“No Right to Kill People at All”: Multitalented NEWMA’s Urgent Message Through Music

On February 21, 2025, Ukrainian singer, actress, songwriter, and soundtrack composer NEWMA (Marina Zarubina) released her new anti-war single “No Right to Kill People at All”, alongside its Ukrainian version “Не можна вбивати людей”.

For three years, Ukrainians have been living through constant suffering, loss, and struggle. And for three years, hope has never died. This song is an emotional cry from the soul, reflecting the pain and sorrow brought by war.

The Story Behind the Song

As the third year of full-scale war continues, the importance of mental health and emotional resilience has never been greater. Every Ukrainian carries an overwhelming burden of grief, pain, and loss. Many of us have learned to suppress emotions to find the strength to keep going.

But this song was written at the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, when NEWMA was forced to leave Ukraine during the bombing of her hometown, Kharkiv, and flee to Germany. Shock, pain, disbelief—everything built up inside her, turning into a deep, unspoken wound.

“I couldn’t cry. I couldn’t write a single line… It felt like all the words were stuck in my throat. But I knew I had to release these emotions. One evening, while walking through Hamburg, I realized that I had to turn this pain into music. This song is a cry from my soul, a cry from all Ukrainians: No right to kill people at all!” — says the artist.

NEWMA is a deeply empathetic person who feels the pain of others as her own. She poured this intense emotional truth into every line of the song.

What Is This Song About?

“My song is not just lyrics and music. It is the voice of a nation screaming in pain. It is about all those who have lost their homes, loved ones, and peace because of war. It is a reminder of the most fundamental truth: life is the highest value.”

NEWMA emphasizes:

“This song is not about forgiveness or passivity. It is about the fact that wars begin when someone believes they have the right to decide who lives and who dies. But if every person in the world truly understood that taking a life is unacceptable, there would be no wars.”

The struggle to Bring This Song to Life

The journey to recording this song was long and difficult. At first, NEWMA trusted someone who claimed to be a professional, but ended up losing both her money and the arrangement. Then, the song was selected for a Ukrainian-German documentary film, but producers later decided to replace music with the sounds of war.

Later, she was offered a contract with a major label, but the terms were so restrictive that she had no choice but to walk away.

“This was already my fourth attempt to record this song. Finally, in Berlin, I met two incredible Ukrainian sound producers, Stefan Lytvyn and Mykyta Bohdanov, who helped me bring my vision to life. And my friend Julia Volkova helped create a creative English translation that is almost word-for-word, staying very close to the original Ukrainian text. Together, we worked to make sure that every sound carried the truth, pain, and resilience of my people.”

“This song was born in struggle and hardship. And maybe that’s why it touches people so deeply—leaving no one indifferent.”

The Message

“No right to kill people at all — this is not a political slogan. It is not a debatable statement. It is simply the truth! If every person on this planet understood this, there would be no wars. As long as people profit from death, wars will continue. Our responsibility is to never forget the value of life.”

During her performance as a special guest at the international talent competition “Golden Time Talent” in London, NEWMA visited an art exhibition. One painting shook her to the core. It was a work by Ukrainian artist Daria Kazakova.

The painting so powerfully captured the pain of the Ukrainian people and the children whose childhood was stolen by war, that she immediately knew—this had to be the cover art for her song.

“This artwork visually expresses what I have conveyed in music. It is an emotional truth that needs no explanation.”

Release Date

The single “No Right to Kill People at All” and its Ukrainian version “Не можна вбивати людей” is available on all digital platforms:

https://id.ffm.to/no_right_to_kill_people_at_all

Credits:

• Lyrics & Music, Arrangement Concept: Marina Zarubina
• Arrangement & Sound Production: Stefan Lytvyn
• Guitars: Anton An
• Mixing, Mastering & Voice Design: Mykyta Bohdanov @danovmusic
• English Translation: Julia Volkova
• Cover Art: Painting by artist Daria Kazakova
• ⓟ 2025 NEWMA / BOG DA NOVA MUZYKA

Follow NEWMA:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newmaofficial
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newmaofficial
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/newmaofficial
• Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@newmaofficial
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0DydUGQVh04p6nhNvwg4Os
• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/newma/1487637426
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/newmaofficial

source article: https://jamsphere.com/news/multitalented-ukrainian-artist-newma-releases-her-new-anti-war-single-no-right-to-kill-people-at-all