Are they lesbian or not, those two Russian girls that together form the popular duet t.A.T.u? Maybe a weird question, but it’s an issue that’s most important for most t.A.T.U fans. “The answer is... we have no clue”, writes a website dedicated to the duet in a so-called FAQ (list of frequently asked questions).

t.A.T.u, who will be performing at Pesps Chart Live today, are everywhere in the world high in the hitlists with the song ATTSS. In the video becomes very clear what the song is about: about two schoolgirls that are having a passionate relationship with eachother, and where the environment is gazing at with looks of rejection. In some stills the girls are seen behind bars, while singing: Will I ever be free?”.

The song already became a succes in Russia two years ago, in the original version “Ya Soshla S Uma”, which means something like ‘I lost my mind’. The duo were then still called taty. When it came out that another group already had that name, it was changed to t.A.T.u. The group was created by producer Ivan Shapovalov, who found the two singers after auditions.

The by Shapovalov created image of the group is famous, but also controversial. The passionate way in which the two kiss each other in the video caused a sensation, as well as the little conceiling outfits – see-through clothes and undergarments-, in which Julia (then fifteen, now seventeen) and Lena (then sixteen, now eightteen) let themselves be photographed and sometimes performed in.

On top of that came the video of the song “Prostye dvizheniya”, in which Julia is seen masturbating in the bathroom (only her face is shown, and together with the music you can hear heavy breathing.

The duo became a huge succes in a short period in their homeland, selling over a million albums, but also in other eastern European countries.

The wildest rumors circulated: at a nightclub an orgy would have been broken out, that the girls in hotels always sleep in one room (in a twin-fullsized bed), that they had planned to marry each other in Amsterdam. Others were certain that the duo was planning to get rid of the lesbian image, in order to have a bigger chance to succes in America.

In Russia the critics said that it wasn’t appropriate to speak of this subject in such al light manner, and that on top of it all wasn’t more than a cheap gimmick. But besides that t.A.T.u was praised by people that thought it was a good thing of the duo to support young lesbian girls in this way.

Conquering the rest of the world began january this year. Together with producer Trevor Horn (known for 'The Art of Noise' and 'Frankie Goes To Hollywood' - an english album called '200 km/hr in the wrong lane’, was recorded. The first english single, 'All The Things She Said', has allready become a huge hit in Europe. In the Netherlands, their single is number two in the top fourty countdown. Only once before a Russian pop score a hit in the top countdowns: last year the duo 'PPK' had the hit song 'Resurection'.

In Italy t.A.T.u shocked the association of concerned parents ‘Moige’ with a on television broadcasted kiss. The chairwoman declared to be getting sick of that awful ‘homopropaganda’. There is still a lot of work to be done by the t.A.T.u-girls.

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