"All About Us" is a song by Russian recording duo t.A.T.u., taken as a single from the group's second English languagestudio albumDangerous and Moving. The song was also featured on the group's second Russian studio album Lyudi Invalidy. The song was written by Josh Alexander, Billy Steinberg, Jessica Origliasso & Lisa Origliasso. The song was produced by Martin Kierszenbaum and Robert Orton. The song was chosen as the album's lead single in March 2005 by Universal Music Russia and Interscope. The song was greeted with positive reviews from music critics, who many praised the ambition and was specified as a highlight on the album. Commercially, the song performed very well on the charts, charting in many European charts and managed to have success in North America and the Oceania. An accompanying music video was issued for the single, which featured the group running away from each other. The video was considered controversial from critics and fans, featuring disturbing graphics.
Reception
Critical response
"All About Us" received generally positive reviews from most music critics. Roger Holland from Popmatters said "it’s “All The Things She Said - Part Dva ”. It packs more amateur operatics, more rock and more intelligent pop into a little under three minutes than Queen could shoehorn into the entirety of “Bohemian Rhapsody”." The Pitt News compared it "in vein" to the group's previous singles "All The Things She Said" and "Not Gonna Get Us" saying "The song tries to silence the media hype and rumors concerning their sexuality, relationships, disputes and drug use that followed the girls after their emergence, letting the world know that they are still together and as strong as ever." Michael Freedburg from The Boston Phoenix said along with "Friend or Foe", "Perfect Enemy" and "Dangerous and Moving", it "shoots straight to the gut — and to the heart." Betty Clarke from The Guardian said that the song is a "is good, glossy pop, any empathy lurking in these tales of teenage persecution is lost in translation." Dom Passantino from Stylus Magazine said that the song "runs along on animalistic lust, high-off-your-own-supply paranoia, mental anguish, and the ever-present threat of sudden, bloody violence." Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic said the song sounded similar to "Not Gonna Get Us".
Commercial performance
"All About Us" received chart success all around the world. In the Oceanic, the song only managed to peak inside the top forty, peaking at thirty-nine on the Australian Singles Chart and thirty-eight on the New Zealand Singles Chart. In European markets, the song had chart success by peaking inside the top ten in countries including Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium, Sweden and many other countries. The song became the group's last charting single in the United States, peaking at number thirteen on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs. The song was a chart success in the United Kingdom, peaking inside the top ten at eight.
Music video
The shooting of the music video took place in Los Angeles in July 2005, produced by film director James Cox. There are two versions of the video, one censored, and the other uncut. The censored video was released on the official website on 18 August. The uncut version was released later. The video was popular in Europe and was retired on Poland's TRL after spending 50 days on the countdown. The video had much airplay on American television, but was actually played more on Spanish-speaking networks than others.
Synopsis
The uncensored version of the music video starts off with Lena and Julia pulling up in a car, with the chorus to "All the Things She Said" playing on the radio. They enter a Korean restaurant as fake headlines are shown on the screen - rumors of their relationship. They sit at a table, take shots and begin arguing with each other, and Julia storms off. The headlines continue as Julia walks down the side of the restaurant, and Lena drives off after her. While walking down the road, Julia gets picked up by a man. Lena attempts to call Julia on a cell phone, but it seems she is already on her phone with another person. Julia and the man eventually go to his home, where they start to have sex. However, it quickly turns into attempted rape, when the man begins to force himself on Julia. She shoves him off of her, flips the man off and calls Lena. However, he then physically assaults Julia, first punching her in the back of her head before pushing her through the glass top of a coffee table. Her phone is dropped, and Lena drives off in search of her. The man attempts to strangle Julia, but she is able to break free, and gain enough time to locate bullets and a gun in a case. When he turns around to attack her again, Julia shoots him in the head, causing his brains to be splattered on the wall. She then climbs out a window and down the fire escape, just in time to meet up with Lena, who drives up to her, and the two smile at each other.
Censored edits
The censored version of the music video was heavily edited for viewing on television. Omitted are Julia giving the finger to the man, her being thrown into the glass, the finding of the gun, and the blood splatter. VEVO censors out the flipping scene and replaces it with Julia giving the man the fist.
