I want to be a star – Zwierciadło – 11.05.2011

http://zwierciadlo.pl/2011/kultura/kultura-wywiady/michal-szpak-chce-stac-sie-gwiazda

We present an interview with the most controversial figure of the first Polish edition of the X Factor show. Some people love him, others on the contrary. No one, however is indifferent. Joanna Chludzińska talks to Michał “Miszanel” Szpak.

– Why did you decide to perform Niemen’s song for the first fire? As other shows (music) have shown, performing “Strange is this world”, turned out to be a kind of music suicide.
– Michał: I chose Niemen’s song for a prosaic reason. I just knew it and did not want to prepare something else. Besides, I consider Niemen to be a total freak (like me), so measuring up to someone like that was an appealing challenge.

– Have you participated in any other talent shows?
– No, I have never taken part in this type of show.

– Your first performance delighted the jury, and from the mouth of Kuba Wojewódzki’, who most often obscures with cynical humor, came a compliment. Were you prepared for such a good reception?
– Probably not. I was not ready for such a good reception and opinions … In fact, I was not ready for what happened, but subconsciously, I wanted very much.

– Before you sang, the audience reacted strongly and not very positively to you image. Maja Sablewska told you to take off the “feminine bling”. Do you often encounter this type of negativity towards your image?
– Yes. In Polish society, disrupting someone’s balance is not an everyday thing. We like gray and ordinariness. We are afraid of what is different. However, I know my self-worth and I do not intend to change it.

– Where did you get the idea for such an image? Is this due to some specific inspiration?
– Unfortunately, I have to disappoint all the people who are divorcing due to this topic. My image is my personal creation, I never intended to be inspired by anyone. I know that I’m being associated with different characters, but I do not care to be the next “x” or “y”. I want to be Michał Szpak. That’s all.

– Your appearance, according to many online comments, gives people the idea of homosexual orientation. Is it right to make such a connection? What do you think?
– Image should never be connected with any such speculations. Otherwise, if I see a woman in a tracksuit, masculine-looking, I should say that in my opinion she is a lesbian

– Have you ever been picked up by a guy? (maybe some anecdote;)
– Yes, I often get picked up by guys. It’s so funny and tragic at the same time. I must be a bit of a babe since men approach me from a distance and should me drinks at the bar.

– And how did your family and friends react to your image or maybe still do?

– How do you react to comments regarding your style?
– I don’t react because it is pointless. I know my self-worth and who I am. Let people say what they like.

– You describe yourself as “colourul bird”. Aren’t you afraid that people will care more about your image than your singing?
– M: I think they are interested in both, which is why I am very with the support of many people. It is very flattering and validating.

– Kuba Wojewódzki after one of your performances said: “I don’t know if he is such a great performer or deceiver.” What do you think about these doubts from the most ‘harsh’ of the judges?
– That’s a thousand-dollar question. It seems to me that someone always tries to find faults. I don’t think it’s bad to be both. I remember when he said that – I didn’t make a big deal out of it.

– Your singing style is often compare to Violetta Villas’. Is that good or bad?
It’s a wonderful comparison. I remember that at the time they were writing about Viola in the States as ‘an atomic bomb or our time’. Her name was on billboards next to Frank Sinatra or Barbara Streisand. There was no one better than her and if I’m compared to such a pearl of Polish music it means that it’s great.

– What about your taste in music? Do you have favourite performers?
– I’ll say this: I do not have a completely defined style of music. I value different performers for different things; things that shape my outlook on life. I listen to literally everything – from classical to rap. I have no boundaries.

– On Facebook and your official fan page there are names like: „Miszanel” i „Miszel” Where did they come from?
– These nicknames are the results of my mother’s and my Italian friends’ imagination.

– You became popular in a very short time. You give many interviews, you’re not only on X Factor, but you are also invited on other shows. Every day you have more friends on FB, new fan pages get created. Has anything else changed?
– Nothing has changed in my life and the fact that I am now a public figure is still not enough. I will say this openly; I want to become a star. And to achieve this, I have a long way to go. I feel ready for it. My life looks like before with small exceptions like: giving interviews or being recognised on the streets. But besides that, I still enjoy KFC.

– What will the future hold for Michał Szpak if, perish the thought, he will drop out of X Factor?
No one knows. Szpak will never give up and allow to be forgotten. He will fly under your noses for the rest of your life and a day.

– Do you have any music dreams? I don’t know – you would like to sing the top of Mount Everest or something like that? I’m asking because craziness (apparently) suits you.
– Let it be Mount Everest. The problem is, I wouldn’t be able to breathe so I will go for singing “Ave Maria” in St. Peter’s Basilica.

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