t.A.T.u.’s debut English album, ’200 km/h in the Wrong Lane,’ will be released in the U.S. and Canada on September 17th. The album is set to come out in Continental Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand on October 7th. Also, t.A.T.u.’s ‘All the Things She Said’ video is up for voting on MTV’s Total Request Live.

Dorian Lynskey of Blender magazine caught up with the girls from Tatu, though since neither can speak much English, he spoke primarily to their manager Ivan Shapovalov. When Lena was asked if she and Julia are dating, she said, “A lot of people think it’s just play, it’s just image, and it doesn’t matter what people think about us. It’s just our relationship.” Shapovalov added, “Julia has a lot of sexuality. A lot. I’m not sure that she finds only boys attractive. I think she has experience, because she loves it. It’s not all that far from reality.”

Posted on Tatu’s Universal Music website earlier this month: “Julia and Lena came back from LA on June 10th. It was the shortest and the most saturated trip to America, but it continued only two days. The day before the invitation from LA came to take part in the most popular show on American MTV. TRL (that’s how the show is named) has been appearing daily for two years now and it breaks all the records of watcher’s interests. The rumour of appearing of the Russian group made producers compete for the right of being the first to show the group to American people. The sharks of show-business know what they are doing as the first English single of ‘Tatoo’ is due to come soon and by all appraisals it will be a sensation.” Hmmm.. I don’t remember seeing them on TRL, unless they were just in the audience. Nice hype though.

Following the international success of lesbian themed teen pop duo Tatu, those heading Universal Music Russia have come with a gay themed male answer in SMASH!! Each appear poised to tackle the American market with English videos. While the girls take it much further than the guys with full makeout scenes compared to subtle hand holding and gazes on the male side, one has to wonder if MTV would dare play either as a ‘Breakthru Video’.