Was this posted already? Sorry if so!

 

Claire Richards talks feelgood new album, duetting with Delta Goodrem and Andy Bell, and her euphoric attitude towards life: ‘What’s the point if you’re not enjoying it?’ [Exclusive]

 

New interview with Retro Pop: https://retropopmagazine.com/claire-richard...njoying-it-exc/

 

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Press release:

 

CLAIRE RICHARDS ANNOUNCES “EUPHORIA” ALBUM AND RELEASES NEW SINGLE “I SURRENDER”

 

Claire Richards is back with a bang this Summer, with the announcement of her second solo album, Euphoria, and the release of her new single I Surrender, out now.

 

The album, out 25th August, can be pre-ordered here and I Surrender can be streamed/downloaded here.

 

One of the greatest and most unmistakeable voices in British pop, Euphoria brilliantly showcases Claire’s powerful and stunning vocals on a lovingly curated collection of covers of songs by female singers who have helped shape Claire as an artist and singer. The title – and sense of intense pleasure it promises – captures what the album means to her and what she hopes it will mean to fans. "Every single song is a banger – listening to this album just makes me feel good," she says. "I want everyone to whack it on before they go out and get themselves completely in the zone of having a good time”.

 

Euphoria sees Claire celebrating Celine, Whitney, Cher, Donna, Olivia and her idol Karen Carpenter. The album is almost entirely uptempo and was produced by long-time collaborator Steve Anderson (also known for his work with Kylie, Britney Spears and Girls Aloud). Wanting to find songs she could really make her own, the album features stunning renditions of Song for the Lonely (made famous by Cher), This Time I Know it's for Real (Donna Summer), Xanadu (Olivia Newton-John), Gloria (Laura Branigan), Never Knew Love Like This Before (Stephanie Mills) and Love Is a Battlefield (Pat Benatar). The album also features a couple of electrifying duets. Claire joins forces with Erasure's Andy Bell for a rambunctious cover of Abba's Summer Night City and Australian pop queen Delta Goodrem for a vocally show-stopping cover of No More Tears (Enough Is Enough), a hit originally made famous by Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. Full tracklisting is below.

 

The first single, Claire's sublime, club-ready version of Celine Dion's I Surrender, is very much a case of unfinished business. She first performed it as a solo number on Steps' 'The Ultimate Tour' in 2012, but until now, never found the right time to record it. "I also sang it during my 'Claireoke' sessions in lockdown, so fans have been asking for a recorded version for a while," she says. Claire previously supported the Canadian superstar in Hyde Park in July 2019.

 

Claire will also be playing around the UK at some of the biggest Pride festivals, including Manchester and Brighton (with her Steps bandmates). She also recently headlined Liverpool’s Eurovision Village in May performing right before the grand final, and closed her set with the album’s title track Euphoria, arguably the greatest Eurovision song of all time. Full tour dates below.

 

Claire released her debut album, My Wildest Dreams in February 2019, a gleaming collection of original pop songs, which entered the Top 10 of the Official Albums Chart. Claire has also received much success and acclaim as 1/5 of Steps, one of the UK’s most successful and loved pop acts. The band have scored multiple number one albums (including last summer’s #1 album Platinum Collection) and regularly sell out arenas around the country. Their hits include the #1’s Heartbeat/Tragedy and Stomp, epic comeback singles Scared Of The Dark and the Sia-penned What The Future Holds plus enduring classics One For Sorrow and Deeper Shade of Blue.

 

2023 Tour Dates:

05/08 The Popworld Festival, Millennium Square, Leeds, UK

06/08 Brighton Pride, with STEPS, Brighton, UK

12/08 Margate Pride, Dreamland, Margate, UK

23/08 Manchester Pride, Manchester, UK

02/09 Reading Pride, Reading, UK

23/09 Popworld Live, M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, UK

Thats interesting that Euphoria was such a last minute decision and the album takes it title from it.

Edited June 29, 20232 yr by Padamic Tension

Makes me wonder how Steps would sound on Your Disco Needs You!

Your disco needs you could be interesting but other songs I thought were songs like turn it into love or hand on your heart, both could sound interesting if really ramped up.

I wonder if this Delta Goodrem duet will pave the way for a Steps & Delta Goodrem song on their next album.

I am HOLLERING at the news that Claire doesn’t want to do Eurovision as it will be the end of her career…

I am HOLLERING at the news that Claire doesn’t want to do Eurovision as it will be the end of her career…

Source? :unsure:

Source? :unsure:

 

You could try this:

 

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=APwXEdc...881&dpr=1.1

I think she has a point. Ok, maybe it wouldn’t be as drastic as ending her career, but why run the risk of adding “flopped at Eurovision” to her career? The association would never be forgotten. She says she’s not a risk taker and it is a risk. The opportunities that would open up would be temporary! I think she’s fine if she continues to coast on being “Claire from Steps” and not rock that boat.

You could try this:

Thanks!

 

I'm sure Lisa, Lee, H and Faye wouldn't ditch her even if she "flopped at Eurovision". She will always have Steps to fall back on. :magic:

I think she has a point. Ok, maybe it wouldn’t be as drastic as ending her career, but why run the risk of adding “flopped at Eurovision” to her career? The association would never be forgotten. She says she’s not a risk taker and it is a risk. The opportunities that would open up would be temporary! I think she’s fine if she continues to coast on being “Claire from Steps” and not rock that boat.

It's ironic she says she not a risk taker but has she forgotten H and Claire, maybe that put her off takings risks for life :lol:

 

Good point :lol:

When she was younger in 2002, she must have probably thought that was a sure fire thing that couldn't possibly go wrong!

It's ironic she says she not a risk taker but has she forgotten H and Claire, maybe that put her off takings risks for life :lol:

 

:rofl: :rofl:

 

They split up Steps for that, as they thought they'd make more money as two!! :lol: :lol:

I think she has a point. Ok, maybe it wouldn’t be as drastic as ending her career, but why run the risk of adding “flopped at Eurovision” to her career? The association would never be forgotten. She says she’s not a risk taker and it is a risk. The opportunities that would open up would be temporary! I think she’s fine if she continues to coast on being “Claire from Steps” and not rock that boat.

 

 

I disagree "flopped at Eurovision" isn't going to harm her in the slightest. She is never going to sell anything outside of her core fanbase which is basically Steps fans, they aren't going to stop supporting her because she didn't do well at Eurovision. If anything it might expose her to other fans and help her shift a few more copies.

Though I don’t it will hurt her I don’t see her making a big splash at Eurovision tbh.

I disagree "flopped at Eurovision" isn't going to harm her in the slightest. She is never going to sell anything outside of her core fanbase which is basically Steps fans, they aren't going to stop supporting her because she didn't do well at Eurovision. If anything it might expose her to other fans and help her shift a few more copies.

I think it would be brought up a lot though, on the daytime TV she quite often makes appearances on, particularly in the weeks and months that followed, but beyond that too.... the Eurovision tag is for life. I don't think she'd want it to follow her around and be something that is always associated with her. She'd be the sort who'd be mortified by the failure, rather than take it on the chin. It would be harmful to her as a solo personality/celebrity in the sense that her persona is in a very "safe" place - she's well known, but not in a notorious way. She's way better off continuing being comfortable as "Claire from Steps" (which nowadays is respected!) rather than shift it to "Claire from Steps, another Eurovision failure".

 

Of course this is a completely moot discussion because she's 100% never going to do it!

It's a good point that Claire would struggle if she did eurovision and did badly but I also think if she done well she would enjoy all the positive press, I know eurovision can be hard to crack but as we are seeing more and more of now is that people are having success on the back of it. I couldn't see Claire been to disappointed if she got a solo top 10 or 20 on the back of it.

Euphoria era has started,it's all come so quick in the past week.

I don’t know how to explain this better other than she has a superiority complex when it comes to Eurovision.

I don’t know how to explain this better other than she has a superiority complex when it comes to Eurovision.

 

I can see how it comes across like that but I genuinely don’t think she sees herself as too good for it, more that it could provide a lot of backlash for her like it has for many other acts look at Englebert and Bonnie Tyler… much bigger acts than she has ever been solo and it tarnished both of them at the time.

 

She would never be considered on her own anyway, she funnily enough is not good enough for it anymore now we are taking it more seriously again.