Ukraine Performs While War Russifies

MAY 15 2023 · 12:50

TVORCHI · "Heart of Steel" · Ukraine · 2023 Placement: 6 · Score: 243 · Language: English, Ukrainian · Composers: Andrii Hutsuliak, Jeffery Kenny · Venue: M&S Bank Arena · Host: Liverpool, United Kingdom · Type: political statement · Broadcast: streaming era Jeffery Kenny (Nigerian-Ukrainian) and Andrii Hutsuliak take the Liverpool stage for Ukraine, the country whose 2022 Eurovision hosting rights were transferred to the UK after Russia's invasion. The staging reads as armor, metallic blue-white projections and broken-mirror visuals. 'Heart of Steel' is electronic pop with anthemic lift. 243 points for 6th place. During the performance, Russian shelling hits Ternopil, the duo's hometown, reported on social media minutes after the song ends. Context Ukraine's Eurovision 2023 entry selection happened under wartime conditions. Liverpool was hosting on Ukraine's behalf. UA:PBC (Ukrainian public broadcaster) worked under constant bombardment. Kenny was one of very few Black Ukrainian pop artists; the duo's diasporic composition was a national identity statement. Legacy 'Heart of Steel' became a Ukrainian war-time cultural anchor song. TVORCHI continued releasing music from Ukraine under wartime conditions. The 6th-place finish is now read as the second chapter of Ukraine's 2022-2023 Eurovision war narrative, Kalush Orchestra's 1st, TVORCHI's 6th. Ukraine's 2024 return remained uncompromising.