t.A.T.u.

t.A.T.u. were a Russian pop duo formed in Moscow in 1999 by producer Ivan Shapovalov, featuring vocalists Julia Volkova and Lena Katina. They became one of the most successful Russian musical exports of the 2000s, breaking into Western markets with a sound that fused synth-pop and rock with dramatic, teenage-angst lyrics. Their provocative image, built around a staged romantic relationship between the two singers, generated enormous media attention and controversy, but also opened doors for Russian pop music internationally in a way few acts before them had managed.

Their debut album, 200 Po Vstrechnoy, released in Russia in 2001, was reworked into the English-language 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane the following year, spawning the global hit «All the Things She Said» alongside other singles such as «Malchik Gay» and «Ya Soshla S Uma». The record's blend of hooky production and confrontational themes made it a defining sound of early-2000s pop. A second album, Dangerous and Moving, followed in 2005 with continued but diminishing commercial success.

After years of lineup changes, a strained relationship with their original producer, and a final album, Waste Management, in 2009 that made little commercial impact, the duo effectively disbanded, with a farewell performance at the closing ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Both Volkova and Katina went on to pursue solo careers, with Katina remaining especially active in the Russian music scene.