Yulia Volkova

Yulia Volkova / Юлия Волкова

Published: December 7, 2016

Yulia Volkova (Юлия Олеговна Волкова) is a Russian singer and actress best known for her role in the group t.A.T.u. alongside Lena Katina (Елена Сергеевна Катина). After her work with t.A.T.u., Volkova has acted in film and television and, more recently, embarked on a solo musical career.

Volkova’s biggest success as a musician came from t.A.T.u. Managed by Ivan Shapovalov (Иван Шаповалов), the band signed with Universal Music Russia in 1999. Their first single, “All the Things She Said” (or “I’ve Gone Crazy,” “Я сошла с ума,” in the Russian version), topped the charts internationally in countries including Australia, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and much of Western Europe. The video for the song courted controversy as it featured Volkova and Katina kissing onscreen, which brought further attention to the band. t.A.T.u.’s best-selling album was 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane (200 по встречной), which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. The group split up for good in 2011, citing creative differences.

In August of that year Volkova announced on Facebook, Twitter, and her personal website that she had officially signed with Gala Records (a subsidiary of EMI) to begin a solo career. Her first single, “Because of You” (the Russian version was called “Сдвину мир,” literally “Move the world”), though delayed several times, came out in 2011. The song was not a major success, peaking at number 247 on the Russian charts.

In 2011 Volkova embarked on a tour in South America, where she perfomed both t.A.T.u. songs and her own solo material. The following year, it was announced that Volkova would be one of 25 Russian artists competing to represent Russia at the 2012 Eurovision song contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. Volkova’s track, “Back to Her Future,” performed as a duet with Dima Bilan, came in second behind Buranovskiye Babushki’s “Party for Everybody.”

Shortly thereafter, Volkova released two more singles: “I Didn’t Wanna Do It” and “Back to Her Future” (Russian version “Любовь–сука,” literally “Love is a bitch”). The latter reached number 47 on the Russian charts, and the music videos for both songs topped the Ello music charts. In late 2012 Volkova had to undergo vocal cord surgery, which temporarily put a stop to her performing.

In 2013 Volkova attempted to enter acting with the release of Zombie Holiday (Зомби каникулы—officially released in English under the name Zombie Fever). The film, however, was universally panned by both critics and audiences (earning just two stars of ten on IMBD), as was Volkova’s wooden performance.

In 2014 t.A.T.u. briefly reunited for a series of performances that culminated in a live television broadcast from the Olympic Games in Russia. Tensions were high between Volkova and Katina, but nonetheless they released a final duet, “Love in Every Moment” (“Любовь в каждом мгновении”).

Find Yulia Volkova on Amazon

 

Here is t.A.T.u. with the Russian version of their smash hit “Not Gonna Get Us” (“Нас не догонят”):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWXTXO8_h10

Lyrics for “Нас не догонят”:

Только скажи,
Дальше нас двое.
Только огни
Аэродрома.
Мы убежим,
Нас не догонят.
Дальше от них,
Дальше от дома.
Ночь-проводник
Спрячь наши тени
За облака.
За облаками
Нас не найдут,
Нас не изменят.
Им не достать
Звезды руками.

Небо уронит
Ночь на ладони.
Нас не догонят,
Нас не догонят.
Небо уронит
Ночь на ладони.
Нас не догонят,
Нас не догонят.

Нас не догонят…

Мы убежим,
Все будет просто.
Ночь упадет,
Небо уронит.
И пустота на перекрестках.
И пустота нас не догонит.
Не говори, им не понятно.
Только без них,
Только не мимо.
Лучше никак,
Но не обратно.
Только не с ними.
Только не с ними.

Нас не догонят…

Небо уронит
Ночь на ладони.
Нас не догонят,
Нас не догонят.
Небо уронит
Ночь на ладони.
Нас не догонят,
Нас не догонят.

Нас не догонят…

 

 

Here is Volkova’s duet with Dima Bilan, “Love Is a Bitch” (“Любовь–сука”):

 

Lyrics for “Любовь–сука”:

В её глазах
И жизнь, и смерть без боли,
Я видел знаки ад и рай.
Её глаза зовут и жгут до боли
Своим желаньем через край.

Поверь. Правда или ложь?
Ты не разберёшь в ней..

Любовь — сука,
Но то, что ты хочешь
И днём, и ночью:
Лекарство или болезнь.
Любовь — сука,
Но, помнишь, она не идёт прочь,
Держит сильней и сильней.
Мы к друг другу идём босиком по осколкам,
Оставляя в прошлом печаль,
Выдыхаем вдвоём и вдыхаем свободу,
Прощай, нелюбовь, прощай!

Она — война,
Кто выжил, тот не принял бой.
А кто рискнул собой — выбыл,
Один финал.
Мы отпускаем эту боль
В обмен на нас с тобой
Выбор

Верь. Правда или ложь?
Ты не разберешь в ней…

Любовь — сука,
Но то, что ты хочешь
И днём, и ночью:
Лекарство или болезнь.
Любовь — сука,
Но, помнишь, она не идёт прочь,
Держит сильней и сильней.
Мы к друг другу идём босиком по осколкам,
Оставляя в прошлом печаль,
Выдыхаем вдвоём и вдыхаем свободу,
Прощай, нелюбовь, прощай!

Шаг за шагом в небо!
Догнать не дай!
До свиданья, стерва!
Любовь, прощай…

Любовь — сука,
Но то, что ты хочешь
И днём, и ночью:
Лекарство или болезнь.
Любовь — сука,
Но, помнишь, она не идёт прочь,
Держит сильней и сильней.
Мы к друг другу идём босиком по осколкам,
Оставляя в прошлом печаль,
Выдыхаем вдвоём и вдыхаем свободу,
Прощай, нелюбовь, прощай!

 

Trailer from Zombie Fever:

 

Find Yulia Volkova on Amazon

About the author

Zachary Hicks

Zach Hicks is a PhD student in Comparative Literature at the University of Oregon. He is currently participating in SRAS's Home and Abroad scholarship program. His main areas of interest are twentieth-century Russian and Soviet literature, socialist modernism, and critical theory. Outside of academics his major interests are martial arts, the outdoors, and music. In Russia, he plans to continue to increase his language proficiency, to learn as much as possible about the Russian underground music scene, its tattoo culture, and to become a student of Russia’s native martial art, SAMBO.

Program attended: Art and Museums in Russia

View all posts by: Zachary Hicks