Anastacia (English version)

Anastacia ... I knew her music from mega hits like Outta love, Not that kind, Paid my dues. Although quite impressed by that fantastic voice of her, I never ran to the stores to buy one of her cd's. I have to admit that now with deep regret.

Something definitely changed when in January last year I heard that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. That feeling of connection that seems to unite (ex-) cancer patients had hit me once more.

I immediately surfed to her website and even sent her an e-mail to wish her all the best. An e-mail that she probably never set eyes to, but still, it gave me a sense of well being being able to send it.

Since then we did not hear any news from nor about her. When I incidentally heard one of her hits from 2001 and 2002, I always wondered how she was doing during her treatment, what therapies she was going through, how she was feeling under it all. In short, I wondered about all those things that you wonder about when you hear that once again someone is struggling against breast cancer.

It was clear to me that all her energy went to the fight against the disease. No interviews, no gigs, no new records.
I identified with that pretty much. During my 8 months of therapy, I could not think about the worries at work either. I heard, saw and read a lot of nice colleagues, but we never discussed the problems at work.

No, the enemy that tried to conquer my body had to be fought with all means.

And then, last Tuesday, driving back from work, I thought I recognized that fantastic voice in a song I had never heard before.

A happy feeling ... was she through with it, was she back? Yes, indeed, I had not made a mistake; they confirmed that it was Anastacia performing her new song "Left outside alone". And what a powerful song was that! I needed to hear it again, as soon as possible, no time to waste.

So once at home, I immediately went on the web to surf to http://www.anastacia.com. Fantastic, a new cd was announced, its official release date only a few days later. The website said that this new cd would be based on her experiences of the past year, based on her struggle against her illness.

(Anastacia)
The experience was not pleasant. I usually look for the bright side of things, but so far nothing about making this record was positive for me. My doctor told me I'd be tired, not stupid. I could not focus on anything. I'd write a verse and then I couldn't write the chorus or I'd write the chorus but couldn't write the bridge. I couldn't talk, I couldn't think straight, I was totally out of it the doctors said I'd be tired - but of course I had insomnia. It was tough.

(...)

I was aware of what I was writing, of what was flowing from my heart and I was aware that people listening might be reading into the subject matter of the songs. I challenged myself both lyrically and melodically to stay true to those feelings and at the same time to use them in a positive way. You see, I need to see life through rose colored glasses and while that view might have been clouded at times while writing some of these songs, I'm hoping that people will see that and feel that in this album.

And now I have the precious thing here at home.
I read and reread the lyrics, listen to the emotions in every song, recognize things or think that I am recognizing them. Yes, this is a record that really touches my heart and soul.

Maybe, even surely, I am doing some Hineininterpretierung. Some songs could definitely be interpreted in another way, but ... who cares? The only thing that matters to me is what I can find in them, what I can hear in them.

I hear someone expressing

that the battle against cancer is heavy (I'm sick and tired of always being sick and tired),

that it is not easy (It's so heavy on my heart),

that it is hard (I've hit about a million walls),

that it messes you up (My dreams of fairy tales and fantasy were torn apart. I lost my peace of mind somewhere along the way),

that it scares you (Are you scared of today? Heavenly father … please … save me),

that you need all the support you can get (help me to win this twisted war inside me),

but that you are not always getting that support (your love isn't fair, you live in a world where you didn't listen, and you didn't care),

that sometimes you are let down (left broken empty in despair).

But most of all I am hearing someone who is showing

that cancer does not have to be the end (you can survive what lies before you),

that in spite of the disease you can still live your passions (My life turned around but I'm still living my dreams),

that you can still work

that you can still be creative

in short, that your life does not stop because you are diagnosed with cancer (welcome to my truth, I still love).

I hear a lot of messages that can mean something for every cancer patient.

And then I have not told you anything yet about the music. Well, it's simple: this album contains twelve great tracks, every single one of them. Clenched energy, emotion bursts out of the speakers. This rocking Anastacia pleases me superlatively.
The sound volume I am using, is probably provoking the patient neighbours, is making passers-by shake their heads when I am waiting at the traffic lights, but is simply giving me an extra doses of positive energy.
So forget about taking extra vitamins, just put Anastacia in the cd-player is my new credo!

This cd is an important statement to the world. Anastacia has proven, for once and for all, that she does not only have a powerful, strong voice, but that she is a powerful, strong lady. So I declare myself as a lifelong fan from now on. Sorry, Bono, but you will have to share me from this day on ...

Anastacia will be on tour on the 28^th of September 2004 in Rotterdam (Netherlands) and on the 8^th of October 2004 in Antwerp (Belgium).

Nederlandse versie