Hailing from the picturesque town of Smederevo, Serbia, Sashka Yanx has left an indelible mark on the music scene with her mesmerizing voice and versatile skills. Born in 1988, she embarked on her musical journey at a young age, initially mastering the violin before gracefully transitioning to the piano.
Sashka is no stranger to the national finals in Serbia. 2013, 2018 and 2019 she placed at the very top of the competition, finishing third, second and third respectively.
She gained recognition as a backing vocalist and dancer for various renowned artists, a role that led her to the grand stage of the Eurovision Song Contest multiple times. She provided her vocal talents for Milan Stanković in 2010, Nina Radojičić in 2011, and Bojana Stamenov in 2015, leaving an unforgettable imprint on the Eurovision legacy.
In 2012, Sashka Yanx took center stage as a participant in “Prvi Glas Srbije,” a musical talent show that mirrors the format of The Voice. This experience further showcased her exceptional talent and set the stage for her solo career as a singer-songwriter and music producer.
Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of musical genres, including pop, soul and R’n’B, as well as all related genres, Sashka Yanx’s music resonates with a rich tapestry of influences. Today, we delve into her artistic journey, exploring the depths of her creativity and the passion that fuels her musical expression. Without further ado, let’s welcome the extraordinary Sashka Yanx!
Miss Jukebox! Welcome aboard our website, we are so honored to have you with us today! How are you doing?
First of all, thank you so much for this introduction and for ‘Miss Jukebox’, because that’s the stage name I actually wanted to use and did use for a few singles more than ten years ago (laugh). But everybody here thought that we were a group, even though it says ‘Miss’. Then I went on some TV show and they insisted on using my real name, not stage name, so that’s what people actually remembered, and then I was like ‘Okay’ (laugh). But thank you so much for remembering this and for being prepared for the interview, and trust me, that’s not always the case. I’m already really enjoying this knowing that, you know, these are the right questions (laugh), and it’s really refreshing, so thank you very much. I am great, thank you for asking, actually! I think my joy is rising, because I am excited about PZE.
We try, we try! You have been in music for a long time now. The larger audience may remember you from Prvi Glas Srbije (adapted from The Voice). But I know that you’ve been creating music since you were just 16 years old. In 2009 you were a finalist in Beovizija, and your music was also played on MTV Adria. How has your early exposure to music shaped your perspective, influenced your creative process, and contributed to the artist you are today?
In terms of starting my journey, and what contributed the most when I was a kid were three things: first was the competition that I won as a kid, my very first one. I went to music school already, I played violin, but when I was 9 I asked my parents to enter that competition for singers and performers and I won it. I also won a second award then, which was for the best interpretation, best singer. That, as a first experience, was super exciting for me.
Second was when we had TV performances and I sang in a teenage group called Jingle Bells, and we had two CDs released, with our own songs and covers as well. We performed a lot throughout different Serbian cities, events, concerts and some embassies. Back then we didn’t have social networks, it was pretty hard doing anything, so it was interesting that it actually looked like a poor version of a Disney Club, much like the American kids start out. It was a precious experience, I learned a lot about performing, songwriting, being on stage, lights, sound equipment, everything. At 15 years old, it prepared me to be one of the youngest contenders in the last season of the very well known musical competition, called 3K dur.
I think I went pretty far in shows, but nothing would really be possible without my loving, supportive and caring parents, especially my Dad, who was a doctor, but also a self-taught professional musician, and he really was there for me all the way and I learned a lot about TV and show business and this job of being a musician. I also learned a lot about acting and theater because he did a lot of these things, too. I went into acting for a few years in an acting school because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to become an actress or a musician, but music was always meant to be, so everything contributed to it but those three things were the most important ones.
During Prvi Glas Srbije, you described yourself as an animal lover, that you enjoy the little things in life, and that you normally wear a smile on your face. Is there anything that has changed from then until now? Would you still describe yourself like that or would you add anything, remove anything?
On this one, I will be short: despite everything I went through – and nobody knows about it – maybe there will be a chance on some podcast or a TV show, when I feel ready to talk about it, only because I think it will help a lot of people that are going through a lot, I am still with a smile on my face, optimistic, wiser and more mature, of course, cautious because of all kinds of people, and an even bigger animal lover – if that’s even possible (laugh). Despite everything, it’s still there, yeah. People often cannot believe that I’m that understanding and that kind, and I’m not naive or stupid, because to them it sounds like I don’t have boundaries. But only because of what I went through and how I’m shaped by my parents and how I am organically, all of that combined, I think that’s the reason why I wear a big smile. Knowledge and self-growth throughout the years contributed a lot. When I’m told I have the heart of a child and a smile, that’s a big compliment.
Regarding your experience in such a big musical competition in this area of the world (Prvi Glas), I recently saw you describe it as a “double edged sword”. Maybe you can tell us what you meant by that in a little more detail?
What I meant by that is that people should be aware that in any job, especially in show business, there are always two sides of it. It’s not always glamorous, nor shiny or fair. On the other hand, I want to tell young people to be aware of what they’re signing up for. Sometimes it might seem that something is the best thing for them, but now with social networks and in a lot of different ways, you can create your own audience, communicate with them and grow your career. I would recommend being cautious when it comes to musical competitions and TV shows, because when you ask my colleagues, it wasn’t all that bad, and I’m one of those that really went through thorns and not roses. But as I said, there will be a time and place to talk about it, and I just wanted young people to be cautious and not be egocentric and wear pink sunglasses. Don’t glorify it, don’t fly too high, stay grounded. My Dad said to me “It’s a wonderful job, it’s art, it’s singing, it’s show business, it’s music, but it’s still a job, and your ego should not be inflated, you have to be grounded and down to earth.” It’s one of the most precious things that helped me throughout that not-really-comfortable, and that’s really politely said, time period. In Serbian, we have a proverb “Ko visoko leti, nisko pada” and in translation it would mean “The bigger they are, the harder they fall”. So be aware of that.
I’d be curious to ask – if you were to describe your music and sound using trends, genres, or other artists as reference points, what would you tell me?
Oh wow, this one is a really great question, but you caught me off guard here. I think I couldn’t say what I am in general, because I’m a mesh of a lot of things, but I’m pretty much myself, I have my own expression. But I can describe Kolo, the song, and not only how I can describe it, but also how my colleagues, friends, and my brother describe it. They were all like ‘It’s definitely you, Kolo is you’. They know me, but also they describe it as if Beyonce picked Pharell up, they met Magnifico and Brega (Goran Bregović) on the way, and then they got to my house and I cooked a meal and made drinks, and we went to a rave together, then ended up in my house again. That is how I would describe Kolo, but also if maybe we passed by Mokranjac’s house and also some Turkish restaurants. That’s kind of, you know (laugh), what my crew says about it and I agree with that, it’s pretty funny and awesome and accurate.
Since you have a vast experience in the music scene, what would be the one advice you’ve heard on your journey that really stuck with you and that you have implemented in your career, and who gave that advice to you?
I mentioned earlier that both of my parents were the best influence on me, but my Dad was the one who was really a sensei, like Karate Kid, but in music and art in general. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned, not only TV-related but show business-related and music-related, was when I won that festival as a kid, my first time as a guest on a morning TV show at RTS. My Dad pointed at the news anchor, and he said “Look at this man” which confused me because I didn’t find anything strange about him, it seemed pretty natural, he was sitting at a desk, in a suit. He said “Just watch” so I did. When he finished reading the news, the program went to commercials, and when he stood up and from the waist down, he was wearing swimming shorts and some slippers. It was summertime, and I was shocked that he wasn’t dressed up. My Dad told me you don’t see everything on TV, or show business, and most of the time you see only what the audience sees and what the audience believes in. So just be aware of that, be respectful and keep your privacy, stay down to earth. Those are the most precious things that somebody can advise a young person. In any scenario, stay human, humble and grateful.
Lovely advice! Now, our readers might be interested to learn that this is not your first rodeo, as they say, when it comes to the Eurovision stage but also PZE stage in particular. Three times in Eurovision, four times in the national selection, always placing high. It’s clear that Eurovision has been a significant part of your musical career. Could you share what motivates you to participate in Eurovision and similar competitions?
Actually, I didn’t want to return to Eurovision or PZE. But this song and my crew convinced me. This song deserves to be heard on that stage. I agreed to send it and if it went through, then it belonged on that stage. Also, it’s like magic – if you’re a fan of Eurovision, you can relate. I participated three times at Eurovision, and it’s like a safe kind of drug, like unicorn dust (laugh). When you go through that experience of exchanging joy, cultures, new countries, new people that you get to know and you get to perform on that kind of a stage. In 2011 when we went with Nina and Kristina Kovač, Eurovision was in Dusseldorf, Germany, but it was held in a stadium, and it was pretty awesome. I had moments there that were outstanding. I also remember when I met the group BLUE and they were awesome in person, they hung out with us a few times at a few parties, and preparations for Eurovision. As I’m saying this, I have a huge smile on my face.
We totally get it. It’s an incredible experience! Speaking of Eurovision, you are in the running with your new song Kolo. It’s a vivacious, colorful song that encourages us to embrace and spread love. I’d love to hear more about the songwriting process for this song. Can you tell us how this song came together?
The story for this amazing question is actually short. I was in a studio, and there was a sample that we found, so I asked my partner back then and my colleague to put it on loop so I could record vocals and melodies and whatever I wanted. I recorded it on the spot, and that was it. I was thinking about that song, and in 2019 I wanted to send it, but then Da li čuješ moj glas came out and I thought it was a great song and went with it. I thought that this song, Kolo (was not called Kolo back then, it was in English), could not be performed the way I wanted it to be then. I kept it in a drawer and then the years went by, I started preparing my first album, and I was like “You know, I have this one, would you like to hear it?” It was kind of written for Eurovision but it could be a single, and they were all like “No, we have to do this for PZE, this is THE Eurovision song”. The rest is history and here we are now!
There is a part of the song that says “Kolariću paniću, pletemo se samiću”. Our Balkan viewers might be familiar with it, but can you explain this part for our international audience, and what does this mean in the context of your song?
It’s not really translatable. There are certain things in different languages that sound odd when translated into English. In terms of “Kolariću paniću, pletemo se samiću”, I can try to explain it – everything comes from within ourselves. We can complicate things, we can go through a lot, but the solution is also within us. We have that God given opportunity and self-awareness and will, to make things better. If you hate something, you have to figure out what’s hurting you so you can feed that side with love and compassion. You can grow into realizing what the pain was, and when you figure it out, you can come out of it. We have the chance to be great and kind, but also assholes, it’s up to us. Sometimes it’s not easy because you can’t locate all these things because it’s deep down and it didn’t come with only you but also your ancestors. Then, other people have to give you a metaphorical hand, just like in kolo, Serbian traditional dance. You can dance it only if you’re together, because the basic thing in kolo is that you hold hands with other people, and there are no differences of any kind among you, and that’s the ultimate message. We have to start from ourselves, and we have to try and change the world and help people do better, and that’s the whole point of the song. It talks about the hypocrisy in the world, how a lot of people are helping but we also know what happens with things that are in the hotspot worldwide right now. It should be the other way around, but it can only come from us; from our house, family, friends, then our country and society. We have to be the healthy cell and show that only love is the thing that spreads from us onto others, so that we can leave that to our children tomorrow.
We know you can’t reveal the specifics about your performance, but could you at least give us a hint so we can at the very least speculate a little? (Laugh)
Well, I can say two things: it will be in my colors (pink, blue, green), and I can say that it will be something that goes with a fast song. This is, I think, my first time going into a national competition with a fast song. I think it’s something people wouldn’t expect from me, they always see me doing some sort of a choreography but those were all ballads or semi-fast songs. Actually, Da li čuješ moj glas has drum and bass towards the end, but I was always focused on singing and putting my voice out there. This song, Kolo, sounds like it’s easy, but it’s not. It’s harder for me than others. I can say that I’m inspired by cinematography that I love, art, fashion and designers that I enjoy, some photographers. Everything that I love will be on stage and yes, I can add that I will not be alone on stage!
Sounds like it will be a party, and we cannot wait to see it all. This is one of my favorite questions to ask: if you were to do a duet with anyone of the PZE participants, who would it be and why?
Oh, there’s a lot of people I would love to duet with. I cannot say names because I might reveal a project we’re working on, but also it would be a list of at least ten people, so… (laugh). But if you ask me about former Eurovision participants, I would always say Željko Joksimović. Maybe it’s not logical given the type of music we make, but he is one of my favorite producers, alongside Magnifico, and that would be my dream collaboration.
What final message do you want to share with our readers and fans?
Only love is the real, true victory. The victory of life itself, humanity, the victory of kindness over any bad thing, and the victory of true love from ourselves, because only love is the real revolution, resolution, solution and evolution. Only love.
Sashka Yanx will be performing “Kolo” at PZE’s semi final 2 on February 29. You can follow her Instagram for updates here.
What do #YOU think about Sashka Yanx and her song? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our Discord, or on our forum page!
