Music Monday: in Memoriam

It shouldn't be any secret that I am a long time fan of Russian pop group t.A.T.u. From the moment they launched into North America singing "All the Things She Said" through four more studio albums, I was an avid listener. It's sad to say, but that era is over: the girls split up last year to pursue solo careers, and after 11 years t.A.T.u. came to a close.

A few months ago, one of the members, Lena Katina, released her first single as a solo artist, titled "Never Forget." Now, Lena was never my favourite singer between the pair; that honour belonged to Yulia Volkova. However, Lena's solo offerings far outstrip Yulia's in all ways.

"Never Forget" puts the last nail in t.A.T.u.'s coffin, both in the lyrics themselves and the music video (t.A.T.u.'s final music video ended with a fiery explosion, which was rad). I'll share it below, but here's a quick run down for those unfamiliar with t.A.T.u. (which is most everyone, I assume). The bodies of Yulia and Lena are brought out of the morgue and examined by a few former band-mates, though without any burns making it unlikely that this is a continuation of the previously mentioned t.A.T.u. video. Their coffins are then carried to a funeral ceremony, which Lena attends. After turning her own photo face down, she picks up the photo of Yulia and kisses it. Graves are visited, roses are thrown, and all the while Lena sings of her memory of the past and outlook for the future.

NSFW because of brief female nudity. Censored version can be found here.

So, long story short, I really like this song. I really like this video. And if you really like this song, I have good news: download links! This is one of Lena's official sites, so all the downloads (and there are many) on it are completely legal and guilt-free. That said, the MP3 file for "Never Forget" is badly edited, and it ends a few seconds before the song is actually over. The B-side to the single, "Stay," is also available on the linked page and is edited much better. Also included are some demos from her years with t.A.T.u. Take a look!