German Sarah Connor sings sexsoul (Ilta-Sanomat)

German Sarah Connor sings sexsoul
Ilta-Sanomat, 19th March 2002

The German soul diva Sarah Connor, 21, who visited Finland yesterday, knows what she sings about. Not love or relationships, but sex.
You don't have to be an Einstein to agree with Connor. Let's take a look at the song titles on her debut album: Let's Get Back To Bed - Boy!, French Kissing, Let Us Come 2gether or for example Make U High.
- I'm very aware of my sexuality. It's a lot of fun to perform these songs on stage from the female point of view, she tells.
The response has also been good. Let's Get Back To Bed - Boy! has been a small hit in many countries.
However, first Sarah had to be able to prove to the German record companys and other associates that a German woman can sing soul & r&b. Usually these music styles are thought as an area that only black and angloamerican singers can pull off.
- Music is never a question of where do you come from or your skin colour. Or age or anything else. The only thing that matters is to put your soul into it, Connor believes.
- For me music is always the most important. Image and all the other stuff only comes second. Nowadays my music is a mixture of everything I've got influence from. I grew up listening to Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, but there's also some of today's popsound in my music.

Sarah visited Finland yesterday and promoted her new album on Joonas Hytönen's tv show. Then she popped in Sweden for the weekend and yesterday it was Finland's turn again.
- This is how my life is now, she sighed yesterday in a hotel suite in Helsinki.
- I have to be apart from my family, but it's the price I must pay, so that I can do the job that I want to do. And I'm not gonna be a singer for the rest of my life, even though I like music. I want to do something where I have to use my brain a bit more at some point.
It's being hoped that the Finns will now believe, after the Germans, that a white middle European woman can sing sexy soul pop. Like for a trade, Sarah is already familiar with Finnish music that's had success in Germany.
- Of course I know HIM, she declares.
- I've ever interviewed Ville Valo when I worked on a music channel Viva. He's really cool, but also a bit strange, even intimidating. And to be honest, HIM is not exactly my cup of tea. My sister is however a big HIM fan.