To date, there have been 1,789 entries in the Eurovision Song Contest history. As Eurofans, we may only know these artists from one or two songs, but every artist that has performed at the contest has an extensive backlog. This series, Beyond Eurovision, aims to shine a light on some of the That Eurovision Site team’s favourite Eurovision artists’ discographies. Today, we look at Jamala, who represented Ukraine at Eurovision 2016 – and won.
Who is Jamala?
Susana Jamaladinova is a Crimean Tatar singer, born in Kyrgyzstan but a Ukrainian citizen. Having trained in opera singing, Susana adopted the stage name Jamala and stepped into the pop music scene. She came to prominence after winning the New Wave Festival, held in Jūrmala in 2009. Since then, Jamala has dabbled in a slew of other musical genres such as jazz, orchestra, funk and traditional Ukrainian music. She is also a successful actress, dancer and activist, becoming one of Ukraine’s most well-recognised cultural activists following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Era 1: A self-introduction
After training in classical and opera singing at the Simferopol Music College, Jamala stepped into the world of pop with her entry into the New Wave Festival, a international music festival which regularly saw participants from across the former Soviet Union. Jamala would end up jointly winning the 2009 edition of the competition, releasing the songs she performed there as part of her debut album, For Every Heart. Songs such as “It’s Me, Jamala”, “Vershe miy vershe” and her Eurovision 2011 attempt “Smile” were all included in this album. The album is rich in musical diversity, but still shows Jamala experimenting with her style, even at this early stage in her career.
One personal track I keep coming back to on this album is “Pengereden”, a song sung entirely in Crimean Tatar that is a delicate ballad, delivered with nothing but a guitar as accompaniment. While Jamala did re-record this for her 2023 album QIRIM (more on that later), I find this more pared back version so much stronger. You are hanging on her every word, you want to hear her story, and it really is a pleasure to listen to.
Era 2: Classiness and camp
Jamala’s second album, All or Nothing, proved another hit in the former Soviet Union and helped to propel Jamala into the musical zeitgeist in Ukraine. Released in 2013, Jamala’s career skyrocketed at this time, landing acting roles as well as a slew of high-profile concerts across Ukraine. This generally positive vibe is reflected in much of her released music from the time, with songs such as “Ya lublyu tebya” and “U oseni tvoih glasa” really leaning into this feel. Visually, Jamala was particularly bold at this time, with bright and vivacious colours dominating much of her aesthetic.
However, she did have her more delicate moments that I also quite enjoyed. A track on this album I adore to this day is “I’m Like a Bird”, which plays with dramatic strings and electronic music, which is the first real moment we see Jamala play with more bassy music. The lyrics are equally as beautiful, and this is where she accrued the name for her fan base – the ‘birds’.
Era 3: War brings change
With the onset of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine following the Euromaidan protests, Jamala’s music took a much darker and sombre tone, as was seen in her 2014 EP Thank You – and the full-length album Podykh, released just one year later.
In this era, the bright instruments and care-free Jamala we had come to know in the first two eras is now completely gone. In its place is something much moodier, more jagged and frankly, much deeper than her cookie-cutter popstar days. We get beautifully sorrowful tracks such as “Zaplutalas”, “Shlyakh dodomu” and “Drifting Apart” – all of which tell the story of downfall, an anxiety and a need to return home. It was at this time that Jamala really started to collaborate with big Ukrainian alternative artists including Evhen Filatov, DakhaBrakha and ONUKA, all of which also heavily leaned into this dark and mysterious sound which was reflecting the Ukrainian psyche at the time.
But on the flip side, there were elements of rhythm and calmness in this era, and I believe some of Jamala’s best tracks are kept within this era. A personal favourite of mine is “My Lover”, a dark track that almost deals with obsession, but with no sense of any harm being done. Other personal favourites from here include “Ochima”, “Hate Love” and “Inye” – one of the last songs she recorded in Russian.
Era 4: Eurovision
It was against this backdrop we get to her Eurovision 2016 participation. With Ukraine coming back to the Contest after a year off due to the annexation of Crimea, Jamala’s “1944” served as the perfect way to tell of the heartbreak the people living on the peninsula went through – and a reflection of what was happening at that time. While there were – and still are – debates about whether Jamala should even been able to go to Eurovision after winning Vidbir in 2016, it is undeniable that Jamala’s win in Stockholm changed the trajectory of the Contest from pure pop perfection to something more authentic and personal to the singer.
The lyrics in this song are incredibly heavy as it details the tragic deportation of the Crimean Tatars at the hands of Joseph Stalin on May 18th, 1944. Jamala’s own great-grandmother Nazylkhan was one of the thousands sent to central Asia after being accused of being a Nazi collaborator – and would lose her daughter along the way. The song was incredibly personal with deep breakbeats complimented by the melancholic tones of the duduk, signalling a connection between the past and the present. And with Russia’s invasion still rumbling on to this day, the content of the lyrics get only more and more relevant.
Era 5: Moving on
After winning Eurovision, Jamala would release a number of singles that would eventually land on her first full-length album after Eurovision, Kryla – released in 2018. She landed a role as a coach on the Ukrainian version of The Voice, Holos Krainy, and also became a permanent fixture on the judging panel for Vidbir, lending her expertise on how to deal with the Eurovision circus. Musically, however, she continued to lean into her breakbeat energy on Kryla, but also had some variety – including industrial beats on the likes of “Natovp”, harp orchestral moments on “Hvili” and a jazzy moment on the criminally underrated “Sumuyu”.
One track that I do highly enjoy on this album, though, is “The Great Pretender”, a great funky tune that encapsulates the more optimistic tone Jamala’s music had at that time, but still played around with lyrics. The music video is equally something worth mentioning, as it features actor Artur Vetkovsky, who also acted in the music video for Belarusian act Shuma’s Eurovision song “Hmarki”, shining a light on trans issues in the authoritarian country. Highly recommend it!
Era 6: Collabs galore
As we enter the end of the 2010s and go into the 2020s, Jamala’s career was at its peak, releasing a slew of collaborations with other huge acts in Ukraine. Tracks like “Zhali” with alyona alyona, “Moya Zemlja” with Tayanna and even her own work on “Solo”, all helped to really bring her music into the Ukrainian mainstream. One of my favourite tracks from this era is a collaboration she did with electronica artist Cape Cod and their song “Krok”, which offers a bright yet modern sound.
As for albums from this time, Jamala would release her next full-length album My in 2021, which was critically acclaimed in Ukraine. While the album was not for me musically, it did offer a number of well known songs, such as “Kohayu”, “Viryu v tebe” and “Sila”.
Era 7: Musical activism and returning to roots
In 2022, Jamala used her platform as a singer to campaign for awareness of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She went on to perform “1944” at countless Eurovision selections, live fundraising concerts and even released her own EP, Poklik, with the proceeds going to help the Ukrainian forces repel the Russian army. Only four songs were released here, but Jamala thanked people who stood with Ukraine as it fought back – and continues to fight back – against Russian aggression.
This fight back to reclaim Ukrainian musical integrity also touched her personally, as she released QIRIM at the time of Eurovision 2023. The songs, sung entirely in Crimean Tatar, are performed with a dramatic orchestral arrangement and feature some of Crimean Tatar’s most treasured folk songs in an attempt to stop them from disappearing. QIRIM was performed in the Eurovillage in Liverpool upon its release – and it was an absolute pleasure to see it live. Watching Crimean Tatar music performed how it should. It is a beautiful thing and I feel grateful to have experienced it.
Era 8: Current time
Since 2023, Jamala has been steadily releasing new tracks and collaborations with her fellow Ukrainian artists. Songs such as “Klichu” – a duo with MONATIK, or “ZORYA” performed with RAJA – were released. However, she has continued to release her own solo work, including “Lublyu” released in 2024, a bright yet atmospheric breakbeat track with light guitar plucking that keeps the production of the track light.
Her most recent release came this year, when she released her latest full-length album Rukh Miy, featuring eleven tracks. Some big hitters include “Flirt”, “Samota” and “Litniy doshch”, all of which have landed on my musical playlist.
Why you should check Jamala out
Jamala is a musical chameleon, and has been inspired by some of the most well-known acts across the world, including Gregory Porter, Björk, Tori Amos and Bono. Her music is nothing if not unpredictable, and with deep and meaningful lyrics, you are not going to get your typical pop-style lyrics from someone like Jamala. With so many artists struggling to fit into the musical landscape due to its almost constant conformity, Jamala stands out like a sore thumb with her unique vision of music, her Crimean Tatar roots and a voice that could come from absolutely no one else but her. That is exactly why I love her and would recommend you check out her music to see what else you might stumble upon. Her music is not just “1944” – there is a whole library of songs to explore – and I’m sure you’ll find a song you like.
What do you think of Jamala’s discography? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky for all your Eurovision news!
Photo Credit: Julia Kost
Euan T