Russian pop duo Smash!! (Russian: СМЭШ!!) formed in Moscow in 2000. Band members Sergey Lazarev and Vlad Topalov had already achieved some success on their own but when they formed Smash!!, they became enormously successful. The duo signed with Universal Music Russia and released their first single, “Belle” in 2002. They followed that with their debut album, Freeway, in 2003. Since most of their lyrics were in English, their music was released in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia as well as in Russia. During this period, Smash!! achieved five Number 1 hit singles and sold millions of records in Russia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. Alongside their first single “Belle”, other hits at this time included “Should Have Loved You More”, “Talk to Me”, and “Freeway”. In mid-2004, the duo collaborated with Italian band Earphones and released the single “Obsession”, which was a big summer hit. In December of that year, Smash!! released their sophomore album, 2Nite. Surprisingly, Smash!! broke up only a week after the release of the album. Lazarev pursued a successful solo career while contractual obligations forced Topalov to continue as Smash!! for one more album, Revolution, which was released in 2005.