Pretty on the Inside

Not the hugest fan of her music, but it was quite cool talking with her nonetheless. She had a voice like no other – think all-American college girl meets a ghetto Nina Simone (oh, and can you tell these questions were structured for a gay magazine?).

Princess Superstar – aka Concetta Kirschner – is the latest enfant terrible to emerge from the American rap scene. She spoke to Luke Malone about misfits, talkin’ dirty and her obsession with Missy Elliot.

Luke Malone: How are you enjoying Australia?
Princess Superstar: Oh, it’s been amazing. I’ve played twice in Sydney and the people were just going mental.

How has the gay scene responded to you?
They love it! And it’s great because the gay clubs are my favourite to play.

Your lyrics are pretty hot and heavy. Is that what attracts the gay boys?
Yeah, absolutely. I think also the campiness and the over-the-top fun – all of that.

Where did the name Princess Superstar come from?
I had this little toy drum set from the ‘60s and on the box it said Superstar. My boyfriend at the time was like, 'Why don’t you call your little project Superstar?' I wanted something even more obnoxious, so I came up with Princess Superstar. He was like, 'That suits.'

You were voted one of the most beautiful New Yorkers by New York Magazine. Do you think that your looks have influenced your career?
No, I don’t think so. I think it’s more a matter of the music. I’ve always had one foot in the underground scene where it doesn’t matter what you look like so much.

What is it like treading more into the mainstream scene where your looks are taken into account, along with your music?
I find that really sad. All the pop starlets look the same; you look at Ashlee Simpson who is becoming Jessica Simpson with all that plastic surgery and I think it’s tragic. It’s important for people who do music to have their own unique look and it’s great if you look good. But, personally, I have to work really hard at it; I go to the gym everyday and take care of myself – inside me there’s this fat, ugly person trying to get out.

And you’re always trying to keep her locked up in there.
[Laughs] For real, I have to keep her at bay. For me, the most important thing is the music – I would really prefer that people concentrate on that. Having said that, I really do love to dress up and go crazy that way as well – so it’s a fine line.

You’ve said you were an awkward teen and that school was hell. Could you tell us a little more about that?
I didn’t fit in. I went to high school in Pennsylvania and there were a lot of rich kids and I didn’t feel like I belonged. When I was 17, I moved to New York to go to college and that’s when I started to feel at home. A lot of my friends say that they felt awkward growing up and I think that a lot of cool people today were the ones that really suffered in high school.

Do you think that makes you more appealing to the misfits out there?
Yeah, I think it helps people identify with me. I was definitely not the pretty, popular cheerleader – I was the antithesis of that.

Who are your biggest musical inspirations?
I’m inspired by so much – a lot of dance music that’s coming out of France right now is pretty interesting to me: like Digitalism, Vitalic and Justice. On the flipside to that are American hip-hop artists like Missy Elliot, Timbaland and the Ying Yang Twins. Also, my parents were hippies so I love old David Bowie and Pink Floyd. I’m really kinda eclectic and all over the place, which reflects itself in my music.

If there were one artist you could collaborate with tomorrow, who would you choose?
Oh, Missy Elliot. That’s a no-brainer.

What did you think of the commercial she did for Gap?
I thought she was cute. Listen, anything she does I love!

What message would you like to pass on to your faggiest of fans?
Stay pretty – inside and out.