Uzari releases his debut album "'Padziaka Serca"

He’s the Belarusian singer who taught us that time is like thunder at Eurovision 2015. And luckily, time is (still) on Uzari’s side. The singer has been busy making new music for us all, and has now released his debut album, Padziaka Serca (A Grateful Heart).

Together with violinist Maimuna, Uzari represented Belarus with the entry “Time” on the stage in Vienna back in 2015. Unfortunately, they were left stranded in the first semi-final.

One year later, the singer auditioned for The Voice of Ukraine, but got knocked out of the race during the battle stages. Although he’s been a bit quiet since then, it’s clear that Uzari was using the time wisely to develop his sound and work on the new record.

In the four years since Uzari’s appearance on the Eurovision stage, the star’s style hasn’t changed that much – he’s still a hot, curly-haired, mysterious-looking feller. And naturally, he’s still wearing his one recognisable ear ring. However, it’s fair to say that his sound has most definitely changed.

His Eurovision song “Time” could be described as rather safe, with a bit of an edge. But Uzari has turned over a new leaf. This new album contains seven original songs, all of which are sung in his native language of Belarusian.

This includes the title track, “Padziaka Serca”, which was recently released as the singer’s latest single. Uzari has exchanged violinist Maimuna for a variety of new instruments – guitars, drums and even trumpets are featured in the new song. With a catchy hook and a modern pop-rock sound, the track is a perfect match for Uzari’s raw and improved vocal style.

In a press release, Uzari explains the meaning behind the new single: “The song is about feeling and finding yourself, through powerful feelings, such as gratitude of your heart”.

The accompanying music video for the track sees the singer, along with a guitarist and drummer, standing in front of the camera in mysterious dark blue and red lightning. Smoke and shimmering lights set the scene, before the song’s lyrics are projected onto Uzari while he sings.

One of the main images in the video is a running horse. Uzari explains: “The running horse represents intelligence, nobility and dynamic movement of thought. Legends and folklore of our people often give the horse magical powers, associated with the power of gusty wind, fire, water and earth. We tried to convey the atmosphere of each of the elements”.

He adds that there are a few hidden meanings in the music video: “Let the viewers read it themselves”. We wonder if this frames the singer as being the dark horse to look out for.

What do you think of Uzari’s debut album? Are you excited to here more new music from the singer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!