Interviews/Digital Spy

## Interview #1

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We talk GaGa, Xtina and will.i.am in our exclusive interview with the rising star.

Remember the days before Facebook when Myspace was all the rage? Chances are you may have come across Natalia Kills, who under the equally-curious guise of Verbalicious became an online sensation - even managing to threaten the top ten with one-off hit 'Don't Play Nice' back in 2005. Post-FB she relocated to Hollywood and caught the attention of will.i.am, whom she worked with on her soon-to-be-released debut album *Perfectionist*. Curious to find out more, we called her up to quiz her about said LP and her rocky journey to fame.

**You're gearing up to release your debut album *Perfectionist* in the UK, are you nervous?**

"I'm excited! My album just came out in Germany and it seems to be doing really well over there - it's great that the UK will finally get to hear it."

**You wrote your first song when you were 14, does success feel like it's been a long time in the making?**

"I don't think it has - how long does it take you to do anything that's beyond natural? It's one of those things - if you're a naturally creative person you can't put a time limit on things. I'm 25-years-old - I think I've managed to get to this stage pretty quickly!"

**How would you describe your sound?**

"A lot of people have described my music as dark pop, which I can understand as the lyrics are depressive and more confrontational than a lot of mainstream music has been recently. It's however you think it should be described, I guess. I suppose I have a certain style that I like, but it's subconscious. My new single 'Mirrors' I'd describe as the [Eurythmics'] 'Sweet Dreams' for 2011."

**Were you in a dark place when writing songs for this album then?**

"I don't really know what a dark place means. I have windows in my house and I'm generally an upbeat person! A lot of people throw that word at me because I wear a lot of black and leather."

**You were discovered by will.i.am - how did it happen?**

"I had been writing songs for other people for a while and I made a demo and I put it on my Myspace, which Perez Hilton found and blogged about on his site. Suddenly it had two million plays, so I got on a plane to LA and was introduced to a DJ who had a friend who turned out to be will.i.am. I couldn't believe it! Before that I wrote songs for movies."

**You've also worked with Fernando Garibay (Lady GaGa, Britney Spears) and Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West) on the album. Were you nervous at the time?**

"No! The entire value of a person is subjective to your relationship with them. For me, I see it as a producer needs an artist to work with, and an artist can work with anybody. It's a privilege on both ends. I bring just as much to the table regardless of how new I am as an artist - that's irrelevant. The only important thing is that we value creativity and have chemistry."

**What else can we expect from the record?**

"It's definitely a concept album: all the songs revolve around my ambition, celebrations, frustration and disappointments of being a perfectionist. I think we're all perfectionists - we're all looking for the best to fulfil our ideologies and dreams. 'Break You Hard' and 'Nothing Lasts Forever' are two of my favourites on it, but I suppose they all are really! It's hard to pick out songs when you've committed so much to each one."

**Your sound and style has been compared to Lady GaGa - does that worry you?**

"People keep using that word 'worry' and it reminds of when I used to live in the UK - they seem to worry about a lot of things! I live a very worry-free life. What's the worst thing you can think of? You might get in an accident and die, but once you're dead, you can't worry about it then, can you?!"

**Christina Aguilera was often compared to GaGa during her last album...**

"I think it's irrelevant and stupid. They both have tits, blonde hair and a microphone - I don't see why people should worry about it. I don't think Christina's unpopularity or lack of fortune recently is to do with the being compared to GaGa. I think that she was at certain level and disappeared, and then came back and tried to fit in with the current trend and it came off desperate. I think if she stuck to her soulful, pop-meets-gospel R&B, maybe her original fanbase would have supported her more. She'll recover from it, though, because she's talented."

**Do you think it's harder now for female artists to gain recognition since Lady GaGa's success?**

"If people like your music and it's good, then what does it matter? Who gives a f\*\*k? If people like the music, it will survive. GaGa is the most popular artist at the moment, but we don't know what's going to happen in the next three years. I've been making music since I was 14, before the likes of Christina and GaGa's music careers even existed. If people go into music with the idea of competing with other artists, then they're doing it for all the wrong reasons."

**You're originally from Bradford but are now based in the US. Are people surprised by your roots?**

"I don't know actually! No-one has reacted strongly to it. In LA they think everyone in England talks like the Queen, and when you say you live 200 miles away from her it means nothing to them, because you can travel that far here and people have the same accents and culture."

**We heard rumours that the album will have a different track listing for the UK. Is that true?**

"I'll probably add a couple of new songs for the UK release. The problem is once the album is out there it leaks all over the internet and people will have heard it and it'll be old news. It'll be nice to have some surprises on there to keep it interesting!"

**Have you decided on the next single yet?**

"'Mirrors' is just a buzz track for the UK as far as I'm aware, but different things are going on in each country so it's hard to keep up! I know 'Wonderland' will be a proper single in the UK next."

**What can we expect from your live shows?**

"I'm coming to the UK in May and I have loads going on. I've already performed there a couple of times last year. When I was a little girl I always wanted to be in a bad bitch girl gang and I wanted to make that apparent in my live show. If I tell you any more then I'll have to kill you!"

**'Mirrors' is available to download on April 24. Her album *Perfectionist* follows later this year.**

## Interview #2

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Natalia Kills says she makes a joke out of money and fashion because they're not important.

Natalia Kills has claimed that she feels too much importance is placed on money and image.

The singer, who releases her new album *Perfectionist* in the UK on September 19, has said that some of the best experiences she has had have been when she was penniless.

The star told **Digital Spy** that her new single 'Free', which features Black Eyed Peas rapper will.i.am, is about a period in her life when she was broke and would "buy a whole outfit for 20 quid" from Portobello market.

She explained: "The song is about how money and style are absolutely unrelated because that was the time where I had the time of my life."

When asked whether the single was released as a reflection of the current economic turmoil, she responded: "It wasn't the reason why I decided to release the single, but I have thought a lot about it since and have realised that it is perfect for the current climate.

"A lot of the time we think finances are immediately linked to experience, opportunities, image and all sorts of important things that can progress us in life. Sometimes they're not. Finances can be completely irrelevant if you allow yourself to feel like things are going well."

She added: "If you allow yourself to feel fabulous, you are fabulous. That's why in the music video I wanted to poke fun at fashion and money because it's all a bit of a joke. We take it so seriously that I just wanted to make fun of it because it's really not the most important thing in the world."

Natalia Kills's new single 'Free' is available to download now.

Watch the music video for 'Free' below:

*(Attachment to "Free" music video)*

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Natalia Kills explains that it was hard to be truthful on her debut album.

Natalia Kills has confessed that she found it hard to be honest when writing material for her debut album.

The singer-songwriter, who releases her debut record *Perfectionist* on September 19, explained that she was inspired by her music idols Alanis Morissette and Kate Bush to write truthfully about her personal experiences.

Kills told **Digital Spy** of her LP: "People are calling it revenge pop. They're calling it kill your ex-boyfriend pop. If you've ever had a broken heart or like shoe shopping, listen to my album!"

She continued: "All the artists I listened to were very autobiographical. I loved listening to Alanis Morissette and Kate Bush when I was growing up because they were talking very literally about their desires and regrets.

"I kind of struggled writing about my life because I'd been through s\*\*t experiences and things that traumatised me - I found it hard."

Kills added: "But then I let go and thought 'f\*\*k it, if you're going to be honest, be honest - you've got to do it 100%'. Music is cheaper than therapy because it allows you to get everything out of your system."

Natalia Kills's new single 'Free' is available to download now.

Watch the music video for Natalia Kills's 'Free' below:

*(Attachment to "Free" music video)*

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She will release 'Kill My Boyfriend' as the new single from her debut LP.

Natalia Kills has confirmed the name of her new single.

She will release 'Kill My Boyfriend' as the next single to be lifted from her debut album *Perfectionist*.

Kills told **Digital Spy**: "I co-produced 'Kill My Boyfriend' and I'm so excited for everyone to hear it.

"It's one of my favourites because it's so silly and fun. I talk about heartbreak and revenge and how I should have done this and I should have said that."

She added: "But in the end I'm like 'shut up and stop taking yourself so seriously. Just kill him and get it over with and do a little dance!' And that's why I'm so excited for everyone to hear it."

'Kill My Boyfriend' follows Kills's recent single 'Free', which featured Black Eyed Peas rapper will.i.am.

The star recently said that she does not think money and fashion should be the most important values in modern society.

Kills's debut album *Perfectionist* is out now.

Listen to Natalia Kills's new single 'Kill My Boyfriend' below:

*(Attachment to audio of "Kill My Boyfriend" on YouTube)*

### Background

This interview is technically split into three separate blogs; however, considering the short length and close proximity to each other, this was likely one interview.

## Interview #3

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The singer opens up to **Digital Spy** about her new album.

It's been two years since Natalia Kills released her debut album *Perfectionist*, which still remains one of the most underrated pop collections in recent memory.

That said, the Bradford bad-ass is back with a new harder sound for its follow-up, and **Digital Spy** caught up with her to find out what's behind this slight shift in gear.

**Welcome back Natalia! How are you finding your return to music?**

"In my world, I've never been away. In country to country it might appear someone's taken a step back, but for me for example, I wrote a song for a DJ in Russia and it went number one for nine weeks, so I've actually been the busiest [in] my life ever!"

**After listening to new tracks 'Problem' and 'Saturday Night' it feels like you've gone a bit rockier - would you say that's the case?**

"Well if you say that's the case, I'll go with that! I definitely feel excited to be able to put really hard beats - like hip-hop beats - behind my music, more than I did before. It's more guitar-driven and eradicates the synth-pop sound that was subtly in my music. I guess because I feel harder and aggressive, it came across in the music - to be more bitchy, more punk, more hip-hop. It's like renegade. It's high-impact pop."

*(Attachment to "Saturday Night" music video)*

**'Saturday Night' in particular deals with growing up in a destructive household - how hard is it to confront those emotions when you're songwriting?**

"I wanted a song that is the story of my whole life. From what I've read, I'm always seen as the bad girl; the bitchy, sassy, cute bad girl. I've just assumed that everyone must know where it comes from. To act like that, you can't just come from a good place. I realised that not even people who know me most know what I've gone through. I always put on a brave face when I was the most terrified, the most trapped and out of control. That's what 'Saturday Night' is like. I wanted to make a confession of everything I am and all the stuff I've been through.

"I left home at 15 to escape all the bulls\*\*t, but I ran head first into much more trouble. I was taken away by the police for dangerous behaviour, being sedated, almost being committed and sectioned - it was trouble after trouble after trouble. 'Saturday Night' is the way I can present that important part of myself."

**Does the album have good memories as well as bad memories?**

"The entire album feels very happy. It's a defiant "f\*\*k you" to the problems. No matter how much bulls\*\*t follows me, I'm going to carry on. The funny thing is, everyone has always said to me all my life, 'Don't let those bad thing define you. Brush it off. Think positive'. I don't want to do that - I want to do the f\*\*king opposite. I am all of my worst memories in melodies. Every bad thing that's happened to me has defined me, has shaped, has moulded me. I'm sick of running away from things. I guess this whole album is me feeling glorified and vindicated by all the worst moments in my life."

**You've said that this album hears you "own up to all the wrong things you've done". Is there a particular confession on the album you think will shock your fans?**

"Yeah I do - most of it. I have a couple of ballads on the album that are suicide ballads. I remember when I was 19, I loved my boyfriend who didn't love me back so much - disturbingly much - that every time he hurt me I just desperately wanted to jump off the highest bridge I could find, or walk into the fastest truck. I was just completely out of control of my erratic feelings of love and passionate desperation."

**Would you say that confronting these emotions is a cathartic process?**

"It's definitely not a release and it's not therapeutic at all. In fact it's torture - sometimes it's reliving something I wish I never had to. But at least it makes it not obsolete - I'm in control of it. I choose to sing it over and over again, I choose to look back, I choose to remember. I don't have to wish I didn't f\*\*k up so hard... pretending I was fine and sophisticated all along - which I never was."

**Your knack for storytelling in songs can be very striking. We imagine that's something that has been influenced in part by your love for Eminem, who is a master of telling stories?**

"I've never ever thought about that, but I'm going to say yes because I can relate to that. Even though I haven't been through anything like him; I didn't live in a trailer in Detroit or take mushrooms, but the feelings I had - feeling sad and trapped - were what he was venting about and escaping from. I haven't made this album for anyone else except myself. I haven't made [it] so anyone else feels like that. I haven't made it for fans. But maybe Eminem has influenced me to talk about myself autobiographically in my songs, I don't know. You've made me think!"

***Perfectionist* was a great album, but how did you feel about its commercial performance?**

"I mean, I just can't believe it. I had nowhere to live. I was staying on the floor of a hostel in Earls Court for over a year and then I did a bunch of bad s\*\*t, got on a plane to LA and then two years later I had sold over 800,000 singles. I was flying business class and staying in suites and penthouses - I can't f\*\*king believe it. I wrote 14 songs and that's what happened? My life was changed forever. If you would have asked me, the person sleeping on the floor in Earls Court, 'You're 26 - where are you?' I would never have thought this. I would have probably thought I was dead by now. Or a stripper."

***Natalia Kills's new album* Trouble *is released on September 2.***

Watch the music video for Natalia Kills's 'Problem' below:

*(Attachment to "Problem" music video)*