Anastacia

September 2009



Although she has released an album and toured since her battle with breast cancer, Anastacia admits promoting the Here Come The Girls tour has felt like a return to the spotlight. And she doesn't even have the trademark sunglasses to shield herself from its glare.
"It definitely feels like 'Oh wow, where has she been?'," she says. "And then they're looking at me going 'God, she looks like she's 12'", she adds with a laugh. "OK, I took off my glasses."
Anastacia, who was born Anastacia Lyn Newkirk in Chicago, was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago and removed herself from the music business until she was well enough to return.
"It did take a minute to physically and emotionally come back from cancer. I needed to regroup and back out of the industry for a minute."
A minute? It was six years.
"It's gone so fast, I don't even know what just happened."
I read an interview where you said it felt as if the cancer had stripped you of your womanhood.
"I was misquoted. What it did was it unveiled my womanhood to me. I grew up. I was a little bit of a townboy (which sounds like the US version of a tomboy) when I started. I blossomed into someone who embraced being a woman.
"By surviving cancer it made me discover being a woman is wonderful."
And, may I say, a beautiful young woman.
"(Laughs) Already this interview is my favourite one today."
Works every time, that one. Hang on... it's only 10 in the morning. I'm probably the first.
Anyway, where are you?
"I'm in Victoria."
Eh, Australia?
"No, Victoria in London, you little silly... monk."
Monk?
Anastacia isn't 12 but 41, which she celebrated yesterday by, erm, working.
"I've SO MANY GIRLS to think about," she shouts, explaining her lack of a birthday party.
She means Lulu and Chaka Khan, as all three are busy promoting the tour this week.
According to Lulu it's "a celebration of womanhood". But not really, says the tour's youngest performer.
"I am a powerful, strong individual who sings songs that talk about things that get me down and things that don't get me down. That's just who I am. And it happens to be who the other girls are as well.
"It's an idea that's never been done before and we're milking it."
But she adds: "We're not going to make it about being powerful."
Much of the show will feature all three of them performing together and they won't necessarily be doing their own hits.
"The set list is the funnest I've ever seen at any party ever. They're songs that are the background music to everybody's lives."
Which songs will they be then?
"We will not do that. We don't want anyone to know the songs. It gives away a lot what the show promises (which she pronounces 'prom-eye-zez')."
I bet It's Raining Men is on the list.
The show is still in development and they won't even be finalising set lists or rehearsing for a few weeks yet.
This week has been set aside for plugging the tour.
Oddly, the three had never met before.
"Lulu's first thought was trying to get different age ranges," she says, adding: "When Lulu approached me it was a no-brainer. And the minute we all sat down and met each other, there was undeniable chemistry.
"We have a blast. I am laughing so much."