Not Gonna Get Us

"Not Gonna Get Us"
Single by t.A.T.u.
from the album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane200 km/h in the Wrong Lane
B-side	Ne Ver, Ne Boisia
Released	5 May 2003
Format	CD single, Cassette Single
Recorded	2002
Genre	Eurodance, breakbeat[1]
Length	4:22 (Album Version) 3:37 (Radio Edit 1) 3:19 (Radio Edit 2)
Label	Universal/Interscope
Writer(s)	Sergio Galoyan, Trevor Horn, Ivan Shapovalov, Elena Kiper, Valeriy Polienko
Producer(s)	Trevor Horn
t.A.T.u. singles chronology
"All the Things She Said" (2002) "Not Gonna Get Us" (2003) "Ne Ver', Ne Boysia" (2003)
Music video "Not Gonna Get Us" on YouTube

"Not Gonna Get Us" (translated from "Нас Не Догонят") is a song by Russian duo t.A.T.u., which was taken from their début studio album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane (2002). The song was written by Elena Kiper, Ivan Shapovalov, Valeriy Polienko and Sergio Galoyan, while production was handled by Trevor Horn. The song was included in the group's compilation album The Best (2006). The song was released on 5 May 2003 by Interscope Records as the second single off the studio album. Musically, the song is a eurodance-inspired song, and lyrically it talks about the group running away from people as they don't understand their love towards one another. There is also the Russian counterpart entitled "Nas Ne Dogonyat".

"Not Gonna Get Us" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, praising the production and highlighted the song as an album standout, however some critics were not impressed by the lyrical content. The song was a commercial success worldwide, peaking inside the top ten in countries including Finland, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The song also peaked at number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs, becoming the group's only number one single in the US component charts.

An accompanying music video was shot for the single, where it starts with the girls getting a mugshot, until escaping to a truck, where they drive off through snow in Siberia. The song was shot by Ivan Shapovalov, who also features in a cameo appearance in the song as a construction worker. The song also received a minor controversial image, where it featured a more rebel image. The song has also been performed on all of the group's concert tours, and was also performed at the MTV Movie Awards in 2003. In 2009, t.A.T.u. played a special concert featuring the song at the Eurovision Song Contest with a Russian Army Choir, the Alexandrov Ensemble.

Background and composition

Prior to becoming t.A.T.u. Yulia and Lena had auditioned as members of Neposedi, a group produced by Ivan Shapolavov and his business partner Alexander Voitinskyi. Shapolavov has said the two girls stood out from the rest of those who auditioned; however, 14-year-old Katina was initially the only one chosen for the band. While the album was in development, their producer Alexander Voitinskyi left the production, leaving the album unreleased. However, Shapolavov later signed Elena Kiper as the new co-producer and co-writer for the album, who had eventually written "Not Gonna Get Us". There is also the Russian counterpart entitled "Nas Ne Dogonyat".

The song was written by Elena Kiper, Ivan Shapovalov, Valeriy Polienko and Sergio Galoyan, while production was handled by Trevor Horn. The song was included in the groups compilation album The Best (2006). The song was added to their YouTube channel five years later on 6 February 2008.^[2]

"Not Gonna Get Us" is a eurodance-inspired song.^[3] The song incorporates influences from pop, dance-pop, eurodance and rock music.^[4] The song "opens with a throbbing electro beat which then builds to the shrill chorus."^[5] They were also noted by their vocals by saying "Lena Katina and Julia Volkova's vocals are angelic and naive complementing the fierce, persistent beats in the single."^[5] Lyrically, it talks about teenage lovers, which was usually exampled by Volkova and Katina, as people did not understand their love towards each other, so they run away from people to start fresh.

Critical reception

"Not Gonna Get Us" received favorable reviews from critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic highlighted the track on the album saying it was an "exhausting offering hit" but continued saying; "Well, it's easy not to be into it when Julia and Lena appear to have been run through a marketing processor so they could become two Sapphic tarts who sing songs with suggestive titles like "Not Gonna Get Us," "Show Me Love," and "All the Things She Said" (it's likely a coincidence that the latter two share titles with songs by Robyn and Simple Minds, respectively, but perhaps not) [...]."^[3] Popdirt commented that the "high-pitched helium voices" on the song work at "complimenting the sensitivity they feel for each other and the reckless abandonment of the outside world perfectly".^[6] A reviewer from Dusk411 commented against their image by saying ""Not Gonna Get Us" could work if t.A.T.u. weren't a gimmick" which was introduced by their single "All The Things She Said".^[5] Furthermore, Pitchfork listed this as the 33rd best single of 2003.^[7]

The song was nominated "Best Russian Act" in 2003 on MTV Europe Music Awards.^[8]

Chart performance

"Not Gonna Get Us" was released in Europe in 2003. In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number seven, where it eventually peaked. It stayed in the charts for eight weeks in total. The song also sold over 43,000 copies there.^[9] The song also peaked at number ten on the Irish Singles Chart. In the European markets, it was a success. In Sweden, it debuted at number ten, peaked at number nine and stayed in the charts for nine weeks. In Finland, it debuted at number three and stayed in the charts for five weeks. In Italy, it debuted at number four and stayed in the charts for a total of seven weeks. In Austria, it debuted at number 22. After two weeks, it rose and peaked at number five for two non-consecutive weeks. It stayed in the charts for sixteen weeks in total. In Switzerland, the song debuted at number 37. The next week, it rose and peaked at 18, and stayed in the charts for 18 weeks in total. The song peaked at numbers twelve and ten in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia). The song reached number ten in the Europe Official Top 100.^[10]

In the Oceanic region, it received more moderate success. The song debuted at number 11 on the Australian Singles Chart, where it eventually peaked and stayed in the charts for 11 weeks. It was certified gold by ARIA, selling over 35,000 copies.^[11] The song spent only a sole week in the New Zealand Singles Chart, where it peaked at number 25, becoming the group's poorest performing single in the country. It was the group's last single to chart in New Zealand.

The song was eventually released in North America, charting in Canada and the United States. The single version peaked at number 31 on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Dave Audé then released a remix of the single in the United States, which peaked at number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs Chart, where it became the group's first and only number one in North America (although a Dave Audé remix of t.A.T.u. member Lena Katina's solo release 'Never Forget' also topped the US Hot Dance Club Songs Chart in 2012). Not Gonna Get Us also managed to peak at 35 on the US Top 40 Mainstream Charts.^[12]

Music video

t.A.T.u. in "Not Gonna Get Us" Video

The video starts off with Yulia and Lena's mugshots being placed on screen, with the truck's engine starting up and steam surrounding the two girls and the vehicle. They then are outside in a snowy environment, where they steal a large truck and ride off through an airfield, breaking through a fence while singing. The two girls later find themselves in snow-covered Siberia. They run over a construction worker in the middle of the road, who is played by Ivan Shapovalov. After breaking through another fence, some family photos of both the girls as young children are shown during the video. Towards the end, Yulia and Lena climb to the roof of the truck and stand on top, hugging and smiling as they continue to sing the song, until they crack the lens of the camera as they leave.

The song was directed by their former producer Ivan Shapovalov. The music video is also the same music video taken from the Russian version "Nas Ne Dogonyat". The English music video for this song is a re-edited version of the Russian video, altered to remove the lip synching (usually by adding a broken glass shot over the shots of them singing).

A video game was created by a fan based on the music video. In the game, the band is inside a truck trying to get away from the bad guys. The game course also features land mines that the player must dodge.^[13] It was uploaded by a user on game-sharing web site Newgrounds.

Track listings

Charts

Year-end charts

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 2003 (U.S.)

Radio add dates and release history

Cover versions and derivatives

"Not Gonna Get Us" was sampled in the song "Miss Love Tantei" by W. The song was used as the closing song in the 2008 film, The Code, which had Russian characters and clubs as central to the plot.

The song was covered by Japanese singer Maki Nomiya on her 2005 album Party People.

In 2014, Tori Amos covered the song in Moscow while on her Unrepentant Geraldines Tour.

References

External links

• "Not Gonna Get Us" on YouTube
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics