Eurodance as a style direction of the Ukrainian song variety of the 1990s

Abstract

The paper outlines the specific features of the Eurodance style and characterizes the legacy of Ukrainian performers who worked in this style in the context of the development of the Ukrainian song variety in the 1990^s. The research methodology included the use of historical-cultural, comparative and musical-analytical methods, which made it possible to determine the specific features of European song hits written in the Eurodance style and show the features of its reception by Ukrainian pop singers of the 1990^s. Eurodance as a musical style had a short history (1992-1995), but a large number of hits showed its importance for the development of European popular music. The sociocultural basis of Eurodance is the European values of tolerance and respect for every person, the main message is a call for unity and love. Eurodance emerges at the intersection of electronic and pop music: the current sound of acid house becomes the stylistic basis of a commercial song hit of the 1990^s. The development of Ukrainian Eurodance falls on the second half of the 1990^s. Among the numerous Ukrainian performers who worked in the Eurodance style the groups “Turbo-Techno-Sound”,                   “Phantom-2”, “Aqua Vita” made the greatest contribution to the development and style renewal of the Ukrainian song variety. Ukrainian Eurodance at the initial stage was distinguished by intellectualism (“Turbo-Techno-Sound”, “Phantom-2”), however, the information overload of the texts had a negative impact on the musical dramaturgy of the songs, which was an obstacle to the creation of full-fledged Eurodance hits. The classic examples of the Eurodance style (“Aqua Vita”) were distinguished by their harmonious musical structure and possessed all the features of a commercial hit due to the rejection of excessive intellectualism and focus on the basic principles of constructing Eurodance compositions. Ukrainian Eurodance hits appeared already during the period of stylistic reorientation of European music, so Eurodance in the Ukrainian stage did not have time to fully reveal its potential. And although Ukrainian performers for many reasons could not claim places in the European charts, Eurodance began a symbolic movement of Ukraine into the European cultural space, and, consequently, became the basis for its future cultural European integration.