Eurovision 2025 Profile: Bird of Pray by Ziferblat
- Saskia McKenna
- 5 minutes ago
- 4 min read
We profile the 2025 entry from Ukraine, including details on the artist, song, how it was chosen, odds, fan reaction, and how the nation has fared at Eurovision.
Ukraine is synonymous with “powerhouse” in the Eurovision community, and one look at their track record reveals why.
Since making their debut in 2003, they are the only country (that has participated more than once since the introduction of semi-finals) that has maintained a 100% qualification streak. Not only that, but they have also never placed lower than 8th in a semi-final in their 21 years competing.
They have won the contest three times: Ruslana with Wild Dances in 2004 (on their second participation!), Jamala with 1944 in 2016 and Kalush Orchestra with Stefania in 2022.
Ukraine is best known within the contest for sending consistent quality but also variety. Whilst many countries occupy niches in music, Ukraine is wholly unique in what they send year to year, from girl bops to power ballads to rock to folk-electronic, Ukraine always surprises and never disappoints. Further, Ukraine knows how to stage their songs very well.
This trend continues into 2025 with Ziferblat representing Ukraine with their song Bird of Pray.
2025 Entry: Ziferblat - Bird of Pray
Ziferblat will perform 5th in semi-final 1
My Eurovision Scoreboard ranking: 19th
Odds to win ranking: 11th
(Odds as at 21 April 2025)
About the artist:
Ziferblat is a progressive rock band consisting of twin brothers Danyil Leshchynskyi (vocals), Valentyn Leshchynskyi (guitar) and Fedir Khodakov (drums).
The band was established in 2015, and the current lineup has existed since around 2022. The group first rose to prominence in 2019, where they performed on Ukrainian X-Factor.
The group’s passion for Eurovision is strong, as this is their third time in a row competing for the Eurovision ticket in the well-regarded Ukrainian national final Vidbir. This strategy seems to have paid off as well! In 2023, they made the long list with their largely instrumental and experimental track Zemlya.
Then in 2024, they came runner-up to Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil with the electro-funk ballad Place I Call Home, winning the jury vote and coming fourth in the televote.
This method of repeated exposure seems to have endeared the Ukrainian public to Ziferblat, and with this year’s song, Bird of Pray. The band has once again completely shaken up their approach with what might be their most authentic and complex song yet.
About the song:
The song is in the progressive rock genre, and further than that, as Ziferblat call it: the “Wasati-Funk” genre. It features many elements including white voice chanting, a guitar solo and a very demanding vocal performance. Aesthetically, the band leans into 60s psychedelia and utilises colour and the image of a garden to symbolise hope.
In an interview with Eurovoix, Valentyn explained:
“The song is a reflection of what is going on [in Ukraine] … it is a song about hope because the bird is a good symbol of freedom… of hope and of changes.”
He went on to say that he wanted to challenge himself by writing a complex song for Eurovision.
Not only is the musical structure complex, the lyrics have a depth that may be missed without looking at the song holistically. The English chorus of the song pleads with those who have fled to live full lives and find meaning and community while away. This is in contrast to the Ukrainian verses that are from the perspective of those who remain, anticipating their return.
This is presented in the translation. “Return and lead us back home… The song of migrating birds will awaken the spring.” There is the idea that displaced Ukrainians despite having left home, will return and when they do peace will come with them and that healing can at last begin.
How was Ziferblat chosen for Eurovision?
On 8 February 2025, Ukraine’s highly esteemed national final Vidbir was broadcast and was hosted in an unknown location in Kyiv. The event was also pre-recorded as a safety precaution.
Ten songs were in the running for the ticket to Basel, overseen by new music producer Tina Karol (Ukraine 2006) and competition was tight with no clear frontrunner.
The voting consisted of a public vote and a three-member jury elected by public vote, among the jurors was Kateryna Pavlenko of Go_A (Ukraine 2021) and Jamala (winner for Ukraine 2016).
In the end, Ziferblat were victorious after receiving runner-up in the jury with nine points and the maximum 10 points from the public for a combined 19 points. There was a three-way tie for silver with 16 points each was Molodi with My Sea, Masha Kondratenko with No Time to Cry and the jury winner, Khayat with Honor.
Despite the points being in the “converted system”, Ziferblat comfortably won the televote with over 90,000 votes (Molodi was runner-up with 70,000 votes).
Ukraine will perform in the first half of the first semi-final at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland on Thursday, May 13.
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