Eurovision finalist caught up in a scandal over a cover of a Tatu song
Greek singer Akylas, who was a finalist in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, found himself at the center of a scandal after performing a song by the Russian band “Tatu.” The video quickly went viral on social media and sparked a wave of criticism, particularly from Ukrainian users and LELEKA, Ukraine’s representative at the contest.
The greatest outrage stemmed from the fact that the band “Tatu,” whose song the artist performed, is associated with support for the Russian government and the war against Ukraine.
Greek singer Akylas, who represented his country at “Eurovision 2026” and was a finalist in the contest, posted a cover of the song “All The Things She Said”—the English-language version of the famous hit by the Russian band “Tatu”—on his Instagram. “I’ve gone crazy.” After posting the video, the singer faced a wave of criticism. Social media users pointed out that the band “Tatu” is associated with support for the Russian government, which is waging a full-scale war against Ukraine.
Negative comments began appearing en masse under the video. Many Ukrainians emphasized that performing a song by a Russian band is inappropriate, especially against the backdrop of daily Russian attacks. LELEKA, Ukraine’s representative at “Eurovision 2026,” also reacted to the situation. She left a public comment under the artist’s video. “Today is a day of mourning in Kyiv. Following one of the largest Russian attacks on the city in recent months, at least 30 people were killed, 99 were injured, and 10 people are still missing,” the singer wrote.
She emphasized that the song performed by Akylas was written by a Russian band that openly supports the aggressor state. “The song you posted was written by a Russian band that openly supports the terrorist state responsible for these attacks. My heart broke when I heard this song from you,” LELEKA noted.
According to the artist, she hopes that the decision to perform this track was the result of ignorance rather than deliberate indifference. “I sincerely hope this happened due to a lack of awareness, not indifference, because indifference is something we simply cannot afford. Today, this terror is destroying Ukrainian cities. Tomorrow, it could spread even further,” she added.
As of the time of publication, Akylas himself had not publicly commented on the situation or explained why he chose to perform this particular song. It is also unknown whether he plans to delete the video or respond to the criticism. The scandal quickly gained traction on social media, where users continue to discuss the artist’s performance and the appropriateness of using songs by Russian artists who support the Kremlin’s policies during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The video of the cover appeared on the artist’s Instagram.
Reports have surfaced in Russian media claiming that composer and producer Konstantin Meladze has allegedly obtained Georgian citizenship. There is no official confirmation of this, and the musician himself has not yet commented on these reports.
