Mika Newton (real name — Oksana Stefanivna Hrytsai; born 5 March 1986 in Burshtyn, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian singer and actress. She gained widespread recognition in the mid-2000s thanks to songs such as «Anomaliya», «V plenu», «Tyoplaya reka», «Belye loshadi» and «Vyshe, chem lyubov». In 2011, she represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest with Angel and finished in fourth place with 159 points. After the contest, she moved to the United States and continued her music career in Los Angeles.
At different stages, Mika Newton’s music has combined pop, pop-rock, Europop, elements of electronic music and a more English-language pop-rock sound aimed at the American market. In 2022, she performed at the Grammy Awards together with John Legend and Ukrainian musicians, and in 2026, after a long break, returned to major performances in Ukraine and announced work on a new album.
Childhood in Burshtyn
Oksana Hrytsai was born on 5 March 1986 in the town of Burshtyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. She began studying music as a child, graduated from music school in piano and developed her singing skills at the same time. She started performing on stage at around the age of nine and regularly took part in children’s and youth vocal competitions.
Even before beginning her professional career, she gained considerable competition experience. Over the years, she performed at festivals in Lviv, Ternopil, Mukachevo, Skadovsk and other Ukrainian cities, repeatedly winning prizes. This period shaped her as a live performer long before her first well-known studio recordings appeared.
Move to Kyiv
In 2001, Oksana moved to Kyiv and enrolled at the State College of Variety and Circus Arts, where she studied pop vocals. The move marked the transition from children’s competitions to professional musical training and work within the Ukrainian music industry.
In 2002, she won the Chornomorski Igry festival in Skadovsk. After the competition, producer Yuriy Falyosa became interested in the young singer and signed her to a contract. Newton later recalled that her professional period working with a producer began after her victory at Chornomorski Igry.
How the stage name Mika Newton appeared
The stage name Mika Newton appeared during her collaboration with Yuriy Falyosa.
The name “Mika” was associated with the names of British rock musicians Mick Jagger and Mick Box, while Newton was linked to the wordplay new tone. The stage name began to be used in this form when the singer’s professional career was launched.
First hits
Active studio work began in the first half of the 2000s. Her early songs included «Ubezhat», «Anomaliya», «Lunapark», «V plenu», «Pozharnye», «Fakt» and «Belye loshadi».
The music of this period stood somewhere between pop-rock and radio pop. Newton’s vocal style — with a pronounced rock delivery, high register and emotional climaxes — clearly distinguished her from a significant part of the Ukrainian pop scene of the mid-2000s.
«Anomaliya» and «V plenu» became particularly recognisable. Many years later, the latter unexpectedly returned to the media spotlight because of Eurovision 2023.
«Anomaliya»
In 2005, her first album «Anomaliya» was released. Digital catalogues confirm that the album was indeed released in 2005.
The album included songs that shaped the singer’s early repertoire, including «Anomaliya», «V plenu», «Pozharnye», «Fakt», «Lunapark», «Belye loshadi» and other tracks.
The record established Mika Newton within the Ukrainian music scene and at the same time provided a substantial catalogue of songs for television, radio and soundtracks.
«Tyoplaya reka»
In 2006, her discography continued with the album «Tyoplaya reka». On Spotify, the release is presented as an 18-track album from 2006.
During this period, Newton also worked outside Ukraine. Her official Eurovision biography states that in 2006 she recorded English-language material at Metrophonic studio in London and collaborated with a British production team.
One of the notable songs from this period was «Vyshe, chem lyubov», released in 2006.
«Eksklyuziv»
The third major release of the period was the album «Eksklyuziv», released in 2008, not in 2009 as is sometimes stated in the singer’s biographies. It is 2008 that appears in her discography and in modern coverage of her return to music.
The album included «Vyshe, chem lyubov», «Cherchez la femme», Moscow Calling, «Taesh», «Sdavaysya mne», «Izvini» and English-language material.
By the end of the 2000s, Newton already had three full-length projects, a series of music videos and a substantial television repertoire.
Film and soundtracks
Mika Newton’s music was actively used in television and film projects during the 2000s.
Her songs appeared in the TV series Kadetstvo, Ya lechu, later in Kremlyovskiye kursanty, as well as in films. «V plenu», «Belye loshadi», «Lunapark», «Fakt», «Taesh» and «Anomaliya» were used in Kadetstvo.
Newton also tried acting. She appeared in the film Zhizn vrasplokh, and in the 2008 television film Dengi dlya docheri she played one of the leading roles.
Split with Yuriy Falyosa
By the end of the 2000s, the collaboration between Mika Newton and Yuriy Falyosa had ended. Their work together covered most of the period during which the artist’s main Russian-language albums and early hits were released.
After this phase ended, Newton began working with other teams and preparing new material. Her next major career turning point would be connected with Eurovision.
Angel and the national selection
In 2011, Mika Newton took part in Ukraine’s national selection for Eurovision with the song Angel.
The song was written by composer Ruslan Kvinta, with lyrics by Marina Skomorokhova. The selection was accompanied by controversy surrounding the voting procedure and recounting of the results, but Newton ultimately retained the right to represent Ukraine.
The contest took place in Düsseldorf. On 12 May, the singer performed in the second semi-final and qualified for the final.
Eurovision 2011
On 14 May 2011, Mika Newton performed Angel in the Eurovision final.
One of the central elements of the staging was sand animation by Kseniya Simonova, who created images live during the performance.
Ukraine scored 159 points and finished fourth, behind only Azerbaijan, Italy and Sweden. Official Eurovision statistics confirm the fourth-place result and total of 159 points.
It remains one of Ukraine’s strongest Eurovision results in years when the country did not finish in the top three.
Move to the United States
After Eurovision, the direction of the singer’s career changed dramatically.
In June 2011, Newton moved to Los Angeles. She signed an agreement with JK Music Group and worked with a team connected with American producer and television personality Randy Jackson. The goal was to create an English-language pop-rock project for the American market.
The move effectively meant starting her career again from the beginning. Despite her popularity in Ukraine and her Eurovision result, in the United States she had to build a new audience, improve her English, study acting and begin a new cycle of studio work.
Don’t Dumb Me Down
Her first official American single was Don’t Dumb Me Down, released on 21 February 2012.
The music video was directed by Marc Klasfeld. It premiered through MTV Buzzworthy, which became one of the most notable American promotional moments in Newton’s career.
In 2013, Come Out and Play followed as the second English-language single of this period.
Despite several releases and work within the American music industry, the US phase did not bring a major commercial breakthrough comparable to her popularity in Ukraine or her Eurovision result. Over time, Newton began releasing music much less frequently and focused on other areas of life and work.
Headspace
In 2019, streaming platforms received the English-language album Headspace, released by Falyosa Family Factory.
The digital edition contains 13 tracks, including Headspace, Freak, I'm Sorry, My Desire, State of Mind, Three Times Burned, Runaway, California and others.
At the same time, in coverage of her new 2026 album, 2008’s «Eksklyuziv» continues to be described as the last full-length album of the main Ukrainian period of her career.
Marriage
In December 2018, Mika Newton married American Chris Saavedra, with whom she had been together for around twelve years by 2026.
After her marriage, the singer’s public musical activity became less intensive. She continued living in the United States, performed occasionally and maintained contact with her Ukrainian audience, but was no longer working within a constant album-and-television career cycle.
Cancer diagnosis
In 2019, Mika Newton was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She spoke publicly about it only after treatment — in a 2020 interview with Kateryna Osadcha. The singer underwent surgery and treatment and later reported that she was in remission.
In the following years, Newton continued to undergo regular check-ups and publicly spoke about the importance of medical examinations based on her own experience.
The illness became one of the factors behind the prolonged pause in her active stage career.
Grammy 2022
On 3 April 2022, Mika Newton appeared on stage at the 64th Grammy Awards following a video address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
She joined John Legend, bandura player Siuzanna Iglidan and poet Liubov Yakymchuk during the performance of Free. The number was dedicated to Ukraine following the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The performance became Newton’s most prominent international appearance in many years and once again connected her name with a major American music stage.
«V plenu» and Loreen’s Tattoo
In 2023, the song «V plenu», originally released in 2005, unexpectedly received a new wave of attention.
After the release of Tattoo by Swedish singer Loreen, social media users and a number of media outlets noted similarities between certain melodic phrases in the two songs. This led to discussions of possible plagiarism, but such accusations were never officially confirmed.
Mika Newton herself refused to accuse Loreen. She said that she did not want to create a conflict over the similarities between the songs and even wished the Swedish singer victory at Eurovision.
Later, the single Same Tattoo appeared in Newton’s digital catalogue, but the story remained more of an internet phenomenon surrounding an older song than a legal dispute.
Return to Ukraine
In late 2023 and early 2024, Mika Newton visited Ukraine with her husband for the first time in many years. During the trip, she visited Kyiv and other cities and encountered the realities of the war in the country firsthand after many years of living in the United States.
A full return to Ukrainian concerts took place in 2026.
New album
In February 2026, Mika Newton announced that she was working on her first new original album in many years.
According to the singer, the material had been in development for around a year and was expected to be based on her personal experiences of recent years. At the time of the announcement, neither the title nor the language concept of the album had been finalised.
Newton emphasised that returning to full-scale music recording was a conscious decision after a long period during which her priorities had changed significantly because of moving abroad, family life, illness and events in Ukraine.
Return to the Ukrainian stage in 2026
At the end of May 2026, Mika Newton gave her first major performance in Ukraine in approximately thirteen years.
The concert programme included Angel and updated versions of songs from the 2000s. One of the main changes was the introduction of Ukrainian-language adaptations of her older repertoire, including «Bili spohady» — a new version of «Belye loshadi».
On 7 June, the singer performed at the Pokolinnia festival in Lviv. She said that she had spent several months translating her older songs into Ukrainian, trying to preserve their original melodies and emotional content.
By August 2026, the return could no longer be viewed as a one-off nostalgic appearance: Newton was once again announcing concerts, working on new material and gradually rebuilding an active music career. Her official Instagram also announced new performances in Ukraine.
Musical style
The foundation of Mika Newton’s early work was pop-rock with a strong vocal focus. Her mid-2000s songs used electric guitars, keyboards, orchestral elements and the electronic arrangements typical of radio pop at the time.
Her best-known period can broadly be divided into several directions: Ukrainian and Russian-language pop-rock of the 2000s, the larger European pop-ballad style of the Angel period, and English-language pop-rock after her move to the United States.
Newton is distinguished by a powerful vocal delivery and a preference for emotionally intense ballads in which the main development is built around the voice rather than dance production. This characteristic was especially evident in «V plenu», «Belye loshadi», «Vyshe, chem lyubov» and Angel.
Main discography
Her main full-length releases and significant digital projects include:
- «Anomaliya» — 2005
- «Tyoplaya reka» — 2006
- «Eksklyuziv» — 2008
- Headspace — digital release, 2019
Among her best-known songs are «Anomaliya», «Ubezhat», «V plenu», «Lunapark», «Belye loshadi», «Tyoplaya reka», «Vyshe, chem lyubov», «Sdavaysya mne», Angel, «Ne vidpuskai», Don’t Dumb Me Down and Come Out and Play.
Mika Newton today
Mika Newton’s career consists of several quite different periods. In the 2000s, she was one of the notable young pop-rock performers on Ukrainian television and radio; her Eurovision 2011 result brought her the largest international audience of her career, after which she almost immediately moved her career to the United States.
The American period brought English-language recordings and collaborations with industry professionals, but at the same time gradually distanced the singer from regular activity on the Ukrainian stage. Later, her career was affected by marriage and cancer treatment. Her performance at the Grammy Awards in 2022 brought her back into the international spotlight, now primarily as a Ukrainian artist.
2026 marked the beginning of a new stage: Mika Newton returned to concerts in Ukraine, presented Ukrainian versions of well-known songs and confirmed that she was working on new full-length material. It is the singer’s first sustained return to active musical work after a prolonged break.
