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.