Music
Anyone who wants to present Russian music cannot ignore Zemfira. Popular and mainstream – millions of records sold – but also distinctly idiosyncratic. The music is usually accessible (we categorize it under Pop), but the attitude is rock.
The alarm blares (Ревёт тревога), the road awaits (ждёт дорога). They are many (Их немало), we are few (нас немного). We are in an unjust world (Мы в несправедливом мире) tin wolves in the shooting range (Жестяные волки в тире).
Manizha 3x
Music
With
Russian Woman, Russia is sending singer
Manizha (=
Манижа Сангин, 1991) to the
Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam (May 18-22). A song with a message, though not everyone is happy with it.
25/17 3x
Music
Pop (or light rap) that you can hear 24/7. Figuratively speaking, of course. Formerly (until 2009) known as Иезекииль 25:17 – named after the Bible verse in
Ezekiel (=
Иезекииль), best known for being recited by
Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction (1994).
Den from Denis, last name Burasnikov, and this Денис Бурашников (1988) does his thing as DenDerty. From
Yoshkar-Ola (=
Йошкар-Ола), a place you’ve probably never heard of, just like DenDerty. But hear this (and experience the opener).
Sasha Moskalets (feminist and badass according to her own
Instagram) used to sing in
Sewage Sour and now performs under the name ЛЮТИК (or LYUTIK), which means Buttercup. She was also a model, as shown and described by
Reykjavikboulevard (2013), and at some point, she needed (or used to need) something to drink on time.
Anacondaz 4x
Music
Дайте танк 3x
Music
Pop with an artistic edge. Accessible yet original. Дайте танк (Give Tank), officially spelled with an exclamation mark in parentheses, describes their style as Гаражный рок для танцоров-интровертов, скучающих по русскому языку, Garage rock for introverted dancers who miss the Russian language. A small but special target audience.
When it comes to
Monetochka (translated as Little Coin), the conversation quickly turns to her voice. Elizaveta Gyrdymova’s (Yekaterinburg, 1988) voice is on the higher side. Not everyone is fond of it, while others love it.
Meet Monetochka, the popstar fast becoming the face of young Russia (Russia Beyond, 2018).
Russian reggae? Yes, it exists. Some might already know this (or still) thanks to
Nina Hagen (lyrics:
In the Soviet Union, we celebrate reunion), but for many, this may come as a surprise. Reggae is often associated with sunshine and summer, and Russia is not Jamaica.
Dora, or Дора, also known as mentaldora, actually Дарья Шиханова, comes from Саратов (
Saratov) and was born in 1999. A young twentysomething, but presents herself as even younger. She describes her music as ‘cute rock,’ and that probably has something to do with it.
Дельфин 3x
Music
Misery. At least for those who don’t like winters and Mondays. Каждый день зима: every day is winter. Каждый день понедельник: every day is Monday. That’s how время без тебя (time without you) is, and оно меня убивает (it’s killing me).
Murakami 3x
Music
Murakami is, of course, a Japanese writer, but also (as Мураками) a Russian band (from
Kazan). Named after the writer, as noted by
Popkult (2016). Pop rock with a female vocalist (Dilyara Vagapova /
Диляра Вагапова), loved by everyone.
Grechka – Picture
Music
About an unreachable goal or an unattainable desire. Something beautiful that will never be yours, or worse. As in this case with Гречка (or Grechka), which means buckwheat. Maybe that’s why she can’t achieve it.
Komsomolsk 3x
Music
Азбука = abc, плохой = bad, and вкус = taste. It becomes плохого and вкуса due to the genitive case. Eyes closed, tongue bitten (глаза закрыты, язык прикусан), this is the ABC of bad taste.
Besides the never-to-be-surpassed
hardbass version, see
Adidas), there is also a Три полоски (tri paloski) by Animal ДжаZ (Animal Jazz). From Saint Petersburg, check out the (English-language)
Wikipedia and
song lyrics. From 2009, and still holds up.
Би-2 – Hipster
Music
Against hipsters, that’s Хипстер (= hipster) by
Би-2. Whether the lyrics start with Болью хипстер (tormented hipster) as
here is claimed (with a translation that’s not entirely correct), or with мой милый хипстер (my dear hipster) as seen
here and in many other places, he gets the short end of the stick.
Me and your cat warm your bed, don’t sleep without us, and don’t run away from us – that’s what Я и твой кот/ греем твою кровать/ без нас не уснуть/ от нас не сбежать says (roughly). Furthermore, the chorus mentions that when she went to sleep (когда она ложилась спать), he chased her in her dreams (он догонял её во снах) – the ‘he’ being a young man with a flower (красивый юноша с цветком), so it could be worse.
