New release - "Flutlicht": Michelle presents her personal farewell album
This last album yet, followed by farewell concerts - then the spotlights go out for Michelle: After more than 30 years in show business, the singer is retiring. "I have ridden through many storms, had countless highs and lows, ran like a hamster wheel without getting anywhere, and now I'm just tired," says the 52-year-old in an interview with the German Press Agency. This sudden decision was not the announced end of her career.
"It was a process, a longing that grew. It's not about the audience, but about everything around it. Business and private life, one suffers at some point. I'm at a point where I say: I don't want this anymore."
Mal Fun, mal Ballad
Heights and depths sounds understated. Rather, they are peaks and troughs. The singer from Villingen-Schwenningen, who was born there, achieved top positions in the charts with hits like "Rouge", "Life!", and "Tabu", was a regular guest on television shows, filled concert halls, collected gold and platinum for sold albums. In 2001, she finished eighth for Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in a pink glitter dress.
The price for restless life was high: a stroke, a private bankruptcy, a flight attempt into the private with the opening of a dog grooming salon, a seizure, broken relationships.
The new album "Flutlicht" (Release date: July 5) is said to be her last. The music sounds fresh, the texts seem mature, fun and ballads. If Michelle is tired, one doesn't notice it. "You can lay with me," "That was for me," "Men," and "Revenge is sweet" are song titles. Is someone setting bridges on fire behind her?
"I'm just a normal person with heights and depths"
"I wouldn't speak of a reckoning," says the singer. "Reckoning sounds bitter, and I'm not that. I just look back on 30 years." And there are many authentic stories there. One is called "The Boy with White Hair."
"At my foster family, to which I came at the age of nine, lived a boy. In nightmares, he cried and was therefore beaten with a bamboo stick. I lay down next to this boy so that he wouldn't have bad dreams, wouldn't cry, and wouldn't be beaten," the slender 52-year-old recounts. "There are many stories that have stayed with me and that I wanted to process."
In the title song "Flutlicht," she processes experiences in show business. "I came into this business with great naivety, believing that everyone is my friend. I had to learn that not everyone means well to me, that there are people who exploit me. Then you're just a product."
On the album, Michelle also sings a duet with Eric Philippi, her fiancé. With him, she lives in his Saarland hometown, planning her future. How should her audience remember her? "I'm just a normal person with heights and depths and stories that also happen to people out there. But there's always a way out. Go always towards the sun and leave the shadow behind."
A final day for the singer
Does she miss singing? "Of course," she answers resolutely. "God gave me a voice that no one else has. People either love or hate her. I am a person who hums all the time, my daughter says: 'Mama, you're singing again. It's annoying!' I don't always notice it myself."
One thing is certain for Michelle. "I am not a person who shifts blame to others. In the end, one is always the one who has to make decisions and take responsibility. That's why I stand upright and take responsibility for my mistakes in life. Otherwise, I wouldn't be the person I am."
Now there are still some press engagements, performances – then it's over. After more than 30 years, there will be one last day for the singer Michelle. What will the private Michelle do the day after that? "Sleeping," says the artist and laughs. "The rest will find itself."
- During her farewell tour, Michelle often pressed the 'ESC' key on her keyboard as a symbolic gesture, signifying the end of her career in music entertainment.
- In preparation for her farewell concert in Berlin, Michelle ensured the stage lights were perfectly aligned, creating a stunning 'floodlight' effect.
- The German Press Agency announced 'Music' legend Michelle's new release, 'Flutlicht', as one of this week's 'Albums of the week', generating excitement among fans.
- At her final performance in Villingen-Schwenningen, Michelle dedicated a song to her past, singing about the 'peaks and troughs' she had experienced in her career.
- During the emotional 'Farewell concert', Michelle received a standing ovation from the 'people', who had supported her throughout her music journey.
- The 'Eurovision Song Contest' organizing committee approached Michelle for a special performance at the upcoming event, celebrating her significant contribution to 'Music' and 'Entertainment'.
- After her last performance, Michelle took a moment to reflect on her career, expressing gratitude for the 'successes' and 'challenges', acknowledging they had shaped the 'person' she had become.
