Michelle is incredibly proud of her new album, "Anders ist gut" (Different is Good). She even calls it the best of her three-decade-long career. That makes it exciting. After all, over the years she has sung countless songs that have touched and accompanied countless people. Just last year, she gained dozens of new, especially young, fans when "Nicht verdient" (Undeserved), her duet with Matthias Reim, became a massive hit. But when Michelle raves about her new record, there's something genuine in her voice, an almost disarming sincerity. There must be something to her perception of "Anders ist gut." After listening to the 15 new songs, you know what it is: Michelle is more Michelle today than ever before. She's closer to the people who celebrate and empathize with her because she's gotten closer to herself. She no longer needs a stage persona or layers of makeup to shine brightly. And promptly, her star shines brighter and more invitingly than ever before. She already signaled the change from the Michelle of then to the Michelle of today a year ago. Michelle ended her "Tabu" tour concerts with a statement that was also a real eye-catcher for her fans: during the last song, she removed her makeup. Mascara, blush, and lipstick gave way to a newfound authenticity. The path of naturalness and self-acceptance that she embarked upon is now also reflected in the content of her album "Anders ist gut" (Different is Good). Michelle talks about herself, about her life, she describes her long childhood pain, she talks about female self-determination, which for her existed long before #MeToo. She celebrates life, freedom, the erotic thrill, and the universal longing to be strong enough for love. In all of this, she also speaks for each and every one of us, because without the protection of makeup, she is like everyone else. Beautiful in a different way, good in a different way, torn in a different way, wise in a different way. Simply different. Uniquely different. And that's a good thing. Her "mega-baby," as Michelle calls her new album, was created with a great deal of love, feeling, warmth, and energy. During the creation of "Anders ist gut" (Different is Good), she was accompanied by two music enthusiasts who are much more than just songwriters, producers, and visionaries: Peter Plate and Ulf Leo Sommer. What haven't these two created in terms of lasting music! Rosenstolz, Sarah Connor, Helene Fischer, 2raumwohnung, and Bibi & Tina are just a handful of artists and projects that can boast the Plate/Sommer seal of quality. However, Michelle's choice of producers and songwriters for "Anders ist gut" wasn't so much because of their track record of success. "They are incredibly sensitive and have a very keen ear," Michelle recalls of the creation of her new "baby." "We sat together for hours, talked a lot, laughed a lot, and also felt very deeply together. That's how my new songs came about, songs in which I feel myself more clearly." Thoughts were free, the music was free, the three of us felt free enough to create an album that everyone is welcome to freely experience – beyond genre boundaries. The fact that "heart" rhymes with "pain" in "Vorbei vorbei" (Over and Over), the first single from "Anders ist gut" (Different Is Good), is no mere lyrical gimmick. In a celebratory, upbeat mood, with infectious coolness, Michelle celebrates drawing a line under a destructive relationship. The heart opens when listening to the beautiful ballad "Ich zieh' das jetzt durch" (I'm Going Through With This Now). It's about Michelle's path to freedom, which, despite all external obstacles, led her to fulfill her childhood dream of singing. Anyone who listens to the song as intently as Michelle sings it will discover new vocal nuances. Her voice has matured; it sounds more earthy, more powerful, more grown-up today... CD 2020 New