Nena
Oldschool

She burst onto the scene in the early '80s with a hit that climbed the charts all over Europe. A few years later, her band broke up, and she went solo. Her first two albums didn't sell well, and Sony dropped her; she didn't flinch, founded her own label (The Laugh And Peas Company, a brilliant name by the way), and after a few years, she started to really gain traction. The synth-pop of "Jamma Nich" and the lively, inspired pop-rock of "Wenn Alles Richting Ist, Dann Stimmt Was Nich," then she greeted the new millennium with her solo masterpiece, “Chokmah,” a refined work full of soul and electronic influences. She tackles covers of various kinds, offering original and engaging interpretations as only she can, and then confirms her prowess with the electro-rock vigor of "Made In Germany." Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know about you, but in the face of such a career, I bow; to me, Nena is a point of reference, a certainty, an example. An example of passion and dedication above all; being considered a one-hit-wonder of the '80s is something that irritates her terribly, as it should, and the message of her eleventh solo album is precisely this: I may be "Oldschool", I regret nothing, but I move forward on my path, looking ahead and not back. I'm beautiful, fit, have a great voice, have style and talent to spare, and I prove it once again.

Oh yes, once again Nena does not disappoint and showcases her characteristic dynamism, offering something completely different from her predecessor "Du Bist Gut." An introspective but also grandiose album, elaborate, with great atmospheres and great songs, yet perhaps a bit too verbose—that was "Du Bist Gut"; "Oldschool" instead is lively and vibrant, with most songs just three minutes long, give or take, and Nena brings out all the grit and vitality she's capable of. Synth-pop, dance, pop rock, EBM: a general summary of all the styles she's dabbled in over time. At 55, with her prestige, she can afford it, and even something new: "Oldschool" begins with her rapping over an electronic techno/minimalist base, an unexpected and fun first dance. In rapping, Nena chooses to focus on the words, on a sharp and unequivocal rejection of a preconceived and stereotypical image. And I say first dance not by chance; this album is a rapid flow of lively and upbeat rhythms, sometimes even retro like "Lieder Von Fruher", stylish and elegant, and "Ja Das Wars", with contagious cheerfulness and bubblegum aftertaste, because Nena absolutely doesn't deny anything, but the range is much broader: there's the techno-trance of "Macht Doch Was Ich Will", the punk-like riff of "Berufsjugenlich", the refined "Jeden Tag", with a nice bass line and filtered voice, up to the DAF-style EBM, softened but not overly so, perhaps more reinterpreted in Nena's style (thus rendered warmer and more enveloping) in "PI (Ich Rechne Mit Allem)" and "Kreis", a ride that almost sounds like a tribute to Neue Deutsche Harte; gritty guitars and impactful electronics.

Despite a decidedly abundant tracklist (16 songs), there's no note-worthy misstep, every track is a surprise, offering a particular detail of Nena's artistic personality: among them "Peter Pan", an intense electronic midtempo noted for the excellent use of vocal effects, a peculiarity of this album, "Schicksal", dreamy and velvety, one of the finest ballads in her entire career, along with other standout songs like "Sonnemond", "Magie", "Betonblick", "Genau Jetzt". For those who know Nena, "Oldschool" is a delightful déjà vu that traces the entire time span and the most significant turns of her journey, for those who don't know her (knowing only "99 Luftballons" means NOT knowing her at all, in case there were any doubts) a great potential starting point. How can one not love this wonderful woman, this smiling, eclectic artist, always ready to challenge herself; in 2012, she was even criticized for refusing the usual gimmicky questions about the '80s and various stuff, she responded like this, as befits her, reaffirming her artistic multidimensionality, absolutely not confined to a short period and even less to a single song.