Main points
- Kateryna Pavlenko, former soloist of Go_A, is competing in the National Selection for Eurovision 2026 with the solo project Monokate.
- Monokate leads the rankings in the My Eurovision Scoreboard app, with Jerry Heil and LELEKA also among the favorites.
Kateryna Pavlenko / Collage Show24
Kateryna Pavlenko is a unique Ukrainian singer who conquered Europe with her unusual voice and extraordinary performance at Eurovision. This event became a new impetus for the popularity of the group Go_A.
- 1 Youth and musical career
- 2 How was the Eurovision performance?
- 3 Personal life
- 4 Why did the lead singer of the band Go_A come to the National Selection again?
This year, Kateryna decided to try her hand at the solo project Monokate. With this, she came to the National Selection and is already competing for first place with another competitor – Jerry Heil, who also represented Ukraine at Eurovision.
Pavlenko was born in Nizhyn, Chernihiv region. Life turned out so that the girl did not have a father, and her mother was a soldier, so the girl spent most of her time with her grandparents. Find out in the material of Channel 24 about the singer's career, her life's trials and motivation in the new National Selection.
Youth and musical career
The fact that Kateryna fell in love with music is no coincidence. Her grandparents loved music, had many musical instruments at home, and often took their granddaughter with them to gatherings where they sang various songs.
Kateryna Pavlenko with her grandfather / Screenshot from the video of the “ZhVL” program
The piano teacher insisted that Pavlenko be sent to a music school. The relatives listened to her advice, so the girl went to the Nizhyn Music School for a long time, to the vocal and choral department.
Because the family was not rich, Kateryna did not have expensive and stylish clothes, which became a reason for bullying from her peers. The singer could not stand the ridicule and left her studies at the music school.
After her grandfather's death, Pavlenko and her mother were asked to leave home due to a conflict with her mother's brother. At first, they lived in a house without windows and doors, and later moved in with friends. Due to these living conditions, the singer became seriously ill.
Kateryna Pavlenko with her mother / Screenshot from the video of the “ZhVL” program
She was only saved in Kyiv. The young girl lay in a ward with seriously ill patients who were dying one after another. She was afraid that she would be next.
You're lying in a ward, and no one comes to visit you. And you hear footsteps outside the door, but it's not about you. They just treated me there so that I weighed 43 kilograms, and nothing helped me,
– recalled Kateryna Pavlenko.
The singer does not reveal the exact diagnosis she was given, it is only known that the soloist of the band Go_A had lung problems.
As is known, today the artist does not have a very warm relationship with her mother. Kateryna believes that this is due to childhood images and that there is no need to change anything now.
We communicate, we call each other, she comes to spend the night with me. We have a complicated relationship and I don't want to tell her everything, because it would take half my life. But there's no way I won't pick up the phone or say, “Don't call me,”
– the artist explained.
So, in 2009, Pavlenko graduated from music school, and then entered the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts. During her student years, she was a member of the ensemble “Kralytsia”.
Kateryna Pavlenko / Photo from the singer's Instagram
In 2012, the singer joined the band Go_A. At first, she was a backing vocalist, and later became a soloist.
How was the Eurovision performance?
Initially, Go_A was supposed to represent our country in the Netherlands in 2020, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the song contest was postponed. A year later, the band did go to Eurovision with the song SHUM. According to the results of the audience vote, Go_A took 2nd place, but in terms of the total number of votes – 5th place.
Go_A – SHUM (Eurovision 2021): watch the video online
The band's track was among the three most popular songs in Eurovision history, and SHUM also conquered the world charts of music platforms.
Such a furor was a breath of fresh air for the group. After a successful performance at Eurovision, Go_A began touring not only in Ukraine, but also in foreign countries. By the way, the Russians brazenly stole the group's contest song, translating it into Russian to pass it off as their own.
Go_A's song – SHUM in Russian: watch the video online
Personal life
Kateryna does not share her personal life in public. However, on her Instagram page there are several photos with her husband, Artem Smirnov. Fans suggest that there may be a romantic relationship between the young people.
Kateryna Pavlenko and Artem Smirnov / Photo from the singer's Instagram
The singer once admitted that she feels attention from women.
The fact that women often show interest in me has always been there, since childhood. It never reached a relationship, but it did lead to some conversations. I don't know how to react to this… neutrally,
– shared Kateryna Pavlenko.
Recently, the singer gave an interview to Slava Demin, where she said that she never felt the desire to become a mother.
I won't say that I'm exactly childfree, but I've never had the desire to have a child. I've never had the thought in my life. I don't imagine myself being a mother,
– the performer frankly admitted.
Kateryna is also annoyed by questions about children, as she calls this a personal choice. In her opinion, today's society is such that if you don't have your own apartment or a child, then you are “someone different.”
Why did the lead singer of the band Go_A come to the National Selection again?
In August last year, the artist first performed on stage with her solo project Monokate. As for the band Go_A, according to the soloist, it did not officially break up, but stopped its concert activities.
Kateryna Pavlenko also explained why she decided to come to the National Exhibition again, and also solo.
I don't need a creative break because I like movement, that's why I'm Monokate… I can realize my potential much more, because in Go_A there was a certain genre that I had to conform to, and at some point I felt a little cramped,
– the artist noted.
She decided to try her hand at the song contest because she wants to relive this interesting experience. In addition, many people asked the singer to apply to the National Selection.
Monokate – TYT: watch the video online
On February 7, judges and viewers will choose the artist who is worthy of representing Ukraine on the international stage. In addition to Kateryna Pavlenko, the finalists of the National Selection-2026 were: Jerry Heil, LAUD, LELÉKA, MOLODI, Mr. Vel, The Elliens, Valeriya Force, “ШчукаРыба” and Khayat.
Previously, the finalists of the National Selection for Eurovision-2026 were rated in the My Eurovision Scoreboard application. Monokate was leading the rating – it was she who was predicted to win. But the three favorites remain unchanged: Jerry Heil, Monokate and LELEKA.