Top of the Popsa

Top of the Popsa

The Russian pop scene today is distinguished by a variety of local sounds often reminiscent of internationally known bands. And yet, they are all distinctively Russian. Russian Life consulted with Dmitry Konnov of Radio-Maximum in Moscow to compile this list of the best in Russian pop today.

Otpetye Moshenniki (Impudent Scoundrels) are three punk-like youngsters whose music echoes The Beastie Boys’ earlier albums. Their most popular hits, like Ya uchus tantsevat (“I am learning to dance”) and Vsyako Razno (“It’s all the same”) are repeated endlessly at city music kiosks.

Newcomer A-Mega rose to fame on Russian MTV with their fun and popular song Nogy-nogy (“Legs”). The song video follows the group around Moscow as they “borrow” cars and fool police by blocking the road with mannequins and dolls. The group hovers on the fringe between rock and pop.

Strelki (“Arrows”), which offers soft, light-hearted vocals and melancholy hits like Ty brosil menya (“You dumped me”) and the latest hit Ya khoroshaya (“I am good”)  is another popular group among teens—something of a Russian answer to the Spice Girls.

Ivanuski-International is a trio of boys known for their sugary lyrics and music, as in their hits Topoliny Pukh (“Poplar Pollen”), Kukla Masha  (“Puppet Masha”) and Tuchi (“Clouds”). Somewhat reminiscent of the New Kids on the Block, these kids are already in their late twenties.

Hi-Fi is a new male duet enamored with Hi-Fi sound tricks. But this doesn’t stop them from falling into the category of “popsa,” (sweet pop), e.g. with their songs Chyorny Voron  (“Black  Raven”)  and Besprizornik (“Orphan”).

Virus is the latest adition to the popsa genre, all the rage at Russian discos. This trio has a female lead singer and has a mega-hit Ty meny ne ischi (“Don’t look for me”).

Gosti iz Budushchevo (“Guests from the Future”) is a male-female duet which came out with the popsa hits Nelyubov (“Non-love”) and Zima (Winter”).

Splin is a happy diversion from the prevalent popsa strain. The group offers a mix of rock and pop and features the fine vocal talents of Alexander Vasiliev, as well as energetic and often funny lyrics, as in Ona zhuet svoy Orbit bez sakhara (“She is chewing her sugar-free Orbit”), Davay otkryvay svoy Anglo-russky slovar (“C’m on, open your English-Russian dictionary”), and their latest hit Pil i kuril (“Smoked and drank”).

Zemfira, from Ufa, the capital of Bashkiria, proves that solid, powerful female rock and pop vocals are very en vogue here. The lead singer is friends with Masha Makarova and the group is topping the charts with songs like SPID (“AIDS”), Pochemu? (“Why ?), and Arrivederci (Italian for “good-bye”). Unfortunately, some of the group’s popularity can be attributed to their nihilistic lyrics a la the US group Nirvana (“You have AIDS, which means we will all die” or “Smoking means living long”).

Mummy Troll hails from Vladivostok. Hardly a pop group, Mummy Troll is all rock, but has much in common with Masha I Medvedi. Said Dmitry Konnov of Radio-Maximum, “Mummy Troll is the best adaptation of British beat-pop on Russian soil.” The group’s song Vladivostok-2000 is a good example of the group’s work and shows why they are so popular with younger Russians.