Tatu's Music Is Actually Pretty Good
Published April 26, 2003
In fairness, I feel it necessary to say a couple of words in defense of Tatu.
They come out of the box as a novelty act, two young Russian lesbians who sing - and like making out in public. OK, so they're basically a couple of hookers. Trevor Horn has something to do with this and I doubt they have any songwriting credits on their album. They're just trying to get rich and famous. They lack artistic credibility, blah, blah, blah.
Yeah, well somebody wrote them at least one hot song. "All the Things She Said" really works. It is an outstanding piece of music. There's an actual SONG underneath the throbbing synthesizers and all. They have a strong basic melodic hook under "all the things she said running through my head". The basic hook gets more than credible development in the verse.
I generally don't care that much for synth-pop type productions, but this one works. The music throbs quite nicely. They have some good dynamics in the production; it builds up and drops back a little, and comes in for the big finish. The vocal performance specifically comes out pretty convincing. I'm not saying they're the Supremes or anything. However, although it's a little hard to pick out through the production, at least one of these girls seems to be a better actual singer than Britney Spears, if not Diana Ross. I find the production emotionally convincing.
Somebody managed to get some interesting emotions communicated in this product. Emotional communication being a big point of music, they have legitimately accomplished the main task. They manage to put across some combination of breathless sexual turn on, and some confusion and yearning. It's really quite good if you'll give it a fair listen.
I note that I hunted down the song on a Blogcritic's recommendation with no foreknowledge of any kind other than the name of the group and title of the song. I listened to it several times in a mix tape without paying overly close attention, just absorbing the tune and the sound. I was well into digging the song before I picked up on the lesbian gimmick. That, of course, did nothing to dissuade my interest. The video (included on the CD) was nicely thought out, giving some interesting dramatic context to the basic prurient interest of watching the girls make out. I've been less impressed with other songs from their album, but even those represent competent pop songcraft.
You may just not dig on this style of music. As a conservative Christian, you can decide to be offended by the lesbian schtick. As a good left winger, you may decide to be offended by their crass commercialism.
However, by any fair aesthetic standard, the hit single represents at least better than average pop music.
- Tatu's Music Is Actually Pretty Good
- Published: April 26, 2003
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Alternative Rock, Music: Electronica, Music: Pop, Video: Music
- Writer: Al Barger
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Comments on this articleComments
Yea it is a tremendous piece of work. Horn does a great job of giving them an atmosphere to work in. The Russian version is much better. BUt the english is very strong. It will be interesting to see what they are able to do without Trevor. If he sticks around the next one will probably be pretty good. If not then it's anyones guess.
I'll go along with this. I was pretty dubious of the whole thing when I first heard about it last year, then when I actually heard the song I was surprised to find it was actually pretty decent. The follow-up ("Not Gonna Get Us") strikes me as just being a bit shrill, though...
I like the album and without tying any association to the album title, it's good speeding music. Oh and I must agree, I prefer the Russian version of the songs over the English. Although Show Me Love is my personal fave (which I don't believe there is a Russian version of).
'All the Things She Said' is a fantastic tune, although I could care less for the video. But have any of you heard their rendition of "How Soon is Now"? It's a remake of an old Smiths tune that's also been covered by Love Spit Love, but the girls' version isn't that bad.
Tatu is the best and most original music I have ever heard and some people need to be more open minded, because what ever they say about they being lesbians isn't going to change anything, because this is how our world is even if it is not perfect it has great music like tatu's.
Tatu is the best and most original music I have ever heard and some people need to be more open minded, because what ever they say about they being lesbians isn't going to change anything, because this is how our world is even if it is not perfect it has great music like tatu's.
i find that tatu's music is great with the bet and who cares if there lesbians
there just another group of singers to some people.
Have to agree that the Russian version is better though I can't put my finger on why. In Germany they're in the hitlist for quite some time and even if I liked "All the things she said" the first two times I heard it, I can't stand their singing now. Both have no voices at all. This is no music that grows on you, this is something you use for some time and then throw away.
PS: Today in the news here: TATU aren't lesbian. O well, not a surprise here...
'who cares if they're lesbians?' asks zack.
But this misses the point that the lesbian schtick (and schtick it was) was all that Tatu had - seriously, how many Russian artists have you heard of? how many girl duos from the European continent can you name?
who cares it they're lesbian? the managers, the press, the editors...
That's exactly it. With adding to the mix that noone (at least here) ever *really* believed they were lesbian. So the managment trickt wasn't to bring in some Russian lesbians who kiss on stage, but to bring the media something to talk about. With leaving it a bit unclear they could ponder endlessly whether it's more plausible that they're lesbian of if they're as straight as the next pop chick.
Tatu not lesbians? That's a dirty lie, and I refuse to believe it. That's libel. Maybe one of them was drunk and accidentally got tricked into kissing a guy.
Lookit, Beyonce SMOKES them both, and makes them look like pasty, surly, 10 year old boys in need of sun and a decent haircut, and a happy meal (although i myself would not patronize the evil "food" establishment that produces such dreck, I'm sure a couple of deprived former commies would find the sodium and lard bombs produced there an American Novelty).
There is, however, plenty more room for school girl uniforms in the world of pop music.
Remember Girlschool?
Yes. Yes, indeed i do.
Who was that hair band that did the song "Girls shcool"?
"At the girls school, my baby broke all the rules!"
I can still see the video in my head. Ah, those jr. high headbangers ball days!
According to my sources on the world wide web, it was none other than Britny Fox who sang that song.
Interesting to me, because I once served breakfast to 2 members of that band when I was a busboy at the Holiday Inn! They were nice guys. They had this one great song called "Long way to Love". Vixen was touring with them, and my buddy served them in the buffet line. He said they were hot.
Oh, and I also helped served Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians lunch. Edie had Minestrone.
I also got to meet Paul, Tommy, and Slim from the Replacements(still my all time faves!). I had a copy of Musician Mag with their picture on it with me in my locker, cuz I was hoping I'd see them. Anwyay they were extremely cool and nice guys. I got to see them quite a few times in concert, the first was when I was 17. I got into an over 21 show with someone else's ID-they had black hair and a beard, I was brown hair and not a whisker, but it worked! Front row, awesome!
I bet that any Westerner couldn`t name a Russian band before the emergence of tatu and guess what now everybody knows who they are and where they come from!I was born and raised in Eastern Europe and I never had a chance of seeing any music star performing live simply `cause none of them would come to my poor Serbia or Russia-the countries of the unprivileged.The cliche is broken and only strong and talented individuals could do it and I respect tatu for doing it!Both Napoleon and Hitler underestimated the Russians and they lost!These two girls are very brave and if they`re really in love with each other than their music is going to be even better and it`s amazingly good by now!Beaware that homosexualism was socially approved in ancient Greece and that the wittiest philosophers of all times were bisexual.It`s just the issue of what somebody prefers in their life.And nobody can escape love.Passion roots in oddest places,remember?Think of yourself when you`re judging somebody else`s choices!I think they`re just wonderful,sexy,so utterly Slavic and so emotional which is misunerstood in the West `cause it`s all about Slavic soul and that`s inexplicable to any of you who have never experienced life in its most barren form when nothing matters but love and love makes you look forward to another day...And believe me when you`re bombed in the 21st century love is all that you`re left with and that`s why it should be praised,`cause this world misses love more than anything else!
Originally, it was the lesbian schtick which drew people in...after people relaxed, the group of TRUE fans, the underground network, were left to gather up the pieces.
Now, even fewer true fans are left since it was discovered Yulia had a boyfriend.Does this mean that they were never really involved?
How can people who are mere outsiders judge two people with such scruitiny? I personally don't give a flying fuck if they did it for the money. They helped so many teens realize their sexuality, they moved many with their music, and for that, they made something stir within me - a truly jaded consumer. And for that, I will be eternally grateful.
The lesbian schtick drew people in ... the music, the heart, the soul, is what inspired us to stay.
i think everyone should get it.i have it. you should also get there new album "dangerous and moving",from what i hear so for it rocks.
You know what they are probably bi-sexual but so fucking what.They have cool music.They are the only pop band(i think the proper term is Acid Jazz but anyway)that i have EVER liked.This coming from me who likes Slipkot and Rammstein.And they do have good voices.don't think that ol' Britney and Christina dont have there voices tweaked like hell in the studio.Not to mention the miming.I couldn't care if they were as straight as me.
i think thast tatus music is reli gud me and my gf listen to it all the time and we cn relate to da lyrics as her parents duno that were together weve been together for 10 mounths now so yah
i think tatus music is relly great.My frav song is al about us.I also love when they kiss they r the best kissers on t.v.Me and ma cous nicy sing there songs all the time when we r together.T.A.T.U. WE JUST WANT U TO NOW WE WILL ALWAYS LOV U .U R ONE OF MA FAV BAND
TATU 4 EVA
what is ypur phone number
they are great at all.their new songs YOU AND I ,LITTLE PEOPLE,TIME ON THE MOON,220 and WHITE ROBE are perfect
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i'm gonna agree with Al.
and I think it's actually better on the russian version of the cd. They sing better in thier language.
*The Theory... owns both the english and russian versions of the cd and is not ashamed to admit that*
peace.