t.A.T.u's "200 KM/H In The Wrong Lane" (by Christina Ribar - "Aggie Arts")

Time of publication: 07.01.2003

t.A.T.u's "200 KM/H In The Wrong Lane"
By Christina Ribar
Aggie Arts Writer

January 07, 2003 - t.A.T.u
200 KM/H In The Wrong Lane
Interscope Records

A song revealing the hair-pulling angst of keeping one’s love life together while aching for freedom of expression could easily be an anthem for many same-sex couples. The Moscow duo t.A.T.u bravely bare all with their delicate voices in the widely popular “All the Things She Said,” a song deemed controversial in Eastern Europe about a female pair’s love affair.

With a crossover album, 200 KM/H In The Wrong Lane, singers Lena Katina and Julia Volkova are steps ahead of Britney Spears’ bubblegum-laced lyrics. Instead, they mold a pop-electronica sound into provocative songs about love and life.

Far from polite, the girls are proud to stick by a mindset of “fuck you.” One would guess these teens, who sing about daring to outrun anyone in “Not Gonna Get Us,” would be armored with metal breastplates. Instead, the record jacket reveals their undie-clad poses.

The girls’ in-your-face lyrics and bold beats disclose that they won’t be shoved into becoming another batch of teenybopper female stars. They are equipped with fiery attitudes and will not succumb to others’ expectations.

Overcoming continentwide shock in Europe over their racy “All the Things She Said,” the single went gold in Switzerland and snagged the Russian MTV Video of the Year award. It appears that the two-year-old group is moving right past being dubbed a one-hit wonder.

t.A.T.u beautifully executes a take on The Smiths’ ’80s hit “How Soon Is Now,” with traces of European accents and a Moby-esque electronic piano vibe. The album also showcases their Russian dialect with two tracks that will remain foreign to monolingual Americans.

Don’t be fooled by the pair’s dainty exterior. There’s a whole lot of edge behind Katina and Volkova, just like WWE wrestler Victoria, who now enters the ring accompanied by t.A.T.u’s gutsy single.

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