Conchita’s ‘This is Me‘ at Berlin’s Brandenburger Tor on New Year’s Eve shows we’re in for a helluva ride in 2018
If you watch anything on this the first day of 2018, watch Austrian singer Conchita sing ‘This Is Me‘ in Berlin last night. A live performance at the Brandenburger Tor, and in front of a massive crowd during the German city’s Willkommen 2018 New Year’s celebrations.
Because this performance is one of the most powerful Conchita has given in the last year as it says so much about who she is, how far she has come and what we can expect from her in 2018.
Conchita singing ‘This Is Me‘
The song ‘This Is Me‘ is from the movie ‘The Greatest Showman‘, and is a song Conchita was chosen to sing earlier in the year by 20th Century Fox Germany, the distributors of the film. (See video below)
But what is more important about this song is it could have been written for Conchita or, more specifically for Tom Neuwirth — that man always hidden behind her.
Because that man has spent most of his life compromising who he was so people would love him, or fighting to be accepted for simply being who he wanted to be.
Related: Conchita’s ‘This Is Me‘ video proves just how shy this incredible artist actually is
With ‘This Is Me‘, though, and how Conchita took to that Berlin stage last night, with her stormy glares across the crowd and the way she defiantly slammed her shoulder in time to the beat, that performance was more about her saying she was done with all that than just about anything else.
Done with compromising who she was so she could get respect from sad little people that, in the grand scheme of things, never deserved her respect.
Done with being made to feel ashamed of who she was.
Done with apologizing, and having to march to the beat of someone else’s drum when she knew all along the way she wanted to go was so much better.
Done. Done with all of it.
Except with who she is and who she will be, regardless of what you, me or anyone else thinks.
In other words, Conchita singing ‘This Is Me‘ at Berlin’s Brandenburg Tor? It’s pretty much the biggest declaration of “Fuck You” an artist could possibly give.
And it is absolutely brilliant.
A personal message to Conchita…
So, Conchita, here’s what I want to say to you in light of that stunning performance (the kickass outfit, the massive stage presence, the hitting those ridiculous high notes again and again, the motherfucking attitude!).
You kicked ASS in 2017 with your performances at Wiener Festwochen, at Life Ball, in numerous concerts in Austria and Germany with your incredible band, in concert in Linz last month, and with the release of ‘Heast as Net‘. (Videos below for those that haven’t seen these stunning performances).
You stood up to UK bigots who refused to let Syrian band Basalt perform with you at the Edinburgh International Festival and, more importantly, you stood with Basalt by refusing to go yourself.
But, most importantly in 2017, more than in any other year…you stood up for yourself.
Because you continued to change who you are, how you look, what you wear, how you behave, and what you are willing to put up with.
You also became someone who was strong enough to admit that, while fame was what you always wanted, when you got it, it made you more unhappy than you had ever been. Then you were strong enough again to do something about it to fix it.
And for me, someone who has analyzed your every move for almost four years, I have watched you change from that sweet and nice Conchita Wurst who won Eurovision and, while phenomenally talented, was still so afraid of people finding out who you were and not liking you because of it, so you said and did a whole lot of things that were never really you, to…THIS.
This incredibly powerful, supremely talented person, who stood majestically on that stage in Berlin last night in front of tens of thousands of people and proclaimed to them and to the world, “Look out, because here I come. And I’m marching on to the beat I drum“.
And this is why, Conchita, I now have a request of you.
In 2018, can you please not say “I’m quitting singing”? Not until you actually do?
Because, girl, you’ve GOT this. And you know you’ve got this.
In fact, you always had this, right from that day you found out you were representing Austria at Eurovision. It just took you a while to figure out the only thing you had to do is be you, and do what you wanted to do. Then everything else would fall into place.
And now you have?
Jesus, love, if what I saw on your face on that Berlin stage last night is just a taste of what we’ll get this year, all I can say is, yep, you are now “who you were meant to be” and… 2018 is going to be a helluva ride.
And me? I’m looking forward to every fucking second of it.
Related:Â Why is ‘This Is Me‘ Conchita’s anthem song? And so important for her?