One word names are as common as pop music ruling the radio airwaves. Iconic acts such as Madonna, Cher, and Prince have no need for last names and neither does the newest force in the electro pop world.
SIRPAUL, the most independent artist you will ever meet, is currently promoting his newest album, The Horse, a dance/pop experience that will surely please devoted fans and grab the attention of new listeners.
The gay New York resident is not afraid of reinventing his sound. The new album stands on its own two feet as the artist is still trying to make a name for himself in the stale world of dance and pop.
Learn it now, SIRPAUL is one word spelt in all capital letters for a reason. “First it was a nickname my father gave me as a child. I was an adult trapped in a child’s body,” SIRPAUL says. “As I got older, I liked the fact of maintaining a certain degree of etiquette. There is a sense of respect and politeness.”
SIRPAUL is not one new to the music industry. The artist has been crafting his brand for almost twenty years. The passion for music started at an early age thanks to the legendary Cyndi Lauper. “My favorite artist was Cyndi. My siblings had Madonna, Van Halen, George Michaels and Stevie Nicks,” he says. “My parents had both made music also, so it’s in my blood, there was no escaping it.”
The artist says he was bullied as a child and music was his way to escape. “Cyndi was the only person I could talk to. When I discovered pop, the energy it evoked was strong,” SIRPAUL says.
SIRPAUL released his newest solo album, The Horse, in April on his own label, Controversial Records, giving a whole new meaning to the term “solo effort”. “I did everything for the album. I did all the artwork, the writing, the producing,” he says. “This is the album I always wanted to make. It’s my musical legacy.”
Tracks such as the catchy, up-tempo “King of the World” gives off a message of empowerment and strength. “The song sums up the moment I am at in my life right now,” SIRPAUL says. “Your life is what you want it to be. If you want to be king of the world, then you are king of the world.”
Other tracks on the project carry a more personal meaning. The sweet and touching “Lay It On Me” was written for SIRPAUL’s sister. “She is an inspiration to me. I was crying throughout the entire thing,” he says.
The album has produced one single so far, the erotic “Body Connection”, whose music video has caused quite a controversy due to suggestive scenes of sexuality while drawing comparisons to Madonna’s “Justify My Love.”
It would not be the first time the media has had a problem with one of SIRPAUL’s visuals. His first music video, “Thrust”, was banned from MTV even though it was promoting a message that safe sex is good sex. “[‘Body Connection’] is visually representing the controversy of the 80s. I love celebrating the female body. There are so many ways they can celebrate their sexiness,” SIRPAUL says. “We wanted to push buttons. Sexuality is sexuality. Funny thing is there was not one kiss or one bit of nudity in the entire video.” Nudity is found on the album’s cover art however. SIRPAUL really embodied the theme of The Horse as he is seen posing naked on top of a gorgeous black horse for the attention grabbing artwork. “I worked my ass off. I changed my diet and worked out two hours every day,” he says. “The horse is the most powerful, beautiful creature. There is an amount of strength and vulnerability.”
The photo shoot had its share of reservations. “Two things scare me. Getting back on a horse and to fall in love and be vulnerable. There is nothing more vulnerable than being naked on a horse,” the artist says.
Besides focusing on promoting his own music with countless live performance and interviews across the globe, including the Poptronik Festival in Spain Sept. 1 and 2, SIRPAUL is currently collaborating with Raja of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame for his next single after meeting at this year’s NewNowNext Awards. “I can say that we recorded Raja’s new single. It’s called ‘Sublime’. I wrote it,” he says. “It’s a catchy, electro pop song. She elevated the art to a whole new level.”
SIRPAUL’s music may not be burning up the charts at the moment, but the artist is trying to give his work a sense of identity from that of other pop artists who are becoming indistinguishable.
Recording artists are desperate to find label distribution which may only lead to more generic pop fluff crowding the top of the charts. SIRPAUL is currently on his own. No managers and no recording label. “I do not want to be a product of a record label,” he says. “Creative control is something I want. I am a super control freak.”
SIRPAUL knows how it feels to struggle in the music industry. Recognition that may be deserved is not always given. “Be sure to have a very clear point of view. Be authentic,” SIRPAUL says. “Do what you can to get noticed without betraying yourself.”
Being a pop artist was always in SIRPAUL’s future. After seven albums, countless videos and determination, the best is still to come from the singer. “When I was a little kid, I wrote I was going to be a pop singer and I was going to have a video on MTV,” he says. “It will always resonate with me.”
Just as SIRPAUL sings on “King of the World” he has proved, “If I want something done, I gotta do it myself.”
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