Wild in the eighties and back again: Kim Wilde about her new album and remarkable comeback.
In the eighties Kim Wilde was a true rock star. Ten years ago she retired from the limelight for a life with husband and kids. Now the singer feels like a comeback. She does it with the new record ‘Never say Never’.
Kim Wilde was the vamp of the eighties and the dream of many longing teens. With her sexy looks and subtly nasal voice she turned the heads of many boys. Kim Wilde was a superstar and a sex symbol, but different than her colleague Madonna, who’s in the same age bracket.
Contrary to the Queen of Pop Kim was more like the “girl next door”, the girl who was approachable despite everything and above all very civilised. And we would almost forget her music. Kim Wilde was also a world star who scored hit after hit in the eighties. Just remember ‘Kids In America’, ‘You Came’, ‘Cambodia’, ‘Chequered Love’ and ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ – amongst many other successes.
So that was 25 years ago and today we’re sitting across this very same Kim Wilde. The British singer has come to a hotel room in Amsterdam for the promotion of her new album ‘Never Say Never’. A cd on which new songs and old hits are combined. The classics have been rerecorded and the new songs sound danceable and modern.
It is obvious from the start that the hands of time have not gotten their grip on Kim Wilde (45). Except a very small wrinkle here and there she still looks like someone in her thirties. The ashblonde hair is modelled into a stylish hairdo and you can see that she keeps her figure in shape too. She is friendly, when she answers every question in detail with her nasal voice. One thing is clear: Kim Wilde is up for it again. But why the comeback only now?
“There very nearly wouldn’t have been any comeback at all. In fact I have Nena to thank for it. She approached me in 2003 to record a song together for her comeback album. I had already finished my own career. That happened when I was 35 and met my husband Hal Fowler. Later came two kids and then I didn’t really feel like it anymore. And I didn’t have to, because I’d already had a career of 15 years.”
Was it singer Nena to bring back Kim’s passion for music?
“Indirectly, yes. When we recorded ‘Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere’ in 2003 and had a big hit with it I started to feel like doing it again myself.”
“I got the taste of music again, although I didn’t immediately think of a comeback. After I stepped out of the limelight I was also through with showbizz. When you’re a superstar you’re in a rollercoaster ride. There’s just no getting out of it. Fame never made me happy, especially because I got totally isolated. I had a feeling I missed so much in my life.”
When Kim had stepped out of showbiz, she felt like doing different things. “I started doing gardening and even went back to school to follow colleges in horticulture. I wrote a book called ‘Gardening with children’. But now I want to do some more music again. It didn’t just happen like that, because my producer, who also works with Nena, really had to convince me to work on an album again.”
“I have come full circle. I have returned to my first love: music. It takes a little getting used to, but I do feel like it again. We’ll have to wait and see whether it will be a success. But the most important thing is that I feel good. And if I fail, it doesn’t matter. I am focused on doing what feels good now.”