Shum (song)
"Shum" (Ukrainian: Шум, transl. "Noise") is a 2021 song by Ukrainian folktronica group Go_A, made under the label Rocksoulana Music. It represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam and won fifth place.[1] It is the second song fully in Ukrainian at Eurovision (the first was "Solovey", by the same group, the year before).
| "Shum" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Go_A | ||||
| from " | ||||
| Language | Ukrainian | |||
| English title | "Noise" | |||
| Released | 22 January 2021 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:58 (original version)
| |||
| Label | Rocksoulana | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Go_A singles chronology | ||||
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| "Shum" at YouTube | ||||
| ' | ||||
| Eurovision Song Contest 2021 entry | ||||
| Country | ||||
| Composer(s) |
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| Lyricist(s) | Kateryna Pavlenko | |||
| Finals performance | ||||
| Semi-final result | 2nd | |||
| Semi-final points | 267 | |||
| Final result | 5th | |||
| Final points | 364 | |||
| Appearance chronology | ||||
| '◄ "Solovey" (2020) | ||||
| "Stefania" (2022) ► | ||||
Background
The lyrics of the song come from Ukrainian folk songs that people used in the "Shum" ritual, for example "A v nashoho shuma" (А в нашого шума).[2] The name of the ritual comes from Proto-Slavic words šumъ ("noise") or šuma ("forest").[3]
Lead singer Kateryna Pavlenko grew up in Polyssia, Northern Ukraine, and the song is inspired by the folklore of that region. In "Shum" she used the traditional "white voice" singing technique.[4]
Music videos
Each version of the song has a music video.
For the original version, Go_A directed a video with Ivan Buianskyi and they recorded it with a smartphone.[5] In the first three weeks, people watched it more than 1 million times.[6]
For the Eurovision version, they recorded a new video in a forest near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.[7][8]
Eurovision Song Contest
"Shum" had to represent Ukraine in Eurovision Song Contest 2021. However, the song could not go to Eurovision, because the words were the same as folk songs and it was one minute too long (Eurovision rules say that songs must have original lyrics and can not be longer than 3 minutes).[6]
Go_A did not want to change the original version, so they made made a new, shorter song, with different lyrics, and called it "the sequel". The new version has a happy energy and it is inspired by Vesnianky spring dancing rituals.[4]
Final results
"Shum" won fifth place, with 364 total points. The song was the second most-voted by the public, with 267 public vote points, behind Italy's "Zitti e buoni". It got a maximum of 12 points from five countries.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Results of the Grand Final of Rotterdam 2021: Ukraine". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ↑ Smith, David (5 February 2021). "Ukraine: Can Go_A's "SHUM" go to Eurovision in its current form? Or will the folklore-inspired lyrics need to be re-written?". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ↑ "ШУМ — ЕТИМОЛОГІЯ". goroh.pp.ua (in українська). Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Fuster, Luis (12 April 2021). "Go_A's "Shum" lyrics greet spring by transforming a traditional "vesnyanka" ritual into a rave". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ↑ Go_A - ШУМ (Official Video) (YouTube). Go_A. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ten Veen, Renske (9 February 2021). "Ukraine: STB news programme reports that Go_A's "SHUM" will be revamped because of its folklore-inspired melody and lyrics". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ↑ Go_A - SHUM - Ukraine 🇺🇦 - Official Music Video - Eurovision 2021 (YouTube). Eurovision Song Contest. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ↑ "Go_A visits Chornobyl - Ukraine 🇺🇦 - Eurovision 2021". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 15 March 2024.