Sofya Plotnikova, a member of the global pop group, Now United, performed 13 shows with a broken shoulder and had to take 15 flights during a three-month period before she could go to seek treatment.
The 20-year-old had to get surgery for the broken bone and the doctor was aghast, “how did you do those three months with no surgery?” Plotnikova explained on the sidelines of the Cosmo Careers 2023 event in Dubai.
She highlighted the hardships of being part of a global pop group and the strenuous hours that the members have to put in, sacrificing sleep, food and in this case, even their health.
“My shoulder popped out like four or five times and I was like okay, I give up, I have to do something because I was broken and then the tour came and I was like oh no, I have no time to do it,” she explained giggling.
The aspiring pop star said that hard work is key in her line of work but she advised aspiring artists not to “go too full out and don’t go crazy.”
“Dont break your shoulders like me but be a hard worker and be a humble human,” she said stating that although she might be “popular and super famous” today, “Instagram [social media] could disappear tomorrow” and that coming from a “not rich” background, her family keeps her grounded and helps her stay humble.
She detailed the demanding lifestyle of being part of a global group on tour, saying, “I would have to work mostly with no rest, no food, while I was feeling completely uncomfortable when I was sick, you still have to go with it.”
Plotnikova joined the group created and managed by Simon Fuller, the creator of American Idol, when she was just 14 years old. The 18-member group has several young members from various cultural backgrounds who tour the world performing their music. The Now United (@nowunited) account boasts 7 million followers on Instagram and a whopping 8.2 million followers on TikTok.
“Looking at my nephews now, they are 11 years old, I was three years older than that and my mom just sent me away to travel around the world, I would not be able to do that with my kids,” she hesitantly said.
Orignally from Russia and currently residing in Dubai, Plotnikova in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business said that “we travelled a lot for the past six years, so for me, it’s not a problem to be away from home [Moscow].”
She praises Dubai for being a “great place to be based out of” highlighting advantages like being able to travel anywhere you want and having “access to anything here” explaining that it is helpful for her as an artist.
Plotnikova says that being Russian is a reason that she is “very emotional” and that she is the “most loving person in the group.”
She concluded by saying that her favourite part of being a member of the group is the mix of cultures but her least favourite part is how intense the tours are and the fact that it can be exhausting for the young teen members.
Plotnikova has had to get “used to those circumstances with no sleep, no food and no time to rest” to a point where the members “can’t even relax” because their “bodies are so tense.”
Plotnikova chuckled and said that despite the struggles and circumstances, this is the “circle of life” and that she enjoys her line of work but it is ultimately “very tough and not something that everybody can go through.”
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