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Jerry Heil (real name Yana Oleksandrivna Shemaieva; born October 21, 1995, in Vasylkiv, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, music producer and founder of the Nova Music label. She began with video blogging and cover versions on YouTube, released her first original EP in 2017, and achieved nationwide fame with the song «Охрана, отмєна» in 2019. Her repertoire later changed significantly: from ironic pop music shaped by the language of social media to Ukrainian folklore, polyphonic vocals, electronic production and compositions incorporating elements of the classical vocal tradition.
Internationally, Jerry Heil is best known for «Teresa & Maria», recorded with alyona alyona. In 2024, the performers won Ukraine’s National Selection and finished third at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö with 453 points. Jerry Heil is a YUNA Award winner, recipient of the Music Moves Europe Awards Public Choice Award, a member of Forbes Ukraine’s «30 Under 30» list and a graduate of Berklee College of Music.
Childhood and musical education
Yana Shemaieva grew up in Vasylkiv, near Kyiv. She studied music from an early age, attending music school from the age of three until fifteen. She later enrolled at the Reinhold Glière Kyiv Institute of Music, where she studied choral conducting.
The next stage was the Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine. Shemaieva continued her professional music education there but left the academy after her second year.
This training later became noticeable in her own arrangements. Jerry Heil works confidently with polyphony, choral parts and complex vocal layering, even though the first mass audience discovered her through very different music.
In 2022, the singer enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston. By 2026, Suspilne was already referring to her as a Berklee graduate. One of her professional interests during her studies was music creation and production.
From YouTube covers to original songs
Jerry Heil’s public career did not begin with a record company or a television talent show. In 2012, Shemaieva began posting regularly on YouTube.
She recorded video blogs and her own versions of songs by Ukrainian and international artists, including Okean Elzy, The Hardkiss, Twenty One Pilots and Kodaline. The covers gradually built an audience, while some recordings attracted the attention of the original musicians themselves. Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, for example, shared her versions of Okean Elzy songs on social media.
For Shemaieva, YouTube became more than a way to showcase her voice. It established a model of communication with the audience that would remain part of her professional career: minimal distance between artist and listener, conversational language, rapid responses to current events, jokes and musical ideas capable of functioning both as complete songs and as short internet clips.
The stage name Jerry Heil appeared while she was still a teenager. She initially used the name Jerry Mouse, inspired by Jerry from the animated series «Tom and Jerry», and later replaced the second part with the surname Heil, which she found in a list of foreign surnames. As Shemaieva herself explained, there was no pre-designed concept behind the name.
Vidlik Records and «Де мій дім»
Jerry Heil moved toward her own repertoire gradually.
While working on the song «Де мій дім», she looked for musicians who could help produce the recording and sent a demo to Vidlik Records, the independent Ukrainian label founded by Yevhen Filatov and Nata Zhyzhchenko.
The collaboration went ahead. On October 27, 2017, Jerry Heil released her debut EP «Де мій дім», consisting of four tracks: «Де мій дім», «Постіль», «Небо» and «Надія».
The early Jerry Heil sounds very different from the artist of the «Охрана, отмєна» period. These recordings contain more intimate indie-pop, acoustic textures and melancholic singer-songwriter material. Internet humor had not yet become the central device.
In 2018, Shemaieva appeared on the ninth season of the Ukrainian «X Factor». At the audition, she performed an a cappella medley of songs by Oleg Vynnyk, received four positive votes from the judges and advanced to bootcamp, but left the competition after the first task.
The television show did not bring a major breakthrough. That came only a few months later — once again through the internet.
«Охрана, отмєна»
In the spring of 2019, Jerry Heil posted a fragment of the song «Охрана, отмєна». She worked on the recording with sound producer Roman Cherenov, known as Morphom.
The title was built around a phrase commonly heard from supermarket employees. For Jerry Heil, it became an ideal creative discovery: an everyday detail, an almost ready-made meme, an instantly memorable chorus and a fully developed pop melody.
The song spread across social media before a significant part of the audience even knew the performer’s name. After its official release, it became one of the most notable Ukrainian pop hits of 2019 and moved Jerry Heil from the category of internet creators into the national music mainstream.
At the same time, «Охрана, отмєна» was not an isolated accidental success. Shemaieva quickly built an entire repertoire around the same aesthetic.
In 2019, she released her debut full-length album «#Я_ЯНА». It included «Охрана, отмєна», «Вільна каса», «Білі кроси» and other tracks.
Musically, it was straightforward contemporary pop. The distinctive authorial element was primarily in the lyrics. Jerry Heil used the vocabulary of everyday urban life, deliberately ordinary situations, conversational constructions and internet slang. A phrase that could easily become a meme could simultaneously function as a chorus.
In 2020, this stage of her career was recognized at the Ukrainian YUNA music awards, where Jerry Heil won the «Discovery of the Year» category.
First National Selection: «Vegan»
Following the success of «Охрана, отмєна», the singer decided to enter Ukraine’s Eurovision selection for the first time.
For the 2020 National Selection, she prepared the English-language song «Vegan». The track preserved the humorous side of Jerry Heil’s early persona, with a story built around veganism and relationships.
She advanced from the semifinal to the decisive stage. In the final on February 22, 2020, «Vegan» received one point from the jury and one from the public, leaving Jerry Heil sixth among six finalists. Go_A won with «Соловей».
For her later music, the competition is more important as a point of reference. A few years later, Jerry Heil would return to the National Selection with completely different material.
«#ОСОБИСТЕ» and «МАНДАРИНИ І ОЛЕНІ»
After the explosive success of 2019, the singer began moving away from the need to build every song around a joke or an internet phrase.
In April 2021, the EP «#ОСОБИСТЕ» was released. Its title accurately described the direction of the material: relationships and personal lyrics moved to the foreground. Morphom continued to participate in the recording process.
In December 2021, another major release followed — «МАНДАРИНИ І ОЛЕНІ». Jerry Heil once again allowed herself irony, but no longer simply repeated the formula of her debut album. The recording featured TIK and Anna Trincher.
At the same time, Shemaieva was increasingly active in collaborations. One of the notable recordings of the period was «Хвилі» with Kalush.
After 2022: folklore and a different tone
In 2022, the content of Jerry Heil’s songs changed sharply.
Everyday satire was increasingly replaced by themes of war, national identity, home, faith and the preservation of culture. Ukrainian became the primary language of her new material.
Notable songs from this stage include «Мрія», «Козацькому роду» and «Тато». Folkloric melodic turns and traditional vocal techniques became increasingly important.
Her collaboration with alyona alyona proved especially productive. Together, the artists recorded several songs and in August 2022 released the joint EP «Dai Boh». Their work contrasted two different approaches to delivering text: Jerry Heil’s melodic singing and alyona alyona’s rap.
The song «KUPALA», recorded with alyona alyona and German singer Ela., became one of the characteristic examples of this period, combining contemporary pop production with motifs referring to Ukrainian traditional culture.
At the same time, Jerry Heil and alyona alyona did not become a permanent duo. Both continued their independent careers.
«When God Shut the Door»
Jerry Heil entered Ukraine’s National Selection for Eurovision 2023 with «When God Shut the Door».
Almost nothing remained of the style of «Vegan». The song was written after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. An English-language pop section was combined with a Ukrainian folkloric passage, while the vocal arrangement took on an almost choral dramatic structure.
Shemaieva wrote the lyrics herself and composed the music together with Ivan Klymenko, Stas Chornyi, Oleksandr Pryshliak and other members of the team.
In the final, Jerry Heil received 17 points — eight from the jury and nine from viewers — and finished third.
This was the point at which the musical direction that later led to «Teresa & Maria», the EP «MARIA» and «CATHARTICUS» fully emerged.
Berklee and Music Moves Europe Awards
Alongside her Ukrainian releases, Jerry Heil became increasingly active internationally.
In 2022, she enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Her studies gave her the opportunity to work more systematically on songwriting and music production while operating in an international environment. By 2026, Suspilne was already presenting Shemaieva as a Berklee graduate.
In January 2023, Jerry Heil received the Public Choice Award at the European Music Moves Europe Awards.
This is not a conventional national pop award: the Music Moves Europe Awards are supported by European Union programs and are aimed at artists with international development potential. The Public Choice winner was selected by the audience.
Nova Music
In July 2023, Jerry Heil announced the launch of her own music label, Nova Music.
The project was created together with journalist and manager Taras Sebestianovych. The label’s first artist was Vitaliia; the Nova Music roster and catalog later expanded.
For Shemaieva, this represented a move beyond her own artistic career into the music business and work with other performers.
She associated the name Nova with the idea of a new beginning. The label was conceived not only as a vehicle for releasing her own recordings, but also as a platform for developing Ukrainian artists and promoting Ukrainian music beyond the domestic market.
«Teresa & Maria»
Her next attempt to reach Eurovision was successful.
Jerry Heil entered the 2024 National Selection together with alyona alyona and the song «Teresa & Maria».
The music was written by Aliona Savranenko, Ivan Klymenko and Yana Shemaieva. The lyrics were written by Savranenko, Anton Chiliby, Klymenko and Shemaieva.
The title referred to Mother Teresa and the Virgin Mary, but the performers themselves explained the song more broadly — as a story about women carrying enormous responsibility and about the human ability to rise above circumstances.
In the Ukrainian selection, «Teresa & Maria» received the highest level of public support and won the combined vote. alyona alyona and Jerry Heil became Ukraine’s representatives at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö.
Third place at Eurovision 2024
In the first semifinal on May 7, the Ukrainian performers finished second and qualified for the final.
On May 11, they took the stage at Malmö Arena in the second running-order position.
The result was one of Ukraine’s strongest in recent years: 453 points and third place. National juries awarded «Teresa & Maria» 146 points, while the public vote contributed 307. Only Croatia’s Baby Lasagna with «Rim Tim Tagi Dim» and contest winner Nemo from Switzerland with «The Code» finished higher.
For Jerry Heil, this represented a move to a completely different scale. «Охрана, отмєна» had once made her famous within the Ukrainian internet space; «Teresa & Maria» gave her an audience beyond the country.
By the end of 2024, the song became the most popular track in Apple Music’s annual Ukrainian ranking.
According to Nova Music data cited by Forbes Ukraine, Jerry Heil’s catalog generated around 499.9 million streams in total across Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube during 2024. Among Ukrainian performers included in the Forbes study, she ranked first.
«MARIA»
After Eurovision, the theme of «Teresa & Maria» continued.
On July 11, 2024, Jerry Heil released the four-track EP «MARIA». It included «INTRO», «AVE MARIA», «VIRGIN MARIA» and «Teresa & Maria».
This was no longer folk-pop in the direct sense. «AVE MARIA» features electronic pulsation and breakbeat alongside prayer-like intonations. The intro includes references to Ukrainian folk song and the poetry of Ivan Franko.
Shemaieva herself associated «MARIA» with reflections on spirituality, the female image and the excessive expectations society places on an idealized woman.
That same year, Jerry Heil was included in Forbes Ukraine’s «30 Under 30» list in the creative industries category.
«АРХЕТИПИ»
On May 2, 2025, Jerry Heil released her third studio album, «АРХЕТИПИ».
It is her largest studio release by volume: 16 tracks with a total running time of about 47 minutes. The album was released by Nova Music.
It includes songs created during different periods: «СНІГ», «КИШЕНЬКА», «РОЗЧИНЯЮСЬ», «ЛАВА», «РИБОLove», «НАЇВНА», «КОТУСИК», «РИБКИ ЗА СКЛОМ», «НА КИЛИМІ», «LOVE ME HARD» and others.
There are also collaborations: «З якого ти поверху неба?» with YARMAK, «ВИМОЛИВ» with MONATIK and Yevhen Khmara, and «ANIMA MEA» with Misha Pravylnyi.
The title is not connected with an attempt to literally translate psychological archetype theory into music. Shemaieva used the word more freely: each song represents a separate side of her authorial personality — from the early ironic Jerry Heil to a more intimate and dramatic version of the artist.
The material was assembled over several years. As a result, the album is intentionally heterogeneous: electronic pop, lyrical pieces, folkloric intonations and songs built almost entirely around vocals exist side by side.
In the album credits, Shemaieva is repeatedly listed not only as a composer and lyricist but also as a producer or co-producer.
Collaboration with Within Temptation
In the spring of 2025, Jerry Heil recorded «Sing Like a Siren» with Dutch band Within Temptation.
The digital single was released on May 16. The track combined the rock band’s heavy sound with Jerry Heil’s classical vocal delivery and Ukrainian folklore. A traditional vesnianka spring song is used as one of its central motifs.
The song also became part of the musical accompaniment to Within Temptation’s documentary project The Invisible Force, dedicated to Ukraine and the band’s work with Ukrainian musicians.
For Jerry Heil, the recording became one of her most notable international collaborations outside the Eurovision sphere.
«CATHARTICUS» and the 2026 National Selection
At the end of 2025, it became known that Jerry Heil intended to enter Ukraine’s National Selection again, this time as a solo artist.
Her competition song was «CATHARTICUS (prayer)».
The composition was created together with Swedish songwriters Joy Deb and Linnea Deb. The arrangement combined contemporary pop, Ukrainian traditional vocal techniques and passages with Latin prayer-like intonations.
For Jerry Heil, this was already her fourth attempt in Ukraine’s National Selection: after «Vegan» in 2020, «When God Shut the Door» in the 2023 selection and the victory with alyona alyona in 2024.
The final took place on February 7, 2026. Jerry Heil finished third; LAUD came second with «LIGHTKEEPER», while LELÉKA won with «Ridnym».
At the same time, Ukrainian Eurovision fans awarded Jerry Heil the special OGAE Ukraine trophy, an award from the contest’s fan community.
After the National Selection, the singer continued releasing material. Her 2026 releases include «Привіт. Hello», various versions of «CATHARTICUS» and the single «Dark Disco», released on June 5.
Jerry Heil’s musical style
Jerry Heil’s early catalog and her music of the mid-2020s can almost sound like the work of different artists.
The EP «Де мій дім» leaned toward indie-pop and intimate singer-songwriter material. «#Я_ЯНА» made conversational pop its main device: simple electronic arrangements, deliberately everyday vocabulary, humor and phrases designed to become memorable almost instantly.
After 2022, the musical construction became more complex.
In «When God Shut the Door», «Teresa & Maria», «MARIA», «АРХЕТИПИ» and «CATHARTICUS», folkloric melody, polyphony, modal turns, choral textures and vocals approaching the classical tradition take up increasingly more space.
At the same time, Jerry Heil is not engaged in the reconstruction of folk music. In her work, folklore exists within contemporary pop production — alongside synthesizers, electronic rhythms, hip-hop, breakbeat or rock.
Another constant feature is her approach to language.
In 2019, the raw material for a song could be a cashier’s phrase or an everyday situation. Later it could be a prayer, a folkloric image or a literary quotation. The mechanism remains similar: first comes a phrase or vocal motif recognizable within a few seconds, and the song is then built around it.
Her strong academic foundation is particularly evident in her vocals. Shemaieva uses a wide range, moving freely from a soft pop delivery to the upper register, polyphony and a more powerful classical approach. She also participates directly in writing the music, lyrics and production of a significant part of her repertoire. In the credits for «АРХЕТИПИ», for example, her name regularly appears in several creative roles at once.
Jerry Heil discography
Studio albums
- «#Я_ЯНА» — 2019
- «МАНДАРИНИ І ОЛЕНІ» — 2021
- «АРХЕТИПИ» — 2025
EPs
- «Де мій дім» — 2017
- «#ОСОБИСТЕ» — 2021
- «Dai Boh» — with alyona alyona, 2022
- «MARIA» — 2024
Selected songs
- «Охрана, отмєна»
- «Вільна каса»
- «Білі кроси»
- «Vegan»
- «Хвилі» — with Kalush
- «Мрія»
- «Козацькому роду»
- «KUPALA» — with alyona alyona and Ela.
- «Dai Boh» — with alyona alyona
- «When God Shut the Door»
- «BRACIA» — with PRZYŁU
- «Три полоси»
- «Щедра ніч» — with alyona alyona and KOLA
- «Teresa & Maria» — with alyona alyona
- «VIRGIN MARIA»
- «WABI-SABI» — with Yuliia Sanina
- «СНІГ»
- «З якого ти поверху неба?» — with YARMAK
- «ВИМОЛИВ» — with MONATIK and Yevhen Khmara
- «Sing Like a Siren» — with Within Temptation
- «Додай гучності (12 points)»
- «CATHARTICUS (prayer)»
- «Привіт. Hello»
- «Dark Disco»
Awards and achievements
- 2020 — YUNA Award, «Discovery of the Year»;
- 2023 — Music Moves Europe Awards, Public Choice Award;
- 2023 — third place in Ukraine’s Eurovision National Selection with «When God Shut the Door»;
- 2024 — winner of Ukraine’s National Selection together with alyona alyona;
- 2024 — third place at Eurovision with «Teresa & Maria», 453 points;
- 2024 — inclusion in Forbes Ukraine’s «30 Under 30» list;
- 2024 — «Teresa & Maria» topped Apple Music’s year-end chart in Ukraine;
- 2026 — third place in the National Selection with «CATHARTICUS (prayer)»;
- 2026 — OGAE Ukraine trophy following the National Selection.
Today, Jerry Heil continues to develop simultaneously as a performer, songwriter and producer. Her path from home-recorded YouTube covers to the Eurovision stage, international collaborations and her own label demonstrates an unusually consistent trajectory of growth within Ukrainian pop music. At the same time, the foundation of her work remains songwriting itself — recognizable melodies, strong vocals and an increasingly visible engagement with Ukrainian musical tradition.
