t.A.T.u – This Girl Loves That One?

It's been a while since we had something to look forward to at Eurovision. Most years song contest fans are faced with out of tune Euro-pop hits and hapless presenters struggling with a script delivered simultaneously in French, English and their native language.

But not this year. No, this year Eurovision has t.A.T.u.

The Russian lesbian teen pop sensation who will represent their home country at this Saturday's contest in the Latvian capital, Riga, are odds-on favorites to win and give Moscow the chance to host next year's contest. The bookies have even got good odds on the pair –- who say they are lovers – kissing on stage.

The duo, consisting of 17 year-old Lena Katina and 18 year-old Julia Volkova, have been hot property since they shot to fame across Europe at the start of the year. The band -- whose name is a shortened form of the Russian, "TA dyevushka lubit TU" – "This girl loves that one" -- is managed by a former child psychologist and filmmaker, Ivan Shapovalov, who created the act in 1998.

School girl antics

But t.A.T.u is less famous for its music than for being a gay phenomenon. t.A.T.u's video for the debut single "All the things she said," saw the pair dressed in skimpy school uniforms, kissing and indulging in passionate embraces while warbling about forbidden gay love. Britain was not amused and the pair was slammed by top daytime TV presenters, Richard and Judy as "paedo pop."

But Volkova and Katina continued to flaunt their brand of shock and scandal. After agreeing not to mention the war when they appeared on Jay Leno's stateside TV talk show, the pair turned up with T-shirts with "F--- War" written in Cyrillic. The researcher who booked them reportedly ended up in tears when the ruse was discovered after the show.

Flash in the pan

Even if the pair does win at Eurovision, a sustainable future in pop music remains questionable.

And after last month’s canceled concert tour in Britain, no one’s placing any bets that the duo is here to stay. In fact, rumors have it that not even the prospect of seeing two girls kiss was enough to get Britain’s males to fill Wembley Stadium.

A later PR stunt proved equally as ineffective when t.A.T.u advertised for schoolgirl fans to take part in their new video. Only 13 girls dressed in miniskirts and school ties turned up for the shoot on London's South Bank. Volkova and Katina were nowhere to be seen and, it transpired later, did not have permission to film there in the first place.

Rumors over the credibility and motives of the band’s manager, who supposedly came up with the idea of an underage lesbian band to attract scandal-seeking media attention, have also surfaced in recent weeks, dampening the girls’ rebellious image.

Cashing in on scandal

But with odds of 9-2, t.A.T.u is still a favorite to win Eurovision this year. Unofficial fan sites for the pair are rallying viewers by posting instructions on how to vote for the pair.

And no matter what happens on Saturday, Eurovision organizers are preparing for all eventualities. "We don't know what they'll do on stage – you never do with this group," Eurovision spokesperson Sovita Vevere told Reuters. "But we will have a taped performance from the dress rehearsal, so we can always switch to that if we need to."

Bad news for those who have put a bet on the two having a snog on stage. "Obviously the kiss has to be seen on TV, otherwise we can't pay out," Ladbrookes betting spokesman, Warren Lush told DW-WORLD.