Will one of the best contemporary performers, Max Barskikh, actually get married? The personal life of an amorous singer. Max Barskikh does not approve of one-night stands Max Barskikh personal life interview

Each new clip is another record for views on YouTube. Almost every day there is a concert, often in another country. Yes it works at a crazy pace. What rhythm does he live in?

I paint pictures with sounds and words

Max, you studied at the Lyceum of Arts to become an artist. When was the last time you drew?

Unfortunately, there is not enough time for this now. But I know for sure that there will definitely come a time in my life when I will go into creating paintings. In the meantime, I paint pictures with sounds and words.

You chose the artistic direction because the music department said that you have neither hearing nor voice. Why were you underestimated - they failed to present the goods face-to-face?

How could a little child who had never sung sound good? In addition, it was probably also due to the negligence of the teachers, who failed to discern and reveal the hidden talents in the first-grader. But now I’m even glad that I have an art education. By the way, I recently found out that Kanye West had a similar story.

Nothing is impossible in life. The main thing is desire and faith. Then you can move any mountains. I taught myself to sing, write music and poetry, and later create arrangements. It was thanks to determination that he was able to achieve something and became Max Barskikh.

You are called the main hitmaker of the country, and your songs are heard from everywhere. Aren't you tired of yourself?

I don't think it can get boring. When you leave part of your soul, a lot of time and energy in music, it cannot be otherwise. I’m happy that my music resonates in so many hearts (smiles).

Who do you like to listen to?

I'm an omnivore when it comes to music. But there are artists whose albums I always look forward to: The XX, Radiohead, Frank Ocean, Lykke Li, Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey. Yes, there are many such cool performers and musicians... In general, there are thousands of songs, artists, and groups in my playlist.

Surprise from the boss

What is the most pleasant thing about your current star status and the most unpleasant thing?

I don’t take my popularity as something special, but people often think differently. Of course, it’s nice when they recognize me at the airport and can let me skip the line. Or in restaurants, for example, sometimes they serve some kind of surprise from the chef. It's the little things in life that lift your spirits. However, I never abuse my status.

Popularity often destroys the personal life of an artist. There is success, recognition, money, but you can’t be yourself, do stupid things, because you’re always under the gun of the media and the public. Do you feel familiar?

Off stage I am a fairly calm and modest person. I get enough adrenaline during performances or filming. But yes, I won’t hide it, sometimes I like to do something like that. Provided that there are well-known and loved people nearby.

I think that once you have chosen such a profession, be prepared for any difficulties. Moreover, over time you get used to everything and try to look for the positive sides. If you see pure negativity in everything, your inner self is destroyed. So I write songs, travel, meet talented, interesting people and don’t ask myself why I need this.

What I do is my way of life. I can’t just up and change my occupation. Or rather, I can, but I will lose harmony. I feel at home on stage - I understand what, where, why and, most importantly, to whom all this is dedicated.

Have you ever wanted to give up everything and run away from everyone?

Take a break, relax - yes. Never hide. When you run away from problems, they are not solved, but only worsened.

Do you experience depression?

I’m a creative person, and sometimes I can’t find a common language with myself. Nerves begin to fray, and sometimes it leads to depression. The right books and good people help fight this. I rarely allow myself to fall apart, but if I feel even a hint of this state, I have a cure - my music.

House for the soul

In June you canceled a concert in Germany because you lost consciousness. Do you often have to speak through something I can’t?

Constant travel and flights, tiring travel, lack of sleep - all this takes a lot of energy, strength and health. Sometimes the body gets tired and cannot stand it. For the entire period of my concert activity, this happened to me for the first time, and I hope it will not happen again. And going on stage with a fever is a common thing for every artist.

You lived in the USA for some time. Has this affected your habits and lifestyle?

I moved to Los Angeles several years ago. This city has always attracted me: the scorching sun, the ocean, the spirit of freedom and creativity. At some point I realized that it began to inspire me more than Kyiv. Having left the country, friends, family, I left my comfort zone and thanks to this, first of all, I grew spiritually.

You once said that you dream of buying a home in America, and in Ukraine - a cozy house in the forest. Why in the forest? Just outside the city - isn’t this an option?

Just imagine how wonderful it is to wake up early in the morning and hear the birds singing, go out into the yard and breathe in clean air! A house in the forest is for the soul. Here you can calmly enjoy nature. For example, at times I need to be alone with myself, with my thoughts. I think the desired effect can only be achieved far from people, somewhere in the wilderness.

Where do you live now?

Since I practically never visit Kyiv, I long ago got rid of the apartment and the things that filled it. Now he has moved to Misha Romanova. She, like me, is constantly on the road, we rarely see each other, so we don’t have time to get tired of each other.

But I have real estate in Los Angeles. Not long ago I changed the North Hollywood area to Hollywood. Now I am creating a space there for a comfortable life and creativity. I am organizing the apartment in every possible way - buying new furniture, repainting the walls, and taking care of other household issues.

Do you often change your place of residence?

Now I don’t stay in one place - I’m constantly touring. Almost every day I find myself in a new city or country. Only Tuesdays are free.

What does your dream home look like?

A small, cozy house with everything you need for creativity. I love minimalism. Life is better and easier this way. But every detail of the interior will be chosen very meticulously.

Emotion Catcher

Let's say you have a couple of free days - and no work plans. How will you spend them - invite friends, have a party, have a good drink to relax, go to a club? Or will you order pizza and watch TV?

First of all, I’ll get some sleep (smiles). Sometimes I can attend relaxing procedures or, on the contrary, choose some extreme activity. I also like to read books. In general, it all depends on the mood. So a noisy party with friends is also possible.

You didn’t mention a hobby - do you have one?

I so rarely pick up a brush that for me it has become more of a hobby than a professional activity, despite the fact that, let me remind you, I am an artist by education.

What about hidden talents that few people know about?

There are none that can be loudly declared. If there were, I would definitely develop them, even despite the constant lack of time. There was a period when I liked to do photography. I love to capture real emotions - I usually shoot not what I see, but what I feel.

Is it important for you to have people waiting for you at home when you return?

Of course, when you walk into a house, turn the key, and are greeted at the door, you want to immediately straighten your shoulders and smile broadly. Realizing that there is a place where you are always welcome is already happiness.

You have officially stated that you are in a relationship with Misha Romanova. This is not the first attempt to be together. Why did you break up last time and what made you get back together?

We never parted, and our relationship, it seems to me, will never end. Because we are very close people, one might say, a family. We went to school together and moved to Kyiv together. At first she lived with me, now it’s the other way around. When we had a difficult moment, we decided to separate - and remained best friends. Now I understand how right we did.

The main question is what meaning does Misha and I give to the word “relationship” and what does those around us mean.

Do you imagine yourself as a family man?

Now I devote myself to music, work a lot and constantly travel. Of course, I would like my personal life to be more fulfilling and vibrant. Every year I understand that finding your person is becoming more and more difficult. But if I meet my soulmate, I am sure that I will be able to combine family and career.

This year, Max Barskikh released a new video, “Make It Louder,” and received the Top Hit Music Awards 2018 in the categories “Most Popular Performer on Radio in 2017” and “Most Rotated Track of 2017” for the song “Mists.” We asked the artist about his new video, his attitude to love, and remembered his first invitation to Almaty to the Runway Report event held by Harper’s BAZAAR Kazakhstan.

In music it’s primary for me perception. Inspiration has two faces: sad and happy.

Sometimes it's easier for me to sing than to say.

I am not lying in their songs. Today I can be good and tomorrow bad, but I will always say what I feel.

Falling in love is mild illness. You often lose the line between it and love.

Since childhood I had to to discover and experience this world myself, other members of my family somehow had no time for me. After all, who is interested in communicating with younger people? Now I feel embarrassed that I know more.

What is the most important thing in this life? Probably it's time. Everything is temporary: love, fame, sensation, happiness... These are just seconds that begin counting down from the moment of their appearance.

If we talk about my love what she was like yesterday, will be tomorrow and what she is today, I will always answer differently. Yesterday I only had an idea about it, today I can say my perception of love - it is probably a disease, but at the same moment it is healing.

Reality is continuous black and white movie with a break for color advertising. An advertisement advising you to buy a memory in your short memory. Over time it wears off.

I never know How will my new song end? When I start writing, I don’t understand where the next line will lead.

Song "Mists" was written in Tallinn. As I remember now, I returned to the hotel after the concert, tired and almost exhausted, getting ready for bed. And already in bed, falling asleep, I hummed a melody. This melody became the demo version of the hit “Mists”.

I don't like creative collaborations or duets, which “need” to be published. It’s important for me to meet an artist, be on the same wavelength with him, jam together, exchange sketches of songs with some creative unit that can also create something. And in such a game to give birth to a song that will be endowed with the right emotion, the right meaning...

In the “Make It Louder” video the most valuable for me are: several unique scenic and visual finds. For example, in the first scene of the video we demonstrate how an angel accompanies a soul that has already left the world of living people. Before our eyes, the grandmother turns into a woman, a girl, a girl and a baby. All this happens during a conversation with Angel on the way to the subway car. The subway is shown completely empty, and instead of the usual train, a lemon-colored train of fate arrives. An angel enters the carriage and hands over the soul of the baby to the Nurse Angels, who take it to a new life. With the help of social choreography that reveals the wordless monologue of the main characters, the video reveals the conflicts of each character and demonstrates exactly how the Angel helps those who hear him.

I first came to Kazakhstan 6 years ago for the Runway Report event held by Harper’s BAZAAR. Since then I regularly go there for concerts. The people here are very hospitable and spontaneous. And I really appreciate it. At least twice I celebrated the New Year in this country. And both of these years were full of pleasant memories. I think this is a good tradition.

Max Barskikh is deservedly called one of the best performers not only in Ukraine, but also in the entire CIS. His biography cannot be called boring and banal. By the age of 27, he managed to release four solo albums, take part in two Star Factory projects, write several successful compositions for other performers, become a nominee for a number of awards, and even star in a film. But who really is Max Barskikh, whose personal life invariably arouses keen interest among numerous fans?

Wikipedia talks only about Max’s creative path and achievements. There is no doubt that this talented young man with a striking appearance is constantly very busy. But is it really only by participating in concerts, writing new compositions and filming videos? Of course not. Every song of the artist about love, every video is simply permeated with sex appeal and magnetism. Max Barskikh knows perfectly well what he writes and sings about. And he no longer hides who inspires him to do this.

short biography

Barsky's real name is Nikolai Bortnik. He was born on March 8, 1990 in the sunny seaside city of Kherson. Here he graduated from school, already making plans for a solo career as a vocal performer. But since the plans could not be implemented in Kherson, the guy at the age of 17 moved to Kyiv, where he entered the Academy of Variety and Circus Arts.

Interesting fact: few people know, but in early childhood Nikolai dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Then he quickly switched to music and began performing in his native Kherson with various little-known groups, without staying in any of them for long. And in the end he entered the Kherson Tauride Lyceum of Arts and received the profession of an artist. Bortnik began his career as a singer later.

According to Max himself, he began writing songs at the age of 12. The desire to finally be heard pushed him to take a risky step, and he took part in the casting for “Star Factory-2” (2008). Barskikh passed the casting successfully, although the selection was very tough. But he did not stay long on the project, leaving of his own free will. True, before this he managed to release two songs as reporting works, “Anomaly” and “Stranger”, which, although they became hits, could not glorify the young, talented artist throughout the country.

His first album was released in 2009 - and with it came real success. Although 2010 was a turning point in Max’s work. By this time, the artist’s songs are heard on all radio stations in the country, and his videos can be seen on music channels every hour. The same year he returned to the Factory and starred in the film Madeumazel Zhivago.

In 2011, the artist’s active work continues. The first video clip in 3D format is being released not only in Ukraine, but throughout the CIS. After which the performer takes part in a number of nominations, for which he receives several prestigious awards. Inspired by his successes, the next year Max Barskikh tries to become the representative of Ukraine at Eurovision, but he lacks just a little to beat the winner - Gaitana.

However, this does not upset Max at all: three years later, his new English-language album is released, which immediately became a hit not only in Ukraine, but also in Russia, Belarus and Lithuania. The singer and composer celebrates his 25th birthday in Los Angeles, where he went to study musical engineering, after which he releases another album. Today, Max Barskikh is one of the most successful and sought-after performers not only in Ukraine, but also abroad.

Loves and relationships

There is some kind of magical attraction between this slender guy with a soulful voice and the VIAgra group. At first, Max simply shocked the public with his passionate attitude towards one of the ex-soloists, Svetlana Loboda. It all started during his participation in “Star Factory-2”, when he began confessing his love to the singer and cutting his wrists right on stage during a performance.

Songs were written about her, videos were dedicated to her (S.L. or Bitch-love). Will he be able to win the heart of an equally outrageous and talented singer, but older and more experienced than him – that’s what fans and paparazzi were watching with bated breath. After the release of the joint video “The Heart Beats,” the situation became tense and threatened to turn into a real scandal. The daring photo shoot of Svetlana and Max added fuel to the fire. And it was at that moment that everything ended, the passion subsided and the storm passed.

But the epic with Viagra, or more precisely, with its former soloists, did not stop there. During his stay in Los Angeles, while looking for suitable apartments for himself, he ran into Anna Sedokova in the elevator of a residential complex he liked. They ended up becoming good neighbors and close friends.

“Not a novel, no,” Max assures. “We just communicated well, sometimes we drank tea together or ate pizza on the roof, that’s all.”

But all this time, starting from his studies at the Kyiv Academy of Pop Art, and even earlier, before his trip to the USA and after it, there was a completely different person next to him. The relationship was unstable, could be interrupted, then flare up with new passion. But they never stopped, and continue to this day. Max Barskikh and Misha Romanova have been together for more than ten years. Romantics would call it love since school. But the couple themselves do not say so, although they do not deny or hide their close relationship.

“We are more than just lovers, we are very close, almost like family. And I think that our relationship will last forever and will never be interrupted,” Max himself shared in one of his interviews.

Although he immediately admits that they separated several times, and even when they lived together, not everything was smooth. For example, one day Misha and Max had a fight over a dinner that didn’t happen.

“I tried very hard for her, stood at the stove all day and all evening, and she eventually said that she wouldn’t eat anything because she was on a diet,” Barskikh recalls with a laugh. “In the end, I freaked out and threw away everything I had cooked, along with the dishes.”

Not so long ago, the couple separated again and Misha even left Max’s two-level Kyiv apartment. But lately, Barskikh and Masha Romanova almost always appear in public together. Therefore, there is every reason to believe that the wedding will actually take place.

Max's personal life is no longer a secret: soon he will become not only a husband, but also a father - much to the chagrin of all his fans. How such a step will affect his work is a separate question. But the fact that the next album will be completely new and unlike any previous one is undeniable. Well, let's look forward to it!

P.S. Shortly after the joint interview, Misha Romanova refuted her own words, saying that it was just a joke and there is no and cannot be any pregnancy. Moreover, she is not in love with anyone and is not currently dating anyone. Max Barskikh did not comment on this statement.

Max Barskikh's songs have firmly established themselves in the top music charts and iTunes ratings. The singer himself is not used to staying in one place for a long time; he calls himself a bird of free flight.

Photo: Yaroslav Bugaev

Max Barskikh is a young provocateur from Ukraine. The site managed to get to know the singer when Max came to congratulate us on his birthday. Afterwards we met again to get to know Max Barskikh better.

Max, in your homeland, in Ukraine, you are already a star, but for Russia you are still a little-known performer. Are you confident in your abilities? Will you outshine Bilan and Lazarev in a couple of years?

I am always confident in my abilities. I always go forward and try not to look back. Bilan and Lazarev and I have big differences; I write my own music, lyrics and tell my stories and experiences. I think in the future you will understand that I do not fit into the list of the above-mentioned performers.

By the way, why did you start expanding to the East, and not immediately to the West - Europe, the States?

Everything has its time. You must first conquer your compatriots. And then you can conquer new spaces.

On stage you are an arrogant and shocking artist, but in life, as the site has already assessed, you are a polite and even shy young man. So where is the real you?

I'm a mood person. Today it's bad - I won't smile. Tomorrow I can give joy. When I go on stage, I lose control of myself, I can be completely different.

Your career has not yet begun, and you are already involved in some scandals. Tell us more about these stories with FZ and your ex-girlfriend.

I don't like to look back. These are ordinary stories or problems that can happen to any person, only in show business it is customary to call them scandals. If you're interested, you can find it online and divide it by two.

Now let's talk about happy love. Tell me the most romantic story from your life? Are you generally a sentimental person? Is this reflected in your work?

Yes, I'm sentimental. I'm used to expressing all my romantic and non-romantic experiences in songs. It will be interesting, listen, I can tell you about each song separately.

What do you like more: working in the studio or on the set?

There's more in the studio. There I can relax, let go of the everyday hustle and bustle, this is the place where I can be myself. I really love recording.

You don't just star in music videos. Tell us about your project “Mademoiselle Zhivago”.

I was delighted to meet and work with Lara Fabian. It was very easy to play with her. I easily brought to life all the experiences of my hero. According to the director, I coped with the role.

What do you dream about?

My main dream has already come true. I am who I am now, I can create what I want, without restrictions and frames (many thanks to my team). But other dreams are still being formed; every year there is a reassessment of values. And if you don’t look at it globally, then my immediate dream is that my new song “Killer Eyes” will not only repeat, but also surpass the success of the previous one, “Losing You.” Look out for the clip soon...