MELOVIN and Life After the Talent Show: How the X Factor Winner's Career Unfolded
The artist's path — from his first tours and building a fanbase to competing at Eurovision.
Ukrainian singer MELOVIN (Kostiantyn Bocharov) presents his autobiographical book Ya Ne Khotiv Tse Pysaty ('I Didn't Want to Write This'), in which he'll speak openly about his journey — from his first steps on stage to inner doubts and battles with his own fears.
In the book, the artist combines memoir and reflections on self-acceptance, and the book's launch will take place March 15 at the KnyhoLend bookstore in Kyiv.
For DeTalks readers, our team looked at how winning a talent show launched the artist's career and how his musical style has changed since.
Winning X Factor as a Career Launchpad
The singer submitted applications for the X Factor vocal competition several times, but only made it to the televised audition stage in 2015. On stage, MELOVIN performed a cover of Okean Elzy's 'Bez Boiu' and later joined producer Ihor Kondratiuk's team. He won the finale of the show's sixth season.
A few years after appearing on the show, viewers recognized the artist again as part of STB's 'People's Award' initiative. In the 'Favorites: Favorite X Factor Winner' category, MELOVIN won with about 1,900 votes.
Right after the TV season wrapped, the artist joined the finalists' joint concert tour across Ukraine. The tour gave him the chance to perform for large audiences, and in 2016, he released his debut single 'Ne Odynokaia.'
First Steps After the Show: A Fanbase and the National Selection
Alongside the tour, the artist's fan community began to take shape. Fans created the official Melovinators fan club, which by 2018 had become one of the most active fan communities in Ukrainian pop music.
The singer later decided to take part in the national selection for the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest. He performed in the third semifinal, presenting his original song 'Wonder.'
Based on audience and jury voting, the singer advanced to the national final, but placed third overall, behind singer Tayanna and the band O.Torvald.
That same year, the singer released his first mini-album, 'Face to Face.' It included six tracks — five in English and one in Ukrainian. Songwriters and producers worked on the record together with the artist, including Ruzhynski, Mickey Mike, and Ashley Hicklin.
Ukraine's Eurovision Representative
MELOVIN eventually won Ukraine's national Eurovision selection in 2018 with the song 'Under the Ladder.' The stage performance stood out for its theatricality and elaborate staging.
During the performance, the artist sang beside a piano that burst into flames during the number's finale. The performance racked up ten million views on Eurovision's official channel, but didn't bring the singer a high placement in the contest itself — he finished just 17th.
Finding a New Sound and the TV Series Novenka
After competing internationally, the artist kept releasing new music and gradually shifted his sound. Music critics described MELOVIN's early tracks as dark pop with a theatrical delivery. In later years, the production became more dynamic, and his arrangements picked up guitar parts and pop-rock elements.
Among the popular releases from this period is the track 'Ty,' which racked up over nine million views online. That same year, the singer got involved in a TV project: he recorded two songs — 'Vitryla' and 'Na Khaipi' — for the series Novenka. Beyond contributing music, the artist appeared in the series' finale episode, playing himself.
MELOVIN: Public Transformations and The Masked Singer
In 2021, MELOVIN publicly came out as bisexual. He came out during a performance at Atlas Weekend. After that, his communication with his audience became more open. He began speaking more often about personal topics and sharing his creative experiences.
That same year, the singer appeared on the TV show The Masked Singer (Ukrainian version, 'Maska'). MELOVIN performed in a Giraffe costume, keeping his identity a secret for most of the season. In the finale, held December 25, 2021, he won.
A 10th Anniversary Concert
MELOVIN marked ten years in the industry with a major solo concert at Stereo Plaza. The show drew over four thousand attendees and became one of the artist's biggest performances in recent years.
The concert was staged as a theatrical performance, complete with elaborate dramaturgy, symbolism, and celebrity guest appearances. During the show, the singer presented his new album MRoom13, performing tracks 'Guard Down,' 'Popil,' 'Kazav Liubliu,' 'Ya Horiu ne Zghoraiu,' and 'All You Need.' The set also featured his best-known hits, including 'Under the Ladder.'
Ahead of the concert, the Melovinators handed out MRoom13-branded flags and posters to people waiting in line, to help support the artist during the show.