Lene Alexandra is one of our favourite current popstars in Norway. As well as releasing sugary, up-tempo, pop goodness, she’s also got a story. She shot to fame in the middle of the noughties in Norway thanks to an appearance on Robinsonekspedisjonen (the Norwegian version of Survivor). After that, a modelling career took on a life of its own – a specific type of modelling, thanks to a specific type of surgical enhancement that Lene had had done!
The FHM covers secured Lene a level of fame that meant that someone, somewhere down the line, questioned why she wasn’t releasing music – and thus awarded her with a record deal. She’d always been interested in singing (earlier in the decade, she’d auditioned for Idol, and had made it quite far, being eliminated just outside the final 30), so she was happy to finally be getting the chance to release music. However, the record label thought that it would be best to play on Lene’s other strengths, and so this was the first single;
The single hit top 5 in Norway and Finland, and top 20 in Sweden and Denmark, and even got some coverage in The Sun newspaper in the UK. A similarly themed follow up single was released, and then the following year Lene participated in Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix with ‘Sillycone Valley’, hoping to win the competition and represent Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest. She didn’t win, but she scored a hit with the song, and it was that song that made us fall in love with her. It’s clubland tinged scandipop, and we still give it heavy rotation two years later! It was followed that summer by her debut album, ‘Welcome To Sillycone Valley’ – a light, fluffy, pop album that contained two more gems that we sonically adore; ‘Sexy Naughty Bitchy Me’, and the has to be heard to be believed, ‘Sugar Daddy’.
Tiring of the focus of people’s attention on her always being about her breasts though, she finally decided to have her implants removed. She joined the 2008 line up of the Norwegian version of Dancing With The Stars, and went on to win. This clearly made her feel that the Norwegian public could love Lene Alexandra without the whole fake boob circus, and so she went back into the studio to work on some new music. ‘Prima Donna’ was the first fruit of this labour and with it, she competed in this year’s Melodi Grand Prix. And with that, she’s back on Norway’s radar. She’s currently in the studio making her second album, and we wanted to speak to her about what it’s going to sound like, her experience of this year’s Melodi Grand Prix, and of her 2008 participation, plus we wanted to ask her about the former Lene Alexandra – the one that’s irrecognisable from the Lene of today. And here’s what she had to say about it all;
scandipop: Hello Lene! So, you’ve just competed in this year’s Melodi Grand Prix in Norway. How was it?
Lene: I feel like that was ages ago, ha ha. But yeah, it’s always fun to perform on a big stage like that, and to put on a show.
scandipop: I suppose it feels like such a long time ago because you competed in the first heat, and unfortunately you didn’t progress any further than that. How did you feel about your result?
Lene: Well, what can I say! I don’t know. I guess that kind of music doesn’t really work in Norway like it does in other countries.
scandipop: Or perhaps it’s just that it doesn’t appeal to the type of people that are going to be sat at home on a Saturday evening watching television.
Lene: Yeah it’s all about the people. And in Norway, they really love ballads and that kind of thing.
scandipop: More serious music?
Lene: Yeah, that kind of music does well there. That’s what they seem to want to vote for.
scandipop: If you could do it all over again, is there anything you’d change?
Lene: I thought it was pretty good. I liked the performance. I’m sure there were some things that could be changed, but it’s too late to worry about that now, I think it’s best to just think about the future.
scandipop: Ok. Well you competed in MGP before, in 2008 with ‘Sillycone Valley’. Did you find the whole experience easier this time around, because you had the benfit of experience?
Lene: Yes, definitely. I was a lot more calm this time, and I knew what I was doing. Plus I feel I’ve grown a lot since then. I approached it differently this time too – like it’s just one more stop on the journey, you know?
scandipop: Of course. And would you do it again?
Lene: If it’s the right time and the right song, then yeah. I think it’s a fun competition, and there are a lot of nice people working on the programme too. So, I like it!
scandipop: And what’s coming up in the future for Lene Alexandra? When can we expect a new single from you?
Lene: Probably not for a while! It’s gonna take a while because I’m actually right at the beginning stages of the album now. And we want to wait until that’s ready. Some of the press in Norway said that ‘Prima Donna’ was the first single from my second album and that the album would follow soon after, but that’s not true, ha ha! I wish it was now, but we need some time to make it and figure it out.
scandipop: So it’s early days now.
Lene: Yes it’s early days. I have to write it first, so we haven’t set a date or anything yet. It’s an interesting period though – creating it, and finding the sound for the album. It’s fun.
scandipop: Well we certainly loved your first album, especially ‘Sillycone Valley’, ‘Sexy Naughty Bitchy Me’….
Lene: Ha ha!
scandipop: ……and ‘Sugar Daddy’ too, we loved that one!
Lene: You did? ha ha? Yeah it’s really fun to play and perform. ha ha!
scandipop: Do you think the new album will have a similar sound, or will you go for something completely different?
Lene: I have no idea, ha ha. We’ll see, we’ll see. I want to keep all ideas open, and find a sound that’s good for my voice.
scandipop: Ok. Well which artists and genres of music are you listening to now that you like?
Lene: Oh wow, what am I not listening to?! If I’m at home then I’m listening to relaxing music. Or if I’m in the car then I’ll listen to normal stuff like, you know, Gaga, Rihanna. But I like a lot of English pop music too, like from that girlband Girls Aloud.
scandipop: Yeah we love them too.
Lene: Especially that song, ‘Something Kinda Oooh’! It’s a really cool song. It’s really energetic and kick ass.
scandipop: It’d be cool if you used Girls Aloud as an influence for your new album!
Lene: Ha ha, well if I could have their producers, that would be great!
scandipop: True. Ok, well despite your results in Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian public obviously do love you, as you won the Norwegian version of Dancing With The Stars. Have you any more television shows lined up in the future?
Lene: Yeah I just did a dinner programme, I don’t know if you have it in the UK….
scandipop: Is it called Come Dine With Me?
Lene: I think so yeah, it’s four celebrities cooking, and they all have to cook a meal for each other and host a dinner party. I can’t say how it went, as it hasn’t be televised yet, but I surprised myself a couple of times during the filming, but I can’t say any more about that! But it was quite fun actually!
scandipop: Cool, yeah that’s the same show we have in the UK too. So have you found that the brand of Lene Alexandra has changed since your boobs have gotten smaller?
Lene: Ha ha, yes. Of course. It’s been a total transformation, and it’s constantly changing. But I guess that’s normal when you’re growing and as you get older.
scandipop: The breast implants and the caricature image obviously helped you build a career. Are you worried that your career might slow down now? Or were you getting worried that it was becoming the case that they were actually preventing your career from progressing any further?
Lene: Well, I felt that I didn’t want to continue on that kind of journey anymore. I didn’t feel like I wanted to be that kind of sex caricature anymore. I wanted it before, but something changed. I actually want to continue making music. And I didn’t need those heavy things to carry around anymore, ha ha! So I thought it better to just remove them. Now, men actually just look me in the eye, ha ha! I wanted to challenge myself and I wanted to try to do something different. I’d done all of the sex symbol, bimbo kind of thing.
scandipop: And of course, now when you get a gig as a singer, it’ll be because you are Lene Alexandra the singer, as opposed to Lene Alexandra the girl with the big plastic boobs!
Lene: Exactly. It’s more difficult now of course, but at least people will be focusing on the right thing. I’d like to have a career in music and also in ten years time too. I’m not 20 anymore, ha ha! So I need to think more about my future now. It’s difficult and it’s hard to change image, and to transform. But it’s possible. But it’ll take some time.
scandipop: And did you have fun as the previous Lene Alexandra?!
Lene: It’s been great, yeah. It was good fun, otherwise I would never have done it.
And we’re glad you did it Lene! We’re very much looking forward to hearing what her second album is going to sound like. And judging by what she said, it’s probably going to be very different from what we’ve heard from her before. But as she closes that particular chapter on her recording career, we feel that there’s one last parting shot from it, that everyone needs to hear. It’s the aforementioned ‘Sugar Daddy’!
