pirmdiena, 2007. gada 29. oktobris

Lesbian Russian export

Last week the entire RuNet or Russian Internet field as you wish was full of one and only topic on Russian music or, as it seems now, not so much Russian. Mostly, these topics in blogs and news headlines were like "Lesbian orgy, again" or "Renaissance of t.A.T.u. by a pensioner". Very strange, isn't it? Let us figure out, what actually is going on.
Valeriya, a broadly known Russian pop-singer, having a musician career from early 90's, when she appeared with her exceptional vocal abilities. She started as a singer of difficult, but therefor worth listening French sonatas and other classics. This could be the reason of her bright debut. After annulating her marriage with her previous husband and producer Alexander Shulgin, she quit music for very long three years. Mostly, musical critics were unanimous - she won't be able to climb to those highs she peaked once.
But they were wrong, as it usually happens, if you try to forecast the Russian music industry. It differs form the U.S. and Europe a lot. There you may take a look an graphics of concerts and the dates of album and singles release and more or less correctly prognosticate, who will be the chart peakers. But it is not possible in Russia, ever! If there is a long-expected album by an artist, who used to have a longer pause in creation of his great music, like Zemfira or Surganova, you may be up to 100% wrong if you suggest that it will be a sales gainer of the weekend. There is a huge probability that no one will even mention it. Meanwhile the free money of music lovers will go to some second-class r'n'b parody by a band no one knew just yesterday. Afterwards all the big Russian land will repeat the most thoughtful strophes from the lead songs of such albums, where the text are like "Columbia Pictures even can't imagine.." The most creative thing in this is hidden in play on words, as "imagine" in Russian means also "to present". So it is something like "Columbia Pictures doesn't present", meaning it can't fancy the Love between r'n'b maker in Russia and his girlfriend.
Well, back to Valeriya. Her present husband and again producer is fat as the himself declared global maestro Timbaland, so is very frequently called Shrek. Speaking about Timbaland, I can't accept his rule, that every song, where he rings out as an owl or something, and the song itself, either it is "Say It Right" by Nelly Furtado or "Apologize" by One Republic, is made by another vocals, not Timbalands. And he is shameless enough to write in the artist column "Timbaland featuring someone else". Shame on you, Timba!
And so, Shrek understands the non-predictability of the Russian music market we talked about some paragraphs before. As this market is a fast food of second-class clowns. So Shrek decided to make some money in the West. New project by Valeriya - an album in English - is their first step to conquer Europe, Asia, U.S. etc.
Not bad! The first single from the album is already available in the radio rotation, funny, but only Russian radio rotation. Shrek says - we work hard, but still there is no result of visiting all European radio stations in line.
And what do we have in the video clip for this song? You may take a look here
An Italian actor twisting around Valeriya in the first part of song, then there is a bridge and the final with a lesbian orgy by Valeriya and 4 naked or almost naked young, extremely young girls. Two aspects to mention about this video.
First of all, the bridge is caddish copy from a single by Russian superduet t.A.T.u. "Not Gonna Get Us" (watch here), which peaked most of European states charts and rised up to the 7 on Billboard Hot 100. All the drum and bass, energy of the electric guitare, even something from the wildness and unstoppable affect and infinite aggressively of two lesbian girls, who want to be alone, just with each other. In this context all the characteristics of the bridge are acceptable, logical and look very natural.
But not about Valeriyas video, where it underlines the difference in ages of young dancers and central singer. As it is quite stolen, the idea can't look good in the covered version. Valeriya, who is not a young girl anymore, shaking and trying to prove she is crazy in love - all this looks like @#$*&%^*! It looks like Valeriya confused the shooting pavilion when she came to make the video.
Secondly, the crowdness. What a brilliant idea is hidden in the lyrics like
And you think that you're really smart
And you think that you're strong enough
or
God, I tried to land on my feet
When I'm leaving you I stay on my knees
No comments on it!
Anyway, Valeriya is the best known Russian pop-singer.
And somehow Avril is better.

P.S. Екнштп ещ куфв руку ыщьуерштп сдумук,,!