Michelle says goodbye to the pop world for good
More than 30 years on stage, with ups and downs. From a stroke to bankruptcy, it all happened. Now, the 52-year-old singer is announcing the end of her schlagger career. Her last album is supposed to be the one following this announcement. Why, she explains in an interview.
This last album yet, followed by farewell concerts - then the spotlights go out for Michelle: After more than 30 years in the entertainment business, the singer is retiring. "I have ridden through many storms, had countless highs and lows, run in a hamster wheel without getting anywhere, and now I'm just tired," says the 52-year-old. A sudden decision was not the announced end of her career.
"It was a process, a longing that grew. It has nothing to do with the audience, but with 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."
Highs and lows sounds understated. Rather, it's peaks and troughs. The singer born in Villingen-Schwenningen achieved top positions in the charts with hits like "Rouge", "Leben!", 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 living was high: a stroke, a private insolvency, a flight attempt into the private with the opening of a dog grooming salon, a fainting spell, broken relationships.
Personal stories in focus
Her last album "Flutlicht", which comes out on a Friday, is supposed to be her last. The music sounds fresh, the texts seem mature, sometimes celebratory, sometimes balladic. If Michelle is tired, you don't notice it. "You can call me that", "That was it for me", "Men" and "Revenge is sweet" are song titles. Is she burning bridges behind herself?
"I wouldn't speak of a reckoning," says the singer. "Reckoning sounds bitter, and I'm not that. I'm just looking 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 screamed 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 scream 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 the entertainment industry. "I came into this business with great naivety, believing that everyone was my friend. I had to learn that not everyone has good intentions for me, that there are people who exploit you. Then you're just a product."
On the album, Michelle sings a duet with Eric Philippi, her fiancé. With him, she lives in his Saarland hometown, plans her future. How should her audience remember her? "I'm just an ordinary person with highs and lows and stories that also happen to people out there. But there's always a way out. Go towards the sun and leave the shadow behind."
Will she miss singing? Of course, she answers resolutely. "Dear God gave me a voice that no one else has. People either hate or love it. 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 makes decisions and assumes responsibility. That's why I stand upright and take responsibility for the mistakes that have happened in my life and are very important. Otherwise, I wouldn't be the person I am."
Now some press dates, performances - then it's over. After more than 30 years, there will be a last day for the singer Michelle. What will the private Michelle do on the following day? Sleep, says the artist and laughs. "The rest will find itself."
The singer's last album, filled with mature and celebratory tunes, serves as a testament to her successful pop music career. Despite the challenges she's faced, such as a stroke and bankruptcy, she remains an unyielding force in the entertainment industry.
Michelle's forthcoming album, titled "Flutlicht", features several powerful songs like "You can call me that", "That was it for me", and "Revenge is sweet", suggesting a poignant and reflective farewell to her fans.
