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MIKA's funny interview on Novafm in Sydney ft. Let it Snow acoustic

Blue Sky

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mari62

mari62

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Nova enters Mika's weird and wonderful world

Nov 24, 2009. By Jordana Borensztajn.

 

Imagine if everybody saw the world through the eyes of Mika. The UK pop star can’t read or write music and expresses all of his messages inside out, yet he’s successfully delivered two fantasy-driven records that effortlessly transport listeners away from the daily grind into a world where the weird and wonderful are absolutely acceptable.

 

The Grammy-nominated London-based artist has grown up with dyslexia. What Mika lacked in basic comprehension, he made up for in creativity and charisma. “Because I visualise things, it led me toward the arts, and definitely towards making pop music,” he says, on the phone from Sydney in the midst of a promo tour Down Under.

 

“Pop music is made out of very simple ingredients. You don’t have to play the piano like Rachmaninoff in order to write a pop song. I just write using my voice and my ears, and I remember it. I have a sonic memory. It’s really weird. I don’t really record things to remember them. I always say ‘If it’s good enough to remember, it’s good enough to keep’.”

 

Mika broke onto the music scene in 2007 with his debut Life in Cartoon Motion. Peaking at #1 on the UK charts and selling more than 5.6 million units across the globe, Mika’s recent delivery and follow-up album The Boy Who Knew Too Much is equally as poppy, and packed with just as much colour and crazy.

 

Described by the 26-year-old as a comic book of his teen years, Mika’s songs explore issues of self-doubt and insecurity but are presented in a very polished, glitzy and glamorous package that creates the perfect music contradiction.

 

“That’s how I’ve approached music from the very beginning,” he says. “It was something I did from the age of 10. Music was what I turned to make myself feel better but weirdly I never wanted it just to sound happy. Everything is rooted in some weird version of sorrow. If the songs sound happy then the lyrics are often quite twisted or dark. I really get a kick out of that contrast and I think that’s healthy. It’s like ‘Am I supposed to feel sorry for this guy or laugh at him?' That is totally cool. I think that’s the point.”

 

A distinguishing feature of Mika’s music is the journey he takes fans on every time they listen to a track, watch a filmclip, or even flip through his album sleeve. Mika’s music universe is packed with magic and surprises, and he says this means just as much to him as every other aspect of his life.

 

“It’s a world that I look for and that I create. When things were really rough, I always used to dream up building my own version of a world and I suppose that’s why I search for it. I will admit, my one ambition is to build a world so that I can say in 15 years time – yes, I’m deluded enough to believe I’ll be here in 15 years – that I’ve built this world and it’s added up to ‘this’ and that’s what I created for myself. That’s what I always wanted as a kid, and it’s as real as anything else for me.”

 

In keeping with Mika’s original approach to music, his pathway into the business was far from conventional. “Grace Kelly,” originally written as a big f**k you to the record industry ironically became his first massive hit. “A song like “Grace Kelly, ”which is born out of frustration and anger, is something that happens by accident. You can’t recreate something like that. You have to move on from that because things like that don’t happen twice,” he explains.

 

“In terms of being part of a scene or being part of an industry, I don’t know, I’m not part of a scene. I was born in Lebanon, then I grew up in Paris, then I grew up in London and I travelled around so much as a kid that subsequently I was never part of a sound or style. I just made music in my own little bubble and I think nothing’s really changed from the first album to the second. I sit in front of a piano and I write pop music. I sing and somehow it comes together.”

 

It helps that Mika feels no nerves at all when he stands in front of a crowd. In fact, the stage is one place where this artist feels like he can truly expose himself. “For me it’s like a boxing ring where people allow me to be me. I feel like if I walk in the street, I have to be judged in a conventional way with conventional markers of what makes normal behaviour. But if I walk on stage, I’m entirely free to be totally myself and people are like ‘Well it’s OK because he’s on that platform’,” he says.

 

Mika’s attitude, on stage and off, has helped him carve pretty niche musical footprints. Industry experts have claimed that he was one of the pioneers of personality-driven pop which opened the door for the likes of Lady Gaga to be accepted for all of the artforms she offers. Mika's take is far more simple. He says he's just gone with what felt right. “I was just doing all I knew how to do, and when I tried to be anything else, it was a disaster. So I really didn’t have a choice. I didn’t overthink it. It wasn’t a science. It was just dancing in the dark, and somehow it worked.”

 

Mika plays tonight at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney. Guitar goddess Orianthi is opening for him. For more info head to http://www.frontiertouring.com.au

 

http://www.novafm.com.au/Article_Nova-enters-Mika-39-s-weird-and-wonderful-world_95736?site=Nova100

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Kumazzz
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and saved three video file at that day, sorry these quality is not good.   Let It Snow   2009.11.23 - au - Mika Let It Snow - Acoustic.mp4   Rain   2009.11.23

Eglė

Eglė

Posted
Posted

Aww, this chat was funny and interesting and "Let It Snow" was just adorable. :wub2: Thanx for a downloadable version. :wink2:

 

And than you mari62 for the interview. :biggrin2:

 

(My my, there's just too much information around me now...)

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mellody

mellody

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Video interview Mika on fashion

http://www.novafm.com.au/Nova969/Video_Mika-on-fashion_4086

While Mika was in town he caught up with Maz and Kerley about his new album.

 

"what have you been chewing on this morning?!" - omg this is hilarious!! :lmao: and 11 suitcases, wow! :shocked:

but now we know where that "eaten a rainbow" quote comes from, think i've seen it before somewhere. love it! :wub2:

 

thanx for the interview and video mari! :biggrin2:

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Jazzy

Jazzy

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Posted (edited)

OMFG I've only listened to like 2 minutes of it and he says SWISH.

 

That's MY word!!!

 

I'm a total trend setter.

 

Edit: OMG Let it Snow is gorgeous. I'll really hold him tight if he wants me to. :mf_rosetinted:

Edited by Jazzy
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mari62

mari62

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Posted (edited)
Can I ask you a favor?

 

Have You the text of Let It Snow, who sang Mika? :boxed:

here you are :)

 

Let it snow

 

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we've no place to go,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

 

It doesn't show signs of stopping,

And I brought some corn for popping;

The lights are turned way down low,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

 

When we finally kiss good night,

How I'll hate going out in the storm;

But if you really hold me tight,

All the way home I'll be warm.

 

The fire is slowly dying,

And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing,

But as long as you love me so.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

 

http://www.testimania.com/testi/testi_canzoni_di_natale_10575/testi_other_33314/testo_let_it_snow!_360846.html

Edited by mari62
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Sabine64

Sabine64

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Thank everyone for every links. It was such a nice surprise to hear him sing " Let It Snow ". I love this version and I´m sure I will hear it countless times till christmas. But it must have been a weird feeling to sing this song in the summerheat of Sydney.....

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Lucrezia

Lucrezia

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here you are :)

 

Let it snow

 

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we've no place to go,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

 

It doesn't show signs of stopping,

And I brought some corn for popping;

The lights are turned way down low,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

 

When we finally say good night,

How I'll hate going out in the storm;

But if you really hold me tight,

All the way home I'll be warm.

 

The fire is slowly dying,

And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing,

But as long as you love me so.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

 

http://www.testimania.com/testi/testi_canzoni_di_natale_10575/testi_other_33314/testo_let_it_snow!_360846.html

 

Tnks a lot! :flowers2:

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mellody

mellody

Posted
Posted

 

When we finally say good night,

How I'll hate going out in the storm;

But if you really hold me tight,

All the way home I'll be warm.

 

 

it's "kiss goodnight", not "say goodnight" :wub2: at least in mika's version, but think in the original song as well. :wink2:

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lollipop_monkey

lollipop_monkey

Posted
Posted
Mika: "What is bait?" Did he really not know??

 

I was thinking he meant what bait, exactly, would they use on Robbie Williams. I can't imagine he'd never heard the term before. :blink:

 

And just let it snow:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/y5bsic

 

I must admit:

I love Christmas

I love everything Christmas related

I love the cheesy decorations in the stores that start in october and november already

I love Christmas movies and carols

I love the song let it snow, and I love it when Mika sings it!

 

He really should bring out a Christmas album

 

Thank you! :wub2:

 

And yes, I agree about Christmas. I haven't been feeling very festive this year, probably because we don't have snow yet (which is really unusual). But This makes me feel all festive! :newyear:

 

I SO want him to release a Christmas album. He probably thinks it would be too cheesy. Instead of petitioning him though, I vote we petition the record label. Convince them it would be an easy take-the-money-and-run cash cow for them, then they'll talk him into it. :teehee::roftl:

 

I think Mika is confused about oatcakes :blink:

 

These are staffordshire oatcakes - they are very local to where RW was born

 

http://www.staffordshireoatcakes.com/oatcakes.php

 

I've never heared of them.

 

I think Mika is thinking of

 

http://www.nairns-oatcakes.com/content/default.asp?page=s1_1

 

which are hardcheese biscuits avalable in supermarkets

 

The staffordshire oatcakes look yummy! For some reason, my brain assumes they'd taste like crepes.

 

I was quite surprised by that 2 gigs in Tokyo, do you think he's confused, of maybe they'll be a secret gig too?

Maybe you could get a better spot at the other one if you can find out where it is?

 

Here's hoping! :wub2:

 

Yeah, I'm with you, girls :naughty:. I'm not that keen on Xmas songs but this is just another Mika song. I love it when he sings other songs (not his own) because they are usually in a much lower registry and I don't think that we hear him sing in lower registries often enough. His voice is so beautiful when he sings in the lower ranges :blush-anim-cl:.

 

I was thinking that, too! I was all "oh, he's using the part of his range he whips out for Toy Boy! *melt*

 

 

:bow:

Thank you!

 

Thank everyone for every links. It was such a nice surprise to hear him sing " Let It Snow ". I love this version and I´m sure I will hear it countless times till christmas. But it must have been a weird feeling to sing this song in the summerheat of Sydney.....

 

That's what I was thinking, especially since it was SO hot it Sydney. Cherisse and Martin are in shorts in that pic. :roftl:

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