Mika Newton

Mika Newton recently debuted her latest music video Magnets, a song she co-wrote with Victoria Horn and Rune Westberg.
Directed by Bakhodir Yuldashe, the video was shot in atop the breathe-taking Las Flores Canyon, in a house specifically selected for its unbelievable aura. Brimming with children’s books, crystals, mirrors, and all sorts of musical instruments, Mika said she felt an instant connection with the house. It was the perfect setting to exemplify the sense of wonder and nativity in her lyrics. And so she and her team went to work. The video is perfect for the song. The clip brings an additional and meaningful dimension to this masterpiece.
Mika Newton delivers the most beautiful pop ballad ever written. You can’t help shedding some tears as you listen to Magnets. This piece of music makes you literally shiver because of its power as well as the impact of the song upon you. Magnificent words backed up by a romantic melody, dreamy and sweet. and admire this voice… It would be hard to resist the terrific appeal of this song. It is also without a doubt because everybody believes (even if they do not want to admit),somewhere, in true love …. “I look at you, I see my reflection ”
The song will be available on digital platforms in early June via JK Music Group.
In any case, Magnets leaves you wondering and wanting more ….like an album between our hands, just saying. It is time to shake the top of the Billboard 200 chart. - Evigshed Magazine

Randy Jackson sent a ripple of surprise through the airwaves last week when it was officially announced that, after twelve seasons, his tenure was “American Idol” was over to focus on “other projects.” And FOX411’s Pop Tarts column has exclusively learned that one of those other projects is young Ukrainian pop princess, Mika Newton, who is attempting to crack the U.S. music market.
“I’m excited to be working with Mika,” Jackson told us. “She is unbelievably talented.”
And the feeling is mutual.
“Randy is a real mentor, I grew so much working with him, both as an artist and as a person. Most importantly – he is helping me to choose the right songs for American market that I’m really new in, helping to understand more about the industry here, working in the studio with him is a real school for me,” Newton enthused.
The professional relationship was formed in 2011 when the bubbly blonde, who was representing the Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest was invited by JK Music Group to travel to Los Angeles for a two-week recording session with veteran songwriter, Walter Afanasieff. During the visit, she was introduced to the iconic “Idol” judge and sang for him for the first time.
“I felt his energy and knew he was someone special. I received an offer from JK Music Group to move to L.A. and start my career here working with Randy on my first American album,” Newton said. “The album is finished already. Randy produced it, and it’s due to release in September. I’m honored to work with such an amazing person, I [learned] a lot from him.”
But will Jackson’s post-“Idol” touch be enough to break into the cutthroat U.S. music industry?
“It is really tough. There are so many talented artists and the competition is really high,” the singer acknowledged. “But the hardest thing is to learn the language. I didn’t really know English when I moved here, but it’s been a fun journey. I really like to talk, and language is a big challenge and a big motivation for me. I want to be able to express myself freely.”


- Fox News

The road to stardom leads to Los Angeles.

But not all stars rise over LA. Two big names in the Ukraine come to mind that have gained international fame: the fabulous drag queen Verka Serduchka and the boy-band-in-stilettos Kazaky.

Now there is a third. Oksana Stefanivna Hrytsay became Mika Newton, a Ukrainian sensation in both movies and song. But her star had risen as high as it could in her native land. Unlike Verka and Kazaky, Mika chose not to stay in Kiev. The only way to go from there was west to the California coast, then a quick backtrack east to Miami for the Winter Music Conference, the annual gathering of industry people from around the world, and a meeting with me.

We met in South Beach for an interview. In the plush setting of the W Hotel, we sat in comparative privacy as people in various states of undress went in and out of an exclusive pool party happening at the same time.

Mika threw me off initially when I heard her speak - the accent was British with slight undertones of another language. She is undergoing a crash course on how to be an international celebrity, and she learns quickly. Direct, intelligent, with an almost otherworldly beauty, she has settled into a life that sends her back and forth from the USA to Ukraine and to points in between.

Star Rise

Before she was Mika, Oksana was an anomaly in her family in that there was no emphasis on music as a vocational option. She knew at the age of five that she wanted to perform, but nobody paid attention to her in her Western Ukrainian hometown of Burshtyn until she was nine. Her voice got the attention of musician Igor Ivantsiv. By the time Mika was 13, her star began its rapid ascent.

"It’s a little step from love to hate," she said about her audiences.
Mika got into the renowned Circus and Variety College in Kiev, and began working with producer Yuriy Falesa. Eventually she moved on to Timofey Nagorniy and she took fourth place in the coveted Eurovision 2011 contest.

That was the impetus for her to move to America and work with American Idol’s Randy Jackson and JK Music Group’s Julia Kurbatova and Oleg Shmelev, Mika’s current producers.

To Live and Thrive in LA

She made LA her home, but shares her heart with her people in Ukraine. "I try to share California sunshine with my Ukrainian friends," she said, describing the wrenching experience of flying back to the mother country for a two-day visit, basically spending as much time in transition as she does on the ground since flights from SoCal to Kiev can be 20-hour voyages. To help her maintain inner stability in a lifestyle of such turbulence, she has Mozart, her white Labrador retriever from Tennessee.

The other challenges she faces are in common with anyone in the music industry, such as pleasing her fans. "It’s a little step from love to hate," she said about her audiences, especially when it comes to changing her performance. She realizes her own limitations on what she can do as Mika, and she strives to keep her sound fresh without unnecessarily disrupting the expectations of her fans: "You’re like a fish in the water. You cannot change the flow of the water."

Although we discussed the challenges she faces, Mika did not complain about anything when I interviewed her. This life is the fulfillment of a dream she had since she was five. There is further compensation in that she can see so many different people in so many circumstances. For Mika, this is a real treat because "I’m like a psychologist - I love to observe." In turn, her observations help her shape her image and music.

As tough as her schedule may be, as uprooted as she might feel, the rise of her star as she performs her latest hit, "Come Out and Play" (which is also out as a Paul Oakenfold remix) in Miami and in visits her beloved Gay community in LA at clubs such as Avalon, is exactly what she wants. "Every morning I thank God for this hard life." - The Edge New York

Mika Newton is a talented artist from Ukraine that has taken LA by storm. Working along side of Randy Jackson, producer of the hottest stars in the industry, has launched her blossoming career here in the U.S. Banana Fusion Magazine recently caught up with Mika in this exclusive interview. She opens up about the hardships of moving to a new country and learning the language and how she feels “at home” in LA more than she has ever before. Through the changes, the challenges and her rising pop artist career, Mika Newton is living the dream.
What has been the most rewarding thing about your career?
This huge opportunity to meet people, to share all of my emotions and my personal experiences, to help people solve their problems, to be a good example for kids showing them that if you dream big and work hard, that dreams do come true and fairytales happen.
What draws you to acoustics?
I just love everything that is organic and real. And I think acoustic, “Stripped Down” performances are incredibly intimate, and you can show who you are and how you feel. When you are playing with the full band it’s big, it’s like a huge holiday, and acoustic is like a conversation with a very close friend. You feel really connected on a deep emotional level.
How has your life changed in the past few years?
I have a lot of changes in my life. I moved to LA. I started my life here from nothing. Needed to learn the new language (I didn’t speak English when I moved here). I needed to make new friends, and start communicating with my American audience.

What are your songs about? (are they personal experiences? Etc…)
Of course, I recently started to write my own music and share my personal stories. I also try to work closely with the songwriters, so when they write songs for me – they know exactly what I feel and what I want to share. I’m very picky with songs and my new album will be very emotional and very personal.
What is the number one thing that you want to be known for and why?
I don’t think I should concentrate on the fact that I want to be known because I’m doing this or that. I want to be myself and I want to be here for people.
Who has inspired you the most in your industry and why?
It’s a hard question because I’m a huge observer and I observe a lot of great singers and some of them definitely inspired me in one or other way.
Celine Dion is definitely the biggest inspiration and role model for me. When I was a kid I started listening to her songs and I won a lot of competitions singing them.
As well [as], Bon Jovi and Steven Tyler are the singers that I admired when I was growing up and that I got a chance to meet here in America.
Who has inspired you the most in your personal life and why?
My friends, my fans, new people that I meet every day. Their stories inspire me.
You have quite the fan base, how have your fans supported you and what is it like to have such a rapport?
It’s amazing and I’m so grateful to them. Every day I’m getting tons of letters, they draw pictures, shoot the videos saying the words of support, they make me smile every day! They motivate me to get up and do more and more. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them.
After making the move to LA from Ukraine, what has been the hardest challenge? And what has been the best thing about your relocation?
The hardest thing was to learn was the language. It was absolutely surreal to decide to move to the country without any knowledge of the language. LA has become a real home for me. It’s an interesting feeling, and sometimes I feel as if I might have already lived here in my past life… I’ve never felt more at home anywhere in the world. Los Angeles inspires me a lot and has truly opened me up.


How often do you visit home?
I go back to Ukraine quite often, doing shows, TV/radio performances, fan meetings etc. But with this busy schedule I don’t always have a chance to go see my family… I wish I could see them more often!
There are many singers that cross over into acting, would you ever consider film?
I was always closely connected to film. I always loved acting; I did two feature films back home before coming to America.
“Life By Surprise” and “Money For Daughter”, my songs became soundtracks for a lot of popular TV shows. Here in LA I’m taking acting classes and definitely would love to *do more acting in future.
What is unique about your style?
I’m always trying to be myself and my style is different all the time as it reflects my mood – from feminine to edgy, from bohemian to sports style—it’s always what I feel in that exact moment.
What is the number one thing that you can’t leave the house without?
My iPhone. I always communicate with my fans, respond to their tweets (@MikaNewton) and comments on Facebook. I try to spend as much time as I can getting to know them. I’m so grateful for their support and they inspire me a lot with everything I do.
Banana Fusion Signature Question: When and where was the last time you ate a banana?
Actually I’m eating it now… Hanging out at Starbucks while doing this interview, eating a banana with oatmeal and drinking my favorite vanilla latte! - Banana Fusion Magazine

Whose day wouldn't benefit from some new music? If you're like us, you're always on the hunt for new music, especially of the undeniable pop variety. Enter Mika Newton.

OK! News: Livestream the whole soundtrack of The Great Gatsby right now!

Randy Jackson recently announced his retirement from American Idol so he can focus on other ventures, and the first of those? Working with singer Mika Newton, whose popularity reaches Bieber levels in her native Ukraine. Obviously, Randy knows music, so we're excited to see this first new video from his protege. Watch now! - OK! Magazine