Lady Gaga always gives her Little Monsters what they want - thanks to Britney Spears!
Mother Monster told Ryan Seacrest that being at Britney's concert (and
jonesing to sing along to 'Baby One More Time') inspired her to always
perform her biggest hits at her shows.
She says, "Man, I would be so mad if I went to see my favorite pop
singer, and they didn’t play all the big hits. When I went to see
Britney, I just remember thinking in that moment, 'If I feel this way, I
bet the audience feels this way.'"
Currently on her Femme Fatale tour, Britney Spears found time to talk to Stylist magazine about her children Jayden James, 5, and Sean Preston, 6, and give a small peek into her world outside of the spotlight.
Can you describe your new scent?
It’s very feminine and girly. It's sweet and citrusy with a hint of my
favourite scent – night-blooming jasmine. The inspirations behind it are my
Femme Fatale album and empowered women.
Did you hear Jessie J saying she won’t go on stage without your
perfume on?
I saw that! That’s so cool!
Why do you think your fragrances have done so well?
Some of it’s down to just taking things into my own hands. I love the process
of finding all the combinations of oils and when you’ve spent so much time
experimenting with them it’s exciting to find ‘the special one’.
You’ve been in the public eye for 13 years now. What does it mean to
be a celebrity in 2011?
Wow. Well, I feel… [pause] Actually, let me start over. I don’t know what to
say about that.
If I change that to, what does it mean to be a musician in 2011?
Would that work?
That’s better! Well, it’s really cool because there are so many new,
up-and-coming artists to look at and be inspired by. For me, I think it’s great
to have a little competition because I feel it inspires us [Team Britney] and
makes us want to do better. There are so many soulful singers, even the ones
coming from London, like Adele and Jessie J, who are just amazing. It feels like
a really cool time to be making music now. In the beginning obviously I was very
young and I didn’t know the ins and outs of things; I was very instinctive in
what I wanted to do, and I was very vocal with my input on things. I think as
the years have gone by, and as I’ve evolved as an artist, I’ve put even more
into my career, and after that amount of time you start to know exactly what you
want. You feel a little bit more in your skin, in terms of who you are. And that
just feels really nice
Do you feel in your skin now?
Yes!
The papers are full of people who don’t really know you giving their
opinion on what they think about you. But how do you think people who do know
you would describe you?
People who do know me? That’s a difficult question. That is a difficult
question! I don’t know. Do you think they’d say nice things? Yes, they’d say
nice things.
What was the last book you read?
The Mastery Of Love [sub-titled A Practical Guide To The Art Of
Relationship by Don Miguel Ruiz]. It’s basically an analysis of love and
what it means to love. It goes through all the different aspects of love. Who
you are as a person, knowing yourself before you even attempt to love anyone
else; that sort of thing. It’s really well-written and thought-provoking.
Would you recommend it? What would I learn from it?
Yes definitely, it’s very cool. It’s not so much about learning something;
it’s one of those things where you already know this stuff, but it’s good to
instil it in yourself again.
You’ve said in the past that it’s a thirst for success that defines
you. Has your definition of success changed over the years?
For me, success is a state of mind. I feel like success isn’t about
conquering something, it’s being happy with who you are.
Is that something you’ve realised recently?
Yes.
You posted a photo on Twitter earlier this year, of you cooking with
your kids at home. Your kitchen seemed really traditional. Is the rest of your
house similarly decorated?
Yes, my house is very traditional. And I love ‘shabby chic’. It’s a very
homey-cosy vibe. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen actually, maybe my kids
will be doing their homework or that kind of thing when they get home from
school. I love my kitchen.
Do you ask people to take their shoes off when they come in your
house?
No.
Do you take your shoes off when you go to other people’s houses?
No.
What’s a food treat for you?
Chocolate. Definitely chocolate. A lot of chocolate.
Do you have any favourite chocolate or are you completely
indiscriminate?
I love Scores in the States, with the caramel in the middle, and every once
in a while if I’m really hungry then a Snickers bar is good.
So…
And M&Ms are great, Hershey’s Whoppers are great, Raisinettes…
You like chocolate.
Yeah. Twixes are great too. And the new Hershey’s Cookies & Cream, too.
What was the last film you saw?
The Never-Ending Story. I watched it with my children.
What did they make of it?
They liked it. They were scared in places. They were like, “This is scary, we
don’t want to watch this”, and I was like, “It’s not scary, it’s fake, it’s a
movie”. They haven’t really grasped the concept that movies are fake – they
always say, “Is this real?”, and I’m like, “No, baby, it’s just a movie”. But
they liked it.
So how do you explain what you do when they see it on TV? For
instance, in your latest video you’re robbing a grocery shop. How do you explain
to them that this person on TV is one thing but the person sitting in front of
them is something else?
I think they’re starting to understand that it’s part of my work and what I
do. It’s part of mommy being a performer. And being a performer, one of the
things that entails is playing different characters and having fun and doing
different things.
One of the big ironies of being a global pop star is that you get to
travel the world but not actually see much of it like a normal person would. Is
there anywhere you’ve been where you’d like to go in disguise?
Well, in some situations I’d love to be able to, y’know, put a disguise on
and go to a restaurant and not be noticed. But actually it’s been pretty cool on
this tour, there haven’t been that many paparazzi and I’ve been able to get out
with my children and go and see a lot of things.
What would be the dream holiday, and who would you go
with?
It would be with my children of course, and my boyfriend Jason [Trawick, also
Britney’s agent], and really that’s it. We’d probably just go skiing somewhere
really beautiful and have hot chocolate, in a cabin…
Are you a good skier?
No. [Laughs]. But I enjoy the process of learning. I do get frustrated when I
see little kids go really fast beside me but for the most part, once you get
going and you’ve got an idea of how you’re going to ski, it’s kind of fun.
When you’re performing, what are you thinking about?
What do I think about? Wow. Usually I’m so in the moment of being there with
the audience that I don’t really have time to think about anything. You’re just
focused on the tunes and what you’re doing and interacting with the audience and
making sure you’re on cue. It’s more like a yoga state of mind, you know?
Who’d be your dream musical collaboration at this stage?
I like Gwen Stefani.
What music are you listening to at the moment?
Well I usually listen to a lot of hip-hop in my dressing room when I’m
getting ready to go on stage, so Jay-Z a lot recently. And a lot of rock stuff
like Aerosmith. That really gets me going and pumps me up. And then of course,
there’s Jessie J and Adele.
Remember that Lady Gaga (Jo Calderone)
presented Spears with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award live on
stage at the MTV Video Music Awards, last month. At
the time hose to continue her over the
top schtick when the moment was supposed to be about Britney. Gaga, as
Calderone, ended up winning me over by telling the crowd to "stand the
fuck up" for Britney, adding that Spears had been a huge inspiration for
her when she was struggling in New York playing small clubs. If that
didn't settle the rumors of a feud between the two pop superstars, maybe
this will. Spears was interviewed by AMTV yesterday, and when they
asked about the Video Music Awards appearance and her opinion of Gaga in
general.
"She’s hilarious. She was so into character, and really strong-willed.
The way she portrayed herself, she exuded such confidence and uniqueness
in her character — it was really crazy and fun. She comes from the
theater, so she gets the background of not just coming out with a good
song, which a lot of people do, but she understands the craft of being
an entertainer. I think that’s why she appeals to so many people because
they love to see what she’s going to do next and it’s so interesting,
even for me, to watch her. She’s a character, she’s really cool.”
The 29-year-old Grammy winner is currently in England doing a round of
promotional appearances for her latest hit album, Femme Fatale,
and tour of the same name. Spears has also been spotted on the streets
of London filming the music video for her new single, a mid-tempo,
sultry song called "Criminal". The tune is quite a departure from
Spears' other recent tracks, and my personal favorite off of Femme
Fatale. While most of the album is upbeat and bubbly dance fun,
"Criminal" reveals a different, darker side of the singer. Spears says she has had the
concept of the video planned for awhile, but would divulge no details:
"You'll have to see," was all she said. What a tease!
Britney Spears sees exercise as a "spiritual thing". The 'Toxic' singer keeps to a strict workout regime in order to be in
peak condition for performing on her current 'Femme Fatale' tour and
feels it goes beyond simply working out.
She told Britain's Glamour magazine: "[Exercise] is a spiritual
thing, it helps your mind and your body and it's all connected. So, yes,
I think it's really important to take care of yourself in that way. "I work out every other day, and sometimes every day. I run a lot on
the treadmills in hotels when I'm on tour and I do light weights and a
little bit of cardio."
However, Britney has also long been a fan of calorific treats and in
the past has been known to go on junk food binges, which reportedly
caused her to put on 14lbs in one month during her 2009 'Circus' tour. A source said at the time: "She does not think about the calories in
the food, just that she likes it. She loves greasy food and creamy
sweets and hates fruit and vegetables." To regain her figure, the singer subsequently put herself on a 1,600
calorie-a-day diet.
Britney Spears has urged teenagers to go out and let
their hair down after admitting she forfeited a conventional childhood
for the sake of her career. The singer and actress found
international fame at the tender age of 17 when debut single ‘…Baby One
More Time’ pushed her onto the world stage, but despite enjoying a
successful recording career she admits her grueling work schedule
resulted in her missing out on all the fun aspects of teenage life.
“Have
fun," she told Glamour magazine when asked what advice she would give
to aspiring young singers. "I was having fun then, but I would stay true
to that, you know? I'm still pretty much the same person I was when I
started this, but in the beginning, I think I was fearful. So I'd say,
just try to embrace moments more. To have a good time with life and
don't take it too seriously."
Having worn numerous raunchy outfits
throughout her colorful career, Britney - who celebrates her 30th
birthday on December 2nd - admitted her all time favorite is the
controversial school uniform she wore for her very first video shoot in
1999. "My all time favorite outfit? Probably the school uniform,"
she said. "I think because it was my first video I ever did and the
first experience with everything. That's in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of
Fame."
Britney Spears has claimed that she's in a "really good place" at the moment and chooses not to listen to her critics but tries not to take herself too seriously.
The 'Hold It Against Me' singer, who is bringing her 'Femme Fatale' tour to Europe later this year, said that tries to concentrate on the positives in life and concentrates on the positives in life.
In a recent interview with Glamour magazine, the 29-year-old said: "I seriously think [my success] is because I love what I do and I don't take myself too seriously. I'm on this journey and I've had so much fun so far, and I genuinely have a blast."
Spears, who suffered a very public meltdown in 2008, also added: "And I really don't listen to critics or the haters or anything like that. I'm just in a really good place right now and really excited to be where I am."
You’re bringing your Femme Fatale tour to the UK this October. How do our crowds differ from those in the States?
“I think the crowds overseas are just more excited and more pleased that you’re there. It’s actually really amazing, it’s so much more exciting. I’m not sure why, they just have more energy and they’re very welcoming.”
What are your favourite memories from the times you’ve visited the UK?
“My best memories are probably from the very beginning with my assistant Felicia, when we first went to London. It was my first time to see Big Ben and everything was so new and fresh. We went to all the amazing shops and just had so much fun with everyone – we’d all get together and it was just amazing. This time, we’ll check out the stores and go to dinners and just have fun.”
Will you be hoping to see Prince William and The Duchess of Cambridge at one of your shows?
“That would be amazing! That will be really crazy and cool. I think they’re a beautiful couple and i totally respect and admire them. They have done so well so far. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to watch the wedding but I heard it was beautiful.”
Does it feel strange to think Prince William used to have posters of you on his bedroom wall when he was a teenager?
“That is so funny. I had no idea that he did that! That’s hilarious.”
You’ve performed on another British institution in the past, The X Factor. Are you excited that it’s finally coming to the states this month?
“I’ll definitely watch it and I do think it will work. There are so many shows out like that, but that is one of the best.”
Are you a fan of Simon Cowell?
“I respect Simon Cowell’s honesty. I think it’s refreshing, but I don’t think I’d be able to be that honest! I’d be worried about destroying someone’s dreams.”
You’ve been in the business for a long time now- what’s the key to longevity and surviving such a tough industry?
“I seriously think it’s because I love what I do and I don’t take myself so seriously. I’m on this journey and I’ve had so much fun so far, and i genuinely have a blast. And I really don’t listen to critics or the haters or anything like that. I’m just in a really good place right now and really excited to be where I am.”
Where do you think that strength comes from? To carry on through everything…
“I think it has a lot to do with how you were brought up. I work hard and I’m a very grateful and thankful person.”
You’re turning 30 in December. How do you feel about that milestone?
“I think the older you get, the wiser you get. I can’t wait. I’m really excited and definitely gonna celebrate and do something pretty fun. A carnival of Britney? I don’t think I’ll be doing that! It’ll be something a little more low-key.”
Do you find it easy dealing with the ageing process?
“It’s a part of life. It’s a beautiful part of life and that’s how I accept it.”
You’ve achieved so much. Is there anything you haven’t yet achieved that you hoped you would by the age of 30?
“I would love to do more movies and venture out into those aspects. It’s something I’m still hoping to do.”
You’ve had so many iconic looks over the years – do you keep or archive your costumes? Do you still have the school uniform? or the rubber catsuit?
“Some of them are in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, some of them I still have. My all-time favourite? Probably the school uniform. I think because it was my first video I ever did and the first experience with everything. That’s in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.”
Apart from dancing, what else do you do to keep in shape?
“I work out every other day, and sometimes every day. I run a lot (on the treadmill) in hotels when I’m on tour and I do light weights and a little bit of cardio.”
Do you find exercise is something that helps give you peace of mind?
“I do. It’s a spiritual thing, it helps your mind and your body and it’s all connected. So, yes. I think it’s really important to take care of yourself in that way.”
If you are having a day when you’re feeling insecure, what instant tricks do you have that make you feel more fabulous?
“The usual. Make-up. Chocolate. Shopping. For a good pair of jeans and shoes, I love Flying Monkey jeans and Steve Madden shoes. And Prada! And I just found a really cute piece at this store called Crush Boutique here in Boston. Not expensive at all – a dress, it shows my back and it’s really cute and short.”
Performing runs in your family – would you support Sean Preston and Jayden James if they chose to follow in your footsteps? What characteristics of yours do you see in them?
“They’re very artsy and creative kids, they are always entertaining and they’re full of energy, like I was when I was younger. So I’m sure they’ll definitely be attracted to the arts. They love to dance and paint and they’re always putting on shows, re-enacting things.”
Ten years ago you told me this: “I think God has a plan for everyone, and I think this is his plan for me. And you learn life lessons with each plan. I definitely think we have many lives and I think in my other life in the world ‘cos I feel this one is a breeze.” Do you still stand by those words?
“I think it’s true. I still stand by that and I still believe in that.”
But things haven’t always been breezy for you. You’re now a veteran and a survivor. You really think, for the most part, things have been breezy?
“Yeah. You know, I’ve gone through stuff, but it’s made me a stronger person, definitely. I take one day at a time, and embrace it fully and live in the moment.”
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt about men over the past ten years?
“You can’t change them.” [Giggles]
Anything else ?
“That’s pretty much it.” [Laughs uproariously]
Is there one piece of advice you’d like to go back and give your 16-year-old, Baby, One More Time self?
“To have fun. I was having fun then but I would say to stay true to that, y’know? I’m still pretty much the same person I was when I started this, but in the beginning I think I was fearful. So I’d say, just try to embrace moments more. To have a good time with life and don’t take it so seriously. and right now I’m really excited about the show – this is the funnest show I’ve done in my career. so right now, I’m just having a lot of fun.”
BRITNEY’S QUIET NIGHT IN
Who is with you?
“My boyfriend, Jason [Trawick].”
What’s on the TV?
“Sex And The City.”
What are you wearing?
“Sweats and a tank top.”
What’s the soundtrack to the evening?
“Romantic music.”
What are you cooking?
“Turkey burgers and vegetables.”
AND BIG NIGHT OUT
What are you wearing?
“A cute dress”
How long does it take you to get ready?
“Forty-five minutes.”
What’s in your clutch bag?
“Lipstick”
What restraunt are you heading to?
“Scarpetta.” [Italian]
What gig, concert or theatre show would you take in?
“Wicked”
What song would get you up and dancing?
“Anything by Janet Jackson.”
Monday, August 8 2011. There are riots across London but in one small bit of it, at 10.30pm, Popjustice is on the phone being put through to Britney Spears. She is getting ready for a show and has agreed to talk to us for a few minutes.
During the course of organising the interview we have requested that, when she comes on the line, the first thing Britney says is “it’s Britney bitch”.
Here is what happens.
Britney, are you there? I’m here!
Great. What most drives you to be brilliant - fear of failure or thirst for success? Thirst for success. I constantly want to outdo the last thing I've done.
Have you learned that over the years or was that always there? Over the years. I’ve always worked hard for whatever I’ve got but as time goes by I tend to want to outdo myself which I guess is a good thing.
How do you define success now? Is it album sales or ticket sales, or whether you personally like something? Just by feeling accomplished in what I’ve done, you know? In the art that we’ve done. At this point in my career I am making the music that I enjoy and the music I know my fans will love.
Even if you’re saying “I am being totally honest with you” do you still think it’s important for popstars to keep something back from their fans? I think your personal life is your personal life, and that should stay private, but in the line of talking about my craft and what I do I’m willing to talk about those things.
That bit where it overlaps is complicated. What is it that keeps people on the outside from going over the line... I don’t know what it is, is it respect? It doesn’t seem like those outside have too much trouble crossing the line...
And how much of the real you do you think we know? None, everything, half? 45%? I would say half. I can be pretty guarded with my personal life and I've learned that’s okay.
That’s quite a lot to know. Uh-huh.
But it’s also quite a lot not to know. Yes! Sometimes it’s our secrets that define us.
So now I’m wondering what the half I don’t know is. Yes. That's the point.
And it’s your job to make sure I don’t find out. Exactly!
There’s a question I’ve got written down here, which I’ll explain properly once you’ve supplied me with an answer, and the question is: if you were locked in a room with only a saucepan, what would you do? I’d knock on the door with it.
The thing is, I remember reading something about some sort of behavioural study and during the course of the study they did a test where people were locked, on their own, in a room with only a saucepan. And apparently within five minutes of being in the room, more than half of the men had put the saucepan on their head. (Laughs)
What do you think that says about the difference between men and women? How different we are!
I suppose so. Do you have any grey hairs? Nope!
If you’d never released a second single - so if ‘...Baby One More Time’ had been one massive hit with nothing else - what would you be doing now? Raising my family. Being a mom.
You’re kind of doing that anyway, if obviously in quite different circumstances... But what else would be different about your life, what else would you have done? It would probably pretty much be the same because I’m very strong in the way I raise my kids and stuff, so it would probably be pretty much the same but career-wise I’d probably be a teacher. I love kids and even in what I do now one of my favorite parts of my day is getting to meet my fans before the show. Especially the little ones. They are always so cute.
Is that something you were thinking of doing when you were younger? Yes. My mom was a teacher.
What would be your specialist subject? I’d specialise in reading and history.
What’s your favourite historical period? The 1920s.
Which fits in quite well with the Art Deco styling of your current artwork. Yes.
Would you let either of your kids become a popstar? Would the fact that you’ve been one yourself change how likely you’d be to say ‘yes that’s a great idea’ or ‘no that’s not such a good idea’? I’d definitely keep an eye on them, but if that’s what they wanted to do then I’d let them go after it. I'd just be very protective.
You’ve been on the receiving end of quite a lot over the years - what would you warn your kids about? Well, I wouldn’t want them to go into it feeling fearful, and also nobody can really prepare you for this industry and what you experience, so I’d just have to trust that they have the instincts to know what’s right and wrong and help guide them along the way. I think I have the experience.
The idea of following instincts is quite interesting... In the same way that you can give someone vocal lessons or dance lessons or whatever without them ever really being equipped to be a popstar, you’re saying that you can’t teach someone how to react to what happens when you do become one? Exactly. Every path is different.
Do you think you’ve ever recorded a perfect song? Do I think there’s any such thing as a perfect song?
Well that as well I suppose, but I was wondering if you think you’ve recorded one... Um... I don’t know if there’s such thing as a perfect song. There are songs that I’m completely in love with, but songs are creative and they can be anything So I don’t think there’s any such thing as a perfect song.
You see if someone were to say to me, ‘what’s the perfect song?’, I might have a few examples but one of them is ‘...Baby One More Time’. Thank you!
Well thank you for the music Britney. Well, thank you for listening Peter!
What do you look back on and go, ‘well that was a bit rubbish’? Um... (Miniature pause) Well I think that everything happens for a reason so I don’t really think anything... Well, I think you learn from everything that happens, good or bad. But you’re talking about songs?
Songs, anything really. I just think it’s really helpful if you want to get a sense of what an artist thinks about themselves, if you know how they actually rank their own work. Making music is a creative process. I don’t think you can rank that process.
So going at it from a different angle, you say that you learn a lesson when something’s good or when something’s bad - what lessons have you learned from things that haven’t gone quite according to plan? Um... [Get] everybody in check! (Laughs) And make sure that everybody’s on top of what they’re doing. And if it doesn’t happen the way you want it to happen, just don’t take yourself too seriously, and move on.
Do you lead or follow? I definitely lead.
Is it hard work doing all that leading? It must be a lot easier to just sit around copying people. No, it’s not hard work, it’s part of who I am. I love to strive to do things differently. That’s part of why I love what I do - being in this industry because you can, you know, do so many different things, and that makes you who you are.
How do you feel you’re leading at the moment? So for example with the dubstep breakdown in ‘Hold It Against Me’ it felt like something that a global pop performer hadn’t yet done, and it felt like an instance of you pushing things a bit... But I wasn’t sure if that was you who was doing that pushing. And I’m wondering if there are any examples of things you’ve done where you’ve thought, ‘yes, I’m really proud to have done this first’. I had a definite idea in my head for the sound and direction of this album when we set out to make it and I think we nailed it. I'm really proud of this album. Also, in performances and stuff and in videos and in every craft that I do I always think up the storylines and just think about how to make it different and do stuff that’s never been done before. And, um, so it stands out, and so people are inspired by that and then you inspire each other. And that’s what we’re here to do.
You say, ‘that’s what we’re here to do’, but there are plenty of people who work in and around the industry you’re in and they don't think that’s what they’re there to do. A lot of the time they’re in the business to get as far as they can by keeping their head down and not getting rumbled. Do you think you operate in a different world from those people? I think there’s a lot of us who lead and there’s a lot of us who follow and our worlds are different. I feel my world is different, even from other people who lead.
But everyone ends up in the same chart at the end of the day, even if they’ve come at pop music from quite different angles. Yes.
Which is quite exciting. Yes. But I can only worry about me!.
What time do you go to bed? Ten thirty.
How do you like your day to run? On tour, I usually get up in the morning and I work out, and I spend time with my kids, and then it’ll be time to go to the venue, and I have catering, eat dinner then get ready for the show!
Do you enjoy having structure to your day? I really do. I love routine and I love structure.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made? The biggest mistake I’ve ever made? (Thinks) To not trust my instincts.
So is it now your first instinct to, er, trust your instincts? Yes, definitely.
When did you learn that lesson? It’s just about listening to your gut in different situations. I've learned to trust my instincts over the years but it definitely took time.
You’re singing about The Club a lot these days. Perhaps this is part of the 50% of your life I know nothing about but it seems like you’re not actually going out to clubs. So this club you sing about - do you actually go there? Actually no I don’t. (Laughs) I never go to The Club. But I think it’s fun to sing about it. And I have my own mini club at my house.
WHAT. Yes. And I play a lot of music there!
Does the club at your house have a name? No.
Does it have a glitterball? Yes, it has a glitterball. And we have catering and lights. It’s the whole setup.
Do you like being looked at? I don’t like being judged. But I, you know, I think it’s flattering when people make comments that are nice. Particularly when it’s something that inspires me to do better.
There’s a fine line, especially these days when people can directly talk to you on Twitter or wherever, between taking what people say seriously enough because they’re fans and of course you want to take what they’re saying on board, and then separating that from the people who just hurl abuse. How do you divide the constructive advice from the shouting? Well when people are screaming at shows and stuff it’s the most flattering thing there is and it just inspires and motivates me to do a better show.
But these people are fans. Right.
What about the people on messageboards or on social media. How do you ignore the bad stuff? A lot of people say they don’t go online, but... No, I don’t. I never have. I'm not interested in the negative. Only the positive.
If you were 14 again now, and you were starting off in 2011, how would you get things moving? Make good contacts.
I know what you mean by that and you know what you mean by that but let’s say this 14-year-old kid doesn’t find it as obvious as to just ‘make good contacts’ - how would you even start? You know I think it’s all about who your connections are with and the people you surround yourself with, so I think if I was doing it all again now I’d do that but I’d also take advantage of social media.
When a lot of artists hit a certain age - Usher, Justin Timberlake, whoever - they start bringing through protogees and launching label imprints and so on. So Usher had Justin Bieber, which panned out reasonably well. If you were to start your own label and a protogee of your own, what sort of popstar would you look for? I think there’s a lot of people out there who can sing and dance but I’d look for that somebody out there who has that something to stand out from everyone else. Someone who people are magnetised towards. I'm always looking for that person with that special quality. It’s hard to find....
And this goes back to what we were talking about earlier - it’s not something you could teach someone. No.
Is there a style of voice or a type of music you’d be looking to work with? Well, someone who loves music. Not just wants to be famous, you know?
People think that fame is always a good thing when, in fact, it’s usually a bad thing. Exactly.
What sort of demands are put on artists now that weren’t there in the 90s? What’s changed? I don’t really have that many demands on me. I genuinely do love what I do but I think albums are judged on sales, which is not good.
When you came out you were presented as the sort of popstar who’d be judged by sales, though. The sort of popstar you were was someone who just sold records. And then maybe you became something else, but do you think you’ve moved so far away from your 17-year-old self that record sales aren’t important? You know what, I make the music that I love and that’s what matters really. And I hope everyone else likes it.
When do you think the world will end, and what will the end of the world sound like? (Laughing) That is one of the strangest questions I have ever been asked, apart from the saucepan one! I'm a positive person so i'm going to say never!
Do you think it would make a noise? Of course! It would go snap, crackle and pop.
Mel C is concerned about the lessons fans are learning about outfit on stage. 'It sends the wrong message to teenage girls,' the 37-year-old told the People. 'Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Britney Spears have great voices and don't need to take their clothes off. 'Young fans can be impressionable. Sometimes people go a little too far.'
Mel C is currently working on her fifth solo album, The Sea, which is scheduled for a September release.
For months, Sirius radio host Howard Stern has been bellyaching about how Lady Gaga seemed to be talking to everyone except him. So, when the singer stopped in to chat on Monday morning (July 18), the notorious radio host made sure to make the most of it, indulging in one of his show's longest celebrity chats in recent memory, a nearly 90-minute ramble in which he got Gaga to talk about fame, fashion, sex, drugs and rock and roll.
For the most part, the interview hit many of the highlights of Gaga's now-legendary rise to superstardom: her childhood fascination with piano, the first song she ever wrote, her move to Manhattan as a teenager and the one-year ultimatum her dad gave her after she dropped out of college. But she also revealed a bit more about her offstage self and the inspirations behind some of her most beloved tunes.
Though she's best known for writing her own songs, Gaga discussed the two tracks she's written for Britney Spears, "Quicksand" (which appeared on the Circus album), and "Telephone," which Spears recorded, but never released. Asked if it bummed her out that "Telephone" was rejected by Spears, Gaga said, "Hell no! Frickin' Britney Spears sang my record! I was doing back flips and ordering drinks!"
Justin talks Britney Spears on Playboy interview reveals he "absolutely" smokes weed, and also shows the 'Friends With Benefits' star jumping to the defense of ex-girlfriend and pop princess Britney Spears.
During the interview, the singer-turned-actor was asked about the criticism surrounding Spear's current dance moves and he became defensive about his former flame.
"I don't have too much to say about her situation. I can't remember the last conversation I had with her," he said. "But this thing that happens online bothers me -- these anonymous commenters."
He urged those talking trash about the singer to put their money where there mouth is, so to say.
"People think they can say anything and it doesn't matter to people," he said. "I'd love to see the people who comment about Britney online say those things to her face, because they couldn't."
"The internet is a cruel place. What a f--ed-up thing to do," he added, when told about the "dance-off"video comparing Spears' current dance moves to those of her earlier performances (like 'I'm a Slave 4 U' and 'Me Against the Music').
He also said that a 30-year-old performer isn't always going to be able to dance like someone in their teens or early 20s.
"In Britney's defense, if you pulled up a video I did from 2003, I couldn't do the sh-t I did then either."
