The track ‘Strong-Willed’ by Ukrainian artist Yana Pavlova and producer Pavel Milyakov has been included in the list of the 200 best electronic tracks of 2000–2025, compiled by the editorial team at Resident Advisor (RA). The track ranks No. 41 and was released in 2021 as part of Blue, a collaborative album by the two musicians
The publication describes ‘Strong-Willed’ as ‘a document of both mourning and resilience’ and ‘a call for humanity’:
‘Producer Pavel Milyakov’s simple, haunting bass synths create a bedrock for the late Ukrainian singer Yana Pavlova’s soft intonation: ‘Gonna take a while with it / Then you reach for it’. As russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to ravage through lands and livelihoods, ‘strong-willed’ is a call for humanity. Pavlova is gone now, but her voice still echoes out like she never left’.
Yana Pavlova was a Ukrainian vocalist, producer, and experimental musician. She passed away at the age of 35 in February 2025.
The seven-track ‘Blue’ was released on the Berlin-based label PSY X in 2021. That same year, Pavlova and Milyakov also released the collaborative album ‘Wandering’. Her latest track, ‘thrill’, appeared as part of Milyakov’s 2024 EP ‘Enthropic Vision’.
About the list of the best electronic tracks
The Resident Advisor list was compiled based on a survey of more than 100 artists, labels, clubs, promoters, DJs, journalists, RA staff members, and freelancers, who collectively cast ‘thousands of votes’.
A total of 900 releases made it onto the shortlist, which was divided into three major categories: the best electronic tracks, the best electronic recordings, and the best electronic mixes. Read more about the best electronic tracks according to RA in our article.
