As is our tradition every end of December, it is time to review the best songs of the year. During this period, Sounds European! has featured over 1300 songs. And now, we are presenting, until December 31st, our list of the 50 best European songs of 2021.
If there was an artist that we were sure could conquer the '80s pop trend we're currently going through, that is Polina Gagarina. And we are thrilled to say that we were right! Her new single is "Vchera", a song that takes us through the genre with the force that only Polina imprints in her singles!
Måns Zelmerlöw and Polina Gagarina are not only two huge international stars: they were the (unforgettable!) top two of Eurovision in 2015, in Vienna. Now, they got together to release the official song for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2021. It's "Circles and squares", a delightful pop-rock song with some great country elements added to it. The result has really warmed our hearts!
Russian singer Polina Gagarina returns to our site with a touching new single. "Zima" is a different kind of ballad from what we are used to get from her, delivering a softer, somewhat more ethnic, instrumentation that highlights her impressive vocal skills.
Polina Gagarina has a new single! The Russian diva has recently dropped "Na rasstoyanii", a song that takes her back to the kind of soft electronic pop that made her a household name in Eastern Europe. The chorus includes a shower of Polina's voice, to make it all more appealing!
Second single by Polina Gagarina this year! Now, the Russian diva is showing us "Nebo v glazakh", an in-crescendo downtempo pop that incorporates synth beats and is taken to another level thanks to Polina's unmistakeable voice.
Russian diva Polina Gagarina is finally back with new music! Her most recent release is "Ty ne tseluy", a deep and introspective piano-based ballad that leads you to a climactic end.
Updated on January 1st, 2021, with the official video.
Sounds European! has featured over 1500 songs in 2019. With the end of the year approaching, it's time to look back and review the best of them. You will now be presented, until December 31st, with our list of the top 50 European songs of 2019.
39th place: Russia | Polina Gagarina - "Melankholiya"
Russian pop diva Polina Gagarina dazzled us again with another great single. "Smotri" shies away from the explosion of pop she has us accustomed to, and delivers instead an in-crescendo pop ballad that is equally charming!
Updated on November 30th, 2019, with the official video.
After reaching #3 in our Top 50 of 2018 with "Kamen' na serdtse", Russian singer Polina Gagarina is back, and we couldn't be happier about that! Her new single is entitled "Melankholiya", and it is an energetic pop track with an equally moving video.
Throughout the year, Sounds European! has presented over 1600 songs. As it is our tradition, we have reviewed all of them and selected the 50 that we consider to be the best of the bunch. And now – until December 31st –, it's time to present our final list!
3rd place: Russia | Polina Gagarina - "Kamen' na serdtse"
It's impossible to argue: Russian diva Polina Gagarina is living a truly golden moment. Every new single she releases is excellent – it's one masterpiece after the other! And "Vyshe golovy" is no exception. What a wonderful song it is! It's a deep, involving and highly addictive ballad. Polina's voice shines through the entire track!
We can't go through a day about music made for this year's World Cup without talking about the tournament's anthem! It's DJ Smash (stage name of Andrey Leonidovich Shirman, from Perm), Polina Gagarina and Egor Kreed, with "Komanda"!
Polina Gagarina is synonymous with good music. Few artists in Europe give us such a certainty of quality when releasing a new single as she. And yet, she has still surprised us with her new release, "Kamen' na serdtse". It's a spectacular masterpiece! Voice, melody, instrumentals, ambience, chorus... everything is as good as one can expect. We are completely in love: it's our song of the week!
Azerbaijani star Emin is living a great moment, releasing several collaborations with some of the best artists of the region. After Ani Lorak and Maxim Fadeev, he has just partnered with Russian diva Polina Gagarina for "V nevesomosti". It's a classy song with smooth melody and a marking chorus. When talents as Emin and Polina are together, nothing can go wrong!
Russian super star Polina Gagarina has a new single on offer. And that can only mean one thing: it's time to listen to first-class pop music! "Obezoruzhena" delivers everything one can expect: wonderful melody, great instrumentals, catchy chorus and a stupendous vocal performance by Polina.
It's time to remeet Russian diva Polina Gagarina, who has a wonderful new single on offer. "Stanu solntsem" is an excellent pop song, with a captivating melody and a chorus which easily sticks to the head. Polina's voice is, as usual, flawless!
Last time we featured Russian diva Polina Gagarina was last year, when she gave us an exquisite exclusive interview. For those who were missing her, miss no more: she is back with new sounds! Polina's latest hit is "Dramy bol'she net", a song that gives a contemporary twist to her unique approach to classic Russian pop.
Sounds European! has been having the opportunity to interview several amazing artists all across the continent. But not many times have we talked to such an idol of ours as this time. We are now heading to Russia, where we talked to one of the biggest divas of Eastern European music. And, after her very deep and honest answers, our admiration for her has only grown. These are our 10 questions for Polina Gagarina:
Sounds European!: Before anything else, let's talk about your history with music. Who were your idols when growing up? And who are your current idols and influences?
Polina Gagarina: There was and there is always only one hero in my life, who is the closest and dearest one at the same time. That hero is my mom. She is also an actress, a professional dancer. Since my childhood, I tried to look up to my mom and wanted to be like her. We often advise with each other, I wait for her help or support on every matter. That's it. I've never looked up to any other heroes. I always went on my own way, learning how to be myself and what path in career to choose.
SE!: You rose to fame after winning the second season of Star Factory, in 2003. How was your experience on the show? How did you feel when you were announced as the winner? And what were the biggest lessons you took from that participation?
PG: That was a good start, a right understanding of my further direction in career. Performances, fixing mistakes, tips by professionals – all of that was on the TV show. But, perhaps, the most important lesson I learned was before Fabrika Zvyozd [Russian name for Star Factory] – you have to work hard. Always. Don't be lazy! Be in progress, keep it up! I think that's the reason I won the show.
SE!: You have several amazing singles which reached massive success in Russia and region. How do you feel knowing your songs reach so many people, all around the world? How do you face success? And what are your dreams for your career, what do you want to still achieve?
PG: I'm so happy to know that my songs got so popular in Russia, as well as in Europe. Every actor or singer tends to be on demand and, of course, one should be talented, hardworking and so on. I perceive my popularity as a result of my hard work. I have always worked conscientiously, because I knew that talent gives you only 10% of success, the rest – your efforts. I'm so glad that I've got fans and followers whom I'm very proud of – because I can assure you, they choose music of high quality, which I create especially for them.
SE!: In our opinion, your songs are among the best ones currently being produced in the worldwide pop music scene. Singles such as "Spektakl' okonchen", "Net", "Shagay" and "Ya ne budu" are pop at its best form. How would you describe your own music? And how do you want people to perceive it? Also, how do you do to maintain such a high level in the long term, single after single?
PG: I can't describe my music in one or two words, because it is absolutely different. I just say it again – my music is a high-quality product. I don't sing songs that are meant to become popular if I don't like them or if they don't correlate with my vision of music. I don't want to lie to my audience and sing for them whatever is possible. I want them to listen to good and well-felt music.
PG: It's definitely pleasant. I was proud to represent my country on Eurovision. I'm always happy to accept the invitations of such a big scale. I feel like I am a council of peace and kindness, because events such as Eurovision or Football Championship unite people from different countries.
"I don't sing songs that are meant to become popular if I don't like them or if they don't correlate with my vision of music"
SE!: Nowadays, you are one of the coaches of Golos, the Russian version of The Voice. What can you tell us about being a coach of the show? And how does it feel to be, a decade after Star Factory, "on the other side" of the game, judging other new talents of music?
PG: This role is very, very hard. I mean, there have been hard times, when this or that decision for one or another participant should be made. All of the guys on the show were talented, but it's a show, and I knew that, but I couldn't help but taking the leaving of every participant to my heart. Secondly, my role as a mentor on the show Golos was a debut for me, and I feel I haven't unveiled my potential as a mentor fully. I considered my mistakes, and I think I have enough time to work on them.
SE!: Female pop music is really strong and prolific in Russia and neighboring countries. We imagine that, at the same time, it can be both good (there is space for appearing) and bad (there is a lot of competition). How do you analyze the Russian female pop scene? And how do you try to stand out from the other singers with your music?
PG: I don't try to differentiate myself from others, to be ahead or to bite more than I can chew. But I have always been and still am sincere in what I'm doing. I respect my audience, and I will never chase a quantity of fans, I'm going to work on the quality of my music. I think people see the truth and the honesty, and they want their actors or singers to be honest – the whole life is built on it and on trust.
SE!: What are your professional plans for the near future? What can your fans expect from you?
PG: This year is rich of surprises, which we're showing you little by little. The first surprise and this one – the best of the best – was my new show, POLINA, which I perceive as something special, new. After the premiere of the show in Moscow, I went on tour across the Russian Federation and Europe: London, Vienna, Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius. We filmed a clip of my song "Day". Recently, I recorded a co-track with a famous rapper in Russia, Basta. The genre, I find unusual, but interesting.
SE!: If you could choose anyone, who would be some Russian and international artists you'd like to collaborate with?
PG: I'm interested in collaborating with any talented and charming actors, singers and musicians. I like experimenting with something new.
SE!: We would like to post a song of yours to close this interview. What is your favorite song of yourself, and why?
PG: I've got lots of favorite songs, especially those I have written myself. I think I can recommend you one of my unusual songs – "Day". I wrote it yet in 2014, though the premiere of the clip happened in 2016, on my show POLINA in Moscow.
We are fully sure: the Russian diva Polina Gagarina doesn't have any idea of how to make a bad song. Every new single of hers is a gift to our ears. And so is her newest release "Ya ne budu". It has a catchy melody, involving vibe and one of the best choruses of the year. Lovely result!
