Queenie Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 (edited) This was published in El Pais newspaper, in the "EP3 magazine", a supplement of the newspaper. Scans to come! Enjoy the reading! THE GOLDEN BOY He sold 5 millions of records. He´s popular, desired. Even with that, Mika, brit popstar of the moment, drags a charming complex of the "freak" of the class. We talk with him about the dark side of the fame "I´m a bit scared. In my spanish classes we always had to translate EL PAÍS articles". On the phone, Mika, possibly the male soloist most popular in England. Rejected in an awful mmaner from a casting of the british version of the X Factor, this was the last misfortune that he declares he has suffered in his life. All of this changed in 2007, when he turned into the strongest best of the music industry. He hit big with his first record, Life In Cartoon Motion, selling 5 millions (according to his record company). The ugly duckling turned into a swan. He just released his sophomore album, betting for keeping his style. Bright & direct pop, blinding in moments, sweetened ballads, disco highs & a mellodic talent out of any doubt. Everything is wrapped in cellophane with a "naif" taste for cartoons and the childlike imaginery almost as sinister as Winnie The Pooh. The conversation results reassuring: Mika doesn´t like kids, but he doesn´t eat them either. EP3: You said that waiting for a record to release is like being pregnant. Are you calmer with this, your sophomore album? Mika: No, on the contrary. That first time, that excitation for the new, is a privilege you will never have again. After that, you have to establish the direction you want for your career and start learning lessons. EP3: This album is, again, about your adolescence. When are you gonna mature? M: People ask me all the time if i have a Peter Pan syndrome, but i believe that what i´m trying is pretending that i have it. My tunes look like children songs or fairytales on the first heard, but that´s the reason of their inmediate likeness. But if you study in depth, you´ll see that sometimes they´re quite dark & serious. The way of introducing them is a trick to make people to get closer to them before knowing what they are about. EP3: So, do you have a dark side? M: Yes, and it´s the most dangerous. It´s nothing obvious, and the trick of looking sweet & friendly let me go in from the front door. For exampel, i have a song, Lady Jane, about a woman so desperate for an unhappy love affair, that she starts to ampute her limbs and beg to die before her lover. That´s how i play with it. My darkness side is more powerful because it doesn´t reveal itself that easily. EP3: Is the fame so traumatic? M: Part of it. Be judged. Or that they make you feel like you compete against yourself. But it´s a self-imposed trauma and you have to realize that or it would be destructive. When you´re famous, you check into luxury hotels, you travel first class & meet important people. But you can´t let that to affect you, because the music comes from banal things: waking up in the morning and go groceries, queueing at the post office. Those little things save you. Don´t feel ashamed to be completely normal in your private life. EP3: The Boy Who Knew Too Much has tunes even more stickier than your first album. Did you make a deal with the devil of the sticky tunes? M: I have to be honest. Mellodies are the reason why i´m doing this. I´m not a great musician technically. When i was at the music schoo. i knew that there were people better than i would ever be. The only thing i really know is the mellody. I think it´s related with, when i was a kid, i always felt left out. I never felt that i was given a chance. I realized very young that the only thing i could to to make those things to disappear was the power of the mellody. It doesn´t matter who you are or where you are from: a sticky mellody is a sticky mellody. EP3: Does an unhappy childhood estimulate the talent? M: It´s not a coincidence that most of the people who compose pop weren´t popular people when they were younger. EP3: Sometimes, sticky mellodies are too direct & innocuous, addictive, but at the fifth heard they´re unbearable. Have you felt bored of songs you wrote? M: Yes, there are some i never published. There´s one, Erase, only released in United States. I didn´t allow any other publishing anywhere. I hate it. It´s awful. Sticky, but with nothing behind (Note: Nikiiiii, read this! ) EP3: Your first single is titled We Are Golden. Have you ever won something golden that wasn´t a record? M: Never. I was terrible at sports. I won a wooden spoon -title for the worst player in England- twice at school. I always competed with it with a very fat guy in my class. EP3: What´s your favourite toy? M: My toy projector. But when i was really little, my favourite was my Snoopy toy. EP3: Do you have planned to have children? M: No. At most, a dog. I have a goddaughter. And i was offered to act as godfather to two more children. Two godchildren more, apart of my half brother? I´ve said no. And it supposes that you have to say yes, but i can´t think of nothing worse than accepting a godchild when you don´t like it. EP3: Do you find exciting the current music scene? M: It´s OK because there are good artists making pop. It´s better than in the 90s, when the record companies were obsessed with prefabricated bands. They´re more interested in pop artists more personal since 2 years ago. EP3: Did you ever let a lie grow because the truth was too embarrasing? M: I deny some falseness often, in purpose. In the end, there are so many that they contradict themselves and none of them matter anymore. It doesn´t matter if the truth is more embarrasing or more boring. EP3: What´s the worst lie said about you? M: People who have worked with me in my tours have said awful things, untrue. Because i´m obsessed with my shows, every one of them has to be unique, not only a simple, boring gig. And as a team, we work very hard and some people don´t get it, leave and spend time saying how uneasy & bad i am. And the true is that i´m not like that, but i want the show to be good and i pressure my band, the same as my band pressures me. It was said that i mistreat my team, that i fire people with no reason and things like that. That can be dangerous, specially when you have commercial success, so i react at the presence of these statements. They are lies. EP3: You´re a friend of Perez Hilton. A few days ago, he published in his blog comments from a german magazine where you have labelled yourself as bisexual. Have you decided make a step forward? M: People say things like making a step forward, come out of the closet. And i think...what does it mean? In that interview, they asked me if i would call myself bisexual. And i told them "if you want, call me bisexual. Or if you want, call me gay. Whatever". In fact, almost nobody have published this, not even the tabloids. Because it´s not too much. EP3: Is that a declaration? M:It´s not only an extract from a conversation. When this was published, everybody asked if it was a mistaken quote, and the girl who wrote that didn´t correct nothing until i asked her personally. I didn´t say that, that´s why i wanted to clarify. I never felt pressured to make any statement. I believe my fans and people who know me understand, and that way that comment was received proves it. EP3: Do you bear a grudge against anyone you have met in your musical career? M: Of course. Some artists were rude with me at the beginning and i have resentment. But, sorry, i will never tell who they are. EP3: Choose: Robbie Williams, Freddie Mercury, George Michael or Elton John. M: George & Freddie. Or, better, Elton John & Beyoncé´s baby. EP3: What´s the best thing that have happened in this ending decade? M: Internet. I´ll tell you why. When i was a kid i felt so alone for the way i looked the world. Today you don´t have to feel like that. Internet has changed that. Nobody is alone. There´s always someone that likes you. It´s wonderful. Original interview here: http://www.elpais.com/articulo/portada/chico/oro/elppor/20091002elptenpor_1/Tes Edited October 3, 2009 by Queenie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giulietta Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 interesting interview!! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise_xx Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 lovely! I love what he says in the end.. about no needing to be alone because of the internet. Its so true, just look at the MFC, always people to talk to here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanessa Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Great interview ! I love Erase btw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inbar_assaf Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 He's right about the interenet thing, and I cant agree more about Erase and I love the pic... great itervieww- lovely... thanks for posting queenie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatagordinha Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 He hates Erase too Interesting bits and bobs in there, thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellody Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 (edited) thanx for posting, very interesting... they got a few things wrong though... that article wasn't in a german, but in a dutch mag. and he didn't apply for X-Factor, but it was only the guy who later did X-Factor, wasn't it? and what's that about a stepson? didn't get that. and I like erase!! Edited October 3, 2009 by mellody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatagordinha Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 thanx for posting, very interesting... they got a few things wrong though... that article wasn't in a german, but in a dutch mag. and he didn't apply for X-Factor, but it was only the guy who later did X-Factor, wasn't it? and what's that about a stepson? didn't get that. Possibly just a mistranslation..though I would have to read the Spanish version to see for sure. And yes, the X Factor detail was wrong, Mika has never had anything to do with X Factor. They have mixed that up with the whole Simon Cowell thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kath Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Thanks Queenie:wub2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 M: Yes, there are some i never published. There´s one, Erase, only released in United States. I didn´t allow any other publishing anywhere. I hate it. It´s awful. Sticky, but with nothing behind I KNEW he hated this song. I take it "sticky" means "catchy"? M: People say things like making a step forward, come out of the closet. And i think...what does it mean? In that interview, they asked me if i would call myself bisexual. And i told them "if you want, call me bisexual. Or if you want, call me gay. Whatever". In fact, almost nobody have published this, not even the tabloids. Because it´s not too much. EP3: Is that a declaration? M:It´s not only an extract from a conversation. When this was published, everybody asked if it was a mistaken quote, and the girl who wrote that didn´t correct nothing until i asked her personally. I didn´t say that, that´s why i wanted to clarify. I never felt pressured to make any statement. I believe my fans and people who know me understand, and that way that comment was received proves it. What? This makes no sense, especially since the interviewer was a man. Is there any way we can get a more direct translation of this section? Thanks for posting this Queenie. You're right, worth the read! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellody Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 oh, and i love what he says about the internet. so true. wish i had had that during my school years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Droopsy Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Thanks for posting queenie! Loved it. EP3: Do you have planned to have children? M: No. At most, a dog. I have a goddaughter. And i was offered to act as godfather to two more children. Two godchildren more, apart of my stepson? I´ve said no. And it supposes that you have to say yes, but i can´t think of nothing worse than accepting a godchild when you don´t like it. Hahahaha! Love that! EP3: What´s the best thing that have happened in this ending decade? M: Internet. I´ll tell you why. When i was a kid i felt so alone for the way i looked the world. Today you don´t have to feel like that. Internet has changed that. Nobody is alone. There´s always someone that likes you. It´s wonderful. That's so true actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertina Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 thank you ana, another interesting interview! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marlau_20zr Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 that was a really interesting interview! i can`t believe he hates Erase thanks for posting ^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANI56 Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Thank you, Ana! he hates Erase?!?!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laura* Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I can't choose the appropriate smilie to sum up my response. I need therapy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngievV Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Stepson? Man:roftl: Funny, in an early interview he said he did want to have children. Shame, no little Mika's running around the world Oo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sariflor Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Hmmmmmm....Lots of interesting stuff here...I NEED the original version!!! I need to read that first hand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laura* Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Hmmmmmm....Lots of interesting stuff here...I NEED the original version!!! I need to read that first hand Just downloaded from the Internet. Online paper. EL PAÍS ENTREVISTA: EN PORTADA El chico de oro TEXTO: ELOI VÁZQUEZ FOTOGRAFÍA: JULIAN BROAD 02/10/2009 Ha vendido cinco millones de discos. Es popular, deseado. Aun así, Mika, estrella pop británica del momento, arrastra un encantador com-plejo de raro de la clase. Hablamos con él del lado oscuro de la fama. "Estoy un poco asustado. En mis clases de castellano siempre teníamos que traducir reportajes de EL PAÍS". Al teléfono, Mika, posiblemente el solista masculino más popular de Inglaterra. Desechado de mala manera en un casting de la versión británica del programa de televisión Factor X, fue éste el último de los muchos reveses que declara haber sufrido en la vida. Todo cambió en 2007, cuando se convirtió en la apuesta más fuerte de la industria musical. Triunfó a lo grande con su primer disco, Life in cartoon motion, vendió cinco millones (según su compañía) y el patito feo se convirtió en cisne. Acaba de publicar su segundo álbum, en el que ha apostado por continuar. Pop directo y luminoso, cegador por momentos, baladas azucaradas, subidones disco y un talento melódico fuera de toda duda. Todo envuelto en celofán y con un gusto naïf por los monigotes y la imaginería infantil casi tan siniestro como Winnie The Pooh. La conversación resulta tranquilizadora: a Mika no le gustan los niños, pero tampoco se los come. EP3. Dijo que esperar la salida de un disco es como estar embarazado. ¿Está más tranquilo con éste, el segundo? Mika. No. Al revés. Más nervioso. Esa primera vez, esa excitación por lo nuevo, es un privilegio que nunca se vuelve a tener. Después, tienes que establecer la dirección en la que quieres que se dirija tu carrera e ir aprendiendo lecciones. EP3. Este disco trata, de nuevo, sobre su adolescencia. ¿Cuándo va a madurar? M. Me preguntan muchas veces si tengo el síndrome de Peter Pan, pero creo que lo que hago es intentar aparentar que lo tengo. Mis temas parecen canciones infantiles o cuentos de hadas a la primera escucha, y ésa es la razón por la que gustan inmediatamente. Pero si profundizas verás que a menudo son bastante oscuras y serias. La forma de presentarlas es un engaño para que la gente se acerque a ellas antes de saber de lo que tratan. EP3. ¿Tiene, pues, un lado oscuro? M. Sí, y es el más peligroso. No es nada obvio, y el engaño de parecer dulce y amigable permite que me dejen entrar por la puerta delantera. Por ejemplo, tengo una canción, Lady Jane, que trata sobre una mujer tan desesperada por un desengaño amoroso que empieza a amputarse partes de su cuerpo y pide morir antes que su amante. Así juego con ello. Mi oscuridad es poderosa porque no se revela fácilmente. EP3. ¿Es la fama tan traumática? M. Parte de ella, lo es. Ser juzgado. O que te hagan sentir que compites contra ti mismo. Pero es un trauma autoimpuesto y hay que darse cuenta de eso para que no resulte destructivo. Cuando eres famoso te hospedas en hoteles de lujo, viajas en primera y conoces a gente importante. Pero no puedes dejar que eso te afecte, porque la música proviene de las cosas banales, de levantarte por la mañana e ir a la compra, de hacer cola en la oficina de correos. Son esas pequeñas cosas las que te salvan. No avergonzarte de ser completamente normal en tu vida privada. EP3. The boy who knew too much tiene melodías todavía más pegadizas que su primer disco. ¿Ha hecho un pacto con el diablo de las melodías pegajosas? M. Tengo que ser honesto. La melodía es la razón por la que hago esto. No soy un músico muy bueno técnicamente. Cuando estaba en la escuela de música, sabía que había gente mejor de lo que yo nunca sería. Lo único que conozco verdaderamente es la melodía. Creo que tiene que ver con que, de pequeño, siempre me sentí apartado. Nunca sentí que se me diera una oportunidad. Me di cuenta muy joven de que lo único que podía hacer desaparecer todo eso era el poder de la melodía. Porque no importa quién seas ni de dónde vengas: una melodía pegadiza es una melodía pegadiza. EP3. ¿Una niñez infeliz estimula el talento? M. No es una coincidencia que la mayoría de las personas que componen pop no fueran populares cuando eran jóvenes. EP3. A veces, las melodías pegadizas, si son demasiado directas e inocuas, enganchan, pero a la quinta escucha se convierten en insoportables. ¿Te has aburrido de alguna canción que hayas escrito? M. Sí, de algunas que no he llegado a publicar. Hay una, Erase, que se editó sólo en Estados Unidos. No permití que se publicara en ningún otro sitio. La odio. Es horrible. Es pegadiza, pero no hay nada detrás. EP3. Su primer sencillo se titula We are golden. ¿Alguna vez ha ganado algo de oro que no fuese un disco? M. Jamás. Era terrible en deportes. Gané la cuchara de madera -título que distingue al peor jugador en Inglaterra- dos veces en el colegio. Había un niño muy gordo en mi clase con el que siempre competía por ella. EP3. ¿Cuál era su juguete favorito? M. Un proyector de juguete. Pero cuando era realmente pequeño, mi favorito era mi muñeco de Snoopy. EP3. ¿Tiene planeado tener niños? M. No. Como mucho, un perro. Ya tengo una ahijada. Y me han ofrecido dos padrinazgos más. ¿Dos ahijados más, aparte de mi hermanastro? He dicho que no. Y se supone que tienes que decir que sí, pero no se me ocurre nada peor que aceptar un ahijado cuando no te gusta. EP3. ¿Le resulta excitante la escena musical actual? M. Está bien porque hay buenos artistas haciendo pop. Es mejor que en los años noventa, cuando las disqueras estaban obsesionadas con los grupos prefabricados. Desde hace dos años están interesados en artistas pop más personales. EP3. ¿Alguna vez ha dejado crecer una mentira porque la verdad era demasiado embarazosa? M. A veces no desmiento algunas falsedades a posta. Al final, hay tantas que se contradicen a sí mismas que ya ninguna importa. Da igual que la verdad sea más embarazosa o más aburrida. EP3. ¿Cuál es la peor mentira que han dicho sobre usted? M. Gente que ha trabajado conmigo en mis giras ha dicho cosas terribles que no eran ciertas. Porque yo estoy obsesionado con mis actuaciones, con que cada una sea única, que no sea sólo un bolo. Y como equipo, trabajamos tan duro que algunas personas no lo entienden, abandonan y se dedican a contar lo difícil y lo malo que soy. Y lo cierto es que no soy así, pero quiero que la actuación sea buena y presiono a mi banda, como mi banda me presiona a mí. Así que se ha dicho que maltrato a mi equipo, que despido a gente sin razón y cosas así. Esto puede ser peligroso, especialmente cuando tienes éxito comercial, así que ante esas declaraciones sí reacciono. Son mentiras. EP3. Se dice que es amigo de Perez Hilton. Hace pocos días publicaba en su blog unas declaraciones a una revista alemana en las que usted se declaraba bisexual. ¿Ha decidido dar un paso adelante? M. La gente dice cosas como dar un paso adelante o salir del armario. Y yo pienso... ¿qué quiere decir eso? En esa entrevista, me preguntaron si me llamaría a mí mismo bisexual. Y yo les dije, 'si quieres, llámame bisexual. O si quieres, llámame gay. Lo que sea'. No me importa la verdad que haya en ello y tampoco a mis fans. De hecho, casi nadie lo ha publicado, ni siquiera los tabloides. Porque no es para tanto. EP3. ¿No era una declaración? M. Es sólo un extracto de una conversación. Cuando se publicó, todo el mundo preguntaba si era una cita errónea, y la chica que lo escribió no corrigió nada hasta que se lo solicité personalmente. Yo no dije eso, por eso lo quise rectificar. Nunca me he sentido presionado a hacer ninguna declaración. Creo que mis fans y la gente que me conoce lo entienden, y la forma en la que ese comentario fue recibido lo prueba. EP3. ¿Guarda rencor a alguien que haya conocido en su carrera musical? M. Desde luego. Algunos artistas fueron muy maleducados conmigo al principio y les guardo un gran rencor. Pero, lo siento, nunca diré quiénes son. EP3. Escoja: Robbie Williams, Freddie Mercury, George Michael o Elton John. M. George y Freddie. O, mejor, al bebé de Elton John y Beyoncé. EP3. ¿Qué es lo mejor que le ha ocurrido en esta década que termina? M. Internet. Te diré por qué. Cuando era niño me sentía muy solo por la forma en la que veía el mundo. Hoy en día ya no tienes por qué sentirte así. Internet ha cambiado eso. Nadie está solo, siempre hay alguien a quien puedes gustar. Es maravilloso. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queenie Posted October 3, 2009 Author Share Posted October 3, 2009 (edited) Possibly just a mistranslation..though I would have to read the Spanish version to see for sure. And yes, the X Factor detail was wrong, Mika has never had anything to do with X Factor. They have mixed that up with the whole Simon Cowell thing. Yeah, i translated in a rush and he meant "hermanastro", half brother. Correcting it now. Sorry Stepson? Man:roftl: Funny, in an early interview he said he did want to have children. Shame, no little Mika's running around the world Oo Posted in the front comment, Sara Edited October 3, 2009 by Queenie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngievV Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Half brother is also quite mysterious:naughty: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queenie Posted October 3, 2009 Author Share Posted October 3, 2009 Half brother is also quite mysterious:naughty: I know, it´s quite interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annabelle Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lena Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Thanks! Such good interview! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngievV Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I know, it´s quite interesting Yeah, I'm really curious now:roftl: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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