Go_A - “Kalyna”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 9; Popularity Index: 10

Pairs Well With…KALUSH, Pussy Riot, A Tribe Called Red

Go_A’s two most-recent singles “SHUM” and “Kalyna” are some of the most infectious pop songs I’ve heard listening through this year’s SXSW artists. Hyperpop, electro-dance, and traditional Ukranian folk melodies weave into Go_A’s sound, eschewing subtly for gigantic tracks that could explode off any dance, pop, or World music stage. They perform with punk intensity too, again twisting dance-pop expectations while still able to rip open a sweaty dancefloor. It’s wild how all of these sounds work so well together and their creations have caught on pretty wide already. Go_A’s “SHUM” made it to fifth as Ukraine’s Eurovision Song Contest entry in 2021 and is approaching 100,000,000 streams alone. It’s deserved and hopefully this streak of bangers continues well into the future. Friday night at Inn Cahoots is Ukrainian night, a set of six diverse artists including Go_A performing in Austin to not only show off their musical reach, but have a chance bunch of Texans and others from around the world let them know we got their back. (Kevin McStravick)