-voting at a 50% stake has decided that Zlata Ognevich will represent Ukraine in Malmö.

Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest

Ukraine joined the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003. Despite a mediocre debut and a poor result on home ground in 2005, the country won the contest once, finished second twice and another two times in the top ten making it one of the most successful countries in recent years. However, 2009 marked the third year ever that the country finished outside the top ten. The country never missed a grand final since its debut.

Statistics

This will be Ukraine’s eleventh participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Including Verka Serduchka, it will be the ninth time in total and the eighth year in a row that that country is being represented by a female solo performer. Furthermore, it will be the eighth time that the Ukrainian entry is performed entirely in English. Besides, all Ukrainian entries to date were at least partly performed in English.

Ukrainian vote in Eurovision

Ukraine gave its most points to neighbouring Russia while the Ukrainian entries received its most points to Poland.

The betting odds

According to oddschecker.com, Ukraine is currently standing at number 2 to win the Eurovision Song Contest. Furthermore the country is the third favourite to qualify from semi-final one.

Бажаємо Злата Огневич і Україні удачі у Мальме

Videos

Preview clip

National final performance

The kukushka

Tomorrow another country will be introduced (hint – in 2007 they installed bus stop!)

Have your say

You can rate the Ukrainian entry by voting in our poll

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You can view previous parts of this series by clicking here