Meet the new soloist of the group Artik & Asti: Sevil Velieva – about song shows, failures and working with the group

Sevil Velieva has come a long way before becoming the soloist of Artik & Asti. Behind the singer is an injury from professional sports, defeats for the whole country and dizzying victories. Speaking to the PopCornNews portal, the artist dispelled popular myths about himself, talked about joys and sorrows, and also revealed the details of the collaboration with Artem Umrikhin.

“I wouldn’t change anything, I’d go through everything again”

– I’d like to talk about your childhood. You often read in the media that it was quite difficult.
– I did not say that I had a difficult childhood, it was cool, but with its own difficulties. It was a time of moving, something new, my parents started from scratch, worked hard, were rarely home and spent little time with me.

– Tell us how you grew up?
“I was raised by my grandparents. Now there are three of us in the family, and I am the oldest sister to my brother and sister, but I was the first to discover all the difficulties, conflicts and everyday problems in the family. This is not good or bad, it made little Sevil a strong person with a core and a strong character, because in her life she saw a lot.
As a child I didn’t want to be at home, I was constantly going in all kinds of circles: from macramé to drumming, shooting and karate. I wanted to learn a good lesson from this teenage life and remain grateful to my parents for giving me life while helping me become a full-fledged adult who thinks only with his own head, not relying on the negative experience of parent-child relationships .

– And you passed?
– Yes, I have become stronger, stronger, I love my parents very much. If I was asked which family I wanted to be born again into, I would say it was in this family. I wouldn’t change anything, I would go through everything again and do everything exactly the same.

Personal archive of Sevil Valieva

– Was it your idea to practice karate?
– Yes, even though you can read on the internet that father would have forced me. It’s not true, he just supported me. I loved sports very much, and I found myself a circle, a coach, I loved the philosophy of sports, because first of all, sports teach a cold mind.
I was the only girl in the national team and I really liked it. I liked that, like everyone else, I was educated on an equal footing, and now it helps a lot in life.

– Do you regret having to leave professional sport?
No, I left because of an injury. It couldn’t go on any longer, the big sport is the swing, not something good for the body and the body. I don’t regret it, especially when I keep fit at the gym. This was my step in life, and I’m very grateful to her, and it’s time to move on.

“Everything is just starting and gaining momentum”

– Your creative path turned out to be quite tricky, don’t you think?
– My training as an artist has not yet happened, it is a continuous process, and only I know what ambitions I have in my head. Now I have coverage, popularity, I am the soloist of the top group in the country, but this is not the end, everything is just beginning and is gaining momentum. I took part in many projects and gained experience, met people and sent every performance to the piggy bank of my musical and vocal stories.

– Now young artists who quickly become famous thanks to social networks are often abused. Do you feel that fame comes too easy for some?
— I cannot agree with that. I don’t care how a person lives and how he ended up in his place. Everyone has different sources, I don’t care, and this is an important point. I love myself very much and will think of myself.
Every person is in their place, and this is all 100% deserved. At the same time, I often hear that something fell out of the blue on this or that person, or he was just lucky. But I do not think so. I am sure that everything will happen exactly when we are ready, and everything in this world is in its place.

– Participation in television projects played an important role in your education. How do you remember The Voice?
“The Voice is an experience, one of the most nerve-racking shows. I was very concerned then and it helped me that I came back from America with a good vibe. I enjoyed it immensely, and it was my starting point in Moscow and my artistic life in Moscow started there.

Personal archive of Sevil Veliyeva

– It was not easy, probably it was necessary in moments of failure.
– I actually had moments of despair, thanks to them I had two choices: either stop doing what is causing this despair, or put in more effort so that the result is different. I chose the second way.
I will sharpen my skills and become more confident. There is also nothing wrong with uncertainty, you can work with it, understanding that fear and excitement are exactly what you need to pay more attention to, you don’t have to be afraid to look fears in the eye.

– Many are convinced that only through an acquaintance you can get into major television projects, what can you say to such people?
– I consider myself one of those people who have never listened to other people. I don’t care what others are convinced of, whether there are acquaintances, whether there is blat, whether this story is paid for, I don’t care. If someone has failed for me, why can’t I be the first to succeed or vice versa.

– Probably, such conversations appear, among other things, because of the desire to find an excuse for their failures …
“Maybe, but why?” If you don’t participate in some kind of vocal competition — oh well, either you prepare better, or you understand why you are there, or you choose another show. When I hear questions about whether it’s possible to come to the show without money, I just want to answer: Who cares what I tell you? You don’t have to listen to anyone, you have to do, work, believe and this is the only guarantee of success.

– Are you now able to follow high-profile television programs?
– I haven’t had a TV in my house for six years, but this doesn’t mean I’m a boring person who doesn’t live in some kind of information world. I sincerely believe that if there is important and super global news, I will definitely learn more about it from reliable sources, and this has always happened.

– Do you want to participate in popular projects? Maybe in songs or even extreme?
– I really like the Mask show, I would like to get into it one day. In general the shows are interesting to me, but for some formats now is not quite the right time, we are preparing releases and I have to be in my place to prepare new songs.

“Some songs seem to have been written for me and only for me”

— Let’s talk about your first meeting with Artik. How did it happen?
– We met at the New Wave in 2021, we didn’t know each other then. Artem was on the jury. I remember we looked at each other, but he was so busy he didn’t even notice me. And our acquaintance took place in Moscow, after I sang the song “Feelings”. He wrote to me and we met.

— Do you remember your first impression of Artik?
— He always smiled, was cheerful, honest and supported all participants. That’s how I remembered him.

Personal archive of Sevil Veliyeva

— Have you ever been a fan of Artik & Asti?
– I can’t call myself a fan, but the band’s songs seem to have been written for me and only for me. When I heard the song “Feelings”, I realized I wanted to tell it the way I feel, how I’ve lived it in my life.

Have you always wanted to be in a famous group?
“I never even thought about it. After all, I had my own project, my own producer, tracks, albums.

“Artik is the person with whom I feel calm”

— What can you say about creativity in Russia today. Is it more about money or about self-expression?
– Money is a great tool to achieve your goals, it is a very good motivation. I wouldn’t put an inequality sign or a comma, I’d even remove the word “or”. After all, everyone has a different goal: someone records songs to earn money, someone sings in the street and gives passers-by an incredible amount of fun. Once upon a time, she herself wanted to get up and just sing, pay no attention to anyone, although it is morally difficult, but in this there is freedom, and these people stand for self-expression, whether it be bad or not.
It’s just that everyone chooses their own. I believe creativity in Russia is about money and about self-expression.

Personal archive of Sevil Veliyeva

– Tell us how you work with DJ SMASH. Was it easy to work together?
– They worked perfectly, the song was experimental, of course, Artem was always there, and this is the person with whom I feel calm. Of course I don’t decline responsibility, but if Artik proposes this or that project, it means that he has thought and considered carefully. Artem has known Andrey for many years, so I wanted to work on this daring experiment together.

— Did you enjoy such an unusual experience?
– After all the conditions had been agreed, I was able to plunge headlong into the process. And was very happy with it! As a result, we’re in all the top lists, racking up nearly three million plays in less than a week. This is a good start.

– And finally, share your creative plans. Should fans of the band expect unexpected collaborations? Maybe sing in English?
– We recorded a lot of material and I think Artik will answer this question more specifically. We’re going to release a new song.
Since I am a simultaneous interpreter, English is very close to me. It is very interesting what will happen in our tandem with Artik in the creative world. I really want to leave room for intrigue, because I don’t know what’s going to happen myself, but something cool is coming, that’s 100%!

Photo source: Sevil Valieva .’s personal archive

Author: Ksenia Belovichkaja