This Is An Odd Choice For The Opening Ceremony

Do you remember t.A.T.u.? They had that one really popular song back in 2003 the name of which you can't recall. Would it help if I tell you it was called "All The Things She Said?" Yeah, them! Of course you remember them! Well, the Russian pop duo is in the news again all these years later because t.A.T.u. will perform at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics.

The news of t.A.T.u. performing at the Winter Olympics is surprising and not only because, "Really? t.A.T.u.? That's all they could come up with?" but also because of Russia's anti-gay laws that have been a huge issue associated with the choice to hold the games in Sochi. Both members of t.A.T.u., Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova, are heterosexual but their most popular song, "All The Things She Said," was about a lesbian relationship and its music video featured Katina and Volkova kissing each other. In a 2003 documentary Volkova said of t.A.T.u's producer, Ivan Shapovalov, "He made us out to be lesbians when we were just singing for lesbians. We wanted people to understand them and not judge them. That they are as free as anyone else."

It's surprising that a person who believes this would be asked to represent Russia by performing at the Olympics, but it's possible that this is a tactic used to make the country seem more accepting. Earlier this week on The Colbert Report, Pussy Riot members Masha Alyokhina and Nadya Tolokonnikova mentioned that they may have been released from prison in order to make Russia appear better in the eyes of the world, but that they do not think it worked.

It has also been reported that Katina tweeted her frustration with the Olympics saying, "They have invited us to perform at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics, but they're treating the artists like shit!!! The organization is horrible." This tweet has since been deleted, but it echoes other reports that things aren't going so smoothly in Sochi.

Provided there aren't anymore issues, t.A.T.u., who officially split in 2011, are scheduled to play their hit "Not Gonna Get Us" during the opening ceremony. Their performance will not be broadcast internationally, but will be played while the Russian Olympic team walks into the stadium.