Elen Smile
Elen Smile
(real name Olena Valeriivna Polishchuk) is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, actress, stand-up comedian, presenter, event organizer. She is known for her song "Ukraine
Cocaine", which won her the Grand Prix at the Music Visual Awards. She is also known for the song "Dubai", which made her famous abroad. Elen started the first russian-language Stand-up Comedy club in Miami.
Early years.
Elen Smile was born on January 11, 1988 in the city of Vinnytsia, Ukraine, in a large family. Polishchuk’s father Valery Hryhorovych worked as a mechanical engineer at an electrical engineering plant, and later opened his own business. Polishchuk’s mother, Nadia Mykolaivna, took care of 4 children who were almost the same age. From the age of six, the girl dreamed of becoming a famous singer and singing for the whole world. Therefore, she began to learn English from childhood, imitating her favorite performers, and writing her own poems. Helen loved to read, several books at a time, she always had a great thirst for knowledge. At school, teachers often called her "Professor" because she knew and thought like an adult. A bright voice and remarkable artistry always distinguished her among her peers. Her dream - to enter a music school and master the piano - at that time, unfortunately, remained unfulfilled due to the family’s financial difficulties.
"I wanted to play music so much that I took a blackboard, drew keys on it and tapped on it with my fingers, imagining that it was a piano. I am sure that if I had learned to play as a child, everything in life would have turned out differently, "says Olena.
Teaching.
After graduating from school, Elen Smile earned a diploma in finance at the Vinnytsia Technical College (2005-2008). However, her true vocation was in music. After moving to Kyiv, she actively studied music at the Kyiv National Linguistics University (2010-2016) while studying at the Faculty of English Language Translators. Performances at various music venues in the city and work in karaoke bars became an important stage in her formation as a performer. It was there that her bright voice and charisma attracted the attention of her first fans.
Pseudonym.
The history of the pseudonym Ellen Smile is quite funny. Once, while registering on Facebook, the girl spontaneously entered her name in Latin, not particularly thinking about its sound, it was the first word that came to mind. That’s how Elen Smile appeared. Subsequently, the singer repeatedly tried to change her pseudonym to her real name, but the system always rejected her requests. So randomly chosen nickname became her stage name and recognizable brand. As Elen notes, "Smile" perfectly reflects her position in life and her desire to bring joy to people with her songs.
Career.
To pay for her studies at the Kyiv Linguistics University, Elen worked as a waitress. In parallel with her studies, she opened her own travel agency, conducted tours of Kyiv for foreigners and worked as a radio presenter on "Galaxy" radio. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Elen returned to her hometown and delved into the world of investments and cryptocurrencies. She also founded the "liveme" agency, which trained talented people to work as streamers on the American platform. Earned funds allowed Elen to realize her old dream - to become a singer. Today, Elen is known not only as a performer, but also as the author of songs for many Ukrainian stars.
In 2022, she took the "hit algorithm" songwriting course at Ana Baston, and the very next year she performed on the same stage with the Kalush Orchestra, the winners of the Eurovision Song Contest.
In 2024, Elen took part in a large-scale concert in honor of the Independence Day of Ukraine in Miami, sharing the stage with such stars as Iryna Bilyk, Assia Ahhatt, Alina Grosu, Alekseev, Kryvoshapko and others.
"Ukraine Сocaine".
The year 2021 became a landmark in the creative life of Ellen Smile. It was then that she presented her scandalous, but extremely bright song "Ukraine Сocaine" to the world. This provocative track not only attracted the attention of a wide audience, but also became a real breakthrough in her career.
The bold and extraordinary composition, which combined elements of electronic music and Ukrainian folklore, caused a stormy reaction among music critics and fans. Some condemned the frankness of the texts, while others admired the courage and originality of the author.
The culmination of the song’s success was the victory at the prestigious Kyiv talent competition "Music Visual Awards". "Ukraine Сocaine" received the Grand Prix, which was an unexpected, but well-deserved recognition of Ellen Smile’s talent. This victory confirmed that the singer is one of the brightest and boldest representatives of modern Ukrainian music.
The atmosphere on the set was tense, but at the same time full of creative excitement. Every minute was worth its weight in gold. The participants had to demonstrate not only musical talents, but also the ability to quickly adapt to changing conditions and work in a team. The result of this marathon was 21 unique videos, each of which became a small masterpiece. This record was included in the book of records of Ukraine and became a vivid testimony of what Ukrainian talents are capable of. The jury at the competition was well-known: Producer Vadym Lisitsa, open kids producer Yuriy Petrov,
S
inger, songwriter and producer Vlad Darwin and showman Uncle Zhora.
Vadym Lisitsa commented on the song "Ukraine Сocaine": "This is a brilliant song."
Winning the competition was an important milestone in Ellen Smile’s career. The song "Ukraine Сocaine" opened the door for her to the big stage and brought her the long-awaited recognition. After this success, the singer began to actively tour, perform at major festivals and collaborate with famous musicians.
"I didn’t know what to write a song about, I’ve never done it before! I bought a beat from the Internet and wrote the text. I have traveled a lot and, believe me, I have not found a better country than ours. In the song, she described what foreigners told me. They always said: "Ukraine is like a drug - I want to come back here again and again!" I really wanted people to love Ukraine as much as I love it. She drew an unusual parallel with drugs to show that we live in the best place on the planet. I want to add that the song was born by itself and I wrote it with good intentions!" - shares Elen Smile.
Ukraine has talent.
In 2021, Elen Smile decided to try her hand at the all-Ukrainian stage and took part in the 10th season of the popular talent show "Ukraine has talent". It was there, during the performance of his provocative song "Ukraine Сocaine", that a loud scandal took place with judge Serhii Prytula. His sharp criticism and disagreement with the creative vision of the singer caused a violent reaction both among the viewers of the show and on the Internet. Despite the negative assessment of one of the jury members, this scandal became a powerful impetus for the further development of Ellen Smile’s career, making her an even more recognizable and discussed figure in Ukrainian show business. After the performance on the show, the popularity of the singer grew rapidly. Ellen Smile woke up famous, her song became the subject of wide discussions in society and was actively shared in social networks.
Scandal.
Serhii Prytula indignantly criticized the song, bringing it to tears with the words:
"This song is the case when we thought we had already seen the bottom, but there was still a knock from below. Wear an embroidered dress, put on a wreath, sing about lard on the show "Ukraine has talent" on the 30th anniversary of Independence? Emphasizing this sharovarschyna? This is so terrible! After all, your creativity is a great harm to Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian song. Talking about Ukraine in this way is an insult to Ukraine and culture in general. I didn’t hear anything good in the lyrics. The only thing is that foreigners come, and they are like "wow" - what cool girls we have. Your creativity is vulgar, not fun and primitive. It was a shame…”
However, the performance in the program gave her fame and recognition. In an interview for the "33rd. News" actress told what actually happened on the set and how she got there:
"I confess, I am shocked by such vileness of the organizers of the show. After all, my song "Ukraine Сocaine" won one of the creative contests. I was invited to the show without any castings, they persuaded me for several months to come to the shooting. They said that the song would become a super hit at the show, but it turned out that they just wanted to "hype" me. The music was deliberately turned on earlier than the scheduled time and at such a low volume that I "whipped" the song. And then they criticized me for more than half an hour with the most disgusting words to throw me off balance. Cameras were pointed at me from all sides, and I understood that every word I said would be used against me. It’s like a public execution, where 300 people in the hall watch how 4 judges destroy you verbally, throwing mud at you. I couldn’t do anything, at first I tried to joke, but they humiliated me even more. Of course, you won’t see it in the frame: everything was set up to show my performance from the worst side and make me look like a weak fool. The people in the hall liked the song, they stood up and applauded, you can watch the broadcast yourself, how this crowd was forced to sit down behind the judges’ backs. I did not intend to humiliate Ukraine. This is my Motherland, which I respect and love with all my heart. The song is modern and not to everyone’s taste, but everyone has the right to be themselves and express their personality. This is my path and my transformations..."
The situation with the performance of the artist on the show "Ukraine has talent" is a vivid example of how one episode can affect the future career of an artist and cause significant public resonance. Regardless of how this singer’s career will develop, this case will be remembered for a long time as one of
the
most scandalous episodes in the history of Ukrainian show business.
Emigration.
In December 2022, Ellen Smile’s life underwent another change. The singer made a difficult decision and emigrated to the USA. This decision was dictated by many factors, including the full-scale war in Ukraine, which has been going on for almost a year, as well as the desire to create new opportunities for his creative career.
Moving to a new country is always a difficult process, accompanied by many challenges. Ellen Smile had to adapt to a new cultural environment, language barrier and living conditions. However, despite all the difficulties, the singer is optimistic about the future and believes that this experience will help her to reveal herself as an artist and find a new audience. In the second year of her stay abroad, she decided to open her own event club, becoming an active member of the Ukrainian diaspora in the USA.
The singer regularly performed at various events, such as gallery openings, Ukrainian picnics, and Independence Day celebrations. Actively supporting her country, Elen Smail also participated in fundraising for the support of the Armed Forces. Her charitable contribution gave her the opportunity to perform on the same stage as the 2022 Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra.
In addition to her own work, Elen Smile actively supports other Ukrainian artists. In particular, she participated in the opening of an art gallery and various exhibitions of the Ukrainian artist Marta Aleksandrovna in Miami, contributing to the popularization of Ukrainian art abroad.
Personal life.
The personal life of Ellen Smile is surrounded by a halo of mystery. The singer carefully protects her relationship from excessive attention from the public and practically does not share the details of her personal life on social networks. That is why little is known about her romantic relationships.
Although there is no official confirmation, rumors about Ellen Smile’s romance with a famous football player in 2022 have repeatedly appeared in the media. These assumptions were fueled by joint photos and comments on social networks, although the stars themselves never confirmed these rumors.
In 2023, paparazzi captured the singer on a date with a huge bouquet of flowers, which further fueled interest in her personal life. However, this time too, Ellen Smile ignored all the journalists’ questions.
At the beginning of 2024, another intriguing detail appeared. The singer’s driver allegedly broke the Hungarian journalist’s phone. The journalist tried to photograph Ellen Smile with a mysterious man who arrived by helicopter. This incident confirmed the assumption that the singer is trying to hide her relationship.
Despite all the rumors and speculations, the truth about Ellen Smile’s personal life remains unknown. The singer prefers to keep the intrigue and not reveal the details of her romantic relationship.
Interesting facts.
Organizing the first stand-up show was a real test for Elen. She faced serious difficulties when organizing the first stand-up show in Miami: a lack of experienced comedians. However, Elen did not give up. She held numerous castings, involved friends and colleagues, and eventually gathered a small but talented team: among the 10 participants were two Americans. The first show gathered more than 200 spectators, which became a real breakthrough and proof that even the wildest dreams can come true. She built a bridge between different cultures, uniting Ukrainian, Russian and English-speaking audiences at her stand-up evenings. The symbol of the evenings was a mannequin horse, which became not just a decoration, but a kind of talisman that united the comedians and the audience. It was this unusual "guest" who inspired them to create the funniest and most unexpected jokes.
She is often invited to various American podcasts, where she shares her creativity and talks about Ukrainian culture. It was participation in the popular show "Fresh and Fit" that became a real breakthrough for her. The next day, she woke up famous in America, and her phrases spread to millions of views. This experience became a powerful impetus for her international career.
Plans.
Today, Elen is actively working on the English-language album "15 shades of Elen Smile". Each song of the album is a separate shade of her multifaceted creative personality.
Next year, Elen will give a big solo concert. It will be a large-scale event on the occasion of her birthday.
