Croatian diva Severina has recently unveiled a beautiful new single. Together with Petar Grašo (singer and songwriter born in Split, Croatia, in 1976), she releaed "Unaprijed gotovo", a soulful ballad that brings the melancholy of Balkan sounds in its purest form.
Lida Arakelyan is the real name of Lidushik, a teen star born in Yerevan in 1999. Her most recent single will surely put you up for a dance: in "Havata", she brings the kind of ethnic pop that just can't go unnoticed!
In a country whose pop sounds very characteristic, as it is the case in Ukraine, it's not easy to sound different. But he does. His music is unique – and it's so, so good! One of his singles was on our list of the 50 best songs of 2017. And now, we've had the pleasure of talking to him about his work. These are our 10 questions for Oleg Verd:
Sounds European!: What are your first memories with music? When you were growing up, what artists did you enjoy listening to? Do you feel they have influenced, in any way, the music you make nowadays?
Oleg Verd: I have been singing since my childhood. I was singing everything that I would listen to. And I listened to many types of music, because I was (and still am) a real meloman [someone who is passionate about music]. And yes, this really influenced my art – I mixed them in my first album, connecting rock, pop and chanson in it.
SE!: At what age did you start singing? When did you notice you have talent to sing? And what were your first experiences with singing in public? How did you feel going on stage for the first times?
OV: As I said, I have been singing since my childhood. And the first person to notice my voice was my mother, who also had a good voice and liked to sing. I was singing everywhere, but my first experience in public was when I went on stage in a ceremony at an institute... and it was a rather succesful beginning. But before that, all the neighbors knew that I was singing!
SE!: You tried to take part of two talent shows, The Voice and The X Factor. What made you decide to try them? In the end, you were part of The X Factor. How was the selection? And how was your experience on the show?
OV: I decided to go on The X Factor after several seasons of working as a singer in restaurants in my town, Berdyansk. Firstly, I went to the city of Zaporozhye for a small casting, precasting. And then I realized that it was better to go to Dnipropetrovsk (nowadays, called Dnipro). There, I waited for a long time, the first staging passed, but the producers refused me... I was so upset, that I even broke my small flag of The X Factor.
Then I came back home. But a month later, I got a call. And for my surprise, I heard that I had gone through! And that was the real beginning of my way in the music world.
SE!: It took you some years from appearing on The X Factor until releasing singles. Why did it take you this time? And what have you done in this period?
OV: After The X Factor, I met people who believed in me and in my talent, and I started to find my own way in music. I started with modern, commercial music for young people, but then I understood that I wanted to be sincere with myself and my audience. So, I decided to sing music about eternal values – like love for women, friendship, etc.. So, during this period, I was finding my own style. And the result of it was the release of my first track, "Idu k tebe", and my first album (with the same title as the track) in September 2017.
SE!: Your songs are always powerful and very catchy. We absolutely love them – "Po oblaku" was in our list of the 50 best songs of 2017, for example. Tell us a bit about the making of your work. How is the process of songwriting, recording and production of your music?
OV: The story of writing each song is different. Usually, my muse lives apart from me, and she appears when we need each other.
The song "Po oblaku" was written in five minutes! I was sitting in the company of my friends, drinking wine and thinking about dramatic relationships between men and women, and the song came unexpectedly. I even had to write the words on a napkin as soon as possible, in order not to forget them.
After the creation of a new song, the work of my team begins, with the arrangement, recording, mixing, releasing, etc..
"The stage is not only work: it's part of my life" (Picture: official VK group)
SE!: We have watched some videos of your live shows, and we really liked them. You seem to really enjoy your time on stage, offering great performances to the audience. What can you tell us about your concerts?
OV: Thank you very much!
Live performances with the whole team on the stage have two important points.
First, there is the preparation of the equipment's performance – that is, the sound which will go out into the hall, and to the ears of the musicians and mine. It's like a collection of details. Besides the instruments – without their working properly, a concert cannot be –, there are the complements, such as lights, video on the screen behind, many other nuances.
And the second one is moral readiness, which is no less important! Musicians should be charged. Viewers are happy, and you, acting as a conductor between spectators and what is happening on the stage, should be on top! The task is complex, but interesting.
The stage is not only work: it's part of my life. I am absolutely sincere with my audience, and I really enjoy when I am singing! And for me, it's real happiness when I see good feedback from my listeners.
SE!: Ukraine is one of the most prolific countries when it comes to pop music. How is it to develop a career in such a country, with an audience that enjoys the genre, but a lot of artists making the competition stronger and stronger?
OV: Competition gives birth to leaders. So, in Ukraine, many artists reach new levels because of it. Competition is very important not only on stage, but in any field of life – sports, business... Everyone who is born is already a winner. But each person decides how to make it real. I work, I do what I can – I try to learn. If you do not stop, a positive result will come, definitely!
SE!: If you could choose anyone, who would be some Ukrainian and international artists you would like to collaborate with?
OV: It's hard to tell. There are many artists that I respect, who would be good to collaborate with. Once again, it's all about work! And nothing is impossible!
SE!: What are your professional projects for the near future? What can your fans expect from you in 2018?
OV: In 2017, I released my debut album, participated on a new program, and I completed everything with a cherry on top of the cake on my birthday: a solo concert in Kiev, with the presentation of my album "Idu k tebe".
Now, there are three new songs, three premieres, and a video for each one of them. When, we'll see. Two of the tracks are ready, the third one is in preparation for the recording.
Also, for the near future, we are preparing several duets with famous Ukrainian singers. We work and we go forward. Everything is fine!
SE!: We would like to finish this interview with a song of yours. What is your favorite song by Oleg Verd, and why?
OV: It's hard to answer... I do not have bad songs, I'm a genius (laughter)!
I can say that I rarely listen to my own songs in headphones, but now I'm trudging on the song "Po kayfu". It really gives me adrenalin! For me, it is a song which can be associated with fast driving, running, moving... speed! The energy it gives is excellent! I hope the listeners will appreciate it!
Norwegian singer Dagny returns to our site with her most recent single. "That feeling when" is an anthemic pop that brings a more intimate side of the singer, keeping a very classy touch throughout.
Two years without a new single by Dolcenera are two years too many! But the wait is finally over: the Italian diva is back, with "Un altro giorno sulla Terra". And what a wonderful comeback! It's an excellent song, with a powerful instrumental work which builds a very strong melody and a very memorable chorus.
Jakov Mađarić is a Croatian singer hailing from the city of Našice. Check out his most recent single: "Kišobran" starts as a soft pop song and evolves to a more movemented pop-rock, letting Jakov show off his powerful voice!
Two great Danish artists got together for a single which is quickly becoming a hit all over their country: it's Burhan G (stage name of Burhan Genç Koç, from Hvidovre) and Karl William's "Samme vej". The song explores the best of their qualities, mixing them in a perfect way. It's easy to understand its success: it is a very enjoyable track!
Liam Cacatian Thomassen is the real name of LIAMOO, a Swedish singer born in Gothenburg in 1997. He won the 12th season of Idol, and reached the finals of the 2018 edition of Melodifestivalen with "Last breath". Listen to his most recent single: "Nothing here" brings R&B realness to the game!
British star Paloma Faith has an outstanding new single on offer. It's a beautiful rendition to Mama Cass Elliot's "Make your own kind of music". Its melody is quite similar to the original version's one, but the instrumentals are renewed, with an orchestral touch, giving an even more epic vibe to an already epic song. We simply cannot take the chorus off our heads: it's our song of the week!
The 2017 edition of Operación Triunfo unveiled several talents. And Luis Cepeda is definitely one of them! Born in Ourense, Spain, in 1989, he is starting his solo career with a bomb. "Esta vez" is a classic Spanish pop-rock which shows Cepeda's raspy voice, adding a great texture to an already beautiful song!
