A vocal powerhouse with strong messages: "Pink Rebell" LEOPOLD has been conquering more and more stages, podcasts and TV shows with political and militant music for some time now. Next big dream: the Eurovision Song Contest! Our author Michael G. Meyer spoke to LEOPOLD.
Your music is unusual, especially your voice stands out from the usual pop music. How did you get your unusual voice, was it a lot of training and lessons?
I think the fact that my voice is considered unusual shows how strongly we still think in terms of gender roles. It's not expected that a man can have a higher voice or a woman a lower voice. In my case, I've always had a high speaking and singing voice, even as a child. I've always sung a lot and experimented with my voice and thus, consciously and unconsciously, trained my voice. I also had singing lessons during my studies, which allowed me to develop my voice further.
"The fact that my voice is seen as unusual shows how strongly we still think in terms of gender roles."
You are compared to Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga and some other stars, what role models do you have yourself?
Musically, artistically and as a person, I find Prince, Janelle Monáe, Lady Gaga, David Bowie and Beyoncé incredibly exciting and inspiring. Aretha Franklin had a huge influence on me vocally.
Where does the name LEOPOLD come from?
My great-uncle and great-grandfather on my father's side were both called Leopold. My parents gave me Leopold, along with two other names, as my first name in memory of both of them.
Bayerischer Rundfunk once called you a "queerness glitter bag" - what does "queerness" mean to you?
For me, queerness means being colourful, loud and proud, celebrating your own differences and standing up for them.
You're from Würzburg, no offence, but that's not exactly the queerest place in Germany. How did you grow up there and how did you get into music?
I grew up in a small village near Würzburg. Of course, queerness wasn't as present there as it would have been in a larger city. I have a great family and had a very nice, carefree childhood. Our parents did a lot for my siblings and me. We always listened to a lot of different music at home. When I was about 8 years old, my parents enrolled me in a children's and youth choir in the neighbouring village. That's how I got into music at an early age.
How is your private life Leopold, how do you separate your professional and private lives?
My name alone separates my professional from my private life, because Leopold is not my first name and I only use it on stage. As far as my appearance is concerned, I tend to walk around casually in my private life and don't wear high heels, flashy outfits or make-up. In my private life I tend to be inconspicuous and sometimes reserved and shy.
Have you experienced discrimination yourself, such as hate comments online?
Yes, I regularly receive hate messages on social media as comments or private messages. Even in real life, I'm often looked at funny or publicly insulted.
I'm very sorry about that. How do you see the debates in Germany regarding queerness at the moment? For example, where do you think we stand on the issue of "trans*"?
A lot has happened in Germany in recent years, including with regard to the gender and pronoun debate. Nevertheless, as LGBTQIA+ we still do not enjoy the same rights as cis and heterosexual people. We also regularly experience discrimination and marginalisation. The right to self-determination, the opportunity to donate blood and much more are all things that have already been initiated in some cases, but have not yet been implemented.
Queerness in pop music is more present than it used to be. How do you see that and where do you fit in?
That's true, but for my taste there could still be more queer acts in the international and German pop landscape. I try to use my music to bring queer topics out of the niche and into the mainstream, making them more accessible to people. My music itself is catchy and poppy - but with certain rough edges.
How do you deal with your look and sex appeal in public? What would be too daring for you? What is important to you to convey?
First and foremost, it's about feeling good. If something doesn't feel good for me or isn't flattering, I don't do it or don't wear it. I pursue a certain aesthetic with my outfits and performances and don't want to appear vulgar. It can be offensive, but at the same time it should be stylish and glamorous.
Your outfits are certainly very carefully chosen, do you have a particular style?
First and foremost, I look for outfits that appeal to me and that I think might look good on me. I want to look stylish and elegant in my outfits. I also like them to be more unusual and extravagant. I regularly work with different, mostly queer designers.
"The ESC is every year. And I will definitely apply again."
You were in the selection for the ESC, which unfortunately didn't work out. Are you disappointed or have you already got over it?
At first, of course, I was disappointed - also because my team and I have been working towards this for a long time. But I think maybe it just wasn't meant to be this year. The good thing is that the ESC is every year. And I will definitely apply again.
What are your next projects?
There are lots of concerts coming up again in 2022 and I will also be releasing new music. There will also be some innovations, so you'll be in for a surprise 😉
Where can we see you live next? Concerts are finally taking place again!
I will be performing again at festivals and of course at some CSD and Pride events, more information will be announced soon. If you want to stay up to date and don't want to miss anything, you can contact me at Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube follow.
