Mika Newton

Oksana Hrytsai was born on 5 March 1986, in Burshtyn, Ukraine. Her stage name comes from Mika, a derivative of Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger's first name, and Newton is an abbreviation of the words "new tone".

Newton taught herself to sing at an early age by imitating artists she heard on the radio. She began entering regional voice competitions at the age of nine.At the age of 16, Newton moved from her hometown of Burshtyn to Kyiv, where she enrolled in the College of Circus and Variety Arts, studying voice, piano, acting, dance and pantomime. Continuing to compete in local and international talent competitions, she gained the attention of music industry professionals, and at the age of 16, she was signed with Kyiv-based record label Falyosa Family Factory.