Alenushki Pop group Country: Russia

1. Formation and Early Years
2. Debut Album and Piracy
3. Expansion and Tour
4. Changes and New Releases
5. Rebranding and New Members

Formation and Early Years

A pop group emerged from the Palace of Culture of the "OAO Moskovskiy NPZ," comprising three soloists: Yulia, Anya, and Masha. The girls had extensive choral experience prior to joining the group. Svetlana Koviylina became the group's founder and permanent director.

1997 marked the beginning of the group's active concert career, establishing close collaborations with the Russian Ministry of Defense, embassies, and media outlets.

Debut Album and Piracy

In 1998, the group recorded their debut album, "Veritsya, Ne Veritsya" (I Believe, I Don't Believe). The album was initially released on audio cassette, but pirated copies featuring poor sound quality quickly surfaced. This incident caused moral and financial damage, delaying the release of the compact disc. During this period, the trademark "Alyonushki" was registered, and the group's official website was launched.

Expansion and Tour

The second album was released in 1999, titled "Plyushevyye Oblaka" (Plush Clouds). A contest was held to find a suitable album title, and the winning entry came from Sergei Bondarenko from Kazakhstan. The album catered specifically to the group's younger fans. Additionally, the group recorded "S Dnem Rozhdeniya, Isus Khristos!" (Happy Birthday, Jesus Christ) for New Year's and Christmas festivities at the Moscow House of Music. The group embarked on their first tours, performing in both Russia and Germany.

Changes and New Releases

In 2000, the lineup underwent a significant change. Two of the soloists were replaced, and the group's image shifted. A music video for the song "Emel'ya" was released, and the album "Tantzdvadtsatka" (Dance Twenty) was issued by the "Vostok" studio, featuring the song "Emel'ya." The group participated in a festival for bands representing Russian fuel companies in Surgut. Their song "S Dnem Rozhdeniya, Isus Khristos" debuted on TV-6, and they later appeared on M-1 and Daryal-TV. During Christmas festivities at the Moscow House of Youth, the group performed several new songs, including "Osen'," "Krasavitsa," "Ya Ne Kukla," "Zima," and "Budu Zhdat'."

Rebranding and New Members

In 2001, the group decided to completely reinvent itself. A casting was conducted, and Olga and Nastya were selected from nearly 400 candidates. The group began working on new material.