Nu Pagadi

Nu Pagadi were a short-lived German pop/rock group that lasted barely long enough to enjoy a chart-topping single ("Sweetest Poison," 2004) and album (Your Dark Side, 2005). The bandmembers (Pat Boinet, Kris Dörfer, Markus Grimm, Doreen Steinert) described themselves as a "glam rock" outfit; however, their music was basically pop dressed up with industrial metal signifiers, and their uniform fashion appearance -- lots of makeup, even on the guys, and almost exclusively black clothing -- was far and away more goth than glam. Then again, Nu Pagadi were the product of the international TV show Popstars (the fourth season, to be precise), so their somewhat confusingly manufactured sense of identity was to be expected. Nu Pagadi began as a quartet in November 2004 and topped the German singles chart with their debut single, "Sweetest Poison," which was issued in December. A full-length album, Your Dark Side, followed shortly thereafter (January 3, 2005) and also hit number one. Your Dark Side is notable for a couple reasons: it's sung entirely in English, including a cover of Billy Idol's "Flesh for Fantasy," and it boasts a provocative cover, featuring all four of the young bandmembers lying together entirely naked. The erotic element was undoubtedly a key one for Nu Pagadi, particularly for Steinert and Dörfer. Both exceptionally attractive young women -- tall and toned, sassy and sexy -- immediately embarked on solo careers after the dissolution of Nu Pagadi. Billing herself simply as Doreen, Steinert released the maxi-CD Ich Bin Meine Eigene Frau in October 2006 -- that is, three weeks after Dörfer had released a maxi-CD of her own, Room for More, billing herself as Kris. Both women abandoned the faux-goth metal of Nu Pagadi in favor of a spunkier, more fun-spirited...