She is blonde, beautiful, famous… and to the sound of dance she made her musical comeback. Heat stroke at the editor’s office. Obviously, we had plenty of questions to ask. The delicious Kim did better that answering the questions: she has literally bewitched us!
You come from a family of musicians, you always knew you’d do this trade?
Absolutely. From a very young age, singing was a necessity for me. I started learning piano at the age of ten, and it serves me today for the composition of my songs, but at the time, I like all kids I did not want to study… I was often busier imitating singers like Aretha Franklin, for example!
‘Now & Forever’ is your tenth album, you feel at a crossroads in your career?
Right now, I feel rather like I’m at a crossroads personally. Apparently, it has a bearing on astrology for twelve years, the planet Pluto is placed on my sign, Scorpio, which is a difficult period. They say it gives the impression of a ball attached to the ankle. Well this year, Pluto is leaving my sign and I feel incredibly light and positive.
Listening to your album, it exudes a strong sense of warmth and optimism, is that it matches your personality?
Yes, absolutely: I am a deeply optimistic. Even when I write songs darker, I manage to give it a glimmer of hope… even a great flame of hope!
In this album, you have used faster dance beats in your songs…
Yes, and I claim entirely the result! I have worked closely with my art director at MCA, my record company. We worked in New York first, then England, and everything fell into place in an almost magical way.
Your brother Ricky has produced and written several songs on the album, is it easy or difficult to work with someone so close?
Sometimes it’s difficult, but overall it’s a very positive collaboration, or we wouldn’t have continued for fifteen years… This time, it was fairly surrounded, because we have appealed to many DJs mixing dance tracks.
Who does what in your tandem?
Generally, he writes the music and I write the lyrics. I think our most successful partnership was one of the album ‘Close’ with songs like ‘We came together’. But for ‘Now & forever’, I composed most of the melodies.
What are your inspirations?
Things of life: conversations, people, personal experiences. I feel that everything comes together I saw in my mind, and when I start to write the information in the form of music emerged. Then the music dictates the words…
You started your career very young and during the last fifteen years you have sold several million albums, you never lost your head?
I think I had a sort of crisis around the age of 25 years: I did not know very well who I was. We always say that adolescence is the most difficult moment, but after twenty years is not necessarily very funny either, whether you’re a pop star or not…
(She stops and lets out a loud cry on seeing a skateboard down the street) Oh! Look how cute he is … I find these guys incredibly sexy ….
You should put yourself in skateboarding…
I’m almost there! I started doing roller-blading and I enjoy very much.
What else do you do to relax?
I designed a garden to brighten up my recording studio… I love landscapes and I thought I’d better work at this place, where I spend four months a year… The rest of the time I see my family and my friends go out for dinner… like everyone I suppose!
You have sung as opening act for David Bowie and Michael Jackson, what kind of experience was it?
With Michael Jackson, it was a powerful experience: three month tour, 32 concerts in front of two million people… It was like being in the deep end when you do not yet know how to swim very well: you learn fast!
But it also taught me to be wary of too much popularity, I realized how much success can isolate people … and I’m happy to be where I am!
It has changed you?
Enormously: I told myself: “Look, if you want to be a pop star, it makes you give 100%, otherwise it is not worth it! ” When I was younger, I was not as demanding with myself … From there, I really changed attitudes.
What is the strongest emotion of your career?
There is no precise moment, but rather a general feeling: this is clearly the incredible heat of the public towards me, especially here in France. I feel very privileged. Sometimes I meet people I do not know but who treat me like a family member! It is very touching, it brings the most beautiful thing this profession!
What is for you the recipe for success?
The will… To be a singer, he must love to sing every day life. We must require, as we need air! That’s what I felt when I was fifteen and I have not really changed …
Then you have the life you wanted?
Yep! That’s why I feel so lucky. And so happy!
What can we wish you today?
To stay healthy and continue to have the courage to take risks.
You take in the moment?
Yes, I am preparing to play in a musical comedy in London… It’s very exciting, but it’s a real challenge … So wish me luck!