Claudia Jung has been on stage for 35 years. The hit industry changed “brutally” during this time, she says in an interview.
Claudia Jung (58) looks back on 35 years of career. During this time, a lot has changed “brutally” in the hit industry, as the singer tells in an interview with spot on news. “Schlager is no longer as accessible as it used to be,” explains the 58-year-old. “Over the years, Schlager has grown a lot. Suddenly it goes from folksy hits to Ballermann hits and modern pop music. I can’t keep up with that anymore.” She also predicts that CDs “won’t be around much longer”. Due to the streaming services, the music “is no longer appreciated very much”. In addition, she talks about her camping trip around Europe and toxic masculinity.
You have been married to your husband Hans for 25 years. What is the secret of your long love?
Claudia Jung: I always think like Dolly Parton. That’s because I’m almost never at home. When you’re away a lot, you never forget how to look forward to each other. Nevertheless, it is always important for a reasonable relationship that both sides bring along a good portion of good nerves and a lot of trust in both directions: trust in the one who leaves the house, but also in the one who stays behind.
Did you celebrate the wedding anniversary in a special way?
Jung: We went to brunch with our daughter, our son-in-law and our granddaughter. But other than that, we didn’t really care about it, no big fanfare and no party. We treated ourselves to the mobile home over the summer and spent a lot of time together, did every job together and also simply combined two weeks of work and pleasure. We drove from Gelsenkirchen via France to Italy and on to Croatia and really enjoyed it. That was like our silver honeymoon trip.
What nice experiences have you had while camping? What are the advantages of a camper for you?
Jung: That always sounds like a huge European tour, but it really wasn’t like that at all. We simply used the summer to drive to my performances in a mobile home. I always had my rolling wardrobe with me, so to speak, and that was very nice. After shooting the video in Gelsenkirchen, we made a detour to Paris. There we visited our David (Hans Singer brought his son David into the marriage, editor’s note), who now lives there, and used the opportunity to bring him some furniture that we still had in storage. From there we went to friends in Burgundy and under Mont Blanc, then to Italy to Lake Garda. Finally we were in Croatia for a few days with a performance and a video shoot, then we went back home.
Traveling by camper is always on my to-do list. There are still many corners that I would like to experience with my husband, be it Scandinavia or the USA. I find it very advantageous to have your own bed and everything you hold dear at home with you. So you always have a piece of home with you.
Her song “Artige Frauen” is an anthem for all women. How do you rate equality in the music and hit industry?
Jung: I don’t think it’s that wild in our pop music industry. I should be more concerned about equality for men. If we’re honest and look around: There are so many pop singers, almost like sand on the sea. But there are few good guys. (laughs)
How often do you experience toxic masculinity in your environment? How do you react to this?
Jung: If you let me, I’ll react just as toxic to it. Stupid sayings from men that are no longer appropriate these days drive me wild. They weren’t appropriate in the past either, but the women didn’t put up as much resistance. When something like that happens in my presence, I think I hold myself back, if only on stage.
I just recently had it: I was in Croatia at a big event and the moderator was on the stage and told really misogynistic jokes. Thank God my husband was there, otherwise I would have brought him down there. (laughs)
“Simply young” is the title of your new album. Your name is your program. How do you keep yourself so young and fit?
Jung: I think it’s because of my family, my animals and the way we live. I’m always happy when I go to the cities, like now with my new album, to Munich or Berlin. I really enjoy this for a day or two. But I enjoy it even more when I come back home, where the fox and hare are still saying good night. There are no street lamps in our hamlet, in the evening it is pitch black. I need either flashlights or lights sewn to my hat to see where the trail is. I really have my peace there, I can concentrate and reflect on everything that is important. And that makes me happy.
How do you look forward to your 60th birthday? Does age matter to you?
Young: What age? Every age affects you at some point. It’s funny, when we’re young we try to look older so we can get things before we’re 18. As we get older, we try to look younger again. What’s that crap? Are we just as old as we are! The important thing is simply to be young at heart and not let a number drive you crazy. You can always invest a lot of money in creams, injections and procedures, but at the end of the day what remains is the turtle neck and the spots on the hand that tell us how old a person really is. So from that point of view: I can do more useful things with the money.
How has the hit industry changed in the 35 years of your career?
Young: Brutal. Schlager is no longer as accessible as it used to be. Schlager used to be a very clear statement. You knew what you were getting. In the 70s everything was very clearly defined, whether Andy Borg or Adam & Eve sang. That was hit. There was also pop music and folk music. Over the years, the hit has risen quite a bit. Suddenly it goes from folksy hits to Ballermann hits and modern pop music. I can’t keep up with that. That’s too much for me. I think I’ve always been somewhere in the middle, always with a pop and country bent. I just feel at home there and it’s the kind of music that makes me happy.
Our media landscape has changed completely. Everything has gotten faster over the years. I also believe that, unfortunately, today you can no longer build careers like it was possible in the 80s and 90s. People come and are gone again. This is also due to the fact that you no longer really have to buy music through streaming services. Unfortunately, a CD has almost degenerated into a promotional item. That’s how it seems to me. It probably won’t be around much longer either. Because of the flat rate listening to music until you drop, the music is of course no longer appreciated.
Claudia Jung’s new album “simply JUNG” will be released on October 14th.