In the early 2000s, the Ukrainian music scene, like any business, experienced inevitable market segmentation, which influenced the subsequent development of musical orientation. Some talented young Ukrainians began travelling to russia and produce music in russian in an attempt to gain an audience and earn money. Nonetheless, Ukrainian music continued to spread, albeit at a somewhat slower pace comparedto the previous decade. Thus, in early 2000s, the young rock band Okean Elzy, influenced by British rock tradition, gained popularity. Furthermore, the noughties witnessed substantial growth in music management, with new production companies emerging to promote young stars of contemporary pop.

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Music projects, such as the popular show Karaoke on the Maidan (1999–2019), drove the emergence of new talents, allowing willing passers-by try their hand at singing in a musical battle. Among the most famous participants were Dmytro Kadnai, Nataliia Valevska, Vitalii Kozlovskyi and many other artists. In 2003, the TV project Shans expanded this concept, allowing winners of the karaoke show to record songs under the mentorship of well-known figures like Nataliia Mohylevska and Andrii Kuzmenko and later perform live on the show. Winners were determined through public voting, with the prize of radio airplay and theopportunity to make a music video. Antytila and Quest Pistols bands, Nadiia Dorofeeva, and Vitalii Kozlovskyi have all participated in the TV project in the past.

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In 2003, Ukraine made its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest, and the following year, Ukrainian singer Ruslana won with her song ‘Wild Dances’, earning the right to host the 50^th Eurovision in Ukraine.

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Ruslana during her performance at the Eurovision Song Contest. Author: Daniel Aragay from Vacarisses, Catalunya - Eurovision Song Contes 2004 - Istambul, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6889388

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Ruslana's victory at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004 helped to increase Ukraine's international recognition.

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At the same time, a variety of local music festivals began to gain prominence. Those were Koktebel Jazz Festival, launched in 2003 in Koktebel (and later moved to the Odesa region following the annexation of Crimea); Bandershtat — an all-Ukrainian ‘festival of Ukrainian spirit’, first held in 2007 in the Volyn region (and annually since), featuring Ukrainian bands representing all styles and directions of modern alternative music; Zaxidfest, which has been held in the Lviv regionsince 2009 and is popular among international guests.

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One of the most popular music TV projects of the decade was Fabryka Zirok [Star Factory], an adaptation of a French show. Over four seasons of the programme, from 2007 to 2010, many young artists gained national fame. Among them were Olha Tsybulska, Dariia Astafieva, Dasha Kolomiiets, Volodymyr Dantes, Svitlana Tarabarova, the Borysenko brothers, and Pavlo Li, who tragically lost his life in Irpin on 6 March 2022 due to the shelling by russian soldiers.

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