Next Magazine. Freak of Nature Interview.

"I smell like Doritos!!!"I've just had my eardrums shattered for the second time today. The first came while sipping Snapple and reclining on a plush red sofa in an acoustically perfect listening lounge at the Sony Music production studios in Hell's Kitchen. My task-to show up and listen to a few new tracks from the forthcoming sophomore disc by the bootylicious blonde white girl with the fat black voice, Anastacia.

Coming on the heels of Not That Kind (Anastacia's debut disc that went multiplatinum everywhere but the U.S.) this New York-raised diva-whos a star in just about every country but this one (shades of Kylie)-blew my hair back, damaged my hearing and brought much-needed blood to the surface of my skin through the shear force of her sassy, full-throttle vocals. The new record (out in June) is called Freak of Nature, which is perhaps apt given her superhuman belting talents. The 12 tracks (all of which Anastacia co-wrote) are way fierce. The title tune is a Prince-ly flavored finger-lickin' treat, and "Paid My Dues," reads like Miss A's crackling take on, say, George Michael's "Freedom 90". There's the soaring ballad "You'll Never Be Alone" (written for her god-daughter-awww), and the first U.S. single, "One Day in Your Life," is an anthemic "I-will-survive" knockout. It gave me chills-really! It's likely to make her the household name here (in gay households anyway) that she deserves to be. And, she's also just completed a stint onstage in Vegas with Cher, Mary J. Blige, Celine Dion, Shakira and the rest of the VH1 Divas Las Vegas crew, so Lord knows she's earned her props.

Like so many when I first heard you, I thought "Who is this fat and sassy black girl singing?" Then I saw you in a video and was like...Okay, what Martha Wash stand-in did they get to sing for her?

Exactly. But we all know better now. Your last record was huge worldwide. Is there a lot of pressure for you to finally crack the U.S. market this time around?Obviously they always talk about that. All I know is, personally I was ready to write a new album. On my first record, I was just shocked that I had gotten a deal and that they were allowing me to write at all. Back then, I didn't know what a photo shoot was, I didn't know what a video was, I didn't know what I was doing. I was new! So with the second album, I was sooo ready to write. And I had a very tight schedule this time around. The record company said, "We'd really love to put an album out and we need it fast. And I was like, I can do that! They were like, [wink] "Okaayyy!" Then I turned it out and they were like, "Oh shit!"

The first single "One Day in Your Life" gave me chills. It sounds like a sequel to your first hit, "I'm Outta Love."That's what it is. It's saying, "You're going to miss me when you're gone, and youÕre going to sit there... And I tried to make it work." That one is directed at somebody. And you don't miss what youÕve got 'til it's gone. That's pretty much what that song says.

"Paid My Dues," comes across like a TV-movie drama of your struggling years-with a beat you can dance to!It's totally my story. "Paid My Dues" is telling people, "Listen... I have served food, I have answered phones, I have collected unemployment checks, I have sung at weddings and bar mitzvahs. This bitch has done it all!"

You're a huge star all over the world. This record has been #1 in Europe and you've won "Best Female Artist" at the MTV Europe Awards. Did you ever imagine someday you'd be huge in Copenhagen or Amsterdam or Lisbon?No, not at all. I can't even say it's a dream come true, because I had no clue that this was going to happen. I'm taking it in stride and I'm dealing with it with whatever I gotta do. A while back I was presented a plaque from my record company one night at Nobu-"7 Million Sold." And I was like, "Umm.. Thank you. That's hilarious!" What's it like being an American who's a huge star overseas? Well, the weirdest part was that I had never traveled outside the U.S. before. So in every country I was like, "Cool!" But, I think I blew up like 700 hair dryers before I figured out Europe's plug system. [laughs] I was like, "What plug do I use for-AAUUUGGGHH!!" with fire shooting out of my hair dryer. And I got really good at very simply worded interviews, like "For you, I sing nice..." speaking really slow to foreign interviewers. Traveling has become my life now. I do like having the freedom and anonymity I have in America, but that may dissipate very, very quickly by what Sony is going to do with this new album. But I'm ready for it. And I'm excited because it's nice to introduce America to my scene.

How many languages do you speak?Three: French, Spanish, and English. French from school and Spanish from boyfriends. And how is your love life?I'm single.

Is that good, exciting, or bad?Ugh.. Whatever. It's stressful. I'd rather be with someone, because for me, when I'm single that just means that I'm all about work. Because it's too difficult for me to meet somebody. It really is. But, I'm not lonely. I've got great friends, and I don't need to hold somebody's hand unless I'm really loving them. It's not fun to do that awkward, hand-holding, "what are we?" thing.

Well can't you just put a new record out and let them come to you?Oh yeahÉ That's exciting. Boy, if I could show you what comes to me, you'd be just like, "No, thank you!" Whatever. I'm too picky. I'm a picky, picky girl. But I do need to figure out how to unwind. I'm just not good at it. I have insomnia, and I'm a workaholic. And I don't want to take sleeping pills, I don't want to be Judy Garland.

Now for some faggy questionsÉ Why do the gay boys love the fierce ladies-like yourself?You know, I don't know, but I am not sad about that at all. If I am anything, I am a freaking tranvestiteÕs love child. The support for me around the world in the gay community has been huge. Obviously I give them songs that they can connect with. And also, I'm completely positive, and the gay community just responds to that. That's how my mom raised me.

Your mom sang on Broadway, I believe?My mom was in musical theater here in New York. So we had everybody up in my house. Hello!!?!! I had all of these "uncles" with serious lisps. They were like, ÒLet me do your hair Anastacia!" Fucking A! They were great people. And even as a woman who is not gay, if you think I haven't been to Henrietta Hudson's you're wrong! Because I've got the fucking maddest, dopest girlfriend who is gay as hell and I'm like, "Girlfriend, let's go! Let's go there honey and play some pool!" I'm not scared of a gay club, or a straight club. I just want to go have a great time."

Do the queens go mad for you in the gay clubs?They freak out! And I love it. One time I was at Krash in Queens and Jessica Foxx did my song "I'm Not That Kind" for me. She's onstage and the crowd is throwing money so I started picking up the money from the floor for her. IÕm like, "Girl, I got your bag! You go!!" It was great. Those girls work hard for their dollar. And my friends said to me, ÒYou know, I think the community was probably just floored." And I'm like, "What do you mean?" And they said, "It just doesn't happen like that. A peformer like you gets whisked in and whisked out of a club. You don't talk to anybody, and you definitely don't go on your knees and pick up some money for somebody else." And I was like, "Well, the bitch was performing my song! She's working hard!" I was like, "Excuse me... That's her dollar! Don't be trying to put that in your pocket. Push it forward!"

Well, I'm not sure you'd see Whitney down on the floor in a club. What I mean is...Listen, I was just being me. I respect the remixers, and I respect the fact that they give me a life in the gay community, and in the clubs, and in the underground clubs, and even in the clubs where people are completely on drugs and have no clue that it's me singing. You know-the glow-stick people. Whatever! I love it. And it's great. And I wish that I could give back more.

interview from 'nextmagazine.net'