The arrival of Mika

His hit album made him Britain's biggest pop star last year. Now Mika brings his outsized, confetti-strewn concert to Toronto

January 26, 2008

Ben Rayner

Pop Music Critic

If Life in Cartoon Motion is, as Mika claims, his "schoolyard album," then the next should probably be his "last laugh at the schoolyard album."

Like many a confident pop peacock before him, the Lebanese-born Londoner responsible for last year's inescapable hit, "Grace Kelly," had a decidedly rougher time of it back in the playground days. His school years in Paris and London's South Kensington neighbourhood saw him "bullied to the death," he recently told British newspaper The Times, to the point he suffered a "complete breakdown" before he'd even hit his teenage years.

Now, at 24, the operatically inclined, decidedly sexually ambiguous singer, pianist and songwriter born Mica Penniman has spun gold – nay, platinum – from the very same fantasy world of DayGlo doodles and theatrical music in which he sought escape during his childhood. His unapologetically garish debut album, Life in Cartoon Motion, has moved 4.5 million copies worldwide since its release last February, effectively making him the biggest British pop star of 2007.

It's been a meteoric rise to stardom, then. But Mika assures us he's the last person anyone will hear bemoaning the agonies of fame.

"Although I'm not like most other people who do this pop thing, I am fully aware I'm a pop musician and that I always wanted to be a pop star and that I always wanted to do this job. I wanted to make a pop record that came from a real place, that came from songwriting and that was true to myself, and I'm very comfortable with that," he says, kicking back in his London flat after a week-long vacation at a "totally ridiculous" hotel on a private South American island.

"I'm not necessarily tabloid fodder. I'm extremely private. The one thing I respect more than anything else is my privacy, and if that means I lose a few inches on the tabloid columns, it's fine by me."

The past year's whirlwind, he says, has kept him far too busy to succumb to "the madness and cliché" that often comes with sudden stardom, anyway. Indeed, Mika has been on the road steadily since the end of 2006, and will only wind touring chores for Life in Cartoon Motion down after the brief North American tour that brings him to Kool Haus on Tuesday night and an appearance on the Brit Awards – where he's up for Best Male Solo Artist and Best Album, among other nominations – next month.

"Quite frankly, the whole experience has been defined by 2007 being the year when I really learned what it was like to be on the road and to tour and to do gigs night after night with a day off between every three days, and to just travel around the world, literally working for your supper, getting sick all the time and having to deal with it," he says. "I've been touring now for about a year and a half, and that time has really been defined by the gigs.

"There are perks y'know ... I know now I can do shows in almost any country. Some of them will obviously be bigger than others, but I know I can do a show, whether it's to 500 people or 15,000. It's quite an incredible situation to be in."

A situation largely of Mika's own making, too, as he's the rare contemporary pop star of his stature and global reach who can take complete credit for his own art.

This eases the pressure of crafting a worthy follow-up to Life in Cartoon Motion somewhat, since, "I don't have that idiot syndrome of having to rebel against my first album because it was someone else's work," he says. Besides, he was already writing and demo-ing songs for the second album while he was recording the first, so the prospects of creative exhaustion saddling him with the dreaded "sophomore jinx" seem slim.

He's musing about doing an acoustic tour at some point. But for now, one gets the impression his more immodest ambitions will win out. Those same ambitions, by the way, mean audiences who take in the Canadian and U.S. dates on his latest tour will still be getting the ridiculous, confetti-splattered production Mika takes to much larger crowds across the Atlantic.

"I'm making absolutely no adjustments whatsoever and I'm spending an insane amount of money on the tour. I really couldn't give a f--- because that's what it's all about," he laughs, proclaiming the show "completely big and fantastical. I have a responsibility to bring the same thing over and not compromise or be cheap about it, or otherwise it would be a disappointment.

"I hate the word `over-the-top.' Nothing's ever over-the-top. There's just magic creating another world, and I think I have a responsibility with this show to do that because it's all based on that."

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/297225

ahaha he found {for real} an island off the coast of Mexico?! ^^

Hey! That's today's paper in Toronto! Thanks greta!

*runs to go buy it - no, comes back to read greta's post first*

Omigod - he went to Mexico without us...and my last post was about my non-chickeny Mika fantasy involving a tropical vacation...

http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1080052&postcount=124

thank you greta!

Omigod - he went to Mexico without us...and my last post was about my non-chickeny Mika fantasy involving a tropical vacation...

 

http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1080052&postcount=124

wowza!...The advantages{?}of being called The Barenaked...

I think one ship and one island wouldn't be enough for us:naughty:

An acoustic tour would be nice!

And he did say something on Monday about being on holiday, something like still thinking they were on the beach or something, I can't quite remember.

An acoustic tour would be nice!

 

And he did say something on Monday about being on holiday, something like still thinking they were on the beach or something, I can't quite remember.

i'd like an acoustic tour also!

An acoustic tour would be nice!

 

And he did say something on Monday about being on holiday, something like still thinking they were on the beach or something, I can't quite remember.

so he was naturally tanned:naughty:

he deserves more than an holiday on a private island:thumb_yello:

aaww an acustic tour..I would like to hear again something with the tablas or other instruments like those...

"There are perks y'know ... I know now I can do shows in almost any country. Some of them will obviously be bigger than others, but I know I can do a show, whether it's to 500 people or 15,000. It's quite an incredible situation to be in."

this is half true...why cancel Rimini in favour of Nice then?

An acoustic tour would be nice!

 

And he did say something on Monday about being on holiday, something like still thinking they were on the beach or something, I can't quite remember.

If he did an acoustic tour I'd need to take some time of work because I would want to go to EVERY UK date!

It's a nice article

Oh I gave up on my cruise idea a long time ago. I don't think Mika wants to be in that close proximity to his fans for a week, especially trapped on a boat. Why do you think he's hiding out on a private island?

love the article, thank you!

"i don't have that idiot syndrome" ..

Thank you greta !! I love the article !

Thanks for posting, Greta -- it's a wonderful article!

Makes it sound like we're going to get Grey Skelly and the works here!

I love how the new leg of the tour is generating all these new pieces

dcdeb

Thanks for posting :D Would love an accoustic tour as well

Thanks for posting!

Thanks for posting, Greta -- it's a wonderful article!

 

Makes it sound like we're going to get Grey Skelly and the works here!

 

I love how the new leg of the tour is generating all these new pieces

 

dcdeb

you are right.. now the newspapers are talking!

THANKS GRETA...SO WE WILL SEE HIM TANNED IN CANNES TONIGHT!

ops caps lock not meant!

His hit album made him Britain's biggest pop star last year. Now Mika brings his outsized, confetti-strewn concert to Toronto

 

January 26, 2008

Ben Rayner

Pop Music Critic

 

If Life in Cartoon Motion is, as Mika claims, his "schoolyard album," then the next should probably be his "last laugh at the schoolyard album."

Like many a confident pop peacock before him, the Lebanese-born Londoner responsible for last year's inescapable hit, "Grace Kelly," had a decidedly rougher time of it back in the playground days. His school years in Paris and London's South Kensington neighbourhood saw him "bullied to the death," he recently told British newspaper The Times, to the point he suffered a "complete breakdown" before he'd even hit his teenage years.

Now, at 24, the operatically inclined, decidedly sexually ambiguous singer, pianist and songwriter born Mica Penniman has spun gold – nay, platinum – from the very same fantasy world of DayGlo doodles and theatrical music in which he sought escape during his childhood. His unapologetically garish debut album, Life in Cartoon Motion, has moved 4.5 million copies worldwide since its release last February, effectively making him the biggest British pop star of 2007.

It's been a meteoric rise to stardom, then. But Mika assures us he's the last person anyone will hear bemoaning the agonies of fame.

"Although I'm not like most other people who do this pop thing, I am fully aware I'm a pop musician and that I always wanted to be a pop star and that I always wanted to do this job. I wanted to make a pop record that came from a real place, that came from songwriting and that was true to myself, and I'm very comfortable with that," he says, kicking back in his London flat after a week-long vacation at a "totally ridiculous" hotel on a private South American island.

"I'm not necessarily tabloid fodder. I'm extremely private. The one thing I respect more than anything else is my privacy, and if that means I lose a few inches on the tabloid columns, it's fine by me."

The past year's whirlwind, he says, has kept him far too busy to succumb to "the madness and cliché" that often comes with sudden stardom, anyway. Indeed, Mika has been on the road steadily since the end of 2006, and will only wind touring chores for Life in Cartoon Motion down after the brief North American tour that brings him to Kool Haus on Tuesday night and an appearance on the Brit Awards – where he's up for Best Male Solo Artist and Best Album, among other nominations – next month.

"Quite frankly, the whole experience has been defined by 2007 being the year when I really learned what it was like to be on the road and to tour and to do gigs night after night with a day off between every three days, and to just travel around the world, literally working for your supper, getting sick all the time and having to deal with it," he says. "I've been touring now for about a year and a half, and that time has really been defined by the gigs.

"There are perks y'know ... I know now I can do shows in almost any country. Some of them will obviously be bigger than others, but I know I can do a show, whether it's to 500 people or 15,000. It's quite an incredible situation to be in."

A situation largely of Mika's own making, too, as he's the rare contemporary pop star of his stature and global reach who can take complete credit for his own art.

This eases the pressure of crafting a worthy follow-up to Life in Cartoon Motion somewhat, since, "I don't have that idiot syndrome of having to rebel against my first album because it was someone else's work," he says. Besides, he was already writing and demo-ing songs for the second album while he was recording the first, so the prospects of creative exhaustion saddling him with the dreaded "sophomore jinx" seem slim.

He's musing about doing an acoustic tour at some point. But for now, one gets the impression his more immodest ambitions will win out. Those same ambitions, by the way, mean audiences who take in the Canadian and U.S. dates on his latest tour will still be getting the ridiculous, confetti-splattered production Mika takes to much larger crowds across the Atlantic.

"I'm making absolutely no adjustments whatsoever and I'm spending an insane amount of money on the tour. I really couldn't give a f--- because that's what it's all about," he laughs, proclaiming the show "completely big and fantastical. I have a responsibility to bring the same thing over and not compromise or be cheap about it, or otherwise it would be a disappointment.

"I hate the word `over-the-top.' Nothing's ever over-the-top. There's just magic creating another world, and I think I have a responsibility with this show to do that because it's all based on that."

 

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/297225

 

 

 

ahaha he found {for real} an island off the coast of Mexico?! ^^

Now that's what I call a Mika article! Written by someone with a brain and a pair of ears!

Love today, from Marilyn

Great interview, nicely written and unbiased.

Good to hear he had a holiday and hope he's well rested now.

So if he's winding down the LICM production now to start concetrating on the new album, does that mean the show in France in July will start showcasing more new material then?

So if he's winding down the LICM production now to start concetrating on the new album, does that mean the show in France in July will start showcasing more new material then?

That would be my guess. He's really going to have to step it up for 50,000 people.

"There are perks y'know ... I know now I can do shows in almost any country. Some of them will obviously be bigger than others, but I know I can do a show, whether it's to 500 people or 15,000. It's quite an incredible situation to be in."

I hope Finland will soon be included...

Niiiice article. Let me just say an acoustic show would be UNWORLDLY... After Highline... *faints*

Unworldly is a word, right? you know what I mean.

oh..*gulp* my... *gulp* .. god.

Thank you Greta!

An acoustic tour would be nice!

Yes please!!!!

If he did an acoustic tour I'd need to take some time of work because I would want to go to EVERY UK date!

Oh yesss! And every other gig in every other European country!

..dreams away...