2010 - Mika Junior magazine interview, Brazil

We just found out Mika gave an interview to a magazine the day after the gig in São Paulo (not a very well known mag...). Hope it's not too of, since it's been translated to portuguese with a lot of regional expressions Did my best to try figuring out what he might've actually said

Blue parts are for the interviewer

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It took four years, two albums and dozens of hits for Mika to finally come to Brazil. It was worth waiting. Responsible for the best show of Planeta Terra Festival edition 2010, the singer had the ocean fans that attended the festival sounding loud and transformed the park into a mere extension of his playful and multicolored stage. Owner of a voice capable of putting down the dance floor divas in tribal house remixes (everyone knows Peter Rauhofer right?) and author of lyrics that inspire adolescents in their natural age crises, Mika is the Freddie Mercury of the millennial generation. With no flag raisings, exercises tolerance and at the same time amuses even those who do not care for the sexuality spell.

In the cab on my way here, I was thinking about what would be my first question and thought it would be better to start by sharing something- which already gives the tone to this interview. Your first album is very special to me. At that time, 2006/2007, I was living in France and going through a period of many discoveries when for the first time I found natural being gay. It was the first time I was proud instead of ashamed of who I am.

It’s good to start of like this. It’s wonderful to hear that. It’s almost the reason for an album like mine. Like it was made for this. It’s funny, ‘cause I’ve heard other people, that at the time were in their twenties, say the same thing. They’d say they were going through a tough moment and by listening to the album ended up changing, felling more....

...strong?

It’s not actually strength. It’s like a little bird that pulled them by the shirt’s sleeve and changed their direction . A little push. I think the main reason I agree with that is for the fact that I wrote this songs for the same reason. I write to feel better about aspects of my own life. My songs seem to tell stories about other people, but deep inside they’re about me. I only imagine characters so that people can identify more easily. If it works for me, even when everything is lousy, maybe it will have the same effect on other people.

Tell us how it was before music... I look at you and see a kid in his room making loads of creative stuff....does that make sense?

My room was a workshop, but not always I did things that creative. I liked to built, made scenarios and environments with my toys. I also made clothes and listened to a lot of music. I was a child that enjoyed building worlds. My mom thought I was a bit autistic ‘cause she’d catch me cleaning the walls with a little brush. I wanted them perfectly white. As time went by, she started to worry. These fantasies are common around seven year olds, and fade away till the age of thirteen. But to me it got worse. By the time I was fifteen I was doing that even more. She decided I should pick something out of all that to work with. I ended up being expelled from school ‘cause I’d stay too much in my own world, so she made me study music. I had really tough lessons with a Russian teacher. Hours of practice. I hated it. But I got good really fast so soon jobs on theaters and opera houses started appearing. Then I started dividing my time, one semester I’d go to school, the other I worked. At school things were still horrible. I was socially rejected and suffered homophobic attacks.

How were these experiences in school?

Horrible. It wasn’t easy dealing with this growing up thing. Those who disagree with or try to make this bullying and homophobia problems small is talking bull. I think I’ve found a way to bounce back by being good at something. I chose music. I believed that like this I’d win some freedom and would respond to the attacks in a strong way, but not needing to directly confront my aggressors. I wanted to pulverize them.

You managed to do that quite well...

I was obsessed with it. I kindda formulated something by accident in my head. Today I look back and understand what I was doing. I always suffered a lot with the labels throwed at me, so I decided to always reject any kind of label. It’s rather different attitude from someone who struggled for political rights in the 60’s in the United States, for example. It’s the opposite of that. I was young and lived in a different context, that’s why I focused on expanding the borders of tolerance. I always say that tolerance is much more important. Labels are important to people who depend on them to live and make politics. Once I was on tour through north Africa, in a country notoriously known for having an oppressive and anti gay political system, and during my show I sang “Billy Brown”. Around 46 thousand people singing a song like that is tolerance, not politics and it has nothing to do with labels. I research theatre and am very inspired by Michael Hutchtence (INXS). He was a very important person for male physicality in pop culture. He would, for example, move his shoulders like a woman, but in a masculine way. When I go on stage and dance in a more feminine way I also make a call for tolerance. If you do something similar on the street or a bar perhaps someone will approach you. I can do it on stage no matter if the audience is straight, gay or something else. And they end up reacting the same way. Theatricality is very important to me. It’s my approach. Each person can have their own. But of course sexuality is something that goes through my albums. I talk about that more than any other pop artist in the world, but I do it in a way that deceives people who might never bring it up. There’s no politics in my music. It’s almost an ambush.

But political involvement is important for achieving legal rights.

Little by little I’m getting more involved on the political aspect, as I’m getting older. Recently I’ve wrote to a column for the Italian journal La Repubblica in which I respond to a recent homophobic comment from Berlusconi (referring to the Italian prime minister’s declaration that answered to accusation of having harassed a Moroccan under aged girl saying that it’s “better to be passionate about girls that being gay”).

What do you say on the article?

It’s not out yet, but basically I say that in any other developed country in the world a political leader makes such comment and get nothing but taps in the back instead of negative repercussion. It’s not funny. He and everyone who supports him should be ashamed. It’s stupid. And I write that in a moment where my album is on the top in various segments of the Italian market.

We never get to know anything about you. How do you keep yourself far from the midia harassment?

I’m a mystery. I have a lot of secrets, some are good and others that embarrass me since I was young. “The Boy Who Knew too Much” is a reference to the youngster who’d pretend to go to sleep and climb out the window to throw himself at clubs till 5 a.m. I’m not that perfect.

And what do you do for fun?

Same as everybody. I go out, but to places where there are no photographers. I drink, do stuff...you know...like everyone. But no one reads about it. I don’t give it all. I put everything in my songs and not on interviews. I think it’s important to wake up in the morning and be able to do a show, write a song, do my job and not fell like I’ve sold every aspect f my life. And that helped me a lot. The tour of my second album was three times bigger than the first one’s. I think that only happens because I’ve kept myself relatively focused. Maybe one day that will change, but for now I’m pretty happy the way it is.

What can we expect from the third album?

It’s going to be ultra pop. Way more than the second, but way different from the first. It’s not about childhood nor adolescence. There’ll be different stories. You’ll be able to fit it in the whole of my carrier, but at the same time will see new things. There’s something about my music that is hard to explain. I don’t consider myself cool or uncool, fashionable or out of fashion. I’m kindda anything. My music is not pop, or indie, or electronic. It remains there in a weird place among all of that. It’s like a bubble. And I know that when I do something good is really hard not to get involved. A song like “Happy Ending”, for instance, simply works and that’s it. I want it to be like that, full of melody and not fitting in any genre. You’ll see.

Do you watch Glee?

Yes. My next album is super “Glee”.

They should have a Mika special episode.

I’m not as famous in the U.S. as you think.

I’ll suggest it to Fox.

Thanks for posting

No problem

thanks for posting!

interesting interview!

Aaaw is co cute thxx for posting

Thanks for this . . .

Very interesting interview -- so glad you found it and posted it!

Thanks!

Thanks for posting xx

A very interesting read. Thank you for posting! It's nice to "hear" from him even if it was written a while ago.

I like it, suprise peek into third album!

Aaaaaaaandy

You should post THAT picture here too

Aaaaaaaandy

 

You should post THAT picture here too

You think?

Ok than....look at what the interviewer got afterwards

thanks a lot, Andy!

nice interview and cute pic!

Thanks for posting, Andy!

I really enjoyed reading it

 

 

Do you watch Glee?

 

Yes. My next album is super “Glee”.

 

They should have a Mika special episode.

 

I’m not as famous in the U.S. as you think.

 

I’ll suggest it to Fox.

A Mika Glee episode would be amazing! Was thinking about that (not so likely) possibility before actually...

Can't wait for the third album!

thank you for posting

You think?

 

Ok than....look at what the interviewer got afterwards

 

Thank you so much for posting this! It's an interesting article although we have heard most of it before, but in some way the interviewers good intentions shines through. He seems so honestly interested and good at what he's doing!

When Mika talks about what he and his mother have gone through together when he was growing up, I have to say that this woman has my full and utter respect. To be worrying about ones child is one of the most terrifying things in life! And she must have done a lot of worrying!

That picture is one of the cutest I've seen in a long time!

The reporter really deserves a good hug!

I might even start getting use to the HAIR-CUT!

Thank you so much for posting this! It's an interesting article although we have heard most of it before, but in some way the interviewers good intentions shines through. He seems so honestly interested and good at what he's doing!

When Mika talks about what he and his mother have gone through together when he was growing up, I have to say that this woman has my full and utter respect. To be worrying about ones child is one of the most terrifying things in life! And she must have done a lot of worrying!

 

That picture is one of the cutest I've seen in a long time!

The reporter really deserves a good hug!

 

I might even start getting use to the HAIR-CUT!

I know, noticed that too...it seems like he enjoyed talking about these things 'cause he saw that the interviewer had an actual interest on it. I sometimes notice that he goes kindda vague 'cause the interviewer doesn't really know what's he's asking about:aah:

And about his mother....just the way she dealt with it all, it was amazing. She really handled the sittuation. I've seen so many amazing kids loose so much 'cause the parents found them weird or something and didn't know how to act on it

I found the hair cut a little odd the first time I saw it too but then I saw it closely in the M&G and I thought it looks good :3

Thanks for posting

There are a lot interesting Mika observations and I epecially like the part about "feminine" masculinity of the late INXS frontman MH

Thanks for posting, Andy!

I really enjoyed reading it

 

 

 

A Mika Glee episode would be amazing! Was thinking about that (not so likely) possibility before actually...

 

Can't wait for the third album!

It so would! Although when they sang poker face they got his cover version

Mika in a brazlian magazine

mmm, thank you very much for sharing! very interesting interview!

and pic is super cute!

Thank you very much for posting and translating the interview Andy!!

you did a great job!!

I love it to bits, and he also mentions his Italian column

interviewers play an important role in interviews as well

lovely pic, too!

that was a lovely and interesting interview, as were all the south american interviews:wub2:

thanks for posting and translating:flowers2:

I’ve heard other people, that at the time were in their twenties, say the same thing. They’d say they were going through a tough moment and by listening to the album ended up changing, felling more....

It’s not actually strength. It’s like a little bird that pulled them by the shirt’s sleeve and changed their direction . A little push. I think the main reason I agree with that is for the fact that I wrote this songs for the same reason. I write to feel better about aspects of my own life.

thats my favorite part of the interview!!! i can totally idetnify with what he's saying here. these songs remind you that you have to be yourself no matter what:wub2:

It’s going to be ultra pop. Way more than the second, but way different from the first. It’s not about childhood nor adolescence. There’ll be different stories. You’ll be able to fit it in the whole of my carrier, but at the same time will see new things. There’s something about my music that is hard to explain. I don’t consider myself cool or uncool, fashionable or out of fashion. I’m kindda anything. My music is not pop, or indie, or electronic. It remains there in a weird place among all of that. It’s like a bubble. And I know that when I do something good is really hard not to get involved. A song like “Happy Ending”, for instance, simply works and that’s it. I want it to be like that, full of melody and not fitting in any genre. You’ll see.

 

Do you watch Glee?

 

Yes. My next album is super “Glee”.

 

love it how in almost all the recent interviews he talks about the next album:wub2: it makes me even more impatient to listen to it, if thats even possible:biggrin2:

Interresting! Thx a mill for posting

You think?

 

Ok than....look at what the interviewer got afterwards

 

Cute... unshaved... no comments about his hair