Russia's hottest stars

Who's hot in Russia? We asked our Twitter friends, and, like always, they did tell. This catchy mix of Russian popstars will have you boogying in a second. Here's the lineup, and their counterparts in North American pop music.

1. Fabrika

Fabrika (factory) is the Russian version of Sugababes. The award-winning Moscow-native girl-group consists of Irina Toneva, Ekaterina Lee and Alexandra Savelieva. The group formed in 2002 after four girls performed for the Russian talent show Star Factory. They came second, losing to Korni, an all-boy group.

Although the girls lost the contest, they ruled the music charts. Fabrika's first single, "Pro Lubov," topped the charts for 26 weeks and the Russian Radio gave it the Golden Gramophone, according to Club Zone. From being crowned Pop Group of the Year to Most Stylish Group in show business, the trio truly has it going on. Hear their fun sounds on MySpace and YouTube.

Photo sourced from farfrommoscow.com

Sugababes, Photo sourced from lydiamusic.com

2. Via Gra (Nu Virgos for promotional purposes)

The group just screams sex. Just like their name suggests, these ladies flaunt their sexuality openly. Since 2000, they've entertained their fans with pumping dance beats, and no shortage of skin. Boys call them hot, sexy and often refer to their music videos as porn.

Their first chart-topping single "Popytka No. 5" (English title: "Stop Stop Stop") came out in 2000, and was, a few years later, translated into English. Via Gra is well-known for their lineup changes, as 11 members went through the group so far. Some of their other English songs are "Flower and Knife" and "Bomba."

Photo sourced from fanpop.com


3. Otpetye Moshenniki (Incorrigible Rascals)
They're the "bad boys of Russian boy bands," reads the School of Russian and Asian Studies. Their music is best described as a "multicultural mess." With their cool blend of rap and Russian folk, these street-smart kids have managed to stay in the industry since 1996 -- not an easy feat for any pop group.


Photo sourced from infominsk.com

4. Prime Minister
No, it's not Vladimir Putin --- these four guys formed a band in 1997, spelling their group name "Premier Ministr". They soared to fame with "Oriental Song" in 2000, and changed their group name to "Prime Minister" for Eurovision in Tallinn, Estonia. Their song "Northern Girl" was in the top 10. The men are known for rocking white suits in concerts. BSB "Millenium" album, anyone?

Photo sourced from eurovisionary.com


Photo sourced from kristimahn.com


5. Blestyaschie (The Bright Ones)
With its youthful and electronic melodies, Blestyaschie is one of the first super pop groups to emerge in Russia. The photogenic threesome are often compared to TLC. Some of their songs include "There, only there", "The Orange Song", "Flowers" and "Where are you, where."

Photo sourced from velengurin.narod.ru

TLC, Photo sourced from dlt90s.com

6. t.A.T.u
Remember "All the Things She Said?" The chart-topper was the "lesbian" duo Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova's first single from their English album "200 km/h in the Wrong Lane." This dreamy pop/rock song even made it to Canada in 2002. t.A.T.u was the first group ever to get the IFPI Europe platinum award for the same album in two different languages, according to Wikipedia. The big girl-on-girl make-out scene had the fans talking, and as it turned out, their lesbianism was a marketing ploy courtesy of the director. The group disbanded in 2011.

Photo source from newadvera.com

7. Diskoteka Avariya (Disaster Disco)
It's often titled the "best pop group" in Russia and has even appeared in Pepsi ads. So what's the story behind the name? Before stardom, these guys performed in clubs to earn quick cash, and one club they often frequented was Elektron. They called it "Diskoteka Avaria" or "Disaster Disco" due to the poor state the club was in. How very gangsta.



Photo sourced from tradebit.com