Singing competition shows always offer something new. Even if the song that someone performs is already known, to hear a different person’s take on it is always exciting.
Other times, the type of singing is something the audience and judges may not be familiar with. That was the case in 2017 when Sofia Shkidchenko took the stage during an episode of “Ukraine’s Got Talent.” From their faces, it’s clear that the three judges had no idea what to expect when the little blond girl bounced onto the stage.
Then aged just 11 years old, Sofia looked adorable as she stepped out in a checkered dress that was blue and white in color. She also had pigtails in her hair and clogs on her shoes, a subtle nod to the surprise that she had in store for the judges and audience that day.
All eyes were on the young girl as she began to sing. And it did not take long for her enormous talent to cause wonder to both the judges and members of the audience. The judging panel was already curious when Sofia began her routine with a quick dance. The camera highlighted her clogs early on as if to hint about what lay in store.
As Sofia bopped forward, then backward, everyone watched and smiled when she began to sing in a strong voice with a country twang. Little did they know, the best was yet to come. No one in the studio that day expected what the young girl would do with her voice next.
As Sofia sang a run that included a small yodel, the judges traded surprised glances at one another. The girl returned to a masterful performance of the country-sounding song she’d started but a moment later she switched back into an all-out yodel. That’s when the audience and judges looked completely shocked at what they had witnessed.
Following her performance, there was no doubt she was the fan-favorite by the end of the song. The judges loved her performance just as much as the crowd. All three of the judges danced in their chairs at different parts of the song.
People all around the world seem to agree since the video of Sofia’s performance has been viewed over 20.7 million times! The comments section is full of messages from people speaking many different languages — from English and Japanese to Portuguese.
Considering Sofia’s popularity, it’s no surprise to learn that she’s still performing as a singer and yodeler. On her Patreon page, she described herself as the “best Ukrainian yodeler.” Her representation agency described her as “a self-motivated artist who has been honing her craft since early childhood and has won numerous awards internationally.” They also said:
“Sofia likes to combine different styles of music in her performances, starting with Yodeling, to Pop, Rock, Jazz and country. She also sings in many different languages such as English, German, Spanish, Turkish, Korean, etc.”
What’s more, she’s also a songwriter. Her agency said:
“Her last two songs were written for the National Selection for Junior Eurovision 2020. With her “OK Song” she reached the final of the National Selection.”
Despite being only 16 years old, Sofia has performed live on the radio and TV over 200 times! What an incredibly ambitious young lady. She also collaborates with musicians all around the world and in 2019 she joined forces with UK band Basement Jaxx and premiered the “Yodel Song” on BBC.
As not yet even an adult, Sofia has established herself as a premier yodeler in the music industry. But what exactly is yodeling? Wikipedia described yodeling as “a form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register (or “chest voice”) and the high-pitch head register or falsetto.” The word yodel comes from the German word “jodeln,” which means “to utter the syllable jo (pronounced “yo” in English).” Despite being a long-running artform in Europe that goes back as far as the 16th Century, Sofia has helped keep it alive and brought it into popular culture.
She regularly posts videos of her yodeling and singing on her YouTube channel, which has over 142,000 followers. Some of her popular videos include covers of other artists’ work, including Destiny’s Child, Lady Gaga and Alicia Keys, as well as yodeling versions of classic songs by Frank Sinatra and even Christmas songs.
Most recently, Sofia released her very first album, titled “Ok?” With original songs of hers, the record came out in 2021. At only 16, Sofia has already achieved so much and her talent is truly undeniable. We can’t wait to see what else she has in store for her career in the future!
What did you think of Sofia Shkidchenko’s yodeling performance? Have you ever heard anything like it before? If you found this interesting, be sure to pass it on to your friends and family so they can witness it too!