Visual Resistance and Subcultural Identity in t.A.T.u.’S Music Videos: All the Things She Said and Not Gonna Get Us

Abstract

This article explores how subcultural resistance is represented in two of t.A.T.u.’s most iconic music videos, Not Gonna Get Us and All the Things She Said. Using a semiotic approach, the study analyzes visual codes, mise-en-scène, and lyrical structures to uncover how these elements express rebellion and emotional urgency within the socio-political context of early 2000s Russia. Visual cues such as fences, surveillance imagery, and enclosed spaces are recontextualized to symbolize control, escape, and resistance. The lyrics act as recurring affirmations of defiance, reinforcing a refusal to conform. The study highlights how movement, spatial dynamics, and contrasting aesthetics construct narratives of struggle against dominant ideologies, particularly around gender and identity. By foregrounding emotional intensity and intimate bonds, the videos create alternative meanings that challenge mainstream interpretations of love. This research reveals how popular media can subvert traditional norms through layered signs, offering space for dissent within familiar cultural formats.