Popnography
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Britain's 72-year-old grand dame of the music, Shirley Bassey, is set to release her first all-new record in more than 20 years tomorrow. The Performance, produced by James Bond soundtrack genius David Arnold, features songs written especially for the singer by a gaggle of some of the most famous gay (and/or gay adjacent) musicians currently recording including The Pet Shop Boys, Rufus Wainwright, KT Tunstall and Take That's Gary Barlow. The album isn't due out in the U.S. until early next year, so if you want a copy of it now hit up Amazon.com or get the import at your favorite local record store.
Billboard recently caught up with Bassey to find out a little more about the project:
Billboard: You've had compilations and remix albums, but this is your first all-new record in more than 20 years. Is that because the material wasn't right for you before?
Shirley Bassey: Well, not only that. I'd really retired, to tell you the truth, and was just coming out for special occasions. These writers have brought me back. Only that could have done it, and it was a challenge, because you wouldn't have thought they were my songs. I took them on holiday with me, and I would say, "I can't do this, they're too difficult." But I was listening to the way the writers were singing them, and trying to sing in their key, which never helps. It wasn't until I actually went into the studio, with a piano, and put my voice on, that I started to get excited. I could hear myself. I'm always up for a challenge, and it paid off.
Billboard: Why do you think you still draw big crowds and have a loyal fan base after all these years?
Bassey: My down-to-earthness, I think. But if I knew what makes success, I'd bottle it. That's the magic of this business -- you don't know why you're successful. Those critics who say it's an all-gay audience ... not at all. There's mums and dads, and their children bring their children, so it's a family audience.
Billboard: Do you have a favorite song on the album?
Bassey: I love all of them. But the Pet Shop Boys' song ("The Performance of My Life") got right into my head and made me sob, and not many songs do that. You can get too carried away with a song, especially onstage, but you can't be crying during every one. When I heard that, after doing all the other songs, it was just too much for me. I don't need to write a book. The record is my autobiography.
Previously > Hummer: David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging"
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
38 Male Celebs Who Did Full Frontal Scenes
November 17 2023 5:18 PM
These are all the celebrities Who came out as LGBTQ+ in 2023
December 31 2023 12:19 PM
29 LGBTQ+ celebs you can follow on OnlyFans
April 18 2024 1:00 PM
26 actors who showed bare ass in movies & TV shows
February 28 2024 1:50 PM
16 times male celebrities had to say they weren't gay
April 17 2024 11:57 AM
21 LGBTQ+ reality dating shows & where to watch them
April 03 2024 4:01 PM
15 Unforgettable Gay Kissing Scenes From TV & Movies
February 14 2024 10:20 AM
14 queens who quit or retired from drag after 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
April 04 2024 12:56 PM
40 steamy celebrity Calvin Klein ads we'll always be thirsty for
January 04 2024 10:54 AM
The 15 Best LGBTQ+ Movies of 2023
December 04 2023 10:32 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
This is how many followers 'Drag Race' season 16 queens gained on IG
April 22 2024 4:35 PM
Surprise delivery! Designer Simon Jacquemus & hubby are officially daddies
April 22 2024 2:35 PM
These are the queens RUMORED to be competing on 'All Stars 9'
April 22 2024 1:10 PM
April 22, 2024
April 22 2024 12:01 PM
Indulge in luxury and sensuality with The Pride Store’s Taurus gift guide
April 22 2024 11:46 AM
Stop taking pictures of gay men hooking up in bars & shaming them online
April 22 2024 11:39 AM
Why loneliness is the biggest approaching threat to our community
April 22 2024 10:42 AM
Meet Ludmilla, the queer Black Latina singer who conquered Coachella
April 20 2024 9:34 PM