The German nightingale - Sarah Connor

Sarah Connor is Germany's fabulous answer to the myriad of melissma-crazy American singers who have become hugely successful since Whitney Houston first appeared in the mid-80's. And this is the most peculiar thing about Sarah - even though she is German, her music has a distinctively American feel to it. She is also very gifted, having started her classical studies at the age of ten in a Performing Arts school where she was the only student allowed to use her voice as an instrument - yep, that's how good she is! :-) However, Sarah's style is justified by the fact that her grandfather was born in New Orleans and was mad about soul music - Sarah spent many times listening to his records and voilà! She became a freak that sang Britney-level R&B with Mariah Carey's voice! WHO else can say THAT?! Oh, and if that's what listening to soul does to you, I'm gonna buy all of Aretha Franklin's records and listen to them 'till I am able to do more than sound like a shrieking pig with a sore throat - be ready world, here I come! ;-P.

The rest of her story is very much one of those boring and predictable Cinderella-modelled tales that record companies send to magazines to promote their artists: at seventeen, she was magically picked by Michael Jackson to have a singing spot in one of his concerts; this was a life-altering moment for her and prompted her to leave school and try her luck by sending demo tapes to record companies... And you can imagine how things went.

When Sarah released her début album in 2001, she was pretty much the only German singer to fully embrace the Mariah Way of ultra-high shrieks and effortless belting, but still things were not so easy for her - not all her singles were successful. After what I guess was a little shifting things here and there, she started delivering increasingly good music - to the point when almost everything that she does is essential for any self-respecting pop junkie like myself (AND anyone visting this Blog, I hope :-) ).



Anyway, something that sets Sarah apart from the rest of the singers featured in this page is that she is not marketed as a diva in any sense, nor does she have any larger-than-life mannerisms - she is just an unadulterated spoonful of wholesomeness directly fed to the public without a single trace of affectation!!!! This is almost enough to make me run away screaming like a hysterical chimpanzee - were it not for the fact that Sarah is WONDERFUL. That's why I've had a hard time deciding what to post here today. However, being the dedicated sweetheart that I am (you BETTER acknowledge it, haha), I have taken on the task of making a few selections that will hopefully make you realize that I am right as usual (as if - please, just ignore me; it's been a hard day :-D ), and go buy her records here or here.

From Sarah With Love (Kayrob Dance Mix)

The SPECTACULAR ballad version of this was Sarah's first really big hit. It was a huge success in Central and Eastern Europe, but for some reason most other countries just ignored it - which proves my point that many people are severely deaf. The original ballad is very sad and melancholic, almost crepuscular - if your heart has been broken, you will understand the feeling of 'all light has been drained from the world' that this song conveys so beautifully. However, this remix version is VERY fun, and if you're still sad while listening to this... Well, you need to book an appointment with your doctor, because you're obviously suicidal. Cheer up! ;-) Video version (the original is much better).

If U Were My Man

This song is pure bubblegum Heaven. It sounds like some of the best slices of teenie pop that have come out of Sweden, only this is sung by someone with actual talent. Here Sarah takes on a slutty persona by making a pass at a random boy who stares at her, ehem , 'charms' while out with his girlfriend. What else could be better?!?! An impossibly catchy piece of disposable music with a really tawdry subject matter! Isn't that what fun's really about - don't answer that!

Music Is The Key - featuring Naturally 7

This is Sarah's monumental duet with the amazingly talented boyband Naturally 7. This is VERY Mariah-esque... Only a thousand times better than anything that Mariah has ever done. This is a gorgeous melodic ballad that showcases what passion and careful arrangement can achieve - and it's undoubtedly my favourite of Sarah's songs. It was her second number one in Germany, and opened a string of huge successes for her :-) By the way, you have to get her album Key To My Soul - it's WONDERFUL! Video.

You Are My Desire

This is from Sarah's latest album, Naughty But Nice. In it, she has made a concise effort to change her sound a little by adding more Eurodance and scrapping a little of the 'American R&B princess' make up that she put on at the beginning of her career, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but kept her from doing things as great as this song – pure electro-pop joy! It is very peculiar: it has ordinary R&B beats under successive layers of electronic effects and sitar arpegios that keep it danceable. The chorus is very catchy sing-a-long-y, but the best thing is Sarah's voice, which manages to take center stage without much effort on her part. Just lovely.