Александр Розенбаум
Islam Itlyashev (full name — Khadzhiislam Vladimirovich Itlyashev; born October 5, 1991, in Cherkessk, Karachay-Cherkessia) is a Russian singer and songwriter of Circassian origin. His music sits at the crossroads of pop, Russian chanson and contemporary Caucasian pop music. Itlyashev became widely known for the songs «Салам алейкум братьям», «На нервах», «Она любила розы», «Кобра», «Ай-яй-яй (Дикая)», «Молодая» and «Ресторан». In 2022, he became the most-viewed music artist on Russian YouTube for the year and was also awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic.
Childhood and family
Islam Itlyashev was born and raised in Cherkessk. His father is Circassian and his mother is Kabardian. His parents were not professional performers, but both were involved in the arts: his father sang in a music group during his student years, while his mother danced in the ensemble «Кабардинка». Music was part of family life, although Islam himself did not receive professional vocal training as a child.
After school, Itlyashev enrolled at the North Caucasus State Academy, where he studied a field related to tourism. Music was not initially considered his only future profession, but by the early 2010s his first recordings had begun circulating among listeners of Caucasian pop music.
Beginning of his music career
Islam Itlyashev’s professional discography begins in 2011. One of his first well-known songs was «Милана». His early repertoire was aimed primarily at audiences in the North Caucasus and combined pop melodies with the vocal style characteristic of the regional scene.
In the following years, Itlyashev regularly recorded new songs and gradually expanded his concert audience. His early repertoire included «Восемнадцать лет», «Раннею весной», «Выйди на крылечко», «Азамат», «Сердце девичье, не плачь», «Не опьяняй», «Свадьба», «Будь моей радостью» and «Роза луноликая».
Itlyashev writes some of his lyrics himself. In particular, he is the author of «Свадьба», which was later included on his debut album.
«Ты полюбила хулигана»
An important milestone was the song «Ты полюбила хулигана», released as a single on January 17, 2017. The music and lyrics were written by I. Dzhambekov. The composition established one of the central themes of Itlyashev’s later repertoire — romantic stories told from the perspective of a strong, outwardly restrained male protagonist.
On March 22, 2018, his debut full-length album «Ты полюбила хулигана» was released. The record contained 16 tracks and was issued by the Zvuk-M label.
The album included:
- «Ты полюбила хулигана»;
- «Сердце девичье не плачь»;
- «Сердце мается»;
- «Не опьяняй»;
- «Роза луноликая»;
- «Свадьба»;
- «Будь моей радостью»;
- «Звёздочка»;
- «Дорогая»;
- «Половиночка»;
- «Джигиты»;
- «Вспомни меня»;
- «А ты знаешь»;
- «Нысашэ (Невеста)»;
- «Не позовёшь».
The album brought together songs Itlyashev had recorded over several years and presented him not simply as a regional singer releasing individual singles, but as an independent artist with an established repertoire.
«Воровал и буду воровать»
In 2019, the release «Воровал и буду воровать» appeared, containing eight tracks. It included the early recordings «Милана» and «Азамат», as well as «Восемнадцать лет», «Игра» with Zhanna Sikalieva, «Раннею весной», the title track «Воровал и буду воровать», «Ты моя» and «Выйди на крылечко».
This material already clearly demonstrates Itlyashev’s main stylistic formula: pop melody, chanson elements, Caucasian intonations and lyrics about love, family, friendship and male character.
«Салам алейкум братьям»
One of the major releases of 2019 was «Салам алейкум братьям». The song significantly expanded the artist’s audience beyond Karachay-Cherkessia. Its music video combined contemporary pop presentation with Caucasian dance traditions and imagery representing different peoples of the North Caucasus.
During the same period, he also released «Сын», «Мама», «Странник», «Сердце черкеса», «Туда, где только ты» and «По следам зари». By the end of the 2010s, Itlyashev was already touring regularly and had established himself as a notable performer in contemporary Caucasian pop music.
«На нервах» and «Она любила розы»
2020 became one of the most important years in the singer’s career. During the year, he released a series of singles including «Не сожалею», «Запомню навсегда твои глаза», «Девочка криминал», «Доля», «Побудь со мной», «Ты для меня», «Тамара» and «Улетаю».
«На нервах» and «Она любила розы» became particularly successful. Both songs reached multi-million audiences on video platforms and streaming services. Over time, «Она любила розы» became one of Itlyashev’s most popular songs and continues to rank among his most-streamed tracks.
It was during this period that the most recognisable version of his sound fully took shape: romantic pop-chanson with dramatic lyrics, dense modern production and his characteristic low-register vocals.
Collaboration with Sultan Laguchev
Itlyashev has repeatedly worked with another artist from the Caucasian music scene — Sultan Laguchev. In February 2021, they released the joint single «Хулиган», with music and lyrics written by Laguchev.
The artists later recorded «Сделан из стали» and «На рахате». Their collaborations are built around alternating vocal parts and retain the combination of pop, chanson and Caucasian pop music characteristic of their solo work.
«Кобра»
On December 1, 2021, Itlyashev released «Кобра», one of the most successful songs in his discography. The single was released by GLOBAL SOUND and accompanied by a music video.
The track quickly became one of the artist’s main songs on streaming platforms. Throughout 2022, the video continued to gain views rapidly and played an important role in the growth of Itlyashev’s popularity on YouTube.
«Ай-яй-яй (Дикая)», «Молодая» and «Ресторан»
In 2022, the singer released several songs that consolidated the success of «Кобра». These included «Ай-яй-яй (Дикая)», «Молодая», «Ресторан», «Лиса», «Пацаны на стиле», «Не стреляй», «Красивая» and «Не люби».
«Кобра», «Ай-яй-яй (Дикая)», «Молодая» and «Ресторан» reached leading positions on Russian music and video charts. By the end of 2022, Islam Itlyashev had become the most-viewed music artist on the Russian segment of YouTube, with his songs accumulating around 396 million views during the year.
The most-viewed works of this period included «Кобра», «Ай-яй-яй» and the Sultan Laguchev collaboration «На рахате». This success was achieved primarily through video platforms and streaming, without Itlyashev maintaining a constant presence on television music shows.
Duets with Irina Krug
A separate part of Itlyashev’s discography consists of collaborations with Irina Krug. In 2021, they recorded «Москва — Владивосток», followed in 2022 by «Когда-нибудь растает лёд». These duets are more strongly oriented toward the traditional pop-chanson audience and differ from the more rhythm-driven «Кобра» or «Ай-яй-яй (Дикая)».
«Плохая»
On January 27, 2023, Itlyashev released the EP «Плохая». The release contained six songs, including the title track «Плохая», «Красивая», «Коварная», «Моя», «Не люби» and «Блатная романтика».
A separate music video was filmed for «Плохая». The song continued the romantic direction of Itlyashev’s previous hits but showed a stronger influence of contemporary pop production.
During 2023, he also released «Хищница», «Довела», «Песня под гитару» and «Громко играй аппаратура».
«Chanson of the Year»
In 2023, Islam Itlyashev became a winner of the «Шансон года» award with the song «Ресторан». The award reinforced his presence not only in the Caucasian pop and internet-hit segment, but also within the contemporary Russian chanson scene.
Songs released in 2024–2025
Itlyashev continued to favour a steady flow of singles rather than working exclusively on full-length albums. In 2024, his releases included «Че ты, как ты?» and «Не идеал». «Не идеал» was released on December 4, 2024.
In 2025, he released «Ещё один день», «Упала звезда», «Пойдёт воровать», «Глаза алмазы», «Волчье сердце», «Скандал», «Не вспоминай», «Не реви», «В городе вечер» and other songs. That same year, new versions of earlier hits were also presented — «Кобра 2.0» and «Она любила розы 2.0».
Music in 2026
In 2026, Itlyashev continued releasing new singles. His catalogue was expanded with «На руках», «Твоё сердце», «Ай да она», «Лиса 3.0», «Кареглазая», «За тебя калым отдам» and «Я искал». The latter was released on August 12, 2026.
The new recordings continue the direction of recent years: pop-chanson with melodic choruses, relationship themes and contemporary electronic production.
Musical style
Islam Itlyashev works primarily at the intersection of pop music, Russian chanson and contemporary Caucasian pop. His early recordings show a stronger regional pop tradition, while from the late 2010s onward the arrangements moved closer to contemporary pop.
Itlyashev’s vocal style is based on a low male timbre and restrained delivery. His songs regularly use acoustic guitar, keyboards, strings, synthesisers and a straightforward dance rhythm. Some compositions also feature Caucasian melodic turns and traditional dance rhythms.
The main themes of his repertoire are relationships, jealousy, separation, family, male friendship and romantic conflict. A significant part of his catalogue was written by outside songwriters, although Itlyashev also has songs of his own authorship.
Caucasian themes in his music
His regional identity is particularly evident in songs such as «Салам алейкум братьям», «Сердце черкеса», «В селе родном», «Мирный, красивый край», «Джигиты» and «Нысашэ (Невеста)».
At the same time, it is incorrect to describe Itlyashev as a performer of Tatar music. He was born in Cherkessk, comes from a Circassian-Kabardian family and developed within the musical culture of the North Caucasus. Most of his songs are performed in Russian, while his contemporary repertoire belongs primarily to pop and chanson.
Awards and recognition
- 2016 — «Silver Jug» award, «Artist of the Year of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic»;
- 2022 — most-viewed music artist on Russian YouTube for the year;
- 2022 — honorary title «Honored Artist of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic»;
- 2023 — «Chanson of the Year» award for «Ресторан».
The 2022 result was especially significant for his career: around 396 million views of Itlyashev’s music on Russian YouTube over twelve months placed him first among artists on the platform.
Discography
Albums and EPs
- «Ты полюбила хулигана» — 2018
- «Воровал и буду воровать» — 2019
- «Плохая» — EP, 2023
Different digital services may classify «Ты полюбила хулигана» and «Воровал и буду воровать» differently — either as albums or compilation-style releases. «Ты полюбила хулигана» contains 16 tracks, while «Воровал и буду воровать» contains eight.
Selected songs
- «Ты полюбила хулигана»
- «Салам алейкум братьям»
- «На нервах»
- «Она любила розы»
- «Кобра»
- «Ай-яй-яй (Дикая)»
- «Хулиган» — with Sultan Laguchev
- «Сердце, не ревнуй»
- «Лиса»
- «Молодая»
- «Ресторан»
- «Пацаны на стиле»
- «Плохая»
- «Хищница»
- «Че ты, как ты?»
- «Не идеал»
- «Волчье сердце»
- «Кареглазая»
- «Я искал»
Islam Itlyashev today
Itlyashev’s main working model is the constant release of individual songs combined with active concert activity. After the success of «На нервах», «Она любила розы» and «Кобра», he retained a large digital audience and continued to expand his catalogue regularly with new material.
Over the course of his career, Itlyashev has grown from an artist known primarily to listeners of Caucasian pop music into a performer with a multi-million audience on Russian streaming and video platforms. At the same time, the musical foundation of his repertoire remains recognisable: melodic pop-chanson, low-register vocals, romantic storylines and elements of North Caucasian musical culture.
