As a crazy Fierce fan would say
“Praise Ha”;
Meeting Stephanie Fierce written by Jacob Diaz Now before I begin this article, I’d like to say that I was not in any shape or form a fan of Fierce, so I’d like to believe that I am being unbiased and honest in this. As you may already know, I have not said the nicest things about Fierce in the past, simply because I was never really into her image and never really gave her music a chance. Now, before her fans come knocking on my door, please understand that I have grown to like her a nickel’s worth more after this interview and I am now fairly getting to know where she comes from and why she might be the way she is. Anyway, as bloggers it is our job to hate anyone that is successful, that’s what makes something a worthwhile read right?
Well, we’re 5 minutes deep into the GQ photo-shoot with Stephanie Fierce and already both men and women are licking their lips as they watch Fierce strut her stuff for the intrigued lenses of photographer Terry Richardson. However, I also couldn't help but feel amazed by the talent she had as a model. She sure made it look easy, but I’m sure that at this point it all comes very natural to her. The hard part was holding back my thoughts, but as a professional mature grown man I was thankfully successful. But I shouldn't be the only one feeling guilty. At one point, Fierce left Richardson himself with sweaty hands as he worked the camera and had to grab towels to wipe the lusty sweat off. Both he and Fierce joked around but I could tell that Fierce kind of felt weird about the situation but jokingly laughed it off. As I watched Fierce make facial expressions that might make a grown man cry, because it was that fierce, I couldn't help but realize that it was she who I was going to interview just in a few moments. Just two years ago, Fierce had given birth to her daughter Helle and here she stands with packed abs that men might beg to have and a curvy body that I’m sure will motivate all mothers-to- be to urgently hit the gym as soon as they pop out their little ones.
But it wasn't just her looks that caught my interest; it was her humble but bubbly personality that quite shocked me. As she made her way to the food stand where I was standing during break, she immediately without hesitation put her hand out in front of me to shake my hand and introduce herself. As I shook it, she looked me in the eye and warmly said
“Hello, I’m Steph, I’m really excited to know that you’ll be interviewing me very soon”. She smelled so good, that I took a couple of silent sniffs before I could even speak.
“I’m actually honored Mrs. Fierce” I responded trying my best to not seem intimated or nervous.
“I’m not your professor, you can call me Steph” she jokingly said and then embraced an angelic smile.
“Right”, I immediately responded to assure her I understood her joke. Soon enough I was already falling under her spell, but I couldn’t help but respect her humble kindness that many pop stars on her level do not have.
One thing for sure, there is a difference between the twitter persona of Stephanie and the persona she has in person. She even sounds more motherly and profoundly educated in person in contrast to what I use to say about her. Guilty as charged.
1. How do you feel musically right now? If you could describe yourself in a musical sense, what would you say? Stephanie Fierce: I really feel like I've brought a lighten candle into my music playlist as of late. Lately I've been listening to a lot of modern bright pop records, which is really strange. I’m telling you
(laughs) I’m like the pickiest person. One day I hate pop music and I turn into this alternative rock loving chick, then the next I’m seeking grunts and acapellas from Bjork. This time however, I've been stuck on a little more of the mainstream side. I've been listening to people like Isabel to bands like Teen Titans. Right now, I definitely feel much freer and bright spirited. I'm totally picky when it comes to pop records and I'm kind of loving embracing my more girly side, and not being so indie and emo all the time
(laughs). I think I’m just happy overall, but in the end my music taste in variety is probably as wide as Suzie’s walls.
“I immediately spilled the invisible drink out of my mouth, as Fierce finished her last sentence. I was in shock and in disbelief to what she had just said. So shocked, that I even asked her if she wanted to keep that last part in. She then told me “hell yes” and that she had nothing to hide." 2. How has the reaction to your latest CD been?Stephanie Fierce: If we're talking about the "Man Music" E.P, I think the reaction has been great overall! In terms of commercial success, the album itself reached the Top 5 with absolutely no promo. I don’t think the album was meant to be this mainstream success, so it was kind of like an extra gift for my fans, to hold them over for my next record. I personally feel like that E.P. was one of my strongest records both lyrically and sonically. Plus, I got to collaborate with Alicia Lena, so that was a great experience! Now my last actual studio album, I think that I was a bit confused and I think I was not pleased with my organizational skills during the release of that record
(laughs). I confess to the fact that I messed up and I simply kind of regret doing certain things.
“I was more confident at this point and I was ready to dog in to the more tougher questions”.
3. So moving on to your new album! You decided to call it “Immortal”. Why “Immortal”? Stephanie Fierce: Part of the reason I named the album "Immortal" is because I feel like I'm capable of doing what I love for the rest of my life. No matter what you do, you shouldn't feel limited or like you have some sort expiration date. With that being said, I could honestly open up and say that I do feel insecure sometimes because of what people have said about me, getting old, being washed up and having a child as if that were a bad thing. I am willing to admit that I have even felt hurt by certain things people have said about me. Even though I pretend like I’m this strong person all of the time, I’m not. I am cocky. Very cocky! But at the same time, I know I'm not perfect. People think that I am always this outspoken person. But there are things that I do hold back, there are things that I am afraid to speak about. I'm not just this strong person that people make me out to be, I have weaknesses and like any human, I can make mistakes. I have flaws. I could feel hurt by them. I think part of the reason I’m so defensive of myself, is because It reflects my insecurities as a person. I do cry at times, because it’s hard with all the pressure that is put against me. People have raised the bar and expectations and when you live your life trying to please everyone all the damn time, it gets to you. Immortal just represents the strength I've built throughout my career both as a person and as an artist. It's about embracing how youthful and powerful I feel inside. I feel like I could live forever recording this album. No matter how much success I see, no matter how much I sell, I've built a pretty strong empire and I will always strive for my best. I've gone into genres of music that many pop stars are afraid to go and I've fully embraced them live on tour. But like I said, I don’t think I’m perfect but I do feel like I do not have an expiration date and there’s much more to come. I have to live my life and I have to be happy.
4. Are you worried about the commercial success of this album? Stephanie Fierce: No. Many times in the past, I've completely just kind of stopped an era, because of commercial success. This time, that's not happening. I could be at the bottom of the charts or top for all I care. My fans will get to experience this record in full. I feel like that’s what is going to be different, this time around. I’m fully going to embrace this album.
5. How long did this CD take to make from start to finish, recording-wise?Stephanie Fierce: I'm still recording. I began recording at the end of October of last year. So, it's been a few months, yeah. While it sounds like a long time recording, I've actually only recorded a few songs, because I'm doing each song from scratch, so it's not like I have a demo or anything to build from. I've never done demos in my life. The only time I ever did them was for my first studio album "The Past, The Present and The Future of Pop". I do however, have all the songs written. The lead song came very clear to me actually. Once I wrote it, I was pretty much confident that it was going to be the lead song of the album. It’s really an empowering record.
6. What kind of 'sound', production wise, did you have in the back of your mind, prior to entering the studio? Stephanie Fierce: I wanted to do something completely new. I think that at this point in my career, it seems like I can only build off of what I've released, because it is so much material and sounds that I've covered. I have definition and I have a mold that people are used to seeing and hearing. So I wanted to do something that kind of breaks that mentality and it came very clear to me that I need to make records that represent happiness and joy. I haven't done that as much in my music. Most of my songs are about heartbreak and negativity but, in order for me to break that habit or spirit I needed to record a song that was going to throw all that out of my body. I needed that something that I could lean on, whenever I felt weak. That's how the lead single sort of became or happened. It's a rough record. It's angry but it's powerful and I feel like people will be able to kind of release stress with it, kind of like it did for me. But the next song after that will be much brighter and the contrast will weight itself out. Like even my heartbreak songs are fucking happy and joyful and bright spirited
(laughs). I'm not even joking!
7. Please inform us about your favorite songs and lyrical highlights and why?Stephanie Fierce: I notice that when recording this album, I actually sounded much more girly in certain songs. So, in contrast to the lead single, which is strong and dominant, I think this album has a sense of girlyness and blondie valley girl kind of attitude. It's really fun and loose. Kind of 80’s/90’s pop meets crazy Stephanie Fierce
(laughs). It doesn't have not one depressing backbone in it I can assure you that! As of now I cannot confirm any songs or anything. Not even the title of the lead single. You're just going to have to wait a little bit more
(giggles evilly). I also can’t really chose a favorite song at the moment.
8. Now I know you've said that “Love is Lust” incorporates all of your albums together, but that lead to disorganization and unfortunately abandonment to some of the great songs that could have possibly been singles. Do your past albums ever get in the way of the creative process when creating a new album? Did they get in the way of this one? Stephanie Fierce: I'm glad you asked that question. I can fairly say that yes, that's what had happened with "Love is Lust", I was confused to how I wanted the record to sound like because I was trying to capture all of my albums in one. It was a mixture of too many things and it ended up looking much disorganized. I will admit to that but, with this new album, I had a clear vision and I knew what I was seeking. It was a complete different experience and I think that I learned a lot from my past mistakes while recording this new album and I think as a professional you have to admit your mistakes and learn from them. So before I even wrote a song for this album, I had an intervention with myself and I made it very clear that I was going to have a concept and stick with It and not get lost in my thoughts.
9. Did the record company interfere with anything on your "sound" and songs? Stephanie Fierce: Never. Well, now I manage my own music, so I’m my own boss. But, the only way I'd even sign a deal with a record label company is if I have total control of the creative process, the whole record itself actually. That's the only way I will acquire what I am seeking, having total control.
10. Are there any 'crazy' behind the scenes moments from these sessions that you can share with us? Stephanie Fierce: I actually attempted to use autotune for the very first time. I've never in my life used auto tune before, not even for "Artistic Purposes". When I did, I sounded a hot mess, and I immediately promise myself to never do it again
(laughs). There's no autotune on this record I can assure you that.
11. How would you describe the sound of your new CD to any potential new fans? Stephanie Fierce: That’s the worst question you can ask an established artist!
(laughs) I wouldn't necessarily say that it is a "new Stephanie Fierce", but I think this record sounds completely different from any of my albums I've done in the past. So I’m kind of testing waters here, but It's clear that I want my fans to understand that I have to grow as an artist and I have to move one from certain things and not repeat myself and that's the risk I'm willing to take. So, whether or not I develop new fans, I’m here to make the music I want to make, keeping my fans in mind, but also my personal interest.
12. So let’s talk about your actual lead single. When is it coming out?Stephanie Fierce: It’s coming out February 3rd and I will be performing it live at the Superbowl.
13. That’s a huge deal! Can you tell us any information on the song? What would it sound like? Name or anything that the fans should know before release?Stephanie Fierce: Nope. Other than what I’ve said already, I can’t really spill a thing as of right now. This project is very top secret as of right now. I’ll soon open the window and you’ll be able to smell my cooking though.
14. Don’t do this to me Steph! (I Laugh) How about a hint at least? Name of the producer? Stephanie Fierce: Nope. Nope. Nope
(laughs evilly) Sorry but you gotta wait just a little tiny bit longer. It will be worth the wait though, I promise.
10 Reasons why Men Will Leave their Wives for Stephanie Fierce 1. Stephanie Fierce is apparently worth 496 Million dollars. That's nearly a half shot of becoming a billionaire. Which is why if Fierce offered a man to marry her, they would say yes in a heart beat. Men can be gold diggers too you know! But I'm sure Fierce could offer much more than money (cough cough)
2. That voice! Imagine the incredible notes Fierce could hit in bed. We men can be a little kinky you know. Put that good voice to good use!
3. ALL REAL! No offense to Suzie or any silicone lovers. But the woman pictured here is all real woman. No fake boobs, no booty shots, no implants of any sorts, no botox. Plus, Fierce has one child to her name. How is it all possible? Well, let's just say that Fierce has a very rigorous gym schedule, that most men would dream to have.
4. Flexibility! You know what the say about a flexible woman right? Oh, get your mind out of the gutter you men! I'm talking about those flexibility skills Fierce could maybe use in the kitchen. Just imagine, the work it takes to bend down and slide over to pour in recipes as a woman cooks. She will need her flexibility to prepare that hot meal you want after a long day at work. We joke, we joke. Feminist calm your kit kats.
5. Dance Moves! Just imagine, one night, you're watching the game and it's all over. You're mad because your favorite team lost. There's nothing on to watch and you're all depressed with boredom. Well, if Fierce was your wife you can just simply ask her to dance for you! That's right, and for free too! What a freaking deal!
6. Music Knowledge! If you were one of those guys that wanted to start a band with your ex college buddies, you can simply just ask your wife Stephanie to do all the music composition work for you, and even write you your first certified hit song. You definitely cannot beat that!
7. Sex! Fierce herself stated in her song "Lube" from her 5th studio album "Free" that she is a freak, and even hinted that she likes "anal". Whoa! That is kind of freaky, but at least you have more options there! Especially if you wanna avoid a minni me Fierce running around!
8. Power! Every king needs a Queen right? Fierce is acclaimed as the Queen of Pop.
9. Dude! She can get you free tickets to the superbowl! Just imagine! Sitting front row, watching the game of your dreams, and watching your hot wife kill the stage during half time instead of some boring old act with rusty vocal chords thinking their 17 again.
10. Last but not least, She's immortal now dude! I mean, maybe she can turn you immortal as well with her fierce powers! Just imagine all the endless immortal sex you can have....wait we're talking about sex again aren't we? Oops!
