Julia Volkova
Encyclopedia
Yulia Olegovna Volkova born February 20, 1985, better known by under the alternative spelling of Julia, is a Russian
singer and actress best known as a member of the Russian pop duo
, t.A.T.u.
, along with Lena Katina
. They had signed to Universal Music Russia
, where they had eventually signed to there sub-label Interscope Records
in 2001. They had been successful with the group together, with worldwide hits including "All the Things She Said
", "Not Gonna Get Us
" and "All About Us
", and releasing six studio albums; three Russian languaged albums and three English albums. In 2011, Katina and Volkova announced that t.A.T.u. had broke up. Julia signed a solo career with Gala Records in June 2011, and will release her debut single "All Because of You" in October 2011. The song will also be released in a Russian-language version under the title "Сдвину мир"(I'll Change the World).
, Russia
to a middle-class family. Her father, Oleg Volkov, was a businessman and her mother, Larissa Volkova, was a hairdresser. At the age of 6, Volkova enrolled in music school and began learning how to play the piano
. When she was 9, Volkova became a member of Russia's children's chorus Neposedi
, from which she would later meet fellow t.A.T.u singer, Lena Katina
. At age 11, Volkova transferred to a school fostering artistic talent, and three years later left Neposedi to join t.A.T.u. She has insisted that she was banned from Neposedi for misbehaving, but Neposedi representatives deny this, saying that she simply graduated as all of their members did at a certain age.
Feeling satisfied with his choices, Shapovalov signed Yulia and Lena to t.A.T.u., but the contract with Shapovalov also demanded that the girls present a lesbian image. After breaking away from Shapovalov in 2004, the girls came clean and stated that Shapovalov had created the lesbian image, and that they were even told what to say in interviews and parted ways with Shapovalov.
t.A.T.u. soon became the most successful Russian group of all time, leaving a number of hits behind them, such as "All The Things She Said
", "Not Gonna Get Us
" and "All About Us
". They also took part in Eurovision Song Contest 2003
and finished third with Ne Ver', Ne Boysia. They had recorded three english language studio albums; 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane
, Dangerous and Moving
and Waste Management
. They had recorded three Russian language studio albums; 200 Po Vstrechnoy
, Lyudi Invalidy
and Vesyoyle Ulybki. It was announced in March 2011 that t.A.T.u. was officially disbanded. The group celebrated their 12 years together, and released two remix albums entitled Waste Management Remixes pt. 1 and Waste Management Remixes pt. 2. It was announced they were the last albums together, as the solo singers would pursue a solo career.
Many Russian websites started claiming Yulia had left t.A.T.u.
to go solo in March 2009. The group's blog rejected the claims that Yulia had quit but stated that both girls would be doing separate solo projects from now on and t.A.T.u was no longer a full time job. However, in early January, the duo released a video in which they said they were still together and were planning more songs in 2010. In March 2011, Yulia confirmed through an interview with Romanian website Star-Gossip.com that she and her boyfriend have accepted Islam.
's album Waste Management
, t.A.T.u would no longer be a full-time project and it was later announced that Julia and Lena would both be working on their solo careers. Julia is currently working on her solo album in Moscow
and Los Angeles
. Julia has said that she has introduced a new genre entitled "Sex Rock". As Julia explained “I’m not going to go from t.A.T.u. style to R&B, I like rock. It’s going to be sexy, electric, but I don’t want to give away all the secrets just yet.
Julia was asked about touring and she explained “I am looking forward to performing and touring the whole world. The live shows will be different from t.A.T.u. all together. It will be me alone and a beautiful show with big screens, each of them will have a little movie. I want the fans to take part in these movies. I want to help them feel a part of something and to be part of my show, to see that they’re travelling around the world with me.”
On 17 January 2011, Julia released a snippet of what was thought to be her debut single "Woman All The Way Down". It is her first solo song since 2008. Along with this song, Julia also performed "Rage" during her birthday party on February 20th, 2011. These two songs, along with a snippet of another song that was uploaded to her website, "Stand Up", were said to just be demos and not a direct representation of what Julia's debut single/album will sound like. She was interviewed by Cherrytree Chat
. She was asked about her music and she said that "[she is] not doing any songwriting, [she is] only recording English songs [although Russian songs are planned], the album is planned to be released worldwide and wants to be into drums throughout her career"
On August 16, 2011, Volkova announced on her website, as well as on Facebook and Twiiter, stating that she has officially signed with Russian Label Gala Records, subsidiary of EMI records. She has also stated that her new single to prepare for her debut album, "All Because Of You/Sdvinu Mir" will be released in late August with accompanying video. 2 weeks after the announcement, her official site reported that Julia will be returning to the studio to complete an additional recording session for "All Because Of You/Sdvinu Mir" and that the single will be officially released in October. For a third time, the single release was postponed until November. Though fans hoped for "All Because of You" to premier on the radio prior to Julia's South American tour, it was planned to premier during Julia's first performance in Rio de Janeiro on November 17th, 2011. The Russian version, "Sdvinu Mir" premiered on Lenta.ru on November 11th, 2011. This is Volkova's 1st debut single for her upcoming untitled debut album. The song was recorded in Sweden and was produced by Niclas Molinder, Joacim Persson, Johan Fransson, Tim Larsson and Tobias Lundgren. A music video is also currently directed. Evan Winter is also the directer of the video.
Volkova also announced she will travel to South America
for a promotional tour, where she will perform some songs from t.A.T.u. and some of her new material.
and English-born American actress Mischa Barton
in the film You and I
, the story of two teenage girls who meet and fall in love at a Moscow t.A.T.u. concert. The film is based on the novel t.A.T.u. Come Back, which was in turn based on true events.
During August 2011, Julia participated in the shooting of the movie “9 1/2 Zombies" (Previously titled "Fear Mongers"). According to the post on her official site "'9 1/2 Zombies' is Russian language zombie horror/comedy movie shot on location in Minsk, Belarus. Produced by New Wave Production in the style of such films as 'Welcome to Zombieland' or 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Fear Mongers' is preparing for an autumn 2012 premiere". Julia will be playing the heroine, Natalia. She is also to record a soundtrack for the movie.
Volkova then had a long term relationship with businessman Parviz Yasinov. The press reported that the two got married and she converted to Islam
for him, but she denied this. It was reported and confirmed that Volkova was pregnant with her second child, her first with Yasinov, around June 2007. Volkova gave birth to a baby boy named Samir on 27 December 2007, in Moscow. The couple stated that they wanted to get married in the future. In 2010, Volkova confirmed that she and Yasinov had broken up, but denied claims that she had been separated from her son. On 5 June 2008, t.A.T.u. canceled a concert scheduled for 19 June due to Volkova falling ill. The official site didn't give exact details of her illness. It has been speculated by the media that she either was diagnosed with postpartum depression
but it was never confirmed. On 19 June, a blog entry was posted by Lena saying that "Yulia's better" and shortly after Volkova appeared to be resuming normal activities.
Volkova has also had plastic surgery
and cosmetic
s. There had been a lot of speculation, due to her appearances throughout her career. It was noticed she had procedures including Lip enhancement
, browplasty and a facelift
, not even near the age of thirty. Although no official statement from Volkova has been released.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
singer and actress best known as a member of the Russian pop duo
Pop duo
Pop duo is a term generally referring to a pop group with only two members.- Male :*The Everly Brothers*Simon & Garfunkel*The Righteous Brothers*Hall & Oates*Pet Shop Boys*Erasure*Red Box*Savage Garden*The Communards*Tears for Fears*Wham!...
, t.A.T.u.
T.A.T.u.
t.A.T.u. was a duo formed in Moscow, Russia in 1999 by Ivan Shapovalov. The group consisted of Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova.Their debut single "Ya Soshla S Uma" was released in December 2000. The single had a huge success in Russia and Eastern Europe...
, along with Lena Katina
Lena Katina
Elena Sergeevna Katina , born October 4, 1984, better known as Lena Katina, is a Russian singer and songwriter who is best known for her work with Russian duo t.A.T.u. She started her career at the age of eight, joining the Russian children's act Avenue, then not long after Neposedi...
. They had signed to Universal Music Russia
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
, where they had eventually signed to there sub-label Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
in 2001. They had been successful with the group together, with worldwide hits including "All the Things She Said
All the Things She Said
"All the Things She Said" is a song by Russian recording duo t.A.T.u., which was for their first English-language studio album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane . The song was written by Sergio Galoyan, Trevor Horn, Martin Kierszenbaum, Elena Kiper and Valeriy Polienko, while produced by Horn...
", "Not Gonna Get Us
Not Gonna Get Us
"Not Gonna Get Us" is the second single from t.A.T.u.'s debut English album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane and was released in mid-2003. It was the last song taken from that album in the UK, where it reached #7 on the singles chart. The music was composed by Sergio Galoyan...
" and "All About Us
All About Us
"All About Us" is the first single released from Russian band t.A.T.u.'s second English studio album, Dangerous and Moving, and its Russian counterpart, Lyudi Invalidy ....
", and releasing six studio albums; three Russian languaged albums and three English albums. In 2011, Katina and Volkova announced that t.A.T.u. had broke up. Julia signed a solo career with Gala Records in June 2011, and will release her debut single "All Because of You" in October 2011. The song will also be released in a Russian-language version under the title "Сдвину мир"(I'll Change the World).
1985-1994: Early years and career beginning
Volkova was born on Feburary 20, 1985 in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to a middle-class family. Her father, Oleg Volkov, was a businessman and her mother, Larissa Volkova, was a hairdresser. At the age of 6, Volkova enrolled in music school and began learning how to play the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. When she was 9, Volkova became a member of Russia's children's chorus Neposedi
Neposedi
Neposedi is a children's music group formed in Moscow, Russia in 1991 by Elena Pindzhoyan and Yuri Nikolaev. The title refers to children who are unable to sit indifferently in the same place; who are fidgety....
, from which she would later meet fellow t.A.T.u singer, Lena Katina
Lena Katina
Elena Sergeevna Katina , born October 4, 1984, better known as Lena Katina, is a Russian singer and songwriter who is best known for her work with Russian duo t.A.T.u. She started her career at the age of eight, joining the Russian children's act Avenue, then not long after Neposedi...
. At age 11, Volkova transferred to a school fostering artistic talent, and three years later left Neposedi to join t.A.T.u. She has insisted that she was banned from Neposedi for misbehaving, but Neposedi representatives deny this, saying that she simply graduated as all of their members did at a certain age.
1999-2011: Formation of t.A.T.u.
Creator and then-manager of t.A.T.u., Ivan Shapovalov stated that the idea of t.A.T.u. stemmed from the common fascination and fantasy of school-girl lesbian lovers among men, knowing that the duo would be highly appealing to a diverse fan-base.Feeling satisfied with his choices, Shapovalov signed Yulia and Lena to t.A.T.u., but the contract with Shapovalov also demanded that the girls present a lesbian image. After breaking away from Shapovalov in 2004, the girls came clean and stated that Shapovalov had created the lesbian image, and that they were even told what to say in interviews and parted ways with Shapovalov.
t.A.T.u. soon became the most successful Russian group of all time, leaving a number of hits behind them, such as "All The Things She Said
All the Things She Said
"All the Things She Said" is a song by Russian recording duo t.A.T.u., which was for their first English-language studio album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane . The song was written by Sergio Galoyan, Trevor Horn, Martin Kierszenbaum, Elena Kiper and Valeriy Polienko, while produced by Horn...
", "Not Gonna Get Us
Not Gonna Get Us
"Not Gonna Get Us" is the second single from t.A.T.u.'s debut English album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane and was released in mid-2003. It was the last song taken from that album in the UK, where it reached #7 on the singles chart. The music was composed by Sergio Galoyan...
" and "All About Us
All About Us
"All About Us" is the first single released from Russian band t.A.T.u.'s second English studio album, Dangerous and Moving, and its Russian counterpart, Lyudi Invalidy ....
". They also took part in Eurovision Song Contest 2003
Eurovision Song Contest 2003
The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning...
and finished third with Ne Ver', Ne Boysia. They had recorded three english language studio albums; 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane
200 km/h in the Wrong Lane
200 km/h in the Wrong Lane is the debut studio album by Russian duo t.A.T.u.. It was released on 10 December 2002. The album was produced by Trevor Horn, Martin Kierszenbaum, Robert Orton and Ivan Shapovalov, who was the main and executive producerand writer. Before the release, it preceded...
, Dangerous and Moving
Dangerous and Moving
Dangerous And Moving is the second English-language album by t.A.T.u. The album was first released on October 5, 2005 in Japan then on October 10 in the UK, October 11 in North America, and in Europe and Latin America, on October 14...
and Waste Management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
. They had recorded three Russian language studio albums; 200 Po Vstrechnoy
200 Po Vstrechnoy
200 Po Vstrechnoy is the debut album by Russian recording duo t.A.T.u., which was released on May 21, 2001. The album is also known mostly as the Russian alternative album to their debut english-language album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane . The album only had one important producer, which was Ivan...
, Lyudi Invalidy
Lyudi Invalidy
Lyudi Invalidy: Люди Инвалиды; Translated: Invalid People) is the second Russian-language studio album by t.A.T.u., released on October 21, 2005 in Russia. Lately the album was released in some Eastern European countries, Germany and Mexico...
and Vesyoyle Ulybki. It was announced in March 2011 that t.A.T.u. was officially disbanded. The group celebrated their 12 years together, and released two remix albums entitled Waste Management Remixes pt. 1 and Waste Management Remixes pt. 2. It was announced they were the last albums together, as the solo singers would pursue a solo career.
Many Russian websites started claiming Yulia had left t.A.T.u.
T.A.T.u.
t.A.T.u. was a duo formed in Moscow, Russia in 1999 by Ivan Shapovalov. The group consisted of Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova.Their debut single "Ya Soshla S Uma" was released in December 2000. The single had a huge success in Russia and Eastern Europe...
to go solo in March 2009. The group's blog rejected the claims that Yulia had quit but stated that both girls would be doing separate solo projects from now on and t.A.T.u was no longer a full time job. However, in early January, the duo released a video in which they said they were still together and were planning more songs in 2010. In March 2011, Yulia confirmed through an interview with Romanian website Star-Gossip.com that she and her boyfriend have accepted Islam.
2008–present: forthcoming solo album
It was announced that after the production of t.A.T.u.T.A.T.u.
t.A.T.u. was a duo formed in Moscow, Russia in 1999 by Ivan Shapovalov. The group consisted of Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova.Their debut single "Ya Soshla S Uma" was released in December 2000. The single had a huge success in Russia and Eastern Europe...
's album Waste Management
Waste Management (album)
Waste Management is the third English-language studio album, and the sixth studio album overall, by the Russian duo t.A.T.u.. It is the English version of Vesyolye Ulybki...
, t.A.T.u would no longer be a full-time project and it was later announced that Julia and Lena would both be working on their solo careers. Julia is currently working on her solo album in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Julia has said that she has introduced a new genre entitled "Sex Rock". As Julia explained “I’m not going to go from t.A.T.u. style to R&B, I like rock. It’s going to be sexy, electric, but I don’t want to give away all the secrets just yet.
Julia was asked about touring and she explained “I am looking forward to performing and touring the whole world. The live shows will be different from t.A.T.u. all together. It will be me alone and a beautiful show with big screens, each of them will have a little movie. I want the fans to take part in these movies. I want to help them feel a part of something and to be part of my show, to see that they’re travelling around the world with me.”
On 17 January 2011, Julia released a snippet of what was thought to be her debut single "Woman All The Way Down". It is her first solo song since 2008. Along with this song, Julia also performed "Rage" during her birthday party on February 20th, 2011. These two songs, along with a snippet of another song that was uploaded to her website, "Stand Up", were said to just be demos and not a direct representation of what Julia's debut single/album will sound like. She was interviewed by Cherrytree Chat
Chat
-Conversation:* Casual conversation* Online chat in an internet chat room or instant messaging system* Synchronous conferencing, the formal term for online chat technology* Bluechat with Bluetooth devices* SMS chat, a form of Text messaging-Geography:...
. She was asked about her music and she said that "[she is] not doing any songwriting, [she is] only recording English songs [although Russian songs are planned], the album is planned to be released worldwide and wants to be into drums throughout her career"
On August 16, 2011, Volkova announced on her website, as well as on Facebook and Twiiter, stating that she has officially signed with Russian Label Gala Records, subsidiary of EMI records. She has also stated that her new single to prepare for her debut album, "All Because Of You/Sdvinu Mir" will be released in late August with accompanying video. 2 weeks after the announcement, her official site reported that Julia will be returning to the studio to complete an additional recording session for "All Because Of You/Sdvinu Mir" and that the single will be officially released in October. For a third time, the single release was postponed until November. Though fans hoped for "All Because of You" to premier on the radio prior to Julia's South American tour, it was planned to premier during Julia's first performance in Rio de Janeiro on November 17th, 2011. The Russian version, "Sdvinu Mir" premiered on Lenta.ru on November 11th, 2011. This is Volkova's 1st debut single for her upcoming untitled debut album. The song was recorded in Sweden and was produced by Niclas Molinder, Joacim Persson, Johan Fransson, Tim Larsson and Tobias Lundgren. A music video is also currently directed. Evan Winter is also the directer of the video.
Volkova also announced she will travel to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
for a promotional tour, where she will perform some songs from t.A.T.u. and some of her new material.
Acting career
Volkova made her film début alongside Lena KatinaLena Katina
Elena Sergeevna Katina , born October 4, 1984, better known as Lena Katina, is a Russian singer and songwriter who is best known for her work with Russian duo t.A.T.u. She started her career at the age of eight, joining the Russian children's act Avenue, then not long after Neposedi...
and English-born American actress Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton
Mischa Anne Marsden Barton is a British-American fashion model, film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C..-Early life:...
in the film You and I
You and I (film)
You and I is a 2011 drama-film directed by Roland Joffé, depicting a fictionalised version of real events adapted from the novel t.A.T.u. Come Back. The film features Mischa Barton, Shantel VanSanten, Julia Volkova and Lena Katina...
, the story of two teenage girls who meet and fall in love at a Moscow t.A.T.u. concert. The film is based on the novel t.A.T.u. Come Back, which was in turn based on true events.
During August 2011, Julia participated in the shooting of the movie “9 1/2 Zombies" (Previously titled "Fear Mongers"). According to the post on her official site "'9 1/2 Zombies' is Russian language zombie horror/comedy movie shot on location in Minsk, Belarus. Produced by New Wave Production in the style of such films as 'Welcome to Zombieland' or 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Fear Mongers' is preparing for an autumn 2012 premiere". Julia will be playing the heroine, Natalia. She is also to record a soundtrack for the movie.
Personal life
In May 2004, Volkova announced that she was pregnant by her then long-time boyfriend Pavel Sidorov, which caused some controversy due to Sidorov already having a wife and daughter. Daughter Viktoria Pavlovna Volkova was born on 23 September 2004, in Moscow. She does not keep in contact with Sidorov.Volkova then had a long term relationship with businessman Parviz Yasinov. The press reported that the two got married and she converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
for him, but she denied this. It was reported and confirmed that Volkova was pregnant with her second child, her first with Yasinov, around June 2007. Volkova gave birth to a baby boy named Samir on 27 December 2007, in Moscow. The couple stated that they wanted to get married in the future. In 2010, Volkova confirmed that she and Yasinov had broken up, but denied claims that she had been separated from her son. On 5 June 2008, t.A.T.u. canceled a concert scheduled for 19 June due to Volkova falling ill. The official site didn't give exact details of her illness. It has been speculated by the media that she either was diagnosed with postpartum depression
Postpartum depression
Postpartum depression , also called postnatal depression, is a form of clinical depression which can affect women, and less frequently men, typically after childbirth. Studies report prevalence rates among women from 5% to 25%, but methodological differences among the studies make the actual...
but it was never confirmed. On 19 June, a blog entry was posted by Lena saying that "Yulia's better" and shortly after Volkova appeared to be resuming normal activities.
Volkova has also had plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
and cosmetic
Cosmetic
Cosmetic may refer to:*Cosmetics, or make-up, substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning*Cosmetic, an adjective describing beauty, aesthetics, or appearance, especially concerning the human body...
s. There had been a lot of speculation, due to her appearances throughout her career. It was noticed she had procedures including Lip enhancement
Lip enhancement
Lip enhancement is a type of cosmetic surgery or non-surgical procedure that aims to improve the appearance of the lips by increasing their fullness through enlargement.-History:...
, browplasty and a facelift
Facelift
Facelift is the common name for rhytidectomy, a cosmetic surgery procedure.Facelift may also refer to:* Facelift , the revival of a product through cosmetic means such as changing its appearance...
, not even near the age of thirty. Although no official statement from Volkova has been released.