The Tokyo Hotel group are guys from 2007, when crowds of teenage girls went crazy over emo fights and youth rock music. At least, that’s how they were remembered by many, and anyone who was born in the 90s, and now recalls his rebellious youth with laughter, will say this. But it’s already 2015, and the Tokyo Hotel, it seems, is completely not going to end its career. The guys grew up and changed their style, and their songs acquired a more electronic sound. Is it good? Judge the fans. Well, we recall their story, what they were and what they became.
Group creation
For the first time, the Tokyo Hotel group made a name for itself twelve years ago, back in 2003, by signing a contract with the Hamburg branch of Universal Music under the auspices of its newly minted producer, Peter Hoffman.
Composition of the group
Tokyo Hotel has four members, two of whom are twins Bill and Tom Kaulitz (frontman and guitarist, respectively), who took up a musical career at the age of nine.
The year 2001 was very significant for the brothers. They performed in Magdeburg and there met the future second half of the group - drummer and bassist, Gustav Schafer and Georg Listing, almost the same age as talented twins. The latter, by the way, is the oldest of the group - he was born in 1987. Schafer is one year younger than him (1988), and the twins were born in 1989, September 1, and Tom is only ten minutes older than Bill.
These four guys are the members of the Tokyo Hotel group. 2015 did not affect him in any way - he is still the same. But the musicians themselves have changed - their appearance, music and style. But all in order.
2005: the beginning of a career
In 2005, Tokyo Hotel was not yet known to anyone. Her biography only originates in this period. Over the two years of existence, under the strict supervision of Peter Hoffman, the guys recorded an entire album (the lead singer Bill took an active part in writing the songs).
But before the band “cast a bait”, releasing the single Durch den Monsun and a video clip on it. The arrow hit the target directly, and also brought the group the rewards of Echo and 1Live and Comet. It was followed by the video clip Schrei ("Scream"), which won first place in the European charts.
The release of the debut album Schrei only consolidated the success and brought the "Tokyo Hotel" the expected fame.
2006: second album and first concert
The 2006th pleased the fans of the new emo rock band, just starting, because at that time the next video clip "Tokyo Hotel" was released, this time for the song Rette Mich.
The composition was not new, but rather modified from the first album: the lead singer of the Tokyo Hotel experienced a breaking voice, in addition, some instrumental differences appeared in the song.
The second album was also not completely fresh: it contained three new songs and some rewritten old ones. It was released in March under the name Schrei: So Laut Du Kannst. The single also released the single Der letzte Tag.
But a much more significant event was the first concert of the guys outside their homeland: on November 18, the Tokyo Hotel group (photo is in the article) visited Moscow. The newcomers to the rock scene received more than warmth. For two years, musicians conquered not only German listeners.
2007: the sweet fruits of fame
In February 2007, the Tokyo Hotel group released the album Zimmer 483 ("Room 483"), which makes musicians even more popular. In April, the guys began a tour of Europe - 483 Tour. They also pay a visit to Moscow, and then come to St. Petersburg with a concert. Scream (an English version of Schrei) comes out in early summer.
In November, the guys finish their more than successful tour in Germany.
2008: the first obstacles
The year 2008 brought news that overshadowed the fans ’mood: due to Bill’s illness, the band stopped their concerts. Frontman "Tokyo Hotel" picked up laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx). Fortunately, everything worked out, and the March operation on the vocal cords solved all the problems. Fans were jubilant and expected new achievements.
2009: triumph
This year was the year of the release of the new album - Humanoid. No wonder the fans were waiting for a new brainchild of their favorites. In November, Tokyo Hotel's work was officially celebrated once again: at the MTV Europe Music Awards, musicians won the Best Group nomination. No German group has received such an award yet .
2010: first world tour
Introducing the album in 2010, the band embarks on a Welcome to Humanoid City world tour. The tour came out even larger than the previous one. Tokyo Hotel visited Asian countries. In addition, DSquared specially prepared designer suits for the children.
2011: a sudden lull
“Tokyo Hotel” continues to conquer the horizons and conquer peaks, previously inaccessible to any German performer, but they seemed to tire of them. This year's MUZ-TV Prize chose the group as a headliner, because the guys once again pleased Moscow with their visit.
But from that time until 2014, the group had a lull.
2014: return to duty
In 2014, Tokyo Hotel returned with a new video for the song Love Who Loves You Back. The style of the musicians has changed markedly. From emo rock, performers switched to pop rock with electronic sound. However, the prerequisites for this were heard in the single Automatic, released in 2011.
The retreat conducted by the brothers in Los Angeles was not in vain, and in 2014 their new album, Kings of Suburbia, was released.
Present
In the past year, the guys had another world tour. Within the framework of this tour, Tokyo Hotel visited Moscow, St. Petersburg, which they loved, and also looked into Kiev.
Style evolution
Over the course of their careers, Tokyo Hotel has evolved from rocker boys to shocking young performers. This is most evident from Bill Kaulitz. However, his brother Tom also changed a little. But to consider in detail the evolution of Bill's style, which was confused with a model girl for most of his career, is still more interesting.
In 2005, the youngest Kaulitz was sixteen, and he was already a dyed brunette with pierced eyebrows and pencil eyes. The musical style of the group is also indicative - a real emo rock with their unforgettable Schrei. 2006 didn’t change the frontman much, except that his hair had grown a little.
2006-2007 - Bill is still a brunette, but white highlighting is visible in his hair.
In 2009, Bill decided to make dreadlocks, like his brother, but still black. The soloist of the Tokyo Hotel goes from chains and crack rock to glam: tight things, leather and furs (artificial, the Kaulitz brothers do not recognize the killing of animals).
In 2010, the androgyny of appearance becomes fashionable. Bill cuts and puts hair in an unimaginable style, wears hats and participates in the model shows of the DSquared already mentioned here. He wears platforms and heels and feels quite comfortable in this way.
2012-2015 - the years of dramatic change in the image: a short haircut, a blond and a beard, and in addition, “no” to cosmetics and heels. They are replaced by sports shoes. The transition to this style makes Bill more like a brother. The twins had not previously been so similar with the pronounced feminine image of the younger and hip-hop clothing of the older Tom.
What about the rest?
Tom Kaulitz, who for a long time did not part with dreadlocks, a sweatshirt and trousers with a “scruffy”, cut his hair, but got a beard. Now he's a brunette.
Georg Listing, whose hair would be envied even by a girl, also decided to part with her. In addition, once a complete bass player took care of himself, lost weight and pumped up. Georg looks much older and courageous.
And only Gustav Schäfer does not care for years: he is the same, except with a small beard that does not change his appearance much. However, he has some changes, but not at all in the field of style. The Tokyo Hotel drummer found his love and got married.
The rest of the band’s members on the love front are not so stable: neither the bassist, nor the guitarist, nor the lead singer of the Tokyo Hotel group found a permanent relationship. The personal lives of the guys, in principle, are hidden from the sight of cameras, although recently Bill was seen with Lisa Vanderpump. But is there anything between the 25-year-old Kaulitz and the 54-year-old Lisa, the paparazzi can only guess.
Tokyo Hotel: group reviews
Opinions about the Tokyo Hotel are divided into two completely opposite camps. This article looked at musicians, rather, from the point of view of their fans: indeed, in 2005-2007. they have acquired countless numbers (especially from adolescent females). As well as haters. The object of ridicule was made by the metallers, fans of more “hard” music. In 2006, the men's magazine FHM even included Bill Kaulitz in the list of the most asexual famous women.
Countless parodies were made at Tokyo Hotel: the guys in the group differed enough from everyone else to be a fertile ground for bullying. But one way or another they were discussed, which indicates their popularity.
The band’s career is not over yet. Neither the Kaulitians, nor their permanent bass player and drummer are going to retire. Who knows, maybe the musicians will still find something to surprise not only fans, but also anti-fans? After all, they have succeeded more than once, and they still have a lot of time.