Gomenasai for a shit single

It happens all the time - record companies making bizarre decisions when it comes to choosing album tracks to release as singles. It's even worse when they overlook the best song on the album, and instead decide to release the worst.

t.A.T.u.'s Gomenasai isn't a bad song, it is just boring. The song was sampled by American rap group Flipsyde on their European hit single Happy Birthday. The record company obviously hoped the popularity of the sample would transfer to the proper song. Unfortunately, some countries, like the UK, where Happy Birthday was not released, are not going to take to the song well. Considering t.A.T.u.'s last UK single, Friend or Foe missed the top 75 I don't know why Universal are bothering at all with Gomenasai here, nevertheless the release date is currently set for the 12th June. Despite having an ABBA style bit, the video is rubbish and Yulia's satsuma face disturbs me.

The Russians are far luckier; they get the brilliant Novaya model' as the next single. The video was apparently shot at the same time as the Gomenasai video, and I expect big things. I see manikins, and a scrap yard maybe. As long as it's not a performance video I'll be happy.

Download Flipsyde - Happy Birthday
Download t.A.T.u. - Gomenasai
Download t.A.T.u. - Novaya model'

Little by little

One of the biggest travesties of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was Lithuania’s entry Laura and the Lovers with ‘Little By Little’ finishing dead last in the semi-final. The former Soviet state had one of the best songs in the competition and definitely did not deserve such a bad result. The song did have an abismal placing, they were second on, but Laura and her lovers had so much going for them. Boots, dress, song, and strut. Interestingly the only countries that gave Lithuania any points at all were their northern neighbours Estonia (7 pts.), and then 5 from Ireland and 4 for the United Kingdom. It has been suggested that the UK’s generosity was actually thanks to the country’s sizeable Lithuanian community. Unfortunately I can’t find a video of the live performance, but below is the music video of the song, rapidshare link for the mp3.

Left-click to download 'Little by Little' by Laura and the Lovers

A Clockwork Orange Clown

Here's a nice video of t.A.T.u. performing their 2002 hit Klouny (Clowns) in their pajamas and pink fluffy slippers.

When I see you in the hall, I look at the wall

I started this blog to enlighten the non-Russian speaking world to the joys of Russian pop music. Since Russian music is generally not released outside Eastern Europe, and the Cyrillic script makes navigating Russian websites very difficult; Russian popstars are almost completely unknown in the West. The major exception, of course, is t.A.T.u., however a couple of years before Yulia and Lena were unleashed on to the world, a beautiful young lady from Russia had a minor hit in the UK.

It was 18 year-old Alsou Ralifovna Safina (now Abramova), a native of the Russian Federation's autonomous republic of Tatarstan. Following her second placing in 2000's Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Solo', Alsou, the daughter of a billionaire oil magnate turned politician of the Russian Duma's upper chamber, had a UK top 20 hit in 2001 with 'Before You Love Me'. Her comeback single 'Always On My Mind' was pulled from the schedule in 2005.

Alsou (also spelt Alsu) has actually lived in London since the age of 10, where she attended a performing arts school. Her pop career began in the late 90s and the year 2000 saw the release of her debut album 'Alsou'. Her finishing second in the Eurovision song contest, Russia's best result (t.A.T.u. only managed third place), secured her position as a major player on the Russian music scene and prompted her record company to launch a Europe-wide assault. However the 2001 release of the English version of her album was only met with limited success. In the years that followed Alsou release two more albums - the Russian language 'I Dream About Autumn' in 2002, and '19' in 2003 which was in both the Russian and Tatar languages.

A worldwide r'n'b-pop album was planned for release in 2005, but only two songs from the project emerged - 'Always On My Mind' (no, not the Elvis song), whose UK release was cancelled, and the Nelly collaboration 'I Wish I Didn't Know'. Last month she married Russian billionaire Yan Abramov in the kind of the lavish, over-the-top ceremony that we have come to expect when Russia's super rich get hitched. Pictures can be seen here. Links to mp3s are below. Youtube videos may be clicked to open full screen version. Clockwise from top-left: 'Before You Love Me', 'Always On My Mind', 'Autumn', 'Vchera', 'Solo', 'He Loves Me'.

Bonsoire l'Europe!

So, after last week's look at two of the less inspiring Eurovision entries on offer this year, it's only right that I mention some of my favourites. The videos embedded in this post are from YouTube, the latest internet craze.

Despite only having a population of 300,000, Iceland regularly has great Eurovision entries; last year's "If I Had Your Love" by Selma, being no exception. Tragically, the song failed to qualify, largely due to Selma's crap outfit, which can be seen here. This year it is highly unlikely Iceland will let us down in the wardrobe department, for they are sending the fabulous Silvia Night to Athens. Silvia's television show took Iceland by storm, making the understated star hugely popular. Her major celebrity status translated into her receiving some 70% of the public vote at Iceland's national final. But this success hasn't gone to Silvia's head, and she remains as modest as ever: "I am the most famous star in Europe", "I am more famous than Bjork in Iceland", "People say I remind them of Mother Teresa, only rich and beautiful". Her brilliant song 'Congratulations' is basically about how amazing she is, and how she is the best thing to hit Eurovision. Ever. It currently even features the word 'fuck' and also a telephone conversation with none other than God himself....

... And talking of God... As anyone who is familiar with Eurovision knows, it is a big gayfest. So it's a bit strange that Sweden has chosen a woman who once claimed "prayer can cure homosexuality" to represent them. Yes, Carola is back! The winner of the 1991 Eurovision song contest, and hardcore evangelical Christian is still hugely popular in Sweden and as expected won Melodifestivalen, the Swedish national final. Unfortunately she pipped the more deserving BWO (previously known as Bodies Without Organs) to the Eurovision post, with her song-that-could-be-about-Jesus-or-a-boyfriend 'Evighet' (Invincible). Still, her voice is both amazing and weird, and her performance featured a vile blue dress and a wind machine that was turned up a little too high. Throw in dancers running around with flags, and Carola's apparent channeling of Christ at one point, and you have pure Eurovision camp. The English version of the song, 'Invincible', will be sung in Athens.

The Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia has a very strong entry this year, in the form of Elena Risteska's 'Ninanajna'. The song, which originally was about a man teaching young Elena about music and mentioned Eminem, Shakira and Madonna, and therefore was amazing, now in English is about what a man has to do if he wants to do the filthy girl up the arse*. A lot of people have described it as a mixture of R'n'B and Ruslana, which is a pretty good description, although thenoticeablyrsion has noticeabley shifted the song towards the former. Like the best Eurovision songs, Elena's ditty contains some gibberish: The word 'ninanajna' doesn't mean anything, it is just like 'boom bang a bang' or 'la la la la'.

*This is just my interpretation. In the video she keeps touching her behind, and just looks like she is the sort that takes it up the wrong'un.

And finally, RusskiPop's hot tip for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 is Belgium! Kate Ryan's 'Je T'Adore' has got me more excited than any other Eurovision song ever. I would say that the song is a dead cert. to qualify for the final, but Xandee's shock flop for Belgium in 2004 has taught me to be more cautious. The song isn't ethnic or anything, just a superb pure-pop song with an instantly catchy chorus, great production and unique dance routine to boot. And the bookies seem to agree and have given Belgium the best odds of winning the competition.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 is broadcast live from Athens, Greece on the 18th May (semi-final), and the 20th May (final).