Russian-Tajik Star Manizha Releases New EP: ‘Hope’.
MANIZHA RELEASES NEW EP: ‘HOPE’
DIGITAL COVER ARTWORK FEATURES 2000 MESSAGES OF HOPE
FROM FANS VIA #MAKEHOPEVIRAL CHALLENGE
BANNED FROM PERFORMING LIVE IN RUSSIA
VILIFIED FOR PRO-LGBTQ+ AND PRO-PEACE VIEWS
Banned in her home of Russia, Russian-Tajik star Manizha continues to release music and is delighted to welcome the arrival of her new EP ‘Hope’. Acting as a light amidst a very dark time for the artist and her fans, ‘Hope’ features singles Save Your World, Candlelight, the recently released Gun, and new track Hope.
Manizha says: “In such dark times, it's important to spread hope. Yes, it's not easy for me to be an artist today (I'm cancelled, I'm under a lot of pressure), but I'm not afraid of anything. Fear will not control my voice. My voice is ruled by hope for a better world and honesty. I want to make hope viral. I wish for peace not only in the world, but also in everyone.”
‘Hope’ was written by Manizha with Liz Horsman and produced by MOBO and BRIT-Award winning Mike Spencer, who has previously worked with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Zayn, Rudimental, Ellie Goulding and John Newman. Ahead of the EP release, Manizha launched a #MAKEHOPEVIRAL challenge, asking fans to share their messages of hope. Thousands of messages were collated from across the world to feature on the EP cover in a digital and interactive piece of artwork – fans are able to zoom in on the wall of messages to read each individual message. The ‘Hope’ artwork is able to view at http://makehopeviral.com/.
Manizha was the Russian Eurovision entry in 2021 and, while most people loved her fierce performance, some simply could not accept a pro-LGBTQ+ Tajik migrant representing Russia. The anti-Manizha campaign that started during Eurovision didn’t go away, and things only got worse after Ukraine. Freedom, belonging, and, above all, truth, are central to Manizha’s music, but communicating her message is difficult in Russia right now.
Standing up for the oppressed and challenging inhumanity, Manizha’s pro-LGBTQ+ and pro-peace views have led to her being added to a blacklist which prohibits her from performing live. Her music is also banned in public spaces, and she struggles to release any music in Russia. Furthermore, Manizha is still under investigation for her comments about innocent people of Central Asian origin experiencing hate as the aftermath the Crocus City Hall Attack earlier this year. Although she is now moving about freely, she is still being constantly monitored by the state. Her social media was taken down following reports to Meta just as she released Save Your World making it almost impossible for her to promote or discuss that song with her audience.
Manizha faced great difficulties recording ‘Hope’ and the videos for its singles, travelling to Tajikistan to record Gun tucked away amongst the country’s mountains, as the team were unable to meet in Moscow or London due to Manizha’s situation and various safety concerns. The thought-provoking video for Gun was the team’s second attempt at making a video for Manizha’s songs as the first, a video for the single Candlelight, was cancelled on the eve of shooting when the crew received a tip-off that the police were planning to intervene.
Released today, ‘Hope’ is available to stream here.
TRACKLIST
Gun – Produced and mixed by Mike Spencer
Save Your World - Produced and mixed by Mike Spencer
Candlelight - Produced and mixed by Mike Spencer
Hope - Produced and mixed by Mike Spencer
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Songwriters Manizha and Liz Horsman
Produced and mixed by Mike Spencer
Released by YOUTHEMIC
About Manizha
Manizha began her career as a child singer in 2003 and was part of a string of successful pop groups before releasing her debut solo single I Love Too Much in 2016.
Having fled war-torn ex-Soviet state Tajikistan when she was just 4 years-old, Manizha grew up in Moscow where she continues to live. Over the last decade she has garnered a massive following in Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and beyond. Her Tajik heritage is intertwined in so much of her art and music, and it is also central to her beliefs. She looks for the best in people and encourages us all to do the same.
The face of campaigns for Dove, Adidas’ L’Oréal and Puma, she has headlined stadiums and is a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. In 2021, she represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest, where she performed her track Russian Woman. Manizha came ninth in the contest and received backlash for her pro-LGBTQ+ stance and identity as a Tajik-Russian migrant. The anti-Manizha campaign that started during Eurovision didn’t go away, and her position only worsened when Ukraine was invaded and Manizha didn’t support it.