Masha Kova Is Saying "Bye, Bye, Bye"—And Hello to Her Biggest Era Yet

Interviewer: Areeta Shams

Talent: Masha Kova

At just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting career, Masha Kova is already proving she's an artist with both talent and purpose. Born and raised in Miami Beach to Russian parents, the rising pop and R&B singer has built her brand around confidence, authenticity, and a relentless work ethic. Whether she's releasing empowering anthems like Bye, Bye, Bye, collaborating with music legend Teddy Riley, or using her platform to champion self-love and body positivity, Masha approaches every opportunity with infectious energy and unwavering determination. We caught up with the Miami native to talk about growing up in the 305, finding inspiration in the city's vibrant culture, overcoming

personal challenges, and why she believes the best is still yet to come.

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Growing Up in Miami: The Role of Masha's Upbringing in Building

Resilience and Hard Work

You are Russian American, but you grew up in Miami. Tell me a little bit about how it was growing up here. "Well, my parents are both from Russia, Moscow, Russia, and I was born here, born and raised in Miami Beach, but the Russian heritage is barely engraved in me because I grew up in a very strict, you can say Slavic household. But growing up in Miami is, to be honest, one of the biggest blessings I've ever had, because you're so fortunate if you can grow up here, because the weather's amazing. It is so culturally diverse. Super cool. I'm very proud to be a 305 baby."

How do you think Miami has helped you build who you are today? "Miami is so culturally diverse. So I think that plays such a huge role in my craft and who I am as a person. There's inspiration everywhere. And so many iconic music videos have been shot here. So, just being an artist and being from Miami, you cannot not be inspired. Because it's just everywhere. The culture, the music, the vibes, the atmosphere."

Your parents were also in the music industry. What was it like watching them grow up and navigate themselves in the world that you live in today? "It is a blessing. Even though they're from the music industry in Russia, they push me hard. I feel like they crafted the whole essence of my work ethic because they have trained me since I was a preteen and seen me work for absolutely every single thing. They're like, 'If you want this, you're gonna have to work. If you want this, you're gonna have to go train. We don't care because nothing's ever gonna be handed to you in this life.' And that was their mindset.

They're goal getters. It's either go big or go home, both of them. Obviously, I couldn't see them rise from the beginning to in their careers, but hearing them, watching everything, and just seeing the way they raised me, that definitely shaped the way I am and how I handle my craft and my work ethic. They're my biggest inspiration. They helped me understand how to achieve my dreams, how to actually go and get the things I want, and work your butt off, to be honest with you."

Did they set a precedent of high expectations for you? "They just said, 'Masha, you're gonna have to work. Do your thing, pray to your own God, and just keep doing it. Don't wait for anything to come. Just keep drilling, and eventually time will fall everything into place, and what is meant for you will come for you. As long as you have fun, that's the biggest bit. If you're having fun, it's all worth it. Everything that is meant for you will come for you.'

"I'm very fortunate enough to say that I'm very close with both of my parents. It is truly a blessing, because, you know, we all know stories in the industry, how parents weren't in such support of them being in the entertainment world. But fortunately enough, my mom is my ride or die, and I always post her on Instagram, and she's my biggest mental support system as well."

You also went to Miami Swim Week. What were the highlights of that? How was it for you? "It was my first Miami Swim Week, actually, believe it or not, for being Miami-born and raised. It was so fun. Every time I talk about Miami Swim Week, I just smile. The models were beautiful. The collections were beautiful. I have met so many incredible new people during Swim Week. I think it is so cool how so many people come from all over the world. My first show was 'The Melissa Odabash' one I went to. Swim Week is one of the most beautiful events that happens in Miami, and I am so grateful to be able to finally experience it."

How 'Bye Bye Bye' Served as a Prophetic Healing Anthem

Explain your latest single, 'Bye, Bye, Bye' for us! "It is about saying goodbye. But it is really funny because I'm such a believer in manifestation. And when I made this song, I was at one of the lowest points of my life, mentally and everything. I made it because I [thought] I needed to make a record that is about confidence and is a bop that makes other people think 'oh, okay, you have sass.'"

"Now fast forward to when this record is actually released. I can relate to every single line, and I've realised that it is not only metaphorically saying goodbye to an ex. I said goodbye to so many things and had so many growing pains, but in the best way possible. I said goodbye to old friendships, old relationships. You know, you look at yourself from a year ago, and it's like a different human. I said goodbye to an old version of myself that no longer serves me, and this all happened to be in the midst of it all. Now that it's been out for over a month, it is so insane how I can relate to every single line. Bye, Bye, Bye is a power record. It is a confidence record. It's an affirmation. It is just walking away from things that no longer serve you. That's why I love this record so much because there's such a deep meaning in it for me personally."

A lot of creative people admit that they produce their most personal, vulnerable, and best artworks when they're going through a tough time. Do you feel like that was happening when you were making bye, bye, bye? "To be frank with you, I just wanted to lift myself up. I want people to be the most elevated version of themselves when they listen to my music. When you're listening to a song, and you're like, 'oh, yes, like I feel hot.' That's kind of what I wanted to emulate. I was like, I need to make something that feels like a groove, that is easy to listen to, that is catchy, and that serves a message."

"I feel like I manifested it. A couple of months go by, and I am all these things. My friend texted me, and she was like, ' This is so funny- 'Your song, bye, bye, bye, dropped on the day I broke up with my boyfriend.' and I said Bye, bye, bye! Manifest it!"

Music Idols and Inspirations

Channelling Ariana Grande's 'jus like magic' tune, you clearly 'manifested, finessed' it! "I was just at her concert, by the way. I cried. I love her. She sings even better now! I've been to her concerts as a kid, but she's better now. I even closed my eyes for a second. I felt like I was getting serenaded. It was beautiful."

Would say that she's been one of your biggest inspirations when it comes to music. "She shaped me as a kid. She's so talented. From the ages of 6 to 12, it was Ariana. Staple. I was that girl in 5th grade with the Amazon cat ears, everything. Up till school! Like this was... she was my staple. The first album I ever bought was 'Dangerous Woman.'"

"Do you remember those iPhones, the pink little small ones? That was the first album I ever bought, and I was listening to it at 10 years old in 5th grade. Mind you, the lyrics are kind of freaky on there! From my preteen and teen years, from 13 to now, Ariana. Ariana's my childhood."

"I'm also a staple Rihanna fan. I'm a fusion of both. They inspire me so much. My whole brand is the 2000s, so I really wanted this song to feel nostalgic, to be honest with you. And I really hope I achieved that."

The 'Bye Bye Bye' Music Video, and Living The Dream as an Artist

'Bye Bye Bye' has a lot of composers and collaborators on the song, including your friend and singer-songwriter Jazzy F. What was it like to be able to create knowing that you're getting to do what you love with people close to you? "I feel like I am living the dream. I think it is such a blessing to work and create with people that you're on the same wavelength. Out of all my writers and my music family, we (Jazzy F and Masha Kova) just have such a close connection now, and we just get it. We have so much fun. We laugh so much. Oh my god. It's laughter that brings you to tears. Every single time we're in the room together for the past, like, year and a half, it's always such positive energy."

"I also think that is super mandatory when making your craft because if you're in a room where the energy is not there, it ain't going to work. But I feel like it's always so effortless with us. I think we create what we create because we just get each other and we're laughing and we're smiling. There was never a dull day ever."

What was going through your mind during the shooting of the 'Bye, bye, bye' music video? "It was a long day of shooting, I'll tell you that. It was a very long day. I think I arrived at 3 PM, got into hair and makeup, and we waited till the sun set. The moment the sun set, we just started to shoot. And it was a 12-hour day. It was a lot, to be honest with you. It was a lot of people, but that was the whole point of the video; it was like a big party."

"When you hear the record, I feel like the music video completely transcribes how you would see the music video. I was in rehearsals for the dance choreography for 2 weeks before that. So, a lot in my head because I just wanted to execute it in the best way possible, shout out to my choreographer Storm! She challenged me in those weeks to get on the floor and join."

"Let me tell you...she pushed me to my limits. She really made me work, but in my head, I was like, okay, let's look good! We made it work. We were supposed to film in a more upper, like bigger space, I believe. We had to stage it so we could fit in the small room. You know, as music videos happen and stuff, but the end product is amazing, and I just loved everything. I loved all the looks. I love my glam team. It was a good thing. It was amazing."

In the music video, you push away 'the ex'. Be honest, was it satisfying to tell a man to get out of your way? "No, I felt bad! He was amazing! He was such a sweet human! We didn't get a chance to talk that much that day, so the one time we met each other, we were fighting together for our scene. It was towards the end. The dancing is the last thing we shot, and we started shooting at 1:30 AM. So I told him, I was like, 'I'm sorry, I swear,' Because the director's like, 'I want you to scream. I want you to look like you're screaming at me as well!' And, you know, I didn't really feel satisfied with that. He was such a sweet man, you know? I didn't want to go push people around!"

Was the dancing featured in the video something totally new for you? "Yeah, I just started to do performance training, serious artist development, performance training. A year and a half ago. So this was a 'break the ice' moment for me, and we were working towards it. I met Storm, [the choreographer], a year and a half ago. We've been drilling it every single week, and then leading up to the music video, we had rehearsals nonstop all the time. It definitely was out of my comfort zone, but I'm so happy I was challenged because watching all of my favourite idols growing up, there's nothing more iconic than dancing and singing at the same time!"

"It's just so fun now. Anything new is kind of a little bit of discomfort. But I think there's something so beautiful about becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. And I think that is just, that's when you really grow. As scary as it seems sometimes, I think that is when magic really happens, when you just become uncomfortable."

Nowadays, a lot of artists, for example, Kehlani, are bringing back the 90s and 2000s, like songs. What are your thoughts on bringing this era back for people in the new generation? "I love the 2000s. I am a 2000s fan. A lot of my inspiration, my music as well, comes from the 2000s. I think it is so cool that it is in trend now, and that is what I want to do, and that was the whole purpose as well, because when people listen to 'Bye, bye, bye', it's kind of very nostalgic. All my vinyls are from the 2000s in my room. I just feel like I'm living my dream, and I'm so blessed to be able to do that with this new record and all the music as well."

How would you describe the feeling of seeing your face plastered on the billboards around your home city? "Oh my god, so funny story, I was so overloaded with emotions because this is my first milestone. This is my first achievement. One of my biggest ones! I was in the car with my mom, and I was... You know when you're just overwhelmed, like, you don't know what's going on? I started to laugh at first. My mom looked at me like, 'What?' I don't know why, but I just started to laugh, and then 5 minutes later, I started to bawl. I was in a mixture of everything; it was so surreal to see this achievement because I watched my idols and artists that I'm a fan of on billboards. When you see that - especially when it comes in as a result of your craft and your hard work - it's confirmation to keep going. It was so cool because my dad's friends were calling him that week and they were like, 'Did I just see your daughter on a billboard?'"

Stepping Into the Studio with Producer Teddy Riley

Now you step into a room, and you meet Teddy Riley to work on your own song... What was it like? "You know when stars align when you meet somebody? It was one of those moments. He spearheaded into my project, my writing camp, a year and a half ago, and it has been amazing ever since. He really helped me develop my sound, and the whole creative direction for 'Bye Bye, Bye' as well. It's so iconic to be in a room with such a legend. I feel so grateful that I happened to meet him at such an early point of my career and so beyond grateful that he saw my vision. I thank God every single day because he's one of the most incredible people in this music industry with so much aura, so much knowledge and history. He's iconic. Everything has been going smoothly ever since with him."

"I was really nervous meeting him in the beginning as well, but he's such a cool dude. He's so chill. He's so fun to work with. It's so effortless, it always has to be in the sessions. It was just such a good energy all around. He really saw the vision, and he was like, 'Let's get into work and let's do this'."

I assume you spent a lot of time in the studio. What is important to you during the collaborative process? "I think it is super important who you're surrounded by. There are sad songs made, happy songs we make, but I love to laugh. So when you're always in a room full of jokes (and this is just my writers and me), we're always picking at each other, making fun of each other, laughing. I feel like that is the key to an amazing studio session, as well as challenging yourself to do runs or do things that you haven't done. My amazing vocal producer, Zo! I don't know how he hears the runs. I really don't know how! You know, when you're looking at a person thinking, 'How do you? How do you do that?' He's always challenging me, and the moment that I think I've got a little bit of it when recording... boom, he just gives me another weird, crazy run and I'm like 'Okay, lock in!'. I just feel like every single serious session with my writers is just fun; it is. Physically we're hanging out, only we're making a song now too."

A Deeper Look: Music Covers and Establishing an

Identity at just 20 Years Old

What is a day in the life of 'Masha Kova?' What does your day look like from start to finish? "Well, this whole month I've been travelling a lot. I was in Dallas last week. I'm here [in Miami] this week. So this month is kind of a travel month for me. But usually I wake up pretty early, like eight-ish, and I get ready. I have my coffee, same affirmations, say my prayers. Then I head to either the gym or I have performance training for a couple of hours, and then I have vocal training, and then I come home, and I'll either have a studio session that day, or I'll practice at home, or I'll have some meetings. So it really just depends on the day, but fitness and formal training are super, super ingrained in my schedule, regardless of where I am."

In the beginning of your music career, you originally released covers. What did the shift feel like from releasing covers to finally producing and creating original pieces? "That's a fun question to ask, because I was on a COVID grind. I was just recording. I thought, 'How many of my favourite songs can I sing?' Then when it was time to release my own music, I was nervous because it was my debut and it was my own personal craft, but I adapted really quickly. Now it's time to put out my music. I was putting out covers of my artist's favourite music, but now it's time for mine. I was a bit nervous in the beginning as well because it was time to show what's in the vault, you know, but now we're here, and I love it."

So you did Chandelier by Sia and also The Worst by Jhené Aiko. What was the reason for those specific 2 songs? "Oh, okay, I love this question. So 'The Worst' really defines my sound vocally. That's why I dropped it first because it has that R&B touch to it and that friendliness in my vocal sound. For Chandelier, I grew up playing classical piano. I'm a piano girl. When I was making Chandelier, I wanted to showcase me playing and singing, since I've never really done that before. It was an opportunity to show that musical side of me with what I grew up with. I haven't played for a while because I was so focused in the studio and, frankly, girl, I got my nails done!"

"My whole life, I never was allowed to have them because of piano. So being able to reconnect with piano for that was just so beautiful. I felt really like myself as an artist because it has a musical aspect. I was playing since I was like eight. It was cool to play a pop song now because of the leverage of all those classical pieces that you learn when you're like a kid. You feel so free doing it."

Why, specifically, did you choose to do covers in the beginning as opposed to immediately putting out original music? "Because I wanted to introduce myself as an artist. I wanted to show people my singing abilities. That's why we were doing different styles, different everything. I was having fun, and I wanted to showcase my vocal abilities and artistry, and that is why we did it before dropping my first single, because I just wanted to reintroduce Masha Kova, who she is, what she does, and the musicality in her and the love of music in her."

The music industry has changed. People have to establish themselves with covers online to gain that familiarity. How do you feel like, as a Gen Z singer coming into it? Especially content and promotion-wise, you have to do a lot of things yourself. What are some of the challenges you did or didn't expect? "I wouldn't say there were any challenges, to be frank with you. I think nowadays as well, as you said, you have to do a lot. I'm also a content creator now, but honestly I just have fun. I love When I first started doing content creation, (I was never like an influencer), but I always saw that side of me. I love to talk to a camera. I love to vlog. I love to host what I ate for breakfast. I love to post my makeup. I love to do makeup tutorials. So I think this all blended really well together."

"I love when people tell me like 'I feel like I already knew you.' That is one of the best things because I want to be connected with the people that are watching me and my audience. Content creation is definitely a very fun card that has been added into the Gen Z world, in my opinion. "

What advice would you tell yourself when things aren't going as planned? "I would say, It's a bad day, not a bad life. And... That's really, I stand by that. In this industry, not everything's on time, not everything's on schedule. Teddy also taught me that the biggest thing is to be patient, to be calm. He's one of the calmest human beings I've met. I even read his book, and he really stresses that. He was like, 'I have learned to be so calm in this industry because there are a lot of hiccups.' The whole music and entertainment industry, I would say, is a 'hurry-up-and-wait vibe', so there's going to be times when just things go unplanned, or there's a malfunction, but you have to remain super, super calm. I remember one time we were in a session with him, a year ago, and the system crashed or something, so we needed to reboot."

"Mind you, I can't sit still. Like, I'm one of those people that already starts looking at their fingernails. I was waiting, I was getting antsy, but he's just sitting in the same position vibing. Then when we got back, like 35 minutes later or something, it was almost as if the session was never interrupted. He was so calm. He was like, 'Okay, let's go back into work.' Once I saw that. I had to learn... that this is how we're supposed to be."

What the 'Body So Tea' Campaign Means to Masha:

Discussing Self-Love and Body Image

Why was it important for you to spread the 'Body So Tea' campaign, and why was it important to centre it around self-love? "Well, this is very personal for me. I think now I'm at a point where I have grown and I can just share. I struggled with body image and self-love, which caused me to have medical issues for a bit, but now I'm here. I've seen how much I've grown and the message that I can share to young girls because I wish when I was 17, 18, that I had an artist close to my age, like 20, who talks about this, about self-love, about body, fitness, because now if you go to my Instagram, you obviously see me working out. I love the way I look, but there was a time when I didn't. I had an issue accepting who I was and what my body is. 'Body So Tea' means so much to me because I want people to really understand that your body is so tea and you are so hot! Love is the most important love that there is."

"I want to be vocal about it. Especially when I was going through it mentally, at 17/18 with my whole body image. My lack of confidence, but now there's this 20-year-old who's doing the music and she's posting herself all the time, but I once also struggled with that. I always struggled with accepting who I was. Let's focus on health, wealth, fitness and becoming strong mentally and physically. Just making yourself be the best version that you are and how you feel, and when you discover that, you are unstoppable. What I really want to emote, especially with the message in my brand - this whole confidence, empowering and lifting. I want to show people that I understand what we all go through, but there is a beautiful outcome at the end. It all starts here. So I really want to advocate for that."

How do you think your involvement in fitness helps kind of inform and make decisions in your lifestyle or like in music? "When you're working out, you become stronger. Your stamina goes up. That instantly responds to how I am in performance training. I just feel stronger, I feel better. It's so healthy for you. I feel like you have to start really young, but I know there are people who hit the gym at like 40 and 50, and they look insane. So, I'm not saying that everyone has to go and be ripped and have a 6 pack. No, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying I think it is healthy lifestyle habits that need to be in your routine that help you perform in your day-to-day. There's also a lot of scientific evidence that backs it up when you work out, like all the cholesterol and everything. That is definitely like physical therapy in my opinion."

Yeah, it's not always necessarily about how you look, but how it makes you feel, right? "Yes! I'll be in my head a lot, or I'll be having one of those days, but when I go to the gym. I just forget. It's such a cool mind-body connection. When you sweat it all out, you feel relieved. I think fitness is a beautiful thing, not only because of how you look, but just for your health."

It must feel very liberating. "I mean, look, we all grow. I was much younger. To my younger self, I would just say that it all gets better. It all gets better, and you will love who you are, because we all are in this world for a reason and we're all so beautiful and we all have our beautiful assets, and you capitalise on them. really. It sounds cheesy, but we're all so beautiful in our own way."

"It's really hard, but I do think the best thing you can do is love all parts of yourself, even if you feel like they aren't complete, you know? At the end of the day, we're all human, and there's always going to be something we wish we could have had. 'I wish I had this. I wish I could have had that.', but you're never going to have it because you're born the way you are. Energy is everything. I'm affirmative that energy's everything. If you have a sexy aura, you're already sexy to me. If you're confident and so on... energy is one of the most beautiful things."

Lastly, What's something that people don't know about you, but you wish that they did? "I want to stress more of how much I work and how much I put into this... into my craft, and that nothing was ever handed to me ever. I say it, but I really want to stress it because I work my butt off. I say this proudly! I'm in performance training, I'm in all of these training areas, and I want people to know that I'm serious about this. It's not like I woke up yesterday and decided to be a singer. No. I have been very musical since eight...no, since three, but piano since eight, and I work. I really work and thank my parents for that mindset. I am gonna work and will work until, you know, until I can't no more. That's never going to happen because I'm here for the long run."