In an interview, Mike Singer reveals how he was doing during his Covid 19 illness and what it is like to be the youngest "DSDS" juror.
Mike Singer (20, "Karma") already achieved what others dream of in his younger years. He is a regular guest on TV shows, plays his own tours, publishes successful music and is now the youngest jury member of all time for the casting show "Deutschland sucht den Superstar". His new album "Paranoid !?" will be released on Friday (November 20th). In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the singer tells how he was doing during his Covid 19 illness, how he gets along with the "DSDS" candidates and Dieter Bohlen (66) and how he deals with hate comments in the bypasses social media.
On the new album they deal with absolute lows, but also moments of happiness. Which were they?
Mike Singer: I wrote the title single "Paranoid", for example, in the first half of 2020 when I had Corona myself. At first I was only on the road for a month and was all alone because nobody was allowed to know about my participation in "The Masked Singer". After that I had Corona and was all alone again in quarantine for three weeks. During this time I thought a lot about myself and fell into a real hole. That was one of the worst parts of my life. I was really paranoid, thinking about all sorts of things. I think everyone has such a down phase. It was a new world of emotions for me.
Which corona symptoms did you have?
Singer: I no longer had any sense of smell or taste. I've never had that before. I was also totally exhausted, had a slight fever and just lay around the whole day. I went to sleep at 9 p.m. This is not normal for me. I actually stay up until three or four in the morning because I play music all night. I was fine after about a week, but I was still in quarantine for three weeks. My best friend Mike used to put food in front of my door. I was also very careful because all of my family lives not far from me, including my grandparents. I didn't want to take any chances and totally isolated myself.
Did Corona still have positive effects?
Singer: I was completely at home for two months. That hasn't happened in the last four years, I was out and about every day. I really enjoyed the time. Still, I noticed that I couldn't take it for long. I always have something to do, wanted to write new songs and make videos. It wasn't a vacation either, I was locked up at home. At some point I had looked through Netflix.
Many teen stars like Justin Bieber crashed at some point. How do you keep fame from going to your head?
Singer: I'm a great family person. My family supports me in everything. I have a great team, great family and great friends. I don't have many friends, but I can really trust a handful, I can laugh and cry with them and they get me out of everything. I am very lucky. If I didn't have my family and friends, it would have been difficult for me. Then I wouldn't be where I am now. My family members are like friends to me too. For example, I like to have a drink with my uncle in the evening.
You also struggled with Fake Friends for a while, friends who just wanted some of your fame.
Singer: I started my career when I was 14 years old. As I got better known, I got to know more and more people. At some point I started building a protective shield around myself. Now I can tell if someone is serious about me. Many friendships have broken up because you have different interests or one of them is jealous of the other. I am always polite and respectful to everyone, but when I see that this could lead to a friendship, I am very careful now.
You are very active on social media. This also makes you very vulnerable. How do you deal with hate comments?
Singer: There are always comments from people who don't like me or who don't like my music. But I don't pay any attention to it. There are far too many positive comments for that. Sure, it hurts when you read something negative, but I prefer to concentrate on the positive.
Soon you can be seen on TV again. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being the youngest juror on "DSDS"?
Singer: I'm on the same wavelength as the candidates. Most of them are a little older than me, around their mid-twenties, and trust me quickly. If I have a tip for my peers, they'll take it better too. During the recall, for example, I visited the candidates in the villa. They were really happy, it was like being on a friendship basis. But of course there are also candidates who then said backstage: "20-year-old Mike says no, but I'm 35." I can understand that too, I'm younger. But I get involved with everyone and give my honest opinion. In return, you have to get involved with me. I've had so much experience in the music business, been on my own tour and wrote songs.
You get on very well with Dieter Bohlen. How would you describe your relationship?
Singer: I've never met someone like Dieter. He has achieved so much in his life and had such great success. I was very excited when I first met him. But he was very friendly from the start, listened to me and let me know. That impressed me. We get along very well. Sure, Dieter is Dieter. Sometimes he has his phases when he freaks out in front of a candidate. But that is always justified. For example, the candidate was often disrespectful beforehand. Then you can also press a saying.
Did Corona depress the mood at "DSDS"?
Singer: We did a corona test every day. That was very uncomfortable. As a result, we were always on the safe side. Nevertheless, all employees wore masks and there were disinfectants everywhere. On the ship, the jury room even had to be ventilated after every third candidate and we could only continue after five minutes. That dragged everything on a little. The mood was still bombshell. People were more pleased that the show could take place despite Corona than being intimidated by it.