Biography of Tokio Hotel

Emo quartet Tokio Hotel emerged as one of the most successful new German acts of their generation, scoring three number one singles via 2005's debut LP, Schrei. Bill and Tom Kaulitz, 12-year-old twins, formed the group in their native Magdeburg in 2001, recruiting drummer Gustav Schäfer and bassist Georg Listing to round out the lineup. Originally dubbed Devilish, the teen foursome toured aggressively before signing to Universal in 2003, adopting the moniker Tokio Hotel in tandem with the deal. Composed primarily by Bill Kaulitz in tandem with a series of high-profile songwriters, Schrei was preceded by the August 2005 release of Tokio Hotel's debut single, "Durch den Monsun." Teenage girls quickly embraced the band with puppy-love fervor, and by the end of the month the single topped the German pop chart and its Austrian counterpart. The follow-ups "Rette Mich" and "Der Letzte Tag" also hit number one, although the former appeared in a re-recorded version dramatically different from its LP version thanks to Kaulitz's post-pubescent vocal changes. After the singer wrapped his contributions to filmmaker Luc Besson's animated fantasy Arthur and the Minimoys, Tokio Hotel returned to the studio to complete work on their 2007 follow-up album, Zimmer 483. In June 2007, Scream, the band's first English language album, was released in Europe. The album's tracks were comprised of songs from Schrei and Zimmer 483 that had been translated and re-recorded. Scream was released in the United States on April 29, 2008. Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide