Two Innocent Rebels (Sylvia.se - Sweden)Time of publication: 31.12.2002 |
t.A.T.u. - LESBIAN LOLITA-POP
Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova from Moscow are described as the latest thing in a row of tasteless marketing tricks.
After selling a million records in Russia, with the help of clean popsongs and being noticed for their lesbian lolita image, t.A.T.u. has now been translated into English and built up to hit European and American markets.
Russian Popstars
The duo was created a year ago (?!) by Ivan Shapovalov. This somewhat heavily criticized Shapovalov was a psycologist who then became an advertisement guru and chose Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova among 500 promising Russian "popstars". The music they were to perform was pop of a punk and rebellion style. To maximize their attention, Lena and Yulia were marketed as lesbians and it was implied that the girls even had a private relation with one another.
The success in Russia was total, and the first single "Ya Soshla S Uma", (I've Lost My Mind) made Lena and Yulia superstars.
Pop on Methadone
Now it's the American and European market that will buy pop-music made by these lesbian and provocative teenage girls. Shapovalov seems to be out of picture and the international record company Universal Music has changed their name from Taty to t.A.T.u. To be sure of getting international success and acclaim, nothing is left for chance to handle, when fall comes and t.A.T.u. will launch its first English album.
Anglofied Success
The Russian debut album has been re-recorded with English texts and sale success will be guaranteed by Trevor Horn who previously worked with Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Grace Jones, Seal and the Pet Shop Boys. In an interview on t.A.T.u.'s official website, Trevor Horn describes music as very much European pop on methadon, a little bit ABBA but heavier. The first single in English "All The Things She Said" is already aired out in Europe and they hope for the same sucess as Horn had when he was on the hitlists with Leann Rhimes' "Can't Fight The Moonlight" and Faith Hill's "There You'll Be".
Kissing in the Video
Even if the music is good and is expected to climb the charts there is still a question: how far are they ready to go to get the attention. It's not new that female artists during the past several years have been using sex and performed songs of a sexual character. Many agree that Britney Spears has been given a far too young and sexually provocative image and it's now gone too far.
When Britney is more and more projected as being cold and shallowly American, the question is now how the audience will take t.A.T.u. and this lesbian image.
When "All The Things She Said" will be launched in Sweden on the 7th of September, we hopefully will receive the same promotional material as has been used previously, and see on Swedish Television the video where Lena and Yulia are kissing in the rain. Universal Music in Sweden has chosen not to put any accent on the lesbian issue when t.A.T.u. will be promoted in Sweden.
To Go Too Far
When Lena and Yulia, by the time of their first album's launch, were only 15 and 16 years old and were promoted as lesbians, there were opinions that it had gone too far now. Critics against middle-aged men's cynical and irresponsible creations in order to make money was very hard, but t.A.T.u. became at once the idols for many teenagers in Russia. The first hit single was followed by "Gay Boy" (Malchik Gay) and "They Won't Catch Us" (Nas Ne Dogonyat).
Not every one was negative, however, and there were discussions about a new type of girl power and about how the lesbian culture would get two new idols - Lena and Yulia. t.A.T.u. was given an image of two innocent rebels and the fact that two girls hug eachother was seen as a positive thing. Lena and Yulia were described later as a positive antipole to Britney who is only presented as an unpleasant sex object for men.
Watch the Video
According to the record company, t.A.T.u. doesn't target any lesbian group with their music and add that "all seem to like these girls".
Translation by forre.
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