Kateryna Pavlenko, the lead singer who brought Go_A to Eurovision fame, has departed to launch a solo career. Her exit raises questions about the group’s future – what lies ahead?

Is the Band Splitting Up? Kateryna Pavlenko, the prominent lead singer of the band Go_A, has unexpectedly announced that she’s putting the group’s collaborative career on hold and embarking on a personal journey as a solo artist. The news surfaced shortly after Go_A – widely remembered for their hit song “SHUM,” which secured Ukraine a fifth-place finish in Eurovision 2021 – now finds itself facing significant uncertainty.

Waves of Reactions to Her Departure

It’s not every day a singer leaves a band after such a landmark achievement on the Eurovision stage. Pavlenko is regarded as one of the most beloved figures in the Ukrainian music scene, known for her distinctive voice and uncompromising spirit. Still, since the Eurovision contest, the popular band has struggled to recreate the monumental success they experienced with “Shum” and their intended entry for the cancelled 2020 show due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “Solovey.”

Pavlenko announced the break formally through social media and at the Atlas Festival in Kyiv, where she performed for the first time under her new solo project name, Monokate.

 

הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם

 

‏‎פוסט משותף על ידי ‏‎Kateryna Pavlenko‎‏ (@‏‎monokatee‎‏)‎‏

New Line-Up: Rock, Full Band, and Plenty of Surprises

Although Pavlenko clarified that this is only a temporary pause, the message is clear: the members of Go_A will have to adapt to a different reality as she fully commits to her bold solo endeavor. Her new project features deeply personal material—songs that had been waiting for years to emerge from her notebook. Musically, it shifts away from Go_A’s folkloric sound toward more contemporary rock.

“I love trying to make songs with different people,” she recently shared, highlighting her desire for creative freedom and collaboration beyond her former bandmates.

Audiences were treated to eight new songs, markedly different from Go_A’s traditional sound, appealing to listeners eager for something fresh.

What’s Next for Go_A?

Pavlenko’s exit presents an immediate challenge for Go_A. The runaway success of “SHUM” at Eurovision turned the band into a symbol both in Ukraine and internationally, and her presence was a crucial asset. Now, the question remains whether Go_A can find a new voice and continue to meet fans’ expectations.

At this stage, it’s unclear whether the group will disband, seek a new lead singer, or wait for Pavlenko to find time to return for performances and future releases. Many bands faced with lead-singer changes have discovered just how delicate such transitions can be—especially when that singer is so strongly associated with a global breakthrough.