Svitlana Serhiivna Loboda (stage name — LOBODA; born October 18, 1982, in Kyiv, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter and music producer. She spent her childhood in Irpin, Kyiv Oblast. At different stages of her career, she was a member of the groups «Kapuchino», «Ketch» and «VIA Gra», before building a solo career. In 2009, she represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest with «Be My Valentine! (Anti-Crisis Girl)» and finished 12th. In 2013, she received the state honorary title of Honored Artist of Ukraine. Her music is centered primarily on pop and dance-pop, with elements of electronic and club music.
Loboda’s best-known songs include «40 градусов», «Пора домой», «К чёрту любовь», «Твои глаза», «Случайная», «SuperSTAR», «INSTADRAMA», «moLOko» and «Родной». Her main discography includes the albums «Ты не забудешь», «Не Ма4о», H2LO and Made in U, as well as the EP SOLD OUT. After 2022, the singer stopped performing in Russia, focusing instead on concerts in Europe and other countries, as well as supporting Ukraine.
Childhood and musical education
Svitlana Loboda was born in Kyiv but spent her early years in Irpin. She attended music school, where she studied piano, conducting and classical singing. She later enrolled in the Kyiv Academy of Variety and Circus Arts, specializing in pop vocals.
Loboda began performing professionally while she was still a student. Her first notable group was «Kapuchino». At the same time, she also performed solo under the pseudonym Alicia Gorn.
«Ekvator» and the group «Ketch»
In the early 2000s, Loboda received one of the leading roles in the Ukrainian musical «Ekvator», playing Mirana. The project gave her an opportunity to work not only as a vocalist but also as a theatrical performer.
At the end of 2003, she created her own female group, «Ketch». The project was short-lived, as by the following spring Loboda received an offer to join one of the biggest Ukrainian pop projects of that period.
Svitlana Loboda in «VIA Gra»
In May 2004, Svitlana Loboda joined «VIA Gra», replacing Anna Sedokova. At the time, the group also included Nadiya Granovska and Vera Brezhneva.
Loboda participated in the group’s touring activities and appeared in the music video for «Биология». However, her period in «VIA Gra» was brief: about four months later, she left the group, and Albina Dzhanabaeva took her place.
Despite the short tenure, her work with «VIA Gra» significantly increased Loboda’s public recognition. In the autumn of 2004, she returned to her solo career.
Beginning of her solo career
Her first notable solo release after leaving the group was «Чёрно-белая зима», released at the end of 2004. It was followed by «Я забуду тебя».
On September 25, 2005, Loboda released her debut studio album «Ты не забудешь». She contributed to writing a significant portion of the material, while the track list included «Чёрно-белая зима», «Я забуду тебя», «Чёрный ангел», «Ты не забудешь» and other songs.
In 2008, her second album «Не Ма4о» was released. On this record, the singer continued working with dance-pop and electronic production. It included «Не Ма4о», «За что?», «Счастье», «Я влюбилась» and other tracks.
Eurovision 2009
In March 2009, Svitlana Loboda won Ukraine’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with «Be My Valentine! (Anti-Crisis Girl)».
The final took place on May 16, 2009, in Moscow. Loboda received 76 points and finished in 12th place. That year’s winner was Norway’s Alexander Rybak with «Fairytale».
Loboda’s performance featured a large-scale stage production with oversized set pieces known as the «Hell Machine». Although she did not achieve a top result in the contest, Eurovision significantly expanded her international visibility.
The transition to the name LOBODA
In the early 2010s, the singer began consistently using her surname as a stage brand — LOBODA. It was during this period that the repertoire associated with her greatest commercial success began to take shape.
In 2012, she released «40 градусов». Over the following years came «Под лёд», «Город под запретом», «Смотришь в небо», «Не нужна», and in 2015 — «Пора домой».
In 2013, by decree of the President of Ukraine, Svitlana Loboda was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of Ukraine.
«К чёрту любовь» and «Твои глаза»
A new commercial upswing began in the mid-2010s. In 2016, Loboda released «К чёрту любовь», followed by «Твои глаза». Both tracks received extensive radio airplay and became major entries in her catalog.
During this period, her music shifted decisively toward contemporary dance-pop, combining electronic arrangements with large-scale choruses and vocal parts designed for live performance.
H2LO
On March 24, 2017, Loboda released the album H2LO. It included previously known singles as well as new material, including «Твои глаза», «К чёрту любовь», «Случайная», «Невеста» and other songs. Apple Music lists H2LO among the key releases in the singer’s discography.
The album was accompanied by a major concert production. In March 2017, Loboda premiered a new show at Kyiv’s Palace of Sports, performing material from H2LO alongside songs from earlier years.
SuperSTAR, INSTADRAMA and SOLD OUT
In 2018, the singles «SuperSTAR» and «INSTADRAMA» were released. The following year, Loboda prepared new material with a significantly larger share of electronic production and elements of hip-hop.
In December 2019, she released the EP SOLD OUT. It contains nine tracks, including «Хиросима», «Новый Рим», «Синие волны», «В зоне риска», «Bon appétit» and «Плохой».
In 2020, Loboda released the live album SUPERSTAR SHOW (Live). Around the same period came the singles «Boom Boom», «Мой» and «moLOko». In 2021, she released «Родной», «Allo» and «ЗанесLo».
2022 and the end of her work in Russia
Before February 2022, a significant part of Loboda’s concert and television career was connected with the Russian market. After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the singer stopped performing and carrying out other professional activities in Russia and publicly spoke out against the war.
Loboda also began taking part in humanitarian projects and providing assistance to Ukrainians. She paid particular attention to Irpin, where she had spent a significant part of her childhood and where members of her family lived. In 2022, the singer visited the city after its liberation.
In a 2023 interview, she explained that after February 24, 2022, her attitude toward working in Russia had changed permanently. At the same time, Loboda did not abandon her Russian-language catalog and continued performing older songs at concerts outside Russia.
Made in U
On March 24, 2023, Loboda released the 14-track album Made in U. It became her first major album project after the beginning of the full-scale war.
During this period, Ukrainian-language songs appeared in her repertoire, including «Два незнайомці» and other recordings. At the same time, her concert program continued to include songs from different stages of her career and in several languages.
Releases from 2025–2026
In 2025, Loboda released the EP 18. The project arrived on June 27 and contains four tracks. Music videos were released for selected songs from the project, including «POLO» and «Лишаюсь».
The same year also saw the release of the singles «Не мешай» and «One Night».
In 2026, her discography expanded with «Малышка на миллион», «Взрослые девочки не плачут», the Kazakh-language «Sen Meni Küt» and «О ней». The latter was released on July 30, 2026.
Thus, after the major restructuring of her career in 2022, Loboda continued to release music regularly and tour outside Russia, retaining both her Russian-language catalog and new recordings in Ukrainian and other languages.
Musical style
Pop music remains the foundation of Loboda’s work. Her early solo recordings were closer to mainstream Ukrainian and Russian-language pop of the mid-2000s, while electronic production became increasingly prominent toward the end of the decade.
The albums H2LO and SOLD OUT contain elements of dance-pop, EDM, electronic pop and contemporary club production. Some tracks also incorporate R&B and hip-hop techniques.
Loboda also takes part in writing some of her own material and, at different stages of her career, has worked with Ukrainian songwriters and producers including MONATIK, Artem Ivanov, Artem Pivovarov and other musicians.
Stage shows
Concert productions play a major role in LOBODA’s career. Since the 2010s, the singer has regularly used elaborate sets, choreography, video graphics, costume changes and additional stage constructions.
Rather than following the standard structure of a solo pop concert, her largest shows were built as sequences of staged performance numbers. This approach became especially prominent during the H2LO period and the SUPERSTAR SHOW project.
Personal life
Svitlana Loboda is the mother of two daughters. Her eldest, Evangelina, was born in 2011. Her father is Ukrainian dancer and choreographer Andrii Tsar, with whom the singer was in a relationship until 2014.
In 2018, Loboda gave birth to her second daughter, Tilda. The singer has not publicly disclosed the identity of the child’s father.
Main discography of Svitlana Loboda
Studio albums
- «Ты не забудешь» — 2005
- «Не Ма4о» — 2008
- H2LO — 2017
- Made in U — 2023
EPs
- SOLD OUT — 2019
- 18 — 2025
Other notable album releases
- Anti-Crisis Girl — 2009, compilation album
- «Новое и лучшее» — 2010, compilation album
- SUPERSTAR SHOW (Live) — 2020, live album
- Made in U (Mixes) — 2023, remix album
Official digital catalogs also contain a large number of standalone singles, remixes and live recordings, meaning that many of LOBODA’s best-known songs are not tied to full-length studio albums.
Her place in Ukrainian pop music
Svitlana Loboda’s career spans several distinct periods. In the early 2000s, she worked in music groups and theatrical projects; in 2004, she spent several months as a member of «VIA Gra», after which she launched an independent career. Her participation in Eurovision 2009 became her largest international television appearance of that period.
The most productive stage in terms of widely recognized songs came during the 2010s, when she released «40 градусов», «Пора домой», «К чёрту любовь», «Твои глаза», H2LO, «SuperSTAR» and other recordings.
After 2022, both the geography and content of her work changed: the Russian market, where Loboda had been highly active in previous years, was removed from her touring activities, while new Ukrainian-language recordings and charitable projects emerged. At the same time, the singer retained much of her earlier catalog and continued releasing new singles and EPs. By 2026, LOBODA remains an active Ukrainian pop artist whose career has lasted for more than two decades.
