Twins Tom and Bill Kaulitz performed in shows from a very young age. They later met Georg Listing and Gustav Schaefer and formed a band when they were about 12 years old. From 2001 onwards they played in talent shows and small-time concerts. In 2003 they were approached by Peter Hoffman, a music executive, and signed for a label with Universal Records. At this point, the boys changed their name to "Tokio Hotel"; 'Tokio', for the city in Japan and 'Hotel', due to their constant touring of their country.
Their first single, "Durch den Monsun" ("Through the Monsoon"), quickly gained popularity after its release, appearing on the German music charts at #15 on 20 August 2005 and reaching #1 on 26 August 2005; it reached #1 on the Austrian music charts as well. Their second single was "Schrei" ("Scream"), which climbed to #5 on the German charts. They released their debut album, Schrei, on 19 September 2005; the lead singer, Bill Kaulitz, wrote most of the songs. In early 2006, their third single, "Rette mich" ("Rescue Me"), was released; it reached #1.
Their first single from Zimmer 483 (Room 483), called "Übers Ende der Welt" ("Beyond the Edge of the World"), was released on 26 January 2007. It has reached #1. The Zimmer 483 album was released on 23 February 2007. A deluxe edition of the album also is available. The Zimmer 483 tour was scheduled to start in March 2007, but was delayed by two weeks because the band members wished to use a new stage. However, all of the tickets bought for the tour are still valid.
An English-language Tokio Hotel album is anticipated to be released on May 21 2007, and a tour of the United States is expected to take place in the autumn of 2007 (it depends on the success of their English-language album).