After Eurovision 2024 Jerry Heil returns with EP MARIA, an english-language hit and music video
After her triumph at Eurovision 2024, Jerry Heil returns with the thematic mini-album MARIA and a conceptual video for the lead single of the new EP – VIRGIN MARIA. The director of the artist’s new video was the famous videographer Indy Hait.
In the video, Jerry Heil appears in everyday situations that unexpectedly resemble classic Renaissance paintings, filled with depth and candid sensuality. Indy Hait noted: “Art is hidden in the ordinary, waiting for an eye to reveal its greatness.” Thanks to the play of light and visual harmony, each frame turns into a work of art, and everyday moments become true masterpieces, unveiling the hidden beauty of the mundane.
“This video was an ‘exposure’ for me after Eurovision. We took off the protective armor to show the person beneath it. Through artistic means, the director created true paintings from simple images. It was a revelation for me: emotions can be seen without any additional artefacts – just look into the eyes,”
shared Jerry Heil.
The new mini-album by Jerry Heil includes four tracks, each deeply delving into the theme of spirituality, reflecting the artist’s personal experiences and emotions.
“The album ‘MARIA’ is my reflection as a believer, a musician, and a woman living in a country forced to fight an aggressor. It includes prayers, despair, faith, and a struggle against stereotypical notions of what a modern woman is. The album refers to the image of the Virgin Mary, a woman who is idealized and canonized. But such exaltation results in superhuman expectations. So who is the modern woman, the modern Maria, living in Ukraine?”
Jerry Heil says.
The mini-album opens with an INTRO that conveys the overall spirit of the record. In the introduction, the folk song “Oh, rye in the field” about a woman’s fate full of trials is eclectically combined with an excerpt from Ivan Franko’s poem “Sistine Madonna,” in which the lyrical hero bows before the Diva, exalting her.
“This poem is not here to show how to talk to women – on the contrary: it offers an alternative view of the situation. If a woman is a ‘deity,’ she must look perfect 24/7, speak in lofty language, and probably poop rainbows. But in reality, a woman also has the right to make mistakes and to equality in her rights. The right to be simply human, which she is,”
shares Jerry Heil.
“I’ll utter ‘Virgin Mary,’ ‘don’t let the world go crazy.” The breakbeat prayer AVE MARIA combines modern electronic sounds with nostalgic echoes of 1997 rave. This is the most personal song of the mini-album – a reflection of the singer’s daily experiences, her impulsive prayers, and hopes for a better future during the full-scale war. The song conveys the constant anxiety and tension that Ukrainians experience today.
The next song, the English-language lead single VIRGIN MARIA, reflects the consequences of exaltation mentioned in the intro. “This song is about the juxtaposition of the divine and the human from the perspective of a girl who was always compared to someone. It’s a continuation of the track ‘Teresa & Maria,’ which deals with duality: the divine and the human. I believe that humans are indeed a continuation of God, but expecting a woman to be a saint is an idealization with consequences,” explains Jerry Heil. The main message of the track is a protest against the pressure of standards. “Be modest, but not too unapproachable”, “behave like a lady” – the first verse lists stereotypes imposed on modern women, and the second affirms the idea of fighting for the right to be oneself.
The mini-album concludes with the track Teresa & Maria, with which Jerry Heil and alyona alyona represented Ukraine at Eurovision 2024, earning an honorable third place in the final and first place in the hearts of Ukrainians and millions of people worldwide.
“The main idea of the album resounded loudly in the track Teresa & Maria: we have as much divine as human – ‘all the divas were born as human beings’. At the writing stage, I didn’t yet realize that I was creating an EP about this. But during the work on our performance in Malmö, as well as during special promo concerts for Eurovision in Madrid and Amsterdam, I realized that these songs are needed, the theme resonates with so many people, and I haven’t said everything yet – both musically and meaningfully, so upon returning to Kyiv, I wrote VIRGIN MARIA. At that time, AVE MARIA had already been waiting for its time for almost a year – and at that moment, everything came together into one picture. I realized that now it’s the EP album MARIA,”
shares Jerry Heil.
The EP MARIA is now available on all music platforms.
Interesting that, recently Jerry Heil hinted at her return to Eurovision 2025. In her Instagram, the singer shared previously unseen backstage footage from the Song Contest, which took place in Malmö in May. “Eurovision memories 🥹 How about #eurovision2025?” wrote Jerry Heil. In the comments, people expressed their support and encouraged the singer to try her luck again.
About Post Author
