GABRIELLE | INTERVIEW

 

This UK pop mainstay’s vocal prowess has been beamed into a million lounges these last couple of months, Gabrielle starring as Harlequin on The Masked Singer. Her new album features songs from the show, covers of her favourite classics and a couple of new ones. Carl Marsh spoke to her.

 

Gabrielle’s recent primetime TV stint will have created lots of new fans for her – my daughter included. On discovering I was about to speak with Gabrielle, she rushed into the TV room and insisted that I ask: “So why did you go on The Masked Singer?” Who am I to argue with a 12-year-old…

 

Gabrielle: Oh my God! I went on it because I didn’t think it’d be hard – saying to myself, “How hard could this be?” You know, we can’t go and do shows, so it was the next best opportunity to get out there and remind people that I’m still around, because I didn’t know how long this lockdown was going to be for. I had shows to be doing at the end of the year.

You just want to remind people “I’m here!” – and I think I did that in a big way. I enjoyed doing it… in between being so hot under that mask!

 

Was it filmed quite a while ago then?

In September. It feels like a long time ago, but it took a while for it to hit our TVs – I think it was Boxing Day. And then it ran until February, and it was fantastic. And I enjoyed every moment of all the shows, you know – just tuning in and finding out who was who. We didn’t know! So I was as excited as the next person.

 

If I’m honest with you, I didn’t know much about the show until my daughter put it on, and I happened to catch your rendition of Rihanna’s Diamonds. It just blew me away – and I couldn’t think who it was! Were you nervous singing that, especially with a big bloody mask on?

You’re a darling, thank you. I was scared! I was so scared when I did that. I was thinking, “oh my god, I’m gonna end my career. I can’t sing well under this mask!” But everyone’s been phenomenal, so thank you.

 

The Masked Singer showed us all how versatile your voice is as you sang songs from different music genres. Did you get to select what songs you sang?

You’d be given guidelines of songs, and you had to make sure that nobody else has sung or chosen them. They would make suggestions, and I’d be like, “I’m not sure about that…” And so I put forth, you know, my songs. I remember putting forward Harry Styles’ Falling and Billie Eilish [Everything I Wanted] – it was a case of, you know, just having fun… but there is an extensive list. Sometimes they might not get clearance of a song that you like, but yes, you are allowed to choose.

 

Your new album Do It Again contains various songs you sang on the show, a couple of your new songs, and then some timeless classics like Fast Car by Tracy Chapman. What prompted you to select those?

Over the years, I’ve listened to so many different pieces of music, and I’ve loved so many different songs. There are thousands to choose from – but to whittle it down, they are songs that I had known and wished I could sing, but just to do my own little version, with my own small voice in comparison to the great Sam Cooke and Tina Turner, and people like that. 

 

Even though the songs are works of art, I gauge from talking to you that you really did have enjoyment in singing them – while also respecting them?

I just wanted to have fun with those songs. People might be like, “How dare you sing these greats!” but I’m not trying to be like these greats – there’s only ever going to be one of them. It’s singing it as me – Do[ing] It Again is not because they need to be done again, but it’s having fun, and doing them again because I just love them that much! With the Sam Cooke, I’ve been singing that song in the shower for years [laughs].

 

Would you have had a new album out had it not been for the TV show? 

Had I not done The Masked Singer, I would have had a brand new album out there. The actual covers album was inspired by The Masked Singer and the response I got from so many people. When I did the show, and before it even got aired months later, my manager and people like that kept saying that I should cover some of the show’s ones – it was something I hadn’t considered, bit it became a no-brainer.

By the time the show had aired, and as soon as I came out on the following Monday, we had my new single, and then we announced the album. I’m loving the fact that the timing of everything was spot on.

 

Gabrielle’s new album Do It Again is out now on BMG. Info: www.gabrielle.co.uk
She also plays St David’s Hall, Cardiff on Tue 16 Nov. Info: here

words CARL MARSH