Patricia Kelly releases new music. She looks back on 2021 and notes: It was “one of the hardest years of my life”.
Shortly before the end of 2021 there will be new music by Patricia Kelly (52): The singer will release her album “Unbreakable” on December 30th. The long player is one of her most personal works. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the 52-year-old looks back on the year that was not an easy one for her. Among other things, she was seriously ill with Covid-19. She says a recent follow-up examination found that her lungs are no longer inflamed. “I cried with relief, it was a great joy for me,” says Patricia Kelly about the moment. She also reveals why she “does not see herself as a strong person at all”, what defines her love for her husband Denis Sawinkin (48) and what she plans for 2022.
Your new album “Unbreakable” will be released shortly before the end of the year. What can your fans look forward to?
Patricia Kelly: I would like to say that it is my most emotional album ever. For two years I worked on it with my team of co-writers and producers from LA and London, the best people. I am very enthusiastic about the songs, there are more up-tempos than on my last album, I have stayed true to international pop. I produced almost 30 demos and in the end I chose twelve really strong tracks. I gave everything, bleeding for this album. There are very strong ballads, but also numbers to dance to. I am very proud of this baby, very satisfied and can’t wait to see how people think about it.
What was your inspiration for the new songs?
Kelly: Definitely life. My own, but also that of others. I am fascinated by the miracles we humans are. Recently I was at the check-up and when I saw my heart pounding during the examinations, I thought: This heart beats day and night, it never comes to rest, for 70 or 80 or 90 years. It’s really fascinating and I’ll probably write a song about it too. I am inspired by everything that moves me, what touches me emotionally and what I experience. Life always brings new material. I prefer to write about my own experiences because of course that has a different weight for me.
“Unbreakable” pays homage to your husband Denis, to whom you have been married for 20 years. What is the secret of your long marriage?
Kelly: If I knew the secret, I would immediately share it with everyone. I am very aware that it is not a matter of course to have a life partner with whom I share my life and who gives me happiness. Before I met Denis, I was heartbroken after another. So I already know what I’m talking about. We love each other very much, there is a deep affection and respect for one another. We cultivate romance and spend time together. We are very close to our bodies, we kiss a lot and we talk about everything. Not only about the beautiful things, but above all about those that are not so pleasant.
I’m a Scorpio and very straight forward, which sometimes means that I’m a little undiplomatic. Communication is essential in a marriage. I feel like an old woman giving advice to young people here. (laughs) If I’m being completely honest, I wonder why we’ve been together for so long and still in love. We’ve had our ups and downs and our crises, but it was always clear to me that Denis is the man of my life. I am grateful to God and life that I hit the bull’s eye.
What are you particularly grateful for?
Kelly: Gratitude is one of my great values. Always be grateful for everything. Above all, I am grateful that I have the ability to feel love in my heart, to give and to be able to receive. Love is what keeps the heart soft and flexible, what a person needs in order to come out of himself and what goes beyond the egoism of the individual. Basically, love feeds me more than bread and water. It makes me happy at heart. It’s not an adrenaline rush or the joy of a new bag, it goes much deeper.
You repeatedly show how important your family is to you on Instagram. How proud are you of your children?
Kelly: I am very proud of my children. It exceeds all my expectations that I have two such great children. To see her grow up and raise her up is really a dream come true for me. As a little girl, I dreamed of having a family and being happy. And I am and I am very blessed with it. I am glad that the children are happy and balanced, also during this time.
2021 was not an easy year for you. Among other things, they had a foot operation and were sick with Covid-19. Have you now completely recovered?
Kelly: I went to the check-up the other day and thank goodness my lungs are clear and no longer inflamed. I cried with relief, it was a great joy for me. I also need my lungs to sing. That worried me and I am very relieved that everything is okay there for now. The remaining ailments that I still have will also pass.
In fact, it was not an easy year; on the contrary, it was one of the hardest of my life. Lots of things happened, lots of things that I didn’t bring out in public. A lot was going on, a lot of losses. But I know that I’m not the only one I have the impression that many people felt the same way this year and that many can identify with it. It will not have been an easy year for anyone. I think we all held out bravely last year. According to the motto: That’ll be all. And this year it became clear: Covid is here to stay (“Covid will stay here”, editor’s note). The uncertainty and the question of how long will it go on, when can it be planned again?
Many will save as extremely difficult in 2021. However, I can also say that it was one of the most important years of my life. I’ve learned so much about myself and about life, I’ve had time to do things that are important. A year of contemplation in which I could look into myself and work through certain things. Now, at the end of the year, I can look at myself in the mirror and say to myself: You were brave, you did well, you had good people around you who love and strengthen you.
They also seem “unbreakable” themselves. Where do you get your strength and your fighting nature from?
Kelly: No, I’m not “unbreakable”, but I was afraid that the title would be understood that way. I don’t see myself as a strong person at all and I am sometimes amazed why I am seen as a strong woman. My faith is strong and the people around me and I have a strong will. I somehow manage to get up again and again. There are people who have worse fates than me and who master them with courage and bravery, I admire them. I wrote “Unbreakable” for Denis, but not only about our love, but also about his ability to never lose courage and hope. I admire that very much about him.
What do you wish for in 2022?
Kelly: Definitely and very clearly: health. For me and all my loved ones around me.
What resolutions do you have for 2022? Are there any that you break every year?
Kelly: I make resolutions every now and then. Not things like losing five pounds or quitting smoking, but rather in the direction of developing yourself and moving forward. For the new year, I plan to find a balance and listen to my body. I tend to overdo myself. I have a strong will, I am very enterprising and when projects are offered, I am the first to say she wants to do it. Then later I realize that maybe it was too much after all. In the new year I want to listen more to the people around me, who know me and my limits better than I do myself.
In 2022 you will go on a big tour with the Kelly Family. How much are you looking forward to it?
Kelly: Of course I’m really looking forward to it. I’m always happy when I’m with my siblings and can work with them, be it just a video shoot. We’re all crazy and quarreling, but they’re great to be with. Especially on tour. It’s always a huge party and a huge joy when the audience comes along. I’m just really happy then.