Alexey Romanov vintage family. Anna Pletneva about her return to Vintage and her relationship with Alexei Romanov: “We didn’t communicate at all for several months”

The “Vintage” hitmaker told what kind of accident the group actually started with, and admitted that Yuri Usachev taught him a lot.

Lesha Romanov is a modest person. He wrote at least fifty songs that the whole country sings, and at the same time he is glad that few people recognize him by sight. Behind him is work in America with Sergei Krylov, collaboration with Yuri Usachev, work in the popular Amega. But most importantly, he is one of the two people who make up the backbone of the super-current Vintage group. He and Anya Pletneva.

Vintage just released new album“Decamerone” is daring, provocative, bright. Already causing a lot of controversy on the Internet. And on November 8, “Vintage” will show a new show at Ray Just Arena, one title “ Forbidden World» what is it worth...

- How many children do you have, Alexey?

Two, two for now. My daughter has started fifth grade, and the youngest turns three in October. My daughter goes to an English school.

- Do they have music lessons? It seems that all schools have canceled them...

It seems there is. At least in the first three grades she definitely had them. But about Last year- Don't know. When I went to school myself, we taught music from first to sixth grade, and I really loved these lessons. I remember that in the fifth-sixth grade I even replaced the music teacher. I took records of the Beatles, Arabesques, some classics, and even tried to sing something at the piano... But still no one listened to me! Usually schoolchildren were skeptical about this lesson - like if you like music, you are a nerd. But there were no ensembles or groups at the school. I went to study at the Palace of Pioneers on Polyanka, where at the age of 12 I studied at the Druzhba VIA. And then a chain reaction began - at first I had a fake one.” Tender May”, then semi-“Tender May”, and off we go. By 1993, I had grown to join Sergei Krylov’s team.

Oh, I recently saw him at Five Stars in Yalta. Moreover, he walked with dignity because he introduced himself as the producer of one of the participants in the competition.

You will laugh, but he also produced me at one time! It was very funny. Seryozha is generally very interesting person, with its principles, numerology and other things. And then Krylov had such a show “School”. From it came me, the singer of Bush and Yulia Nachalova, widely known in gypsy circles.

- Did she have a story with the show “Morning Star”?

Yes, it went somehow in parallel. I didn’t end up anywhere except in the USA. I was 16 years old, the collapse had just happened Soviet Union, - it was very cool! Now I don’t want to fly there, I have nothing to do there. And then - it was just right, I got there at the right time. I absorbed like a sponge everything that happened around Sergei Krylov and his friends. And among his friends there were very famous musicians. Krylov recorded his albums there, and the atmosphere was wonderful. For example, I met Dr. Dre, who is now a rap mastodon, but then he was a nobody. We sat and chatted. It was like this at this studio - at night there was Michael Jackson writing his album HIStory (at night because it was cheaper), and during the day - Sergei Krylov with his pockets full of cash. It was fun! We go to a clothing store for fat people- Luciano Pavarotti walks there... I couldn’t seriously produce something creative then, I was young. But a lot of what I absorbed in America influences what I do now.

And I will say the biggest thank you to Krylov for introducing me to Grozny and Shlykov, with whom I later made “Amega.”

- Passed it from hand to hand?

I signed a contract with ZeKo Records in 1994, and Amega was formed in 1998. For four years I was actually “closed.” I now understand that some projects need to sit out, endure or wait in order to be able to shoot on time. And then? You are 15-16 years old, you kick your hoof, rush forward, blame producers for not doing anything... In general, it’s funny when artists blame producers. If there is success, then the artist seems to be a great one, but if there is failure, then the producer is worthless.

- That’s what many people think! But why were there no songs of yours in Amega at all, just songs by Andrei the Terrible?

I can understand him. Andrey was interested in promoting his songs; he was interested in creative work. I made my modest contribution - already at the stage of producing and recording. But the success of the songs is, of course, entirely the merit of Ivan the Terrible.

He divided projects in his head - “Amega” will be a guitar pop group, and “Brilliant” will be a purely girls’ project?

Yes, he is generally a great mathematician and strategist. It’s even strange to me that he’s not in sight now. After all, it was Andrey who created the first girl band in the country, and this was at the same time as the Spice Girls - the ideas were born at the same time! Moreover, the first two albums of “Brilliant” are excellent works, not only from a commercial, but also from a creative point of view. I especially like the first “There, Only There”. Grozny was then an advanced person, he listened to current music, on Fridays we went with him to the then fashionable club “Titanic”, to various jazz clubs. Olya Orlova sang excellently there, with fantastic overtones. The girls were chosen well, not right away, but over the course of a year everything worked out. Now it’s hard to imagine that at that time “Brilliant” was not only a popular, but also a fashionable group with a current sound.

And “Amega” was rather the alter ego of Andrei himself - what he would like to do on stage if he himself were an artist. He did the project for me. Now I can talk about this honestly and openly. But no one needed the ugly little black boy on stage; they needed a picture for visualization. Picture for sale! Oleg Dobrynin was found - handsome, stately blond, our salvation in yellow boots. He later did not have a very successful career as a musician, but now he teaches vocals and honestly earns his living.

There was a missing third link, and it was I who came up with Lena Perova’s arrival. Grozny said that we needed a guitarist, let’s find a guy, a fashionable guitarist, and we’ll be up and running in a month. That is, it was meant purely men's group. And at that moment Lena Perova was released; she hosted the “Party Zone” program. I call Andrey - why a guitarist, let there be a guitarist, and then there is Perova. Grozny jumps up to the ceiling - great, but it’s unrealistic, do you agree? I will try. And Lena agreed quite easily.

- Why is it easy? She left the Lyceum with a scandal?

She was a superstar at that moment. For the first six months, everyone perceived us as the Amega group and Lena Perova. From a media point of view, Lena did a tremendous job for the team! Of course, the group went on tour right away, instantly. Invitations to all the top programs followed, plus her brother Seryozha Suponev was already working on Channel One, and at every opportunity he tried to push us into any of the channel’s programs.

- Was she pulling the blanket over herself?

No! We all pulled the blanket over ourselves, and Grozny and Shlykov acted as parents, telling each child that he was the most beloved. But Lena worked honestly for a year and six months, realized that she had nothing to catch, and left. She generally special person. She taught me a lot, both good and bad. Both should be experienced. We then had a cheerful, eventful, almost sleepless life.

- What happened in the interval between leaving Amega and that famous accident with Anya Pletneva?

Time for a rethink. I once thought that changes in my life are detrimental to the psyche. You just spoke to the president of some republic, flew on his personal plane, you land in Moscow with a 50 dollar fee - and take a minibus to the Water Stadium. This is the problem with all production projects; it’s hard to live with. At the Lyceum they paid $100. Of course, there were a lot of concerts, and a decent amount was collected, especially for young man, but... Alcohol begins, stewing internal problems something else. Although there were no creative problems, I was fulfilling myself. Then Lena Perova left, there were fewer concerts, discord began... And you feel like material to be used, a manufacturer. I decided to leave. I moved in with my grandmother and lived with her for a year on her pension. It was enough, she somehow managed. I even tried to get a job as a salesperson in a clothing boutique, but they didn’t take me. And thank God they didn’t take it!

I tried to record some material with the money of Ira Shipilova, a former PR woman for Blestyashchiye. I went to see Yuri Shmilevich Aizenshpis, it was a funny story. And he says to me - well, why didn’t you come to me a week ago? And I just took a new boy, Dima. Bilana, of course. Aizenshpis also told me a very important phrase, which I remember and remember every time. Even I, said Aizenshpis, won’t be able to put this song of yours on the radio. If you write a song that all the radio stations will play, you will tear everyone apart! I still live under this slogan.

But another Yura managed to put my songs on air, this is Yura Usachev. I have already collaborated with Eva and Yura as a solo artist. But a colossal image mistake was made - we started making fun dance slobbery music, it was formatted, radio stations took it, but people didn’t need it. They have not yet gotten used to the guitar “Amega” with me, and they are given sweet Ken in the videos with me. I still don't like watching those unctuous videos. Songs were played on the radio, clips were played on TV - but there were no tours, I didn’t go anywhere for six months. “Ten Kisses”, “I Won’t Look for You” under the name Alexey Romanoff. They are well known, but they are not associated with me now. The image had no core. Even then it was clear to me that this was not the case. Yura did everything he could. But he believed that a little more guitar alternative would throw me out of the radio format. It was in those years that it was actually born, that very format.

I wrote more and more songs, Yura Usachev paid me for them, and even a little more than in “Amega”. Although he hardly made much money from them. And then my daughter was born... We tried to live on $150 a month, buy diapers, and my wife’s parents also helped. Then Katya Lel and Alsou began to sing my songs, and my main hit then came from “Nepara” - “Cry and See”. Then there were many other artists, I worked more and more independently and moved away from Usachev.

And then we come to that accident. From the fee for three songs for Alsou, I just bought my first car, and from Yura. More precisely, Yura bought his wife new car, and gave me her old one. I was in seventh heaven! I couldn’t imagine that I would have my own car, and even almost a jeep - a Honda HR-V. She was only 8-9 years old... I was happy.

And I gouged the bumper... In general, Anya already has her own version that it was she who drove into me! She remembered it, believed in it, and tells everyone in interviews.

- How was it really?

I parked and backed up. And some Skoda with a woman behind the wheel drove into the back. Well, this is my second month behind the wheel. And Anya was passing by at that moment! And here I am standing, almost crying over my bumper, and then some small creature in a fur coat, which stretches another one and a half meters along the floor, jumps out of a passing car and shouts to me - hello! I don't even look, I continue to mourn the bumper. And she - how great it is that we met! Well, yes,” I look sadly at the bumper. This is all bullshit, come on, I want to work with you! - she shouts. Anya was just passing by and saw Romanoff standing alive. And then I was going to the Moscow Art Theater for the “Guests from the Future” concert. The car was then repaired under insurance, and what happened to Anya Pletneva and I is already known to everyone.

When did you agree with her, about what? Did you want to make a girls’ project, or a guitar project, or a purely electronic one?

In the first album we were looking, we didn’t want to be like other pop projects. We were a little alternative, separate from everyone else. We tried to create something new using Western models. In addition, Anya sang completely differently in the Lyceum, they arranged everything according to voices, it turned out “Leisya, song,” but I rather wanted Nina from the Cardigans - half-whispering, noir. And we partially succeeded.

It was difficult to straighten my hair. Anya didn’t want to, she’s naturally curly, she resisted for six months, but she agreed.

- What for? To distance yourself from the Lyceum?

She is very kind with curly hair! She is so kind in real life. But we needed something more aggressive, more sexy image. People buy the picture! In the first album we made Girl Power, a self-made girl, all by herself, a loner. And by the second album they achieved sexuality, they went wild there...

- There were “Guests from the Future” nearby, just as Westernized - didn’t you look back at them?

The difference is that Yura Usachev came out of DJing, he does dance music Always. And I come from pop culture, focusing on Kylie Minogue, Madonna and the then non-existent Lady Gaga. A more personal, personalized and more pop story is more important to me. By the way, the first album was not a commercial success, only the song “All the best” reached 13th place in the chart. There have been several good reviews, mostly in advance - it seems good, but we'll see what happens next. I always read reviews, it’s important to me, it gives me food for thought and influences my future actions.

- What conclusions were drawn from the reviews?

I realized that I needed to write an album about what people think about every day. What interests every person, what he thinks about several times a day.

- So about sex? And focus on Madonna?

About sex. But Madonna doesn't have a Sex album. And her album Erotica, by the way, is the most disastrous. And Vintage’s album Sex turned out to be the most commercially successful. But the main thing is that in the first album the concept of the group was only guessed at, but in the second it was already crystallized. What is sex? We put it into categories: it can be like this, like this and like that. The result is a product that is interesting to everyone - it can be criticized or praised, but it is interesting.

There was also the song “Bad Girl,” which was actually banter, but many took it very seriously. Mainly because of the video. There was supposed to be a blonde there. The following were considered for the role of the blonde: Anna Sedokova, Vera Brezhneva, Yulia Volkova, Tatyana Navka... Only Korikova agreed. She agreed and became quiet. We persuaded her for a long time, and yet she came to the studio, everything worked out. But it still didn’t read as banter.

- I didn’t read it.

Although the male butt flashing in front of Pletneva’s face might suggest... By the way, about censorship. Actually, for the first time we made two versions of the video - the hardcore version, which was planned to be shown after midnight, and the soft version. What a surprise it was when at 11 am we saw the hardcore version on the TV screen! And the song took first place on the chart. I couldn't believe it!

We generally rejoice and dance to the ceiling when this happens. Because after every video or album there are voices that “Vintage” has been written out or “Vintage” is no longer the same. Now this is noticeable in “Decamerone”. There were two fairly passable albums in terms of numbers - “Anechka” and Very Dance. In Very Dance I didn’t write music at all, I was resting, creative crisis or whatever you want. Although later I finished all the tracks myself, because I didn’t get what I wanted, and I spent much more energy and nerves if I had done everything myself from the very beginning. Well, that's how it happened. IN this year I announced that I don’t write songs for anyone else, I compose only for “Vintage” - and immediately rumors began to spread...

But I’m reading all this, and I almost believe it! I really wanted to reset myself and do something completely incredible for myself.

- And it worked! “Decamerone” is truly an out-of-the-ordinary album.

Thank you!

Shooting the video "Fresh Water"

The topic of politics and social issues is in almost half of the tracks. Previously, they only sang about prostitutes. Is this a reaction to what is happening in Russia?

Rather, as a reaction to what is happening throughout the planet. We have Anton Koch, a young guy from Samara, who thinks outside the box and produces unusual lyrics. His lyrics are tough. The first track I heard was “Crisis”, and I really liked it, I wanted to work with it. Aggressive sound - yet very intelligible.

There won't be a shift target audience? Boys, girls, bunnies who dance to your songs in clubs - they’re not interested in this, are they? Then for whom?

Don't know! When I released my first album, I was immediately asked about the target audience. I didn't know then, and I still don't know who it is. Yes, the first half of the album “Decamerone” is not for clubs, and not for city days. I read responses on the Internet, and I’m glad that thanks to these songs, many people went to Wikipedia to find out the meaning of some words - for example, infanta. 90% of listeners do not know that this is the heir to the throne. They have associations with the word “fanta”. And I am pleased that people improve their erudition with our help.

This only applies to hardcore fans. Ordinary people They encounter unfamiliar words in a song and immediately lose interest in it.

Probably so. But there are other songs for them, on the same album. I did what I did. I didn’t have the task of making an album of 13 Namba Van hits.

- Um, why is this?

Because I understand perfectly well that “The Wall of China” will not be a hit. And “Crisis” will not be a hit; even on YouTube it has few views. People don't want to hear or know the truth. It is much more pleasant to be deceived or live in illusions. I myself live in my own illusions. “Universe” is a beautiful melodic song, although it’s strange to hear comparisons with “Tatu,” but okay - I love “Tatu.” There is banter in the song “DNA” - banter at mukles.

- Again, this is your target audience!

Yes, I understand that, they come to our concerts. Thanks to working with Eva and DJ Smash, we partially reached that audience. But in general, our audience has now matured - thanks to the tracks “When You Are Near” and “Sign of Aquarius”.

Anya Pletneva looks amazing. Preserved as a girl. And new songs are for an older audience. Is this preparation for Pletneva’s transition to that audience?

Anya looks great. And the children still love her, they simply adore her, they consider her theirs. We ourselves laugh at the title “best” youth group“, we find it pleasant, funny and generally great. Despite our “advanced” age, we like to be young. And nothing stops us from taking and making some other story!

Moreover, it seems that now “Vintage” is the most fashionable group in the country! Well, next to Serebro, let's say. But you pulled everything from everywhere - something from the classics, something from Madonna, something from “Guests from the Future”...

Yes, Yura Usachev taught me a lot. I sometimes use his personal techniques. I absorb everything! It started with Krylov, and off we went. If I talked to Madonna, wow, guys! I would probably move mountains. But her CDs are enough for me. Yes, I'm doing more of a collective age. All the music was written before us, and our songs are a cast of memory, my variation on the theme of what I know and heard.

What is a hit? This is a 100% guessable story, this is a song that you subconsciously like even before it is played. And you are trying to find something of your own, personal in it. When millions do it, the song becomes a hit.

Of course, I love Tchaikovsky, Madonna, Polna, Zemfira - and without hesitation, I quote what I like. If it seems appropriate to me. As a rule, I write music with feelings. For example, I really love Michel Cretu, the founder of Enigma and the producer of his wife Sandra from Arabesque, and "China Wall" was written under his influence. But there is not a single note that matches! It says how I see Creta - how artists write with colors, moods... Or - ABBA is read in the song “DNA”, I deliberately did this so that there was a direct reference to Money, as an egregor of the current life style.

The last 20 years have been eclectic times, after rap there is nothing new musical style. If “Guests from the Future” appeared today, it would still be relevant to listen to.

Yes, if you improve the sound a little. De facto, of course, you are right, no new styles have appeared. Lady Gaga has arrived and she's ahead of the curve when it comes to eclecticism. The song Alejandro is literally a quote from Ace of Base, but that didn't stop it from becoming the #1 track worldwide.

- Which new artists can you name that inspire?

This is more difficult for me. I was growing up then! All my pheromone hormones were established in the 80-90s, I still use them. New music I take it with caution. I like Sia, I liked DJ Zedd, who did three songs in Lady Gaga's Artpop. I liked Daft Punk's latest album. And so in the player - Vintage, Justin Timberlake, Guests from the Future, Eva Polna, Zemfira, Linda, Madonna, Alanis Morrisette, Björk, Tchaikovsky, Craig David, Daft Punk, David Guetta, Depeche Mode, Elton John, George Michael, Lady Gaga, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Mylene Farmer, Pet Shop Boys, Rihanna, Sandra, Seal, Sea, Sting, Stromae and Zedd. All!

- Have you ever performed at Kazantip?

It's funny that "Amega" performed at Kazantip, but "Vintage" did not. It turns out that for organizers with small budgets the Vintage group is too expensive. This almost always excludes us from the list of festival artists. Smash flies to France for little money to perform there. Serebro was also dumped in order to get there and travel around the world. And if we go abroad, it’s usually to private parties. Open concerts few, but they exist.

You didn't have a very good experience with Sony Music. But you yourself don’t try to get into some Western festivals?

Anya dreams about this. I'm more of a skeptic. But what we achieved in “Vintage” - she dreamed about it, and I, as a skeptic, thought that we would make our way for a long time. And then once - and the song became No. 1 in the country. But show business is structured too differently in Russia and there. Here it is enough to be in Moscow alone to have all communications. And there you have to be on a constant flight - from Belgium to Paris, from London to Prague and so on. You have to do this yourself and very carefully. And I speak English poorly and don’t speak French at all. I studied this topic and thought a lot.

We recently made a joint track with DJ Sasha Dit - a French-language version of a song from the Very Dance album. French Universal told him openly - we like the track, but we don’t have time to deal with you. Communication problem. To exaggerate, you need to go with these people, drink vodka and talk. And if there is no personal contact, there is no understanding of why you should waste your time on promotion. I liked the track though. But how many such tracks are there in Europe? And even in Russia? We have a lot of talented guys. But you have to listen to the track, include it in the radio station’s newsletter... Why waste time on this if you haven’t even met that musician? And yet - everything is possible!

Alena Mikhailova told me an amazing phrase about you in an interview: “This is the top group in terms of radio broadcast volume. And with each new song we break through the wall with our heads. There has never been a time when they installed it right away. And they scare me with tests. But Vintage has this peculiarity - they are always poorly tested in the first weeks. Their songs need to be heard, they are special. And every time you have to persuade them to be patient, wait a week - and the tests will be excellent. And this happens with any of their songs.”

Yes, for some reason the radio people decided that I write complex music. But I always wanted to write beautiful music that I myself would like. I'm not lying if I say that everything I do, I listen to it with pleasure, I like it. I played sports all summer to “Decamerone.” Listened, analyzed. Not only am I not ashamed of this music, I love it. And for me to love her, I have to like her myself.

Guru KEN

Alexey Romanof (Perepelkin)(born April 14, Moscow) - Russian singer and composer, soloist Russian pop group"Vintage". Former lead singer Russian group"Amega" (1998-2005). Alexey is the author of almost all the songs of the Vintage group.

Amega Group

The team was formed by producer and composer Andrei Grozny. The leader of the group was to be Alexey Romanov (Perepelkin). But in 2001, with a scandal, he left the project for solo work. But in 2005, Alexey Romanov returned to the group for a short time, but a week before the filming of the video for the song “Running Away” he unexpectedly announced his departure. The group released hits that became beloved throughout the country due to the fact that their work was distinguished by deep, meaningful texts by poetess Tatyana Ivanova and original arrangements by Andrei Grozny and sound producer Sergei Kharuta. At the end of October 2001, the MTV channel reported that Alexey Romanov had left the group. He returned to the Russian stage in September 2002. Before that, he spent about a year in Spain, where he lived with friends and prepared his own project. In 2003, Alexey released his own EP “Nunca Olvidare: I’ll Never Forget.”

Group "Vintage"

In 2006, together with the ex-soloist of the Lyceum group, Anna Pletneva, he created the Vintage group. The story of the group’s origins from the mouths of the soloists goes something like this: Anna was in a hurry to an important meeting, but her plans were not destined to come true. She collided with Alexei Romanov's car. While the artists were waiting for the traffic police officers, they made a mutual decision to create a pop group.

According to Alexey Romanov, after meeting with Pletneva, the group worked in the studio for six months, trying to find their own sound: “We really locked ourselves in the studio. We spent six months searching for sound. We didn't understand. We were like blind kittens back then. Now, of course, it’s cool to remember this. We then created our own new story, which had nothing to do with previous projects.” Initially, it was decided to name the team “Chelsea”, but then the name “Vintage” was chosen. Alexey said that at that time the group submitted a request to the London law firm that owns the Chelsea brand, but after a while they saw on TV how Sergei Arkhipov presented a diploma with the same name to a group from the “Star Factory”.

Discography in the group “Amega and Solo Album”

• "Up. Part 1" - 1999
• "Up. Part 2" - 2000

• EP “Nunca Olvidare: I’ll Never Forget” - 2003

Discography in the group “Vintage”

• "Criminal Love" - ​​2007
• "SEX" - 2009
• "Anechka" - 2011
• "Very Dance" - 2013

• Alexey's real name is Perepelkin, and “Romanof” is his pseudonym. But according to rumors, Alexey is “Romanof” even according to his passport.

The Vintage vocalist had his first sex experience in pioneer camps

Recently appeared in rotation on the radio new song known for its sexy image of the group "Vintage" - "Roman". We couldn’t miss such a great opportunity to talk with the author of the new hit music and the band’s vocalist Alexei Romanov. True, the conversation turned not only about creativity, but also about personal life. Handsome Alexey is not too willing to talk about the most intimate things, but for Express Gazeta he made an exception.

History of creation new song very interesting. We wanted to record a trio with two famous singers. And then our soloist Anya Pletneva arrived from Switzerland, listened to the song and said: “I’ll sing alone!” - says Alexey. - Anya’s intuition is very important to me. Even our meeting with her was not accidental. We met during an accident right on the street. I had only been driving for three months and crashed into a Skoda. I was waiting for the traffic cops. And at that time Anya Pletneva was passing by. She saw me, got out of the car and immediately offered to work together. No, it had nothing to do with sudden passion. She, of course, knew who I was and wanted to do a joint project.

Almost nothing is known about Alexey’s personal life. Therefore, we did not miss the opportunity to ask him some juicy questions. The conversation unexpectedly turned out to be frank.

The sexual image of “Vintage” is our worldview. In this way we express all our hidden and unhidden emotions. But not needs. People usually implement them before the age of 24. Then it starts adulthood and some games and fantasies. And this is much more interesting. The fantasy world is sometimes better than reality,” Alexey shared.

About 12-13 years old. But they weren't pornographic or erotic fantasies, but just some pictures. My first sex experiences took place in pioneer camps. All these kisses in wooden houses... True, I didn’t like kissing at first. It was somehow incomprehensible and uncomfortable. But everyone did it, which means I had to do it too. And I had my first sex when I was 15. She was a little older than me, and we met in a group. This was not connected with first love, but simply came out as a matter of course. It turned out unusual and strange, because there was no physiological delight. I think at this age it is generally difficult to get full pleasure. Probably, for everyone this is just satisfaction of interest. And first love... Everything was quite banal.

- So, you gave up this life because you fell in love so much?

Yes, I met a girl at a party of mutual friends who became my wife. At the age of 25 I got married and we have been together for seven years. My daughter has now started first grade. I didn't plan all this in advance. It’s just that by that time everything had settled down in my head and I was tired of the wild life. I wanted stability, although when we were dating and even lived for a year, I hadn’t thought about it yet. But it was love at first sight. I am generally very amorous and still fall in love. But I can’t cheat on my wife.

-Who do you love?

I sincerely love Anya Pletneva. And she's probably in love with me. But our feelings with her are much deeper and higher than those based on sex.

And I lock myself in my room and surf the Internet. The only thing we do is meet with fan clubs. These are, as a rule, teenagers who still know little about sex.

- But for them, I think, you are a sex symbol...

Yes, I'm not a sex symbol. I don't go to parties and I'm reserved and closed person. Most people don’t even know that I work in the Vintage group and that suits me. I enjoy the fact that I can go to the store and choose products in peace for two hours without signing autographs. So if a girl fan comes up to me and says “Alexey, I love you!”, I’ll just hug her. Fatherly...

But “Vintage” has acquired the image of a very sexy group... I recall footage from the “Bad Girl” video, in which Anya Pletneva hugs a naked man’s butt. By the way, was that butt yours, by any chance?

Shocking is part of the job and just a kind of performance. Just like that scandalous group has not yet appeared on our stage. It's always nice to break stereotypes. And yes, I admit: it was my butt that starred in the video. But Anya didn’t see anything. Everything was securely covered in front.

Come on, men are no different from each other. But I don’t think that we will again show a man’s butt in any video. Even mine. Let's come up with something new and more fascinating.

- Erotica or porn? Would you act in such a film as an experiment?

There is only one porn film that deserves my personal attention - this is "Caligula". But since then no one has decided to repeat the same story. And no one else could show sexual intercourse as beautifully as there. Not that I watch a lot of porn... By the way, in this moment I'm quite skeptical about it. For me it's some kind of zoo. And before, we tried on porn films for ourselves. But my only conclusion after such experiments is that these strange poses are very uncomfortable.

According to the spectacular brunette, there was no drama or conflict at the time of her farewell to Vintage. Colleagues in the group reacted with understanding to Anna’s decision to perform solo. “When it became known that I left the group, they started asking me: “What happened? Didn’t you divide the money?” And I didn’t even have anything to answer. Apparently, over all these years I was never able to become a person in show business, because I couldn’t come up with a scandal,” Pletneva noted with a smile.

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Alexey Romanov, who created “Vintage” together with the performer, responded to her resignation letter due to at will surprisingly calm. “He answered me only one thing: “Thank God that you suggested this yourself: I didn’t know how to tell you the same thing.” He felt that I was becoming cramped within the group and I was ready to move on,” explained the ex-soloist “Vintage.” “In this situation, he behaved like a friend, not like a colleague.”

39-year-old Pletneva, who always performs in erotic outfits, promised that she will continue to remain a “bad girl.” "This stage image was chosen by me consciously. Fortunately, no one dictated to Lesha and me how to behave, how to dress and what to sing - we were our own producers. I can't say that solo singer Anya Pletneva will be very different from the lead singer of the Vintage group Anya Pletneva, because it was also me,” the star emphasized.

However, the singer made some adjustments to her appearance. “Of course, there will be changes, otherwise why would I leave the group then? I have many serious songs that I have not performed at concerts before, and I want them to be heard. This does not mean that I will now sing exclusively lyrical ballads, I’ll turn into a kind of Alla Borisovna Pugacheva and become correct. No, I’ll still remain a hooligan and a “bad girl,” HELLO! magazine quotes the performer.

By the way, earlier Pletneva admitted to journalists for the first time that in her youth she was crazy about Vladimir Presnyakov. At the same time, at that time Anna did not perceive the artist’s beloved woman, singer Kristina Orbakaite, as a rival. “I saw him on TV and fell in love, despite the fact that I was brutal in my musical tastes, I listened to St. Petersburg rock - Tsoi, Nautilus Pompilius, and The Doors, Björk. I was not interested in pop music. But Volodya appeared, and I stopped eating, “I couldn’t sleep and breathe without his music,” the artist recalls. “I didn’t perceive Kristina Orbakaite as a rival, she seemed to me a temporary phenomenon in Presnyakov’s life.”

The Russian pop group Vintage released their fifth studio album Decameron. Alexey Romanov, the author of the hits “Eva, I loved you”, “Bad Girl”, “Loneliness of Love”, the producer and composer of the group told Lenta.ru about the secret of creating hits, pirate ratings, a new stage in the life of the group, the formation of a “Russian show business”, that “Pussy Riot” is not music, that the “Voice” project does not allow young artists to stay afloat, and that Zemfira can be used to judge the number of intellectuals in our country.

You have released a new record, how do you assess it - will it be a hit?

The new album of the group “Vintage” is called “Decameron”. It’s difficult for soloist Anya Pletneva and I, as creators, to evaluate it, but we are pleased with the performance: first place on iTunes. The disc went on sale in mid-October and has been available online since the end of July. Physical media has long been obsolete, since everyone has mp3 players, phones and computers. Unless someone wants a disc for their collection. And there are still such people.

But for many, it is still more convenient to download songs from pirated sites rather than buy them.

Of course. And not only in our country, as is commonly thought. Pirates are everywhere, only in some countries they seriously address this problem, while in others they do not. But the album is also in first place on pirate sites.

But what about it? We're keeping an eye on everything.

Are there any trends in pop music right now?

Now no one is interested in the identity of the performer. People listen to music, choose something for themselves, save it on their phone or somewhere else, and they don’t care who does it or why. Like fast food. And this is normal, this is the way of life now. The days of superheroes are over. We see the fragments of history in the person of Rihanna or Lady Gaga, and everything else is DJs and absolutely faceless groups. There used to be Jim Morrison, Paul McCartney, Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson, and everyone was Mickey Mouse, parading their whole lives. Each has its own character and its own manner. This is no longer the case. Now it is customary to release singles, they work from several months to six months: people dance to them, meet, fall in love, then they smoothly migrate to the storage rooms and ten years later they are released on retro compilations. And those who “get hooked” on this or that band already follow its news, songs, and concerts.

Which audience is hooked on you?

The Vintage group has amassed an army of fans in eight years. With every album comes a new generation of fans, and I don't mean age. If the album is dance, then 12-18 years old, and if “Decameron” - older audience, thinking people. It's nice that they go to Wikipedia after hearing unknown words. "Infanta", for example. I read a lot of reviews. Maybe what I say will sound somewhat arrogant, but we are doing a little bit of educating our contemporaries, especially younger generation, which, by and large, is of no interest.

Why is the time of superheroes over?

The mass market is crowding out everything. Globalism. I can assume that this is why high fashion died. When Karl Lagerfeld finishes his show in Milan, a ship with patterns is already sailing to China. Whoever is faster is on horseback.

Are there big differences between our show business and Western show business?

The West is very different. America is the birthplace of show business. This is such a closed and divided market that no one - neither our European nor Chinese colleagues - can get there at any price. This is the same as one of the ordinary Russian guys getting into The White house. That is, never. Everything is very clear there. If you are a young talented girl Stefani Germanotta, then they sign a lifetime contract with you, and you are on a permanent tour. You constantly perform, record new phonograms on the plane, sleep when you are injected, then they inject you again - and you go on stage, sing, then they inject you again so that you fall asleep, and so on. I'm exaggerating now, but in America show business is a machine. It's easier in Europe. There is no such thing there. And we have a tasty market even for European artists, many of whom want to get here, because the market is little developed and brings in a lot of money in terms of digital sales. Of course, it cannot be compared with America, everything is a hundred times more serious there, but nevertheless, I am pleased that our market is taking shape. Although not long ago “Russian show business” was a dirty word.

Image: provided by the press service of the Vintage group

Why do people kill like this in America?

There the amounts are a hundred times greater. They work in their own and global markets. Of course, they are less interested in Europe, because America covers absolutely everything. It's impossible for us to get there. To Europe - maybe. Tatu just succeeded. They came out on ABC wearing “no war” T-shirts, it was a thing back then, and it was a PR stunt. Although they have a gold disc, I think. But this is an exception.

And Pussy Riot too.

But this is not music. Madonna recently said that she likes the music of Pussy Riot. But, I must admit, I don’t really believe it. Everyone was so supportive of them that she had no chance for a different opinion. I'm not talking about the human factor, I'm talking about music. They may be great guys, but the music is bad. This is not music at all. It is unlikely that they aspired to become musicians in the full sense.

So I believe that politics and music are categorically incompatible. You can break the wood in one direction or the other. Where politics begins, music ends.

What kind of music do you listen to?

There are no new names in my iTunes: Zemfira, Madonna, Alanis Morissette, Bjork, Tchaikovsky, Daft Punk, David Guetta, Depeche Mode, Elton John, George Michael, Lady Gaga, Leni Kravitz, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Mylene Farmer, Pet Shop Boys, Rihanna, Sandra, Sting and so on. I was brought up on the music of Michel Cretu - the man who created Enigma, Arabesques, and invented Boney M. At the same time, I adore classical music, I draw a lot from Tchaikovsky. Of the latter, I liked the Belgian artist Stromae, Australian singer Sia, who worked with David Guetta and has now released a multi-platinum album in Australia. I don't listen to everything, it's hard to get me hooked, but I love a rich melodic line.

Who among the Russians is interesting?

Zemfira. “Tattoo” tore the whole world and my brain, including a long time ago, in 2000. It’s hard for me to single out contemporary artists. I can rather name the producers: Maxim Fadeev, Konstantin Meladze, Potap, Alexey Ryzhov from Disco Crash. These are guys doing the same thing as us: they make music for our country. This is the backbone. In an age when there are no superheroes, producers are coming to the fore.

Only no one knows them, and on Saturdays they can easily go to Auchan - this is a huge plus. I would like one of the artists to surprise me, but this is not happening yet.

I do not pay attention to it. For me, everything connected with the show and the human factor is all “Star Factory”. How many performers are given a huge head start by these programs and then thrown out onto the street? Of all the participants in various TV shows, only Polina Gagarina is currently afloat. The Vintage group is categorically against participating in any shows: a circus on ice, stars in a zoo... I perfectly understand how popular they are, you can hit a good jackpot and gain publicity. But can we be popular only thanks to our music?

You have an unexpected position for the world of pop music...

And we also have alternative pop music. We have dedicated our entire lives to pop music, we like it very much, we have done a lot to improve its quality in our country. Pop music can be intellectual. There are plenty of examples. But everyone has stereotypes. Pop music is two stomps, three stomps, I love you, but you don’t love me, blood-carrots-love (in principle, there are no other rhymes). But rock is super-high-quality and intellectual. But in all segments there are exceptions.

Do you think Zemfira is pop or rock?

Zemfira is an element. This is a poet, our great contemporary. If it weren't for her, everything would look very sad. I love her very much, and I’m glad that she purposefully does not make commercial records, that she does exactly what she wants.

But her records are just selling.

Not like the first three. It’s one thing when the whole country has bought you up, it’s another when it’s just a fan club. But Zemfira has a very large fan club. From Zemfira we can now judge how many intellectuals there are in our country. You need to find out what sales her latest disc has - that's how much it is.