An episode unfolded on the stage of one of Ukraine's highest-rated talent shows that captured the attention of social media users for several days. A contestant named Shaya took the stage of 'Ukraine Has Talent' with the popular hit 'Turn It Up' by Jerry Heil, accompanying herself on the violin. The vocal performance did not impress the judges: Artem Pivovarov and Stanislav Boklan pressed their red buttons, and Elena Kravets also failed to give the contestant a positive rating. Three 'no's — and the performance was over. However, it was only after the broadcast that a real information storm began, at the center of which was the song's own author.
Public defense from the hit's author
Soon after the episode aired, Jerry Heil decided not to stay silent and publicly voiced her support for Shaya. In a post on Threads, the singer wrote: 'I don't quite get the haters' take. She turned up the volume so much that now we're all talking about it! Girl, you're fire!'. The performer emphasized that the track 'Turn It Up' was created precisely to be sung without limits — in karaoke, in a bar, in a car with friends, or on the stage of a talent show. 'Turn It Up' was made to be SHOUTED. In karaoke. In a bar. In a car with friends. And on 'Ukraine Has Talent', if that's how you feel today,' Jerry Heil added. According to her, it is not essential to her whether the performer hit the notes perfectly: 'Hit the notes or not — but you hit the threads and lifted everyone's mood.' The singer called her song a track 'for free girls who do whatever they feel like.'
Divided public opinion
The support of a famous artist did not quiet the debate but only intensified it. In the comments under Jerry Heil's post and in the discussions on Threads, Ukrainians' opinions split into two camps. Shaya's supporters focused on the contestant's bravery, her love of music, and the fact that the very desire to step onto a big stage and perform a hit live deserves respect. For many, it was a fun and daring performance that 'turned up the volume' not only in the literal sense. Critics, on the other hand, pointed to technical vocal flaws and believed that the judges were right not to let the contestant through. Thus, the same performance was perceived in entirely different ways: for some — an inspiring performance, for others — a failed vocal number, and for Jerry Heil — a reason to remind everyone that music should not always be taken too seriously.
The contestant's own reaction
Shaya herself, after the three red buttons, did not hide from the discussion. In her response, she stated that the result of the performance does not negate her work, preparation, and love of music. According to Obozrevatel, the contestant is a music teacher, which adds an extra layer of context to her stage appearance: for her, this is not just a hobby but a professional environment in which she works with sound and performance every day. Her position is not an excuse but a statement that three 'no's do not erase the hours of rehearsal and the sincere desire to sing.
Contradictory data
There are several inconsistencies in the assessments surrounding the episode that are important to note. First, the show's judges and the song's author took diametrically opposite positions: the judges (Pivovarov, Boklan, Kravets) deemed the performance insufficient to pass, while Jerry Heil publicly called the haters' complaints incomprehensible and stated that the song was created for free, unrestrained performance. Second, there is no single assessment on social media: some users support Jerry Heil and consider the defense of the contestant fair, while others insist that a talent show is precisely about vocal mastery and that the three 'no's were an objective verdict. Third, open sources (including stb.ua) record materials about previous seasons of 'Ukraine Has Talent' in which Jerry Heil appeared as a judge (the 2021 season), creating an additional layer of context: for part of the audience she is associated not only as a performer but also as a judge whose evaluation criteria may be a subject of debate. None of the versions refutes the others — this is a matter of subjective assessment of an artistic performance, which by definition has no single correct answer.
The episode with Shaya's performance became a clear example of how, in the age of social media, any stage event instantly turns into a public discussion in which the text's author, the judges, and the viewing audience occupy three different positions. And perhaps the main takeaway from this story is not whether the contestant moved on in the show's format, but that the song which, according to Jerry Heil, 'needs to be shouted' truly sounded louder than planned and became the main meme of the Ukrainian segment of Threads for several days.
