Kim Wilde: the happiest housewife in Hertfordshire

The pop icon of the Eighties also scores in 2018: “Here come the aliens”, the 14th studio album from the 57 year old British woman, is a masterclass in retropop. And also delivers, as she states, “the happiest housewife in Hertfordshire”.

An area north of London, where Kim grew up, still lives until today, and takes care of her garden and – since 2006 – again her music. “I can hardly believe myself that I have a bit of a career again. Also that there is still an audience that likes my music and comes to my concerts and has been faithful to me despite my long absence. In 1996 I really thought: ‘That’s it. Time to stop. You have done it all, so do something else – try doing your garden’, Kim laughs. And she did: she stopped her career, after selling 10 million albums and 20 million singles, with top hits like ‘Kids in America’, ‘Cambodia’, ‘View from a bridge’ and ‘You keep me hangin’ on’.

Instead she studied horticulture, started a TV career, presented a radio show and only started playing live again in 2001 in Eighties Revival Shows. “I noticed how much fun it was: the collleagues from earlier days, the fantastic fans and not least all the old songs. Since then I have pushed this forward purposefully”.

Despite this, she adds, it has taken twelve years and four albums to finally make the album she wanted. “The last two albums were a covers album and a Christmas album – not really thing I love most: new songs in the style of old hits. Songs that fit with my earlier hits with no problems.” She has realised this now with her brother Ricky: the album ‘Here come the aliens’. An album in the style of Eighties powerpop and cites Billy Idol, Gary Numan, Buggles and Duran Duran effortlessly. “It’s a celebration of a great time and great artists. They made visionary music, that still radiates positivity, makes you happy and takes us away from daily problems. It’s more important to do that than ever. You only have to look at the world.”

Kim makes no secret of the fact that she doesn’t like social media, high tech communication and a fast, superficial time. There’s a lot of escapism on the album, optimism and hard words against mobbing (‘Solstice’) and internet trolls (‘Cyber. Nation. War.’) Highlights are the love letter to the legendary Amsterdam concert venue Paradiso (‘Rock the Paradiso’) and the UFO sighting in the song ‘1969’. “I swear I saw a UFO in my garden”, Kim says. “I think we are being watched all the time. And I wonder how long they will sit by and watch us ruin the planet until they’ve had enough.”A valid question…