T.A.T.u.
Russian pop duo known for provocative image and Eurovision success.
Lena Katina and Julia Volkova, the duo behind t.A.T.u., first met in the children's group Neposedy. After producer Ivan Shapovalov took charge, their 2001 debut album became a hit in Eastern Europe, leading to a deal with Interscope Records. Their English album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane sold over a million copies in Europe and went gold in the US and UK. They placed third at Eurovision in 2003. The pair split in 2011 but have since reunited, including at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and again in 2025.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Moscow, Russia
- Genre
- Pop
- pop rock
- Europop
- electronic
- Years active
- 1999–2011; 2025–present
- Label
- Neformat
- Interscope
- Universal Music Russia
- Soyuz
- Current members
- Lena Katina; Julia Volkova
Facts from the source article.
History
Before they became t.A.T.u., Lena Katina and Julia Volkova were both in the children's group Neposedy, which also included future Russian stars Sergey Lazarev and Vlad Topalov. Katina had earlier been in a band called Avenue from 1994 to 1997. Reports claimed Volkova was kicked out of Neposedy for misbehaving, smoking, swearing, and drinking, but the group denied this and said she simply got too old for it. The duo t.A.T.u. was created in 1999 by Ivan Shapovalov and his business partner Aleksandr Voytinskiy, who planned a new musical project in Russia. They held auditions in Moscow for teenage female singers, narrowing ten finalists down to Katina, then 14, who performed Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love." She recorded demos, including "Yugoslavia," a protest song about the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. After those demos, Shapovalov decided the project needed another girl, so in late 1999, 14-year-old Julia Volkova joined. Katina later said Shapovalov got the idea from the Swedish film "Show Me Love," about two schoolgirls in love. The producers named the duo "Тату" (Tatu), which sounds like "tattoo" and is short for the Russian phrase "Та любит ту," meaning "This girl loves that girl." Over the next year, Katina and Volkova recorded with their producers. Voytinskiy left because he did not want to support a project built on scandals, and Shapovalov brought in Elena Kiper as co-producer and co-writer for their first album.
Artistry and controversies
The group received criticism, particularly after the release of "All the Things She Said". AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the band as an "exceptionally tawdry gimmick". In 2003, some UK presenters campaigned to ban the music video worldwide; despite reports that the BBC had banned it from pre-watershed programme Top of the Pops, the BBC denied the ban, stating they had better footage to show. Before recording their third studio album Dangerous and Moving, Volkova's pregnancy led critics to accuse the duo of being "fake" lesbians, though Katina and Volkova had previously said they were not in a relationship. On 17 May 2007, t.A.T.u. issued a statement to their gay fans denying betrayal and advocating "love without boundaries". On 26 May, they participated in the Moscow Gay Pride demonstration. The group appeared on Forbes' Top 50 Richest Stars of Russia twice: sixth in 2006 with an estimated income of $3.3 million, and thirty-sixth in 2007 with $1.4 million. They received the FHM Special Award for being the Top 100 Sexiest Woman. Both members were ranked on Maxim Russia's Top 100 Sexiest Girls, with Katina at fifty-three and Volkova at fifteen, and the group appeared on the cover of Maxim. Between 2002 and 2003, t.A.T.u. caused controversy by cancelling several concerts and tours. In March 2003, they announced UK tour dates for the "Show Me Love Promo Tour", but days before the performances, they cancelled due to poor ticket sales; BBC News reported only a fraction of tickets were sold for venues with capacities of around 10,000. A spokesman from Interscope did not understand the cancellation.
Productions and T.A. Music
When Ivan Shapovalov first put t.A.T.u. together, he and Boris Renski ran the group’s production company, Neformat. That company shut down in 2004 after t.A.T.u. split from Shapovalov. From 2005 onward, the duo’s Moscow-based production company has been T.A. Music, whose members include t.A.T.u., Renski, Dasha Mischenko, and Andrey Artischev. After t.A.T.u. ended their relationship with Universal Music in 2006, T.A. Music became their own record label in Russia starting in 2008. The album Vesyolye Ulybki came out internationally on iTunes under T.A. Music, which also handled Lena Katina’s solo work as both label and management for a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What genre of music does T.A.T.u. play?
T.A.T.u.'s music is classified as pop, pop rock, Europop and electronic.
Which record labels has T.A.T.u. released music on?
T.A.T.u. has released music on Neformat, Interscope, Universal Music Russia and Soyuz.
More in Synth-pop Groups
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced