The strange career of Anastacia

In interviews she's said that somebody at the label or radio in America hated her and refused to play or promote her music here and that's why she never had any success. she also said she didn't care because she gets to live a cool double life and be world famous and then come home and be a normal person. She's incredibly talented and has had quite an exceptional life/career. Survived breast cancer twice, the first time at the height of her career. I could go on and on lol... Love her

She's very Eurovision, vague and try-hard.

She lacks authenticity but foreigners can't read that nuance.

I remember her dreadful music on the radios down here in NZ as well.

I vaguely remember her. I think her issue is no one in the states wanted to hear that late 90's pop from a 40 year old. Also we already had a Taylor dayne we didn't need 2.

The late 90s/early 2000s was all about the cooey baby voice vocal fry. Anastascia, along with an older age and lack of relatability, had zero chance to make it in the US.

Didn't she and/or her label lie about her age?

They did try to make her happen here by putting her on Divas Live and the Chicago soundtrack.

None of her songs clicked except I'm Outta Love.

I'm an Aussie and she was huge here. Well.... her 3 or 4 songs were huge here before she disappeared after having cancer.

Great voice though (I can see the Taylor Dayne comparisons), and I like that she seems funny and self aware in interviews. 'Left Outside Alone' is really fun to belt out when drunk.

You've got me, OP. I had no idea who this singer was at all until you mentioned her here.

I love her but I can't believe she's 50. I thought she would have been under 40.

Did she suck all the Japanese and Korean small cocks of those organizers to get to sing the official song for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, "BOOM"?

Thoroughly infuriating voice. Similar to that of Taylor Dayne, but much more annoying. Try to hard to be a black singer.

[quote]She lacks authenticity but foreigners can't read that nuance.

Yeah. It's not that she can't sing at all, but she's too similar to Taylor Dayne, who by the time Anastacia came around had already been repudiated as a cringy white screamer trying desperately to come off as a black gospel-trained powerhouse, despite the major success she'd had in the 80s/90s. So in a way, Anastacia never really stood a chance here.

I thought One Day in Your Life got some decent rotation some of the dance radio stations?

Excellent points, R5 and R6! She always seemed to be trying too hard, and the Taylor Dayne comparisons are particularly apt.

"I don't know her."

Her sound was eurodance meets blue-eyed-soul. With that sound she fit in better with the 90s German and Italian pop acts.

“One Day In Your Life” got heavy airplay in NYC and the dance mixes of her songs always did well. But yeah...in an exploding era of Britney, Christina and Latin acts like Jennifer Lopez; blue eyed soul was never gonna happen here.

Anastacia was all over Gap In-Store Playlists in 2002!

"Paid My Dues" on March 2002

"One Day In Your Life" on August 2002

"Why'd You Lie To Me" on November 2002

"I Was Made For Lovin' You" on April 2003

"Love Is A Crime" on April 2003

She's part of the Europack of divas (also includes Roisin Murphy, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and the Sugababes) that are Huuuugggee stars there but didn't click in the US. We used to embrace older and international artists, now I guess we only do if they have a shitty rap collab.

Her voice was better than Dane's.

I really liked "Cowboys and kisses"

And I wonder if ya know, just how it feels, to be left outside alone, to be left outside alone....

"AAAAAAALLLL MYYYY LIFE I'VE BEEN WAAAITING....."

"Left Outside Alone" was the only song of hers I liked. I'm surprised to hear she's unknown in the USA.

She really had the late 90s/early 00s fashions on lock, didn't she?

This thread had intrigued me, and I checked out a few of her interviews on YT. In one, she said that when she was starting out, the record label took seven years off her real age and for years, until she turned 40, she maintained that lie publicly. She was trying to say she was still in her 20s when “I’m Outta Love” was released?! Wow...

Anastasia started out as a background singer/dancer for freestyle artist Coro in the late 80’s. She has background vocal cred on “Can’t Let You Go”

R22 lol I still love that song.

Her last album didn't chart in the UK and went largely ignored. However, she doesn't have a problem doing a 20 date tour of 2,000 capacity theatres whenever she wants.

Unforgettably surreal...

I love her

Not sure what happened with Her. She got her start on MTV's The Cut hosted by the late Left Eye Lopez. American Idol before there was American Idol. She won it - she was singing Not That Kind on the show. The winner got a record contract - and poof she came out with I'm Outta Love, which got heavy rotation on MTV. On the Cut she was Boho and even frumpy. A year later she was all tight silver spandex and disco diva fit. It didn't help that the remix version was the one they were pushing and not on the record. This was the era of BSB and NSync. She got shipped off to Europe like NSync to build a following. She did very well, she became the darling of Monaco. But in the US, she remained fairly unknown. They tried to get her instant clout by including her on a VH!s Diva Live putting her on the same stage as Celine, but the US just went Meh.

The other thing is she has Cron's Disease, so I think that limited her touring as well as her cancers.

God she's horrible and sounds like a man but not in a good way.

Interesting to hear that she can fill 2,000-capacity venues in Europe; here in the US, she seems at the level of folks you would see performing at summer street fests!

I don't think her age was as influential in her lack of success in the U.S., although she definitely looked her age at the time (32) more so than some others.

If you think about it, this was the same time that contemporaries like Jennifer Lopez launched her music career, Gwen Stefani was having a resurgence with No Doubt, Kylie Minogue finally cracked the U.S. (albeit fleetingly), Toni Braxton had a comeback of sorts in 2000, and more firmly established and seasoned artists experienced a renaissance (Cher, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Janet Jackson, etc.).

I think it had to do with her sound as others mentioned. Her voice is very blue-eyed soul, Taylor Dane-esque derivative, and that kind of sound wasn't exactly en vogue at the time. There were some artists at the time that only had hits on the club charts (like a Kristine W) and were very successful at that niche, but had no crossover appeal. I think that's kind of what happened to Anastacia in the U.S.

Her stupid gimmick with the sunglasses was annoying. I do love that Left Outside Alone song, though. I remember burning many miles on the treadmill to the remix of that song.

To be fair she not only looked her (real) age but her voice has an older, more mature quality too, as well as the deeper pitch. I can see her performing with a bluesy band down at the local pub for a small crowd of drunk 40-60somethings, which is just not the demographic pop radio were going after.

She really was the QUEEN of snarling and photocromic lenses though. For about two years (and only in certain territories).

Excellent points, R35!

She loves the gays! Love her!

She sounds like Adam Levine but not quite as annoying.

That video at R29 was literally the only time I'd ever heard or seen this person, and I wondered who the hell she was and what she was doing there.

To me Anastacia had a soul diva pop vibe that was very popular worldwide for a quick time.

I liked her and thought that she had a great voice. Sorry that she never really happened here.

She kind of reminds me of Lara Fabian. Sort of that gay pop market oriented act, with a requisite Thunderpuss remix (late 90s - early 00s), very limited regional appeal.

She's cool

Joss Stone also had a similar voice but was only like 15, had more soul cred because of the musicians she worked with, and was more marketable. I think in the UK at least, she kind of filled the 'Anastacia' slot when she was out sick.

I loved her and listened to a few of her CDs.

I totally forgot about her until this thread.

She’s got a great voice but go lost in all the similar female singers of the time

OMG R29 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!! Celine looks and sounds like an ugly fucking fool trying to rock out to that awful song. How embarrassing.

And if I’m not mistaken, besides Celine and Anastacia, the clip at R29 features a guitar solo by one-hit wonder Meredith Brooks!

[quote] a guitar solo by one-hit wonder Meredith Brooks!

How dare you! She's a bitch, she's a lover, she's a child, she's a mother, she's a sinner, she's a saint, and she doesn't feel ashamed!

Anastacia was hugely popular here in Europe in the early 00s. Her songs were on the radio all the time. I'm actually shocked to learn that she wasn't that well known in the US. I assumed she was a star back home as well.

By the way, who is this Taylor Dane person everyone keeps mentioning? Is it a man or a woman? With American names you never know.

Taylor Dayne was a female singer with a big voice who had one good freestyle hit in the late 80s and then a lot of less good power ballad hits.

I liked her ok, she was kind of an odd duck. Definitely reminiscent of Taylor Dayne (but more pro-gay). For those who cared enough, she had an interesting back story. Btw, the sunglasses were due to one of her many medical conditions. She no longer wears them in her act.

Lol at people mentioning Lara Babian, Joss Stone, Sophie Ellis Bextor, etc. All those bitches werent' really big, whereas Anastacia was HUGE in Europe. She sold a lot during the first half of the 2000s.

[quote]I can see her performing with a bluesy band down at the local pub for a small crowd of drunk 40-60somethings

That's increasingly my demographic, r37

She's quite funny and self aware.

"What kind of venues are you playing on this upcoming tour?"

"Slums, mostly..."

I was just thinking about her...

She was so big in the 00s. I enjoyed her along with Nelly Furtado and Macy Gray,

r57

[quote]I was just thinking about her.

Sha Pow Pow!

Knew her some in her pre-fame days. A genuinely nice person then and after. And didn’t have to be.

She does come across very likable and self-aware in interviews.

Where is she now?

I was pretty meh about Taylor Dayne so Anastacia didn't excite me either. Both are competent singers, just not my cup of tea personally.

I really like her voice. And she seems like a really cool person as well.

WHET Sandra, Germany's answer to Madonna in the mid-80s?

Ironically, I here in Canada cannot watch r29's video because it has been blocked in Celine's home country.

Try this one R66

I can't believe that's Meredith Brooks giving a guitar solo... so funny to see her pop up when you (literally) least expect it.

Also funny she's singing with Céline because a pre-fame Anastacia sang a Celine Dion song at Steven Spielberg's wedding.

She has a hot bod!

And Celine is obviously reading lyrics off a monitor in the video.

Wow R69!

@ R13 who’s the hottie @1:16 in the video?

[quote]Also funny she's singing with Céline because a pre-fame Anastacia sang a Celine Dion song at Steven Spielberg's wedding.

Really? You'd think Steven Spielberg could have afforded Celine Dion herself. I wonder what Anastacia sang...

Another fan here. Her 2nd and 3rd albums are excellent. Ditto the remixes.

I love Anastacia.

Likable indeed at R56.

R31 Anastacia did not win THE CUT.

This thread is got me looking up her old videos. She’s really freaking good!

"One Day In Your Life" charted here in the states.

I saw her duet with Elton John on "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting". Powerful voice.

there was a vacuum in europe whereas the us market was saturated.

Pink already had the wigger demographic locked down during that time period.

She's the David Hasselhoff of her time. I always find that phenomenon very interesting, where someone is a star overseas but a nobody at home. The whole "Big In Japan" concept. Are there any Euro musicians who do better in North America?

I was living in Germany at the time she was famous and every German "tussi" looked like her. The early 2000s were such a tragic time for fashion.

r83 you can't compare her to Hasselhoff cause he was at least a household name in the states for his shows.

I really like this video. Does she sing the intro?

I'm from the US and remember finding Anastacia on Euro-oriented dance playlists in the later 2000s. I always assumed she was European, is she really American??

BTW this, with Left Outside Alone, was one I remember liking for the afro-inspired chanting in the chorus. The rest of it is not good though. Rap attempt?

r87 I fucked that up. THIS is the one I was talking about. I can't believe I remember more than two of this woman's songs though. Good for her!

She should have made the most of the Romanov association.

R86 born and raised in Chicago and later NYC.

Well R89, her career is dead and people are having to dig up her “bones” on YouTube to know who she is. Sounds like she’s working that Romanov association pretty well.........

i thought her voice was annoying

She got her start on MTV The Cut. Check out Left Eye!

Aww, RIP Left Eye.

Yeah this thread had me looking up her old videos (especially her interviews which are usually hilarious) and it's a shame she isn't a bigger name because she has pretty much the full package. Huge charisma and funny personality, doesn't take herself seriously, co-writes all her material, a banging body, and that HUGE voice. She could also sing live brilliantly (see below).

R85 yep that's her singing the intro, she does it live as well

I can remember her BURSTING onto the scene in Australia, an overnight sensation and was definitely sold as being some kind of pre-existing superstar in the US. Which seemed perfectly believable her coming at the tail end of other female rockers like Alanis Morrisette.

I think I used to date her.

Or Falco.

Maybe it was Taco.

The last fifty years have been a blur, darlings!

Love her abs! Does she do 10,000 sit ups a day or something?

How can she do so many sit-ups? She must have diarrhea all day long if she has Crohn’s Disease.

She's American???? This entire time, I've been thinking she's Russian.

Her background is German-Irish.

Over 100 replies, and no mention of whether or not her pussy stinks?! Come on, DL!

Moar!

Is she black or what?

Just how old is she??

Bad Girls at the Brit Awards with Jamiroquai (her entrance is at 1:30)

I enjoyed the clip at R106 — love Jamiroquai!

That's a cool combo! SHe kind of blows him off the stage though. I tried listening to her more recent stuff and didn't like it as much, i'd love to see her return to more of the R&B / funk / disco sound she started off with. Even an album of covers singing diva classics would be fun (and not a bad business move).

Cute commercial!

She was no Slim Whitman

LOL, R110!

Love this song and performance!

I like this one.......

They tried to pass her off as 27 when she was 35 and looked 40.

Nobody bought it. And it was particularly shameful that they announced a "28-year-old" had breast cancer.

Plus, she sucked.

Well, she lives in Florida now.

She sucks? No way R114!

[quote] They tried to pass her off as 27 when she was 35 and looked 40.

So, she's the Andrea Zuckerman of Pop Music?

Lol R116!

Her style evolved drastically from her start

I had a lesbian friend back then and since she couldn't shut up about how much she loved Anastacia, I stupidly boxed her in the lezzie-singing-for-lezzies corner just as KD Lang. She was massive in France as well (I'm Outta Love went to # 2 locally) for like three years.

She really looks different without the glasses.

Anastacia has a truly spectacular voice: incredibly strong, agile and with a huge range - she can belt higher than many so-called pop "sopranos" even though she's a contralto, and her tonal quality doesn't change and she doesn't lose clarity and power no matter how high or low she goes. Her problem is that her voice is a bit too throaty for most people's tastes and she has a tendency to belt EVERYTHING at 100%. She needed a little more subtlety, although her repertoire is extremely diverse. She can be overwhelming, but she is, on top of it all, very versatile.

Still, she has some truly brilliant songs and she deserves to be much more successful than she has been. I think that what had a very negative effect on her career was the fact that merely after her third (and very successful) record, Sony Music released a greatest hits album and refused to promote it, or any of her subsequent releases. She still had at least another two or three hit albums in her, but Sony just pushed her aside and promoted other artists who were less deserving. I definitely believe what R1 is saying - a glorious talent like hers can only not succeed if someone very powerful sabotages it.

All in all, this is a pity: she should be successful everywhere, including the US, and she should still be selling millions of records and moving huge crowds.

Check out 5:05 and beyond in this clip. She is singing a cappella and sounds amazing !