Nina Hagen
Fearless

THE REVIEW

One of the aspects that fascinates me the most and makes me love this Remarkable Woman platonically is undoubtedly her passionate dynamism, a constant and inexhaustible desire to reinvent herself that is reflected throughout her career; when Nina decides to take a new direction, she dedicates herself completely, diving in headfirst without regard for anyone; not everyone can do this, but she can, simply because she is Nina Hagen. While many others have set their path on continuous repetitions or have miserably burned out in the attempt to change direction, she can boast never having made an album that sounds like a copy of the previous one, all without ever selling out and remaining true to herself. It's simply a matter of charisma and a bit of "boldness," there's not much more to add. In 1983, she took her first truly drastic turn, with a little help from none other than Giorgio Moroder: "Angstlos," "Fearless," without fear, beyond the explosive outbursts of "Unbehagen" and the schizoid tendencies of "NunSexMonkRock," a great album that is shamelessly pop, flamboyant, gaudy, extremely fun, sagaciously self-parodic, where Nina Hagen’s irreverent personality perfectly integrates into that bizarre and unmistakable context generally cataloged as the '80s, to the point that, in my opinion, it becomes a standard, a perfect example of excellence.

To begin with, to welcome you into the magical and colorful world of "Fearless," you will find one of the signature tracks in Nina Hagen's repertoire, perhaps her best-known exploit alongside "Smack Jack," namely the majestic "New York, New York", where the Berlin Diva flaunts her innate transformative skills by perfectly playing the part of a wealthy and bored sixty-year-old woman seeking adventures in the nightclubs of the Big Apple, not forgetting to remind anyone who may have forgotten her vocal talents of a would-be opera singer in the chorus, presenting everything in a highly enjoyable funky/urban mix. Phenomenal is the only adjective suitable to describe Nina in such a state of grace, especially because this is just the beginning. "Fearless" strings together a combination of extraordinary pop melodies never missing a beat, "I Love Paul" with an amusing little choir "Hare Krshna Hare Rama" effortlessly and naturally inserted into a light and frivolous funk, the minimal synth pop of a visionary "Flying Saucers", Hagen's answer to "Video Killed The Radio Star" in terms of effectiveness and melodic perfection, which also abound in "The Change", picking up some pacifist, hippie, and new age clichés and mixing them into an extraordinary and delightful pop song, enriched by a bit of yodeling improvisation and a reggae quotation in the finale. Nina is like that; she likes to shuffle the deck, try new paths, confuse casual listeners, and in the B-side of "Fearless," she puts in a bit of everything: a pinch of rap in "What It Is", her wandering falsetto in the oriental-flavored "Silent Love", new wave in "T.V. Snooze", ideally picking up the baton from "Born In Xixax," punk pop bastardized with synths in "Springtime In Paris", an amusing collection of French stereotypes recounted with the flair and charm of someone utterly intoxicated. This is the Nina I adore, and to finish in grand style, she unveils the Marlene Dietrich within her in an enigmatic baroque pastiche like "Zarah," an alluring and visionary fusion between past and present, operatic choruses, and pre-war lieder contaminated by disco pulses; this is the recipe for another great showpiece, often revisited in various collections, even in remixed versions that nonetheless do not match the atmosphere and eccentricity of the original.

Giorgio Moroder's influence is very evident; it is crucial to the perfect success of the album, but "Fearless" is undoubtedly a Nina Hagen album 100%, confirmed by the many trademarks, her little "obsessions" that you come to know by listening to her, the flying saucers and Hinduism, the "subliminal" presence of David Bowie, hovering like a ghost between a strategically placed "station to station" and "scary monsters" in the lyrics. And then, of course, there's that feeling of freedom that has always made her unique, ever since "Du Hast Den Farbfilm Vergessen," the genuine sincerity, without too much fuss, straight as an arrow, of a Woman for whom "express yourself don't repress yourself" is not just another slogan to flaunt but a rule of life. And when, as with all truly great artists, art intertwines with life at a profound level, then great masterpieces come on their own.