Cover
t.A.T.u.
A Scandalous Group
Page 1
t.A.T.u. Turn Up the Temperature!
The singers of t.A.T.u. have caused a scandal by posing for this magazine. (There's a picture of the Russian Maxim t.A.T.u. cover. -E.) For matters of controversy, t.A.T.u. aren't taking much time in talking the talk and walking the walk.
Page 2
t.A.T.u.
A Scandalous Group
t.A.T.u is the girl group that is on everyone's lips. But who are these two young girls, and what do they have that's better than the others? Lena and Julia are a couple on stage (yes, and?), but also in real life (ah, that explains everything!). These two Russian dolls are popping up everywhere around the world. Provocative and scandalous, these two teens from the East have anything but cold temparements... or cold anythings. They leave the taste of scandal everywhere they go. Fan 2 has gone in to investigate this phenomenon and now propose you all a story full of scoops. Read carefully our interesting file, and you will know all-all-all about t.A.T.u.!
Who are they really?
Lena Katina (the redhead) and Julia Volkova (the brunette) have known one another since their tender youth. In fact, several years ago, they were part of a Russian choir called the "Naposedi". (Yes, that's how they spelled it. -E.) Unfortunately, the two friends were separated by a horrible turn of events. Julia was expulsed due to bad behavior towards the other girls.
An audition not quite like others
Early 2000, already having lost sight of each other for a time now, Julia and Lena show up, each on their own, to a casting organized by producer Ivan Shapovalov. Five hundred girls auditioned. Julia is immediately chosen. (I thought it was Lena that was first chosen. Huh. Darn reporters. -E.) So the story goes that the two girls should meet once again, by the greatest twists of fate, during the selection. Learning that they had been picked to be a part of the group, Julia and Lena fall into each other's arms. The producer immediately notices the incredible "friendship" between the two girls. He asks them whether or not they would like to sing songs inspired by their rather ambiguous relationship. Julia and Lena accept. The concept of t.A.T.u. is born!
Two girls that trouble
The success of the duo's first song, "All The Things She Said", is immediate. The clip, very explicit, that is aired over thirty times a week on MTV Russia, sizzles the single immediately to the top of the charts. At the same time, controversial pandemonia shakes the press. The media is outraged with the very politically incorrect girls' show, whom dare to kiss on stage, but also during their interviews. Despite the critics, the sales do not lessen. Julia and Lena have become icons in Russia, adored by millions of young fans.
Page 3
(There are covers of all sorts of magazines, Russian and others as well.)
The press grab a hold of this phenomenon
In Eastern countries, t.A.T.u. images are filling up and feeding all sorts of newspapers and magazines. The girls' strange behavior incites certain questions. The press is worried about their producer Ivan Shapovalov's influence. Journalists accuse him of manipulating Julia and Lena. Experienced in advertisement as well as child psychology, t.A.T.u.'s mentor is fingered for accusations. The media affirms that the singers are only playing at being in love, a role that was dictacted by their Pygmalion Cupid, whom was devoured by ambition.
Strange rumours are circulating
"Their image was fabricated from beginning to end," affirm the Russian press. With photographic proof, some magazines show that Julia had to cut her hair and dye them black. Lena had to lose ten kilos before filming the first clip. These young girls would have supposedly put themselves through this to look like two lolitas in white ankle socks, come straight out from a Japanese manga, two imaginary characters that their producer created. "In our contract, it stipulates that we have to completely obey anything that is asked of us, and that we cannot say anything without our producer's say. But signing a contract like this is a real chance for us two," confides Julia in an interview. Unbelievable revelation or umpteenth lie meant to mess around with the journalists?
Two very bizarre girls
When asked to describe themselves, Julia sees herself as a tomboy, loving cars and sports. She admits to only wearing men's underwear. Lena is the incarnation of the utopic romantic. She sees everything in lace and dreams of a world where everything could just be love. Two personalities whose traits were, it seems, a little exaggerated. Another manipulation of their entourage?
Other steamy clips...
After the shocking images of the video "All The Things She Said", t.A.T.u. have released other singles portrayed by very suggestive clips. To maintain this scandalous taste, nothing will stop these teens. In the music video for "Not Gonna Get Us", we can see Julia finishing up a bomb destined to kill her friend Lena, because she had dared cheat on her with a boy. (Silly journalists, that was "30 Minutes". -E.) But nothing compares to their latest single, "Simple Motions", recently released in Russia. This clip caused just a stormy response from the public that it could only be aired one time on TV. Here is the scenario: Lena is waiting for Julia in a cafй. Absent, with an empty stare, she's thinking of her, while langorously stirring her spoon in a cup of tea, placed between her thighs. (Talk about insinuating things. -E.) Some viewers saw some rather unspeakable connotations.
Page 4
Provocative behavior on stage
During concerts, their deliberate will to shock spectateurs cannot be doubted at all. The choreography for "Malchik Gay", one of the songs from their album, where the two singers appear in undergarments, mimes a sexual act. This bit finishes with a scene that isn't any less shock-worthy, where the girls drenched themselves in water, in that "wet T-shirt contest" kind of way.
Two singers in danger
It's not rare that the public shows themselves aggressively towards a group. During a recent concert in Romania, insults were thrown all over the place. Their show had to be interrupted before all of it degenerated into an all out brawl. In Italy, where t.A.T.u.'s single was #1 in sales, Julia and Lena were invited to the famous Festivalbar. The organiser had kindly asked them not to kiss as to not shock the younger viewers. As was expected, the singers shared a passionate kiss anyway, in front of a mesmerized crowd. The TV station that was to re-air this show had to cut that bit out of the montage. Lastly, in Ekaterinburg, in Russia, these two young girls feared for their lives. An individual got on stage. Scandalized by t.A.T.u.'s attitude, the man tried to hit Julia with a crowbar. Fortunately, the brunette was not hurt thanks to the intervention of a security guard.
A girl with a girl
To our celebrities here, homosexuality is no longer a taboo. To say that it almost because a "trend" to admit one's sexual... tendencies. After the public admission of Thomas from "Loft Story season 2" and the ambiguous confessions of Anne-Laure of "Star Academy season 2", two new "flag-bearers" have made their entry on to the media scene. And when Lena and Julia let themselves go in the tell-all department, it is by far a sad event... In other words, it's very gay! (Pun. Haha. Hah. Hah. -E.)
Julia: "In Moscow, for example, people were very shocked to see girls loving other girls. They were all kind of mad. Here, as anywhere else, I think that our music is close to teens, and that what we say is right."
Lena: "It's our life. It's the truth, we would not want to abuse our public and sell records by making up a lie or just in the simple goal to shock people. We just wish that people understand us and accept others that are like us."
Julia: "We have always wanted to sing together, and this dream has come true. This is how we became this close. To such a degree that we feel much more than friendship towards one another."
Julia: "We've had boyfriends, but we ended up understanding that girls, they were rather much better!"
Lena: "I grew up very quickly. I discovered love very early in life. I'm 17 years old and I've already lived lots of difficult things in my life. There are some things that I can't even tell my parents about, but the important thing is that I've learnt to accept them myself." (I thought that Julia said this? Crazy reporters. -E.)
Lena: "When I told my grandmother that I had a penchant for girls, she told me, "I'm so happy that you live in such a tolerant world, because this is my case as well, but I could not admit it in my day!"
Julia: "They accuse us of being marketing products, but Britney Spears is also a product, and we're better than she is!"
t.A.T.u. censored in France!
In France, the music video "All The Things She Said" is not aired in it's original cut. French stations have decided to censor some images judge too shocking, notably the scene where Julia and Lena share a kiss (deliberately rendered fuzzy). The original version can be found on the Internet. Clothed in school uniforms (a wink aimed at "Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears), caged behind bars, Julia and Lena proclaim their love in front of stunned passersby.
Translation by Echoed.
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