Christin Stark couldn’t be happier: Her first child was born in March, her new album will be released soon and her club tour will start in October – on which she will accompany her daughter. “I couldn’t bear to drive off without her,” reveals the singer in the GALA interview.
Christin Stark, 32, became a mother for the first time on March 31, 2022: Her daughter Zoe saw the light of day alive and well and crowned the love of the pop singer and husband Matthias Reim, 64. While it was the first for the 32-year-old child, Reim is already a father of six – daughter Zoe is baby number seven. Nevertheless, there is no chaos in the Stark-Reim family. When Christin Stark meets GALA for a telephone interview, she seems deeply relaxed. The artist is lucky: her daughter is almost sleeping through the night at around three months old, and most of the time Christin only has to get up once a night. So the perfect conditions for baby number two?
Zoe is “such a cute, happy and healthy little baby”
In an interview with GALA, she now reveals how Christin Stark thinks about having more children, whether Matthias sometimes peels out of bed despite his announcement that he will no longer get up at night for the children and why she would never take her husband’s last name as an artist – and has to disagree with “Macho-Matthias”.
GALA: You had to postpone your new album “Damn STRONG! The Best of CHRISTIN” (to be released on August 26, 2022) because of the birth of your daughter. How is your new life as a mom?
Christine Stark: Postponing my album for my own child wasn’t difficult at all – quite the opposite. What life has given me is simply sensational. My priorities have shifted and that’s totally fine and a nice feeling.
What has changed?
Just everything. But it’s beautiful and so great to look into Zoe’s small, bright eyes. My daughter is such a cute, happy and healthy little baby who brings a lot of fun to our pad and wild life here and just adds tremendous value to our big family.
In the TV show “Schlagerbooom 2021 – Everything sparkles! Everything glitters!” in Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle, Christin Stark showed her baby bump for the first time.
© STAR MEDIA / imago images
Isn’t life in a large family sometimes exhausting?
I’ve always been a family man and Matthias’ big bunch has enriched me and my life since we’ve been a couple – next year we’re celebrating ten years, please, where has the time gone?! The fact that we are so harmonious and that we support each other as artists is a great privilege, for which I am very grateful. We have all made it our mission that family comes first and that we always support each other professionally and privately. I also never have to ask Matthias’ children if they can take care of Zoe for a moment: They see that for themselves and then immediately slip into the role of brother or sister and it’s so nice to see that. To be honest, I’d be surprised if Zoe didn’t go in the same direction with us musical parents. But maybe she will also become a marine biologist – let’s see. (laughs)
So you don’t need an outside babysitter?
Theoretically not, practically yes. We have a nanny and that’s a good thing, especially when we’re on tour. We all have to do our job and feel free on stage. But then I’m back at the start just in time for the next bottle.
Christin Stark’s new album “Damn STRONG! The best of CHRISTIN” will be released on August 26, 2022.
©Sony Music
Does that mean you’re taking Zoe with you on your upcoming club tour?
In any case. I couldn’t bear to drive off without them. And she already knows it from my gut, so to speak, since I was already on stage with her. My midwife has always told me to go back on stage when I feel like it, whether that’s in a year or a few months. Happy mom, happy baby. That was also the reason why I started performing again relatively quickly – I just love being on stage. And then Zoe just gets wrapped up and off you go!
“I don’t sing any better with a 90-60-90 body”
How did you get back into shape so quickly after giving birth?
Just between us: I’m not fit at all. (laughs) I’m just lucky with my genes, because everyone in my family is very slim, but I can tell that I still have to be careful in terms of fitness. I get out of breath very quickly, my body still needs time to recover, which is perfectly normal. What we women do during pregnancy is insane, so it’s clear that not everything is the same as before. I’ve gained a total of 20 kilograms, that has to come off first and if not, that’s okay too. The most important thing is that Zoe and I are healthy.
So you don’t go on a special diet before your club tour or have a personal trainer train you again?
For God’s sake, no! I think I would eat up any personal trainer in a heartbeat. (laughs) I’ve also never been on a diet in my life, I’m not the type for it at all, I like living far too much. And even if the last seven kilos, which I still have “more” on me, stay, then that’s the way it is. As long as my voice doesn’t change, everything is fine. I don’t sing any better with a 90-60-90 body.
You say that you don’t find it “bad” when you are mentioned in the same breath as Matthias – but as an artist you have kept your surname Stark. Why?
Matthias Reim is Matthias Reim and Christin Stark is Christin Stark. These are two completely different pairs of shoes. Privately I have also taken his surname – my name is Stark Reim – but as an artist I am and will remain Christin Stark. I’m a big fan of my last name and it’s also part of my music.
Christin Stark reveals: That was the birth without Matthias
What was it like not having Matthias with you at the birth?
The day of the birth was just magical. Knowing that I will soon be able to hold my own child in my arms is simply incredible, so that I no longer noticed all the trappings. And Matthias was there, not directly in the delivery room, but right outside the door. But I could understand his decision 100 percent, because what’s the point if he falls over next to me? But when Zoe was finally there, he was immediately at my side and had her in his arms. Everything was perfect.
I think getting up at night was Matthias’ greatest fear before giving birth. (laughs) But we are actually very lucky with Zoe, since she is now almost sleeping through the night. But if she does wake up, I immediately sit up in bed – I think that’s the mother’s instinct.
Otherwise we do everything hand in hand and I can only contradict the loving macho Matthias and say: You do everything so much better than you give yourself credit for.
So the perfect conditions for baby number two?
If everything is as relaxed as with Zoe: Yes! (laughs) I always say “never say never” but now there is no second pregnancy coming up.
Under the last holiday photo with your daughter, you received a lot of praise for not showing Zoe completely on the Internet. Will it stay like this?
We’re not people who plan, but with Zoe we really do speak the same language and we agree that we want to protect her for as long as we possibly can. I feel that such a small young creature needs time to find and develop and then right after birth to put their face in the camera would just feel wrong. As long as I can protect this little thing, I will. If she wants to have her own Instagram account at 18, she can decide for herself and have to face the consequences. Until then, she remains our beautiful secret.
You also incorporate personal stories into your songs. What’s the most personal thing you’ve sung about so far?
In titles like “I don’t” or “I can do that” I processed things that I experienced myself. A lot of people didn’t understand at first that I actually sing about it. Both songs are about how it doesn’t matter what other people say about you as long as you feel good about yourself. I can’t even remember how many people initially told me that nothing would work out with Matthias – and now? We’ve been together for almost ten years, married for two years and have a wonderful daughter. The opinion of others doesn’t really matter.
Is there anything you would never sing about?
no As an artist, I like to address topics that don’t belong to the ideal world of pop music. I respect that, but I’m not afraid.
All dates for Christin Stark’s club tour: 10/15/2022 Stuttgart (Proton cultural district), 10/18/2022 Cologne (canteen), 10/19/2022 Leipzig (Täubchenthal), 10/20/2022 Dresden (Alter Schlachthof), 10/21/2022 Hamburg (Stage Club), October 23, 2022 Berlin (boiler house)