Is Eastern European pop conquering the continent?

Eastern Europe is waking up to the sound of pop music, as boy bands start to take over the airwaves. Groups such as Litesound, O-Zone and Kazaki have proved extremely popular in their native countries with their edgy good looks and catchy songs. These small groups have big dreams and are hoping to make it big in all of Europe. But just how are they planning on cracking the continent?

Shock value generates an internet buzz
The popularity of the region’s boy bands at home and abroad is down to some clever musical marketing.  Each of these top acts has found a niche, crafted a unique look and musical style and run with it.

Ukrainian band Kazaki are a prime example of this success. The well-groomed foursome have certainly created their own unique look, generating a huge amount of attention from fashion lovers as well as music fans. The talented dancers have chosen to focus more on original choreography, something they are happy to perform in high heels - a quirk that adds to their edgy image. After coming up with their own routines, thousands of fans have taken to the internet to show their best copycat moves, giving Kazaki both chart success and a real boost online.

As well as showing off their good looks, Romanian band O-Zone enjoyed a short but sweet stint of international success with their catchy tunes and simple lyrics. Back in 2004, the trio received acclaim for their song ‘Dragostea Din Tei’, better known as “The Numa Numa Song”, which had millions of people singing along, despite not knowing what the words actually meant.

Eurovision hopefuls
With a style more oriented towards soft rock and alternative pop music, the band Litesound has been chosen to represent Belarus at Eurovision this year.  Their electro-pop single ‘We Are the Heroes’ will then be performed to an international audience.
The semi-finals take place on 22-24 May and even if they don't make it through they're expected to perform in Belgium afterwards. Litesound are counting on the contest to help them reach a wider audience and continue their success.