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Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter and former dancer. Her first two albums ''
Not That Kind ''Not That Kind'' is the debut studio album by American singer Anastacia. It was released on June 16, 2000, by Epic Records and Daylight Records. The album features production by Sam Watters, Louis Biancaniello, Ric Wake, Evan Rogers, Carl Stu ...
'' (2000) and ''
Freak of Nature ''Freak of Nature'' is the second studio album by American singer Anastacia. It was released on November 23, 2001, by Epic Records and Daylight Records. The album was primarily produced by Ric Wake, Sam Watters, and Louis Biancaniello, with addi ...
'' (2001) were released in quick succession to major success. Spurred on by the multi-platinum, global smash " I'm Outta Love", Anastacia was awarded as the 'World's Best-Selling New Female Pop Artist' in 2001. Her commercial success continued with international hits such as " Paid My Dues", " One Day In Your Life" and the official song of the
2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...
, "
Boom Boom may refer to: Objects * Boom (containment), a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill * Boom (navigational barrier), an obstacle used to control or block marine navigation * Boom (sailing), a sailboat part * Boom (windsurfi ...
". After recovering from cancer, she returned with 2004's ''
Anastacia Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter and former dancer. Her first two albums '' Not That Kind'' (2000) and '' Freak of Nature'' (2001) were released in quick succession to major success. Spurred o ...
'' which deviated from previous albums into pop-rock. Peaking at number one in 11 countries, it became Europe's second-biggest-selling album of the year. Its lead single " Left Outside Alone" remained at number one on the European ''Billboard'' chart for 15 weeks and helped Anastacia launch the most successful European tour by a solo artist that same year.Anastacia bio
(December 2011)
The album also provided another three singles: " Sick and Tired", " Welcome to My Truth", and " Heavy on My Heart". In 2005, the multi-platinum compilation project ''
Pieces of a Dream Piece or Pieces (not to be confused with peace) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Piece (chess), pieces deployed on a chessboard for playing the game of chess * Pieces (video game), ''Pieces'' (video game), a 1994 puzzle game f ...
'' was released, which spawned the chart-topping duet with
Eros Ramazzotti Eros Walter Luciano Ramazzotti (; born 28 October 1963) is an Italian pop singer, musician and songwriter. He is popular in Italy and most European countries, and throughout the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in bo ...
, " I Belong to You (Il Ritmo della Passione)". Her fourth studio album '' Heavy Rotation'' (2008) produced the songs "
Absolutely Positively "Absolutely Positively" is a song by American singer Anastacia. It was written by Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony and produced by the latter for her fourth studio album, ''Heavy Rotation'' (2008). The song was released by Mercury Records as the album's s ...
", " Defeated", and " I Can Feel You". Her cover album '' It's a Man's World'' (2012) was followed by a sixth studio album '' Resurrection'' (2014), which reached the top ten of several European charts. Her '' Ultimate Collection'' was released in 2015 and peaked in the top ten of the UK charts, giving the singer her sixth top-ten album in Britain. In 2017, Anastacia released the studio album '' Evolution'' and its lead single " Caught in the Middle". Anastacia has established herself as one of the best-selling international female singers of the 2000s and 2010s. As of 2016, she has reported worldwide sales of more than 50 million. She has had five top ten singles on U.S. ''Billboard'''s Dance Club chart and three albums on its Top Album Sales chart. Known for her powerful
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
voice and her small stature of , she has been dubbed "the little lady with the big voice". She underwent corrective LASIK surgery in August 2005, although she still frequently wears the glasses for which she became noted when she first became famous. During her life Anastacia has battled many health problems. She was diagnosed with
Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is severe), fever, abdominal distension ...
when she was 13, breast cancer at the age of 34, and
supraventricular tachycardia Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is an umbrella term for fast heart rhythms arising from the upper part of the heart. This is in contrast to the other group of fast heart rhythms – ventricular tachycardia, which start within the lower cham ...
aged 39. In 2013, Anastacia was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. In recognition of her decade-long charitable efforts in breast cancer awareness, Anastacia became the second woman ever to be presented with the Humanitarian Award at the '' GQ'' Men of the Year Awards in 2013.


Life and career


1968–1998: Early life and career beginnings

Anastacia was born in Chicago, Illinois; her late father Robert Newkirk (of German descent) was a club-singer and her mother Diane Hurley (of Irish descent) an actress on Broadway. Her parents split up when she was five years old. After her father (who had bipolar disorder) left the Newkirk family, they moved to New York City when she was a teenager. She enrolled at the
Professional Children's School Professional Children's School (PCS) is a not-for-profit, college preparatory school geared toward working and aspiring child actors and dancers in grades six through twelve. The school was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an academic ed ...
in Manhattan. After graduation, she worked jobs at restaurants and hair salons while pursuing a career in the music industry. Anastacia was diagnosed with
Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is severe), fever, abdominal distension ...
when she was thirteen. Despite her ongoing health problems Anastacia continued to pursue her ambitions for the next decade. Anastacia started her career in 1983 as a dancer for hire. Her first claim to fame was as a professional dancer (dancer for hire), making regular appearances in the mid-1980s and early '90s on MTV's ''
Club MTV ''Club MTV'' is a half hour television show modeled after ''American Bandstand'' that aired on MTV from August 31, 1987, to June 26, 1992. ''Club MTV'' was part of MTV's second generation of programming, as the channel was phasing out its origi ...
''. She appeared in two videos for American hip hop trio
Salt-N-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). Their debut album, ''Hot, C ...
("Get Up Everybody (Get Up)" in 1988 and " Twist and Shout" in 1989). In 1990, she started her musical career as a backing vocalist. She sang back-up vocals on pop star
Tiffany Tiffany may refer to: People * Tiffany (given name), list of people with this name * Tiffany (surname), list of people with this surname Known mononymously as "Tiffany": * Tiffany Darwish, (born 1971), an American singer, songwriter, actress kn ...
's '' New Inside'' album in 1990. In 1991, she featured in music video ''My Fallen Angel'' of Dominican singer/actor
Coro Coro or CORO may refer to: Entertainment * ''Coro'' (Berio), a composition by Luciano Berio * Coro (music), Italian for choir * Coro TV, Venezuelan community television channel * Omweso (Coro), mancala game played in the Lango region of Uganda * ...
. In 1992 she gained her first break as a solo singer on BET's '' ComicView'', singing Oleta Adams' "Get Here". In 1993 she moved to Los Angeles to record the song ''One More Chance'' for the producer OG Pierce but it brought no record deal. That same year the singer recorded a collaboration with David Morales called "Forever Luv". Throughout the mid 1990s producers claimed to be intrigued by her voice's unusual tone, Anastacia would be continuously told that 'her sound just didn't quite fit into any category'. In 1994, she sang back-up vocals on Jamie Foxx debut album '' Peep This'', and in 1995 Anastacia sang back-up on
Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreograph ...
's third studio album '' Head Over Heels''. By 1997, Anastacia had become a member of a band called ''The Kraze'' which she remained a part of until 1999. In 1997 she also sung in the background choir for Kurt Carr's gospel vocal ensemble called The Kurt Carr Singers on their album ''No One Else''. She had two duet songs with Cuban
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...
Omar Sosa in 1998, performing "Mi Negra, Tu Bombón" and "Tienes Un Solo" in 1999. Eventually in 1998, before turning 30, Anastacia attracted the interest of record labels after making the finals of the short-lived
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
talent show '' The Cut'' hosted by rapper Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes . Anastacia signed a contract with Daylight Records, a custom label of Sony Music Entertainment's
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
in March 1999.


1998–2001: ''Not That Kind''

Anastacia met Lisa Braude in 1997, who later became her manager and encouraged her to join
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's talent show '' The Cut'' in 1998. She made her way to be one of the ten finalists, performing her own composition entitled "
Not That Kind ''Not That Kind'' is the debut studio album by American singer Anastacia. It was released on June 16, 2000, by Epic Records and Daylight Records. The album features production by Sam Watters, Louis Biancaniello, Ric Wake, Evan Rogers, Carl Stu ...
". Even though she did not win, she had impressed
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
and Michael Jackson as well as the show's judges David Foster and Faith Evans. This led her to sign with
Daylight Daylight is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and (often) both of these reflected by Earth and terrestrial objects, like landforms and buildings. Sunligh ...
, one of
Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements Epic or EPIC may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and medi ...
's labels, by March 1999. Backed up by leading American producer/writers, she released her debut album, ''
Not That Kind ''Not That Kind'' is the debut studio album by American singer Anastacia. It was released on June 16, 2000, by Epic Records and Daylight Records. The album features production by Sam Watters, Louis Biancaniello, Ric Wake, Evan Rogers, Carl Stu ...
'' on June 13, 2000. The album reached the top ten in eight countries in Europe and Asia. It sold four times platinum in Europe and triple platinum in Australia; her debut single " I'm Outta Love" was a global smash hit in 2000, topping the charts in Belgium, Australia and New Zealand, peaking at number two in France, Switzerland, Italy and Ireland as well as also reaching number six both in Germany and the UK. In the U.S., it was only a minor radio hit. The second single "
Not That Kind ''Not That Kind'' is the debut studio album by American singer Anastacia. It was released on June 16, 2000, by Epic Records and Daylight Records. The album features production by Sam Watters, Louis Biancaniello, Ric Wake, Evan Rogers, Carl Stu ...
" reached number 11 in the UK and became a top 10 hit in Italy. It also entered the top 20 in Switzerland and France. "
Cowboys & Kisses "Cowboys & Kisses" is a song by American singer Anastacia from her debut studio album ''Not That Kind'' (2000). Written by Anastacia, JIVE, and Charlie Pennachio, the song was released as the album's third single on January 22, 2001, by Daylight ...
" was released as the third single from the album, charting in the top forty in some European countries. As the last promotional only single, " Made for Lovin' You" charted in the UK at number twenty-seven and in France at number seventy-two. While "I'm Outta Love" was a top ten hit on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in the United States, "Not That Kind" did not chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; however by the end of the year Anastacia became the World's Best Selling New Female Pop Artist at the
2001 World Music Awards The 2001 World Music Awards (13th Annual World Music Awards) were held in the Sporting Club, Monaco on May 2, 2001. The World Music Awards recognise the best selling artists around the world based on statistics supplied by the International Federati ...
.


2001–2006: ''Freak of Nature'', ''Anastacia'', breast cancer diagnosis and ''Pieces of a Dream''

Anastacia's second album ''
Freak of Nature ''Freak of Nature'' is the second studio album by American singer Anastacia. It was released on November 23, 2001, by Epic Records and Daylight Records. The album was primarily produced by Ric Wake, Sam Watters, and Louis Biancaniello, with addi ...
'', released in November 2001, achieved success in the UK where it went triple platinum as well as being a hit throughout continental Europe; however, it did not match the success of her international debut. The first single released was " Paid My Dues". The song became an overall hit, in 2001, peaking in Denmark, Italy, Norway, and Switzerland, and reaching the top ten in several other mainland European countries. The second single, released in 2002, " One Day in Your Life", reached number eleven in the UK and the top ten in many European countries. The next single " Why'd You Lie to Me" reached the top thirty in the UK. " You'll Never Be Alone", the fourth single, reached number twenty-eight on the Adult Contemporary chart in the U.S. The album was released in the United States in May 2002. Soon after she released a double disc edition featuring two bonus hits, remixes for three of the tracks on the album and two live tracks taken from a Japan gig that was performed on the September 13, 2002. '' People'' magazine reviewed her album, writing "Anastacia is most successful when she shifts gears on more reflective, folk-tinged pop-rock tunes such as "Overdue Goodbye" and "How Come the World Won't Stop" on which her more nuanced vocals flow naturally." Anastacia joined Celine Dion, Shakira,
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
, Mary J. Blige, Dixie Chicks, and
Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...
for '' VH1 Divas Las Vegas'' in 2002 and she also contributed the song "Love Is a Crime" to the '' Chicago'' soundtrack. The song peaked at number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart and enjoyed moderate airplay on Rhythmic/Dance format. Anastacia sang the official song for the
2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...
held in South Korea and
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
at the opening ceremony. In January 2003, Anastacia decided to have breast reduction because of back strain. From a routine mammogram for the surgery she discovered she had breast cancer. She immediately had surgery and
radiotherapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radia ...
. Anastacia subsequently established the Anastacia Fund to promote awareness of breast cancer among younger women. She has attributed her health scare as an inspiration for her third album. According to an interview she gave in 2005 on British music station The Box, her voice lost its power and she became unable to record, so she spent a long time writing and trying to create a sound with which she could finally be happy. As stated on the Australian talk show ''
Rove Rove may refer to: Places * Le Rove, a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France * Rove, Honiara, a suburb of Honiara, Solomon Islands * Rove, Vojnik, a settlement in the hills east of Frankolovo in the Municipality of Vojnik ...
'' in 2004, Anastacia wanted to have more edge to her vocals as she felt something was missing from her previous work. She brought in rock instruments to create a new atmosphere. She felt that she needed more funkiness and pop but not too much edge. Out of this came a new sound she described as sprock—a combination of soul, pop, and rock. She named the album after herself. Anastacia entered record studios in September 2003 to begin recording the album, working with Glen Ballard, Dallas Austin, and David A. Stewart for release in 2004. On the album, Anastacia also collaborated with
P.O.D. P.O.D., an initialism for Payable on Death, is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's line-up consists of drummer and rhythm guitarist Wuv Bernardo, vocalist Sonny Sandoval, bassist Traa ...
lead singer Sonny Sandoval on the socially conscious track "I Do". The first single, released in March, was " Left Outside Alone", which saw a change in direction for Anastacia. It was one of the biggest songs in Europe of 2004, reaching number one in Austria, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland; number two in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway; and number three in the United Kingdom and Hungary. Overall the song remained at number one on the European ''Billboard'' singles chart for 15 weeks. The song also topped the Australian charts, Anastacia's second number one in the country, where it went on to become the second-biggest-selling single of 2004. ''
Anastacia Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter and former dancer. Her first two albums '' Not That Kind'' (2000) and '' Freak of Nature'' (2001) were released in quick succession to major success. Spurred o ...
'' quickly became her most successful album to date, giving her a third consecutive triple platinum album in the UK and reaching the top of the national charts in Ireland, the Netherlands, Australia, Greece, Germany and other countries. Unlike her first two albums, which were released in her homeland of America, ''Anastacia'' was not, despite being scheduled for release on three occasions. " Left Outside Alone" was released twice, but failed to pick up heavy airplay. It only gained sporadic Adult Contemporary format airplay. Again, it sparked Rhythmic/Dance format airplay and the dance mix of "Left Outside Alone" peaked at number five on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. After the original version of "Left Outside Alone" failed to catch on after lukewarm promotion, especially on radio, the album was postponed and eventually cancelled after the release date of August 30, 2004, passed. Anastacia released three further internationally successful singles; " Sick and Tired" (which gave her another number one in Spain and another UK top five single), " Welcome to My Truth" (her best-selling hit in Spain), and the ballad " Heavy on My Heart", sales of which went towards the Anastacia Fund (a charitable organization providing research funding for breast cancer).A small batch of her self-titled album was released with a bonus DVD, poster and slip case. The DVD includes a making-of documentary, footage from her 2002 Europe Promo Tour, and a photo gallery. From September 2004 to August 2005, Anastacia embarked on the Live at Last Tour. In 2005 the tour was renamed the Encore Tour. The tour would become the second most popular tour of 2004 behind only U2. In late 2005, she released her first greatest hits collection, called ''
Pieces of a Dream Piece or Pieces (not to be confused with peace) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Piece (chess), pieces deployed on a chessboard for playing the game of chess * Pieces (video game), ''Pieces'' (video game), a 1994 puzzle game f ...
'', named after a track of the same name. The album spawned the hit singles "
Pieces of a Dream Piece or Pieces (not to be confused with peace) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Piece (chess), pieces deployed on a chessboard for playing the game of chess * Pieces (video game), ''Pieces'' (video game), a 1994 puzzle game f ...
", which peaked at number one in Spain, and the duet with
Eros Ramazzotti Eros Walter Luciano Ramazzotti (; born 28 October 1963) is an Italian pop singer, musician and songwriter. He is popular in Italy and most European countries, and throughout the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in bo ...
, " I Belong to You (Il Ritmo della Passione)", which was a number 1 hit in Germany, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland and a hit throughout continental Europe. Even though
Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
required her to release this collection, Anastacia has said that she is happy now that it was created, as it was like a "story book", or summary of the first six years of her career. In 2005, she was recognized for worldwide sales of over 20 million. Not long after the release of "I Belong to You (Il Ritmo Della Passione)", Anastacia released her first live DVD '' Live at Last'' on March 27, 2006, in Europe. The DVD contains footage from concerts in Berlin and Munich. It includes music videos to her four singles; " Left Outside Alone", " Everything Burns", "Pieces of a Dream", and "I Belong to You (Il Ritmo Della Passione)", five alternative videos ("I Do", "Rearview", "Seasons Change", "Underground Army", and " Time") to songs from her self-titled album, and a documentary about the tour. Soon after the DVD release Anastacia took a break from the music industry and began concentrating on her growing fashion line with S. Oliver.


2007–2013: ''Heavy Rotation'', collaborations, ''It's a Man's World'' and second breast cancer

Anastacia attended the memorial Concert for Diana on July 1, 2007, which would have been on Diana's forty-sixth birthday. This was one of the first major events to take place in the new Wembley Stadium, and one of her first major appearances since she took a break from the industry. She opened the medley section of the show and sang a rendition of " Superstar", from
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
's ''
Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...
'', with a gospel chorus behind her. In August 2007, a video was posted on the "Anastacia by S. Oliver" web site. During the video, when Anastacia was asked about her future plans, she confirmed that she was working on an album as well as the clothing line. A specific month of release or title was not mentioned. In November 2007, her biography on the official Anastacia websiteBiography page
Official Anastacia web site.
was updated to say there would be an album in 2008, with a tour to follow. It was in this period also that Anastacia left Sony and moved to Mercury. During an interview for the UK breakfast show ''This Morning'', the singer said that David Massey's move from Sony to Mercury was key to her own label change because Massey had originally signed her and had been involved in all of her previous albums. On July 24, Anastacia announced that her fourth studio album '' Heavy Rotation'' would be released in Europe and Asia on October 27, 2008 (and elsewhere in 2009). The album featured collaborations with producers Ne-Yo, The Heavyweights, Lester Mendez,
J.R. Rotem Jonathan Reuven Rotem is a South African-born record producer, songwriter and music publisher. Biography Early life Rotem was born in South Africa to Jewish Israeli people, Israeli immigrant parents. He moved to Canada at the age of two an ...
, and
Rodney Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...
, departing from the pop rock sound of her previous material. The album's first single, called " I Can Feel You", began playing in some radio markets on August 25, 2008.Anastacia Is Back With Fourth Studio Album 'Heavy Rotation'
. (August 21, 2008) MTV Asia. Retrieved August 25, 2008.
The second single from ''Heavy Rotation'' was "
Absolutely Positively "Absolutely Positively" is a song by American singer Anastacia. It was written by Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony and produced by the latter for her fourth studio album, ''Heavy Rotation'' (2008). The song was released by Mercury Records as the album's s ...
", later served as a promotional single only. The third official single from the album, "Defeated", was released as a promotional single in Europe without a music video. Her fourth studio album proved to be less successful; her singles failed to reach the top 40 in her most commercially successful country (UK). Anastacia remained positive, stating that other artists have faced the same problems while changing a record label, also blaming the world economical crisis and the label's decision to alter her sound from her own "sprock" sound of her previous record to a more "urban feel". In later years Anastacia regretted the change of sound, citing personal problems that led to a creative sell-out. Regardless of the lack of success, the album was ranked number ten on ''Billboard'' magazine's online "Readers' Poll: 10 Best Albums of 2008". In 2009, the Women's World Award presented Anastacia with the World Artist Award, recognizing the singer's success and ongoing positive influence. In June 2009, Anastacia began her second tour throughout Europe to promote her fourth studio album. The tour was funded by the singer herself, not her label, and was well received by critics and fans alike. In November and December 2009 Anastacia,
Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...
and Lulu were headlining the '' Here Come the Girls'' a special Christmas concert that visited the United Kingdom only. On December 7, 2009, Anastacia opened the annual ''
Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
'' with Lulu and
Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...
, performing a rendition of " Relight My Fire". The tour sold out 24 shows. In October 2009, Anastacia released a collaborative single with British band Ben's Brother entitled "
Stalemate Stalemate is a situation in the game of chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check and has no legal move. Stalemate results in a draw. During the endgame, stalemate is a resource that can enable the player with the inferior ...
", which was included on the band's album ''Battling Giants''. During the winter of 2009, Anastacia once again joined Lulu for the Here Come the Girls Tour with Heather Small replacing Chaka Khan. In March 2010, Anastacia re-entered the recording studio. Around this time, she headlined several shows at Art on Ice in Zürich, the Hallenstadion and Lausanne. Her website stated: "In a unique, groundbreaking combination of Olympic-level figure skating and smash hit pop, the music of Anastacia will soundtrack and seamlessly inspire a performance from some of the world's best figure skaters, perfectly choreographed to complement her hits." During the summer of 2010 Anastacia became one of the main judges on British talent series ''
Don't Stop Believing "Don't Stop Believin' is a song by American rock band Journey. It was released in October 1981 as the second single from the group's seventh studio album, ''Escape'' (1981), released through Columbia Records. "Don't Stop Believin'" shares writ ...
'', a contest inspired by the musical comedy-drama '' Glee''. During promotion for the reality show the singer stated that she had left Mercury Records and was without a label. Following "Stalemate", Anastacia released "Safety", a duet with Russian singer Dima Bilan, recorded in Los Angeles in May 2010. The song was performed live for the first time at the Muz-TV Music Awards Moscow in June 2010 and was released as a single in Russia in August 2010. On August 13, Anastacia announced that she would join Belgian singer Natalia Druyts for a joint tour, Natalia Meets Anastacia, for six arena shows performed at the Sportpaleis, Belgium. On August 17, Natalia and Anastacia recorded a collaborative single, " Burning Star", which was released on September 17, 2010, to promote the concert series. On November 13, Anastacia became the first international singer to perform a concert in Northern Cyprus, which is occupied by Turkish forces. In February 2011, Anastacia was a guest at the Gigi D'Alessio concert at
Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...
in New York, performing as an opening act. On November 11, 2011, she performed in Madrid for the SAP Sapphire Conference. In June 2012, Anastacia was confirmed as a guest judge for the ninth series of '' The X Factor UK'' at the Glasgow auditions alongside judges Louis Walsh, Gary Barlow and Tulisa Contostavlos. Her appearance on the show was highly praised saying that she had "great chemistry" with the others and had greatly impressed the producers, causing speculation that the singer would become the new fourth judge. However it was later revealed that she had to reject the judging offer due to contractual agreements for the Night of the Proms European winter tour as well of the release of her independent cover album. During summer 2012, Anastacia toured throughout Europe. In July 2012, Anastacia announced on her Twitter page and Facebook fan page the release of a commercial single for car company Å koda Auto. She performed the song "What Can We Do (Deeper Love)" for the first time on July 10 in the Jazz Festival in Montreaux, Switzerland. She later released the video for the song through her social media pages. On September 17, it was announced that Anastacia had signed with the "BMG Masters Model" service of
BMG Rights Management BMG Rights Management GmbH (also known simply as BMG) is an international music company based in Berlin, Germany. It combines the activities of a music publisher and a record label. BMG was founded in October 2008 after Bertelsmann sold its ...
, along with the service's primary German-based distributing partner, Rough Trade Distribution. Global distribution is expected to be achieved via a range of partnering labels and distribution services. The deal included the release of her next two albums, '' It's a Man's World'', a collection of covers of songs by male rock artists released on November 9, 2012, followed by an album of original material. Throughout November and December 2012 Anastacia took part in the annual Night of the Proms, a series of concerts held in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany which combine classical music with famous pop songs. On February 2, 2013, Anastacia tweeted that she would start writing for her next studio album of new material in the following week. In 2012, Anastacia starred in the film ''All You Can Dream'', directed by Valerio Zanoli. On February 27, 2013, Anastacia announced that she had cancelled her European tour because she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time and was undergoing treatment. Due to her decade-long charitable efforts in breast cancer awareness, Anastacia became only the second woman to be presented with the Humanitarian Award at the '' GQ'' Men of the Year Awards in 2013. Anastacia later confirmed via her Twitter account that she was writing and recording songs for her sixth studio album, including working with producers John Fields and Steve Diamond. She also stated it would mark a return to her "sprock" sound.


2014–2015: ''Resurrection'' and ''Ultimate Collection''

The album, entitled '' Resurrection'', was released in May 2014 and was met with both critical and commercial success, giving the singer her sixth top ten Italian album and fifth top ten UK album. It also reached the top 5 of the Swiss and German charts and the top ten of the Dutch charts. Reviews were overwhelmingly positive, acknowledging a return to form for the singer as well as a creative resurgence. The lead single "
Stupid Little Things "Stupid Little Things" is a single released by American singer-songwriter Anastacia in April 2014. It was taken from her sixth studio album ''Resurrection'' on the Sanctuary/BMG label in Germany. It was her first original release in five and half y ...
" was released on April 4, 2014. The single was moderately successful, reaching the top ten in Belgium and top 20 in Italy. It was quickly met with a positive reaction from music critics, with
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's Brad Stern naming it one of the "5 Must-Hear Pop Songs of the Week!" and calling it a "return to form" for the "
pop princess When describing popular music artists, honorific nicknames are used, most often in the media or by fans, to indicate the significance of an artist, and are often Pantheon (gods), religious, Kinship terminology, familial, or (most frequently) Imp ...
and proof that Anastacia's a true survivor", after her second battle with breast cancer. Anastacia was given the German Radio Regenbogen Award for Charity and Entertainment in April 2014. In June 2014, Anastacia announced that due to a hernia procedure she would be unable to promote the album for a number of weeks. After returning to her promotional tour Anastacia played numerous festivals throughout Europe including headlining Manchester Pride which was heavily praised. She was also named as one of the judges on the German talent show ''Rising Star''. In November 2014, Anastacia began her Resurrection Tour, her first tour to include Australia. The tour ended in September 2015 after 80 shows and was well received by fans and critics. During this period it was also announced that Anastacia had re-signed with her original label and that a compilation album would be released. Anastacia's '' Ultimate Collection'' was released in November 2015 and peaked in the top ten of the UK charts, giving the singer her 6th top ten album in Britain. During the same month Anastacia attended The Children For Peace Gala at Spazio Novecento in Rome where she received the special artist award. As of 2016, she has sold over 52 million albums worldwide.


2016–2020: ''Strictly Come Dancing'' and ''Evolution''

In August 2016, Anastacia became a contestant on the fourteenth series of the British television dance contest ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 ...
'', broadcast BBC One. Partnered with dancer Brendan Cole, the couple were voted in the bottom two to compete in the dance-off in the show's second week. A doctor ruled Anastacia unable to compete from an injury sustained during the previous day's performance, and instead the result was decided by selecting the competitor with the higher number of audience votes. The decision was controversial, resulting in complaints, and judge Bruno Tonioli reportedly threatened to quit. She was eliminated from the show in its sixth week. On February 17, 2016, '' Women's Wear Daily'' announced that Anastacia teamed up with
Blumarine Blufin S.p.A. is an Italian fashion house founded by Anna Molinari and her late husband Gianpaolo Tarabini. The core brand is Blumarine, which they started in 1977, followed by Miss Blumarine (1987, 8- to 14-year-old girls), Blugirl (1995, for te ...
for an eyewear collection. "The Blumarine Eyewear by Anastacia" capsule collection included three styles of sunglasses and two optical frames, and was released in April 2016. In June 2017, she supported
Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recordi ...
in some of the UK dates of his All the Hits Tour. The following July, she released a new single, " Caught in the Middle" which preceded her seventh studio album '' Evolution'', released in September 2017. After the success of her album, she embarked on her Evolution Tour to promote the record. In 2018, she appeared on ''Ballando con le stelle'', the Italian version of ''Dancing with the Stars'', in a special one-off performance. In January 2019, it was announced that Anastacia would portray Killer Queen in the 2019 Dutch run of the ''We Will Rock You'' musical. She performed in Amsterdam and The Hague from December 6, 2019, to January 13, 2020, covering various Queen songs.


2021–present: ''The Masked Singer'' and ''22nd Anniversary European Tour''

Anastacia was revealed as the winner of the third season of ''
The Masked Singer Australia ''The Masked Singer Australia'' is an Australian reality television Reality competition, singing competition show hosted that premiered on Network Ten, Network 10 on 23 September 2019. Hosted by Osher Günsberg, the show is based on the intern ...
'' in October 2021, competing as the "Vampire" mask making her the first American singer to win the show. Singing cover songs on ''The Masked Singer'' reminded Anastacia of her early career when she was trying to establish herself as an artist. When speaking to Australian media outlets in 2021, she suggested that '' Evolution'' (2017) could be her last album and she might only release singles in the future. However, in October 2022, she announced that she is preparing to release her eighth studio album in 2023. In November 2021, Anastacia announced a concert tour, I'm Outta Lockdown – The 22nd Anniversary European Tour in 2022. The tour was planned for the 20th anniversary of the release of her debut single " I'm Outta Love" in 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On February 7, 2022, Anastacia released the single "American Night", the theme song to the 2021 film '' American Night'' starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Paz Vega; Anastacia made a cameo appearance. The official music video was released the same day. In November 2022, Anastacia released a capsule collection called "Not That Kind of Bag Collection", with Italian brand Poshead. She designed three exclusive bags named after her songs: Not That Kind, Freak of Nature and Paid My Dues.


Philanthropy

Anastacia has supported many nonprofit organizations and attended various charity events such as
Life Ball The Life Ball in Vienna is the biggest Charitable organization, charity event in Europe supporting people with HIV or AIDS. The event is organized by the nonprofit organization AIDS LIFE, which was founded in 1992 by Gery Keszler and Torgom Petros ...
in 2006 (Europe's largest annual AIDS charity event), Make a Difference and Challenge for the Children. Anastacia was one of the fifteen artists to record their take on a Disney song on the
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
''
Disneymania ''Disneymania'', also known as ''Disneymania 1'', is the first installment in the Disneymania album series presenting songs from Disney films, performed by various musical artists. Released on September 17, 2002, the album was considered a commer ...
'' (2002). Anastacia recorded "Someday My Prince Will Come" from '' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. It is also included on the Collector's Edition of her second album. In 2003, Anastacia took part in the charity event,
46664 46664 was a series of AIDS benefit concerts played in honour of Nelson Mandela by South African and foreign musicians between 2003 and 2008. Origin The second time that Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island was in 1964, and he was the 466th ...
, organized by
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 â€“ 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...
to raise awareness of AIDS. She sang with U2 and Queen, and also contributed to the song "Amandla", recording the song and providing some of the lyrics.
Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...
joined forces with Anastacia and 22 other female artists to raise awareness of the transmission of HIV to unborn children in Africa. The single "Sing" was released on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2007, in conjunction with Annie Lennox's appearance at the Nelson Mandela 46664 concert in South Africa. After being diagnosed with cancer, Anastacia created "The Anastacia Fund" in partnership with Estée Lauder. The organization helps raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of mammograms to women 35 and under. Anastacia began selling her stage clothing on eBay, donating a portion to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The auctions were hosted by an eBay Trading Assistant and Certified Business Consultant. New listings began every Friday for 6 months. In 2008, she performed at the "Pink Ribbon Gala" in
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, she appeared on "Divas II", a benefit concert along with many other female artists as well as performing at the ChildLine Concert in Dublin.


Other ventures

In late 2006, Anastacia and German clothing company
s. Oliver s.Oliver, legally ''s.Oliver Bernd Freier GmbH & Co. KG'', is a German fashion company headquartered in Rottendorf that sells apparel, shoes, accessories, jewellery, fragrances and eyewear worldwide. History The company was founded in 1969 ...
launched a clothing collection called "Anastacia by s. Oliver". A limited-edition CD named "Welcome to My Style" was also available for free to customers who spent 60 euros or more on the clothes in November. A limited edition clothing line called "Limited Luxury" was also launched, which was designed together with
Swarovski Swarovski (, ) is an Austrian producer of glass based in Wattens, Austria, and has existed as a family-owned business since its founding in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski. The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal ...
. The clothing line hit the stores on November 2, 2007. In 2015, Anastacia announced her collaboration with jewelry brand Tat2 Designs, saying "I'm super excited to announce The Resurrection Collection–Anastacia by Tat2." The jewelry line consisted of bracelets, earrings and necklaces by Anastacia and designer Briana Erin.


Personal life

Over the course of her life Anastacia has battled numerous health problems including being diagnosed with
Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is severe), fever, abdominal distension ...
at age 13, breast cancer at age 34, and the heart condition
supraventricular tachycardia Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is an umbrella term for fast heart rhythms arising from the upper part of the heart. This is in contrast to the other group of fast heart rhythms – ventricular tachycardia, which start within the lower cham ...
, which the singer discovered she had at age 39. In February 2013, it was announced that Anastacia was battling a more intense form of breast cancer. In recognition of her decade-long charitable efforts in breast cancer awareness, Anastacia became only the second woman to be presented with the Humanitarian Award at the '' GQ'' Men of the Year Awards in 2013. Anastacia married her
bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...
Wayne Newton in Huatulco, Mexico, on April 21, 2007. She became a step-mother to his two children from a previous relationship. In April 2010, it was confirmed that the two had filed a petition for divorce. Anastacia has several tattoos on her back, and one below her neck saying "Forever" in an unusual font. In 2008 she added wings to this tattoo. She also has an ankh on her lower back, which appeared on her first album. Since it represents eternal life, to her fans it has come to symbolize her. Her third tattoo is at the base of her neck just above "Forever" and is her only coloured tattoo. It says A&W to symbolise her marriage to Wayne Newton. Although the pair are now divorced Anastacia has said she does not regret the tattoo. Anastacia lived in Beverly Hills for over a decade, but relocated to Florida in 2018. She is also the godmother of Bobbi-Loua, daughter of the Belgian singer Natalia.


In the media

She has appeared in television commercials for Skoda, Honda, and Dr Pepper alongside Cyndi Lauper. She has graced the covers of numerous international magazines, including Ecuador's '' Cosmopolitan''; Bulgaria's ''Eva''; Italy's ''
Grazia ''Grazia'' (; Italian for ''Grace'') is a weekly women's magazine that originated in Italy with international editions printed in Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Colombia, France, Germany. Greece, Indonesia, I ...
''; UK's ''Fault'', ''Fabulous'' and ''Love Sunday'' and the Netherlands' '' Veronica.'' She has also appeared in pictorials for US's '' FHM'' and '' Playboy'' and UK's '' You.''


Discography

* ''
Not That Kind ''Not That Kind'' is the debut studio album by American singer Anastacia. It was released on June 16, 2000, by Epic Records and Daylight Records. The album features production by Sam Watters, Louis Biancaniello, Ric Wake, Evan Rogers, Carl Stu ...
'' (2000) * ''
Freak of Nature ''Freak of Nature'' is the second studio album by American singer Anastacia. It was released on November 23, 2001, by Epic Records and Daylight Records. The album was primarily produced by Ric Wake, Sam Watters, and Louis Biancaniello, with addi ...
'' (2001) * ''
Anastacia Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter and former dancer. Her first two albums '' Not That Kind'' (2000) and '' Freak of Nature'' (2001) were released in quick succession to major success. Spurred o ...
'' (2004) * '' Heavy Rotation'' (2008) * '' It's a Man's World'' (2012) * '' Resurrection'' (2014) * '' Evolution'' (2017)


Filmography


Tours

Headlining * Live at Last Tour *
Heavy Rotation Tour The ''Heavy Rotation Tour'' is the second headlining concert tour by American recording artist Anastacia. The tour is in support of her fourth studio album ''Heavy Rotation (Anastacia album), Heavy Rotation'' (2008). The singer played over 30 sh ...
* Resurrection Tour * Ultimate Collection Tour *
Evolution Tour This is a list of the concert tours undertaken by American singer, songwriter, and actress Sabrina Carpenter. Evolution Tour (2016-2017) The Evolution Tour was the first headlining concert tour by American singer Sabrina Carpenter, in support ...
*I'm Outta Lockdown Tour Co-headlining * Here Come the Girls * Art on Ice *Natalia Meets Anastacia * Night of the Proms Promotional *US Club Tour *Europe Promo Tour *Australian Promo Tour Opening act * Rocket Man: Greatest Hits Live *All the Hits Tour


Awards


See also

* Artists with the most number-one European singles * List of number-one dance hits (United States) * List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart


References


External links

*
Anastacia
at Allmusic
Anastacia
at ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' * {{Authority control 1968 births Living people Age controversies 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers American dance musicians American women rock singers American women pop singers American women singer-songwriters American rock songwriters American cannabis activists American people of German descent American people of Irish descent Mercury Records artists Singers from Chicago American expatriates in England Sony BMG artists Sony Music Publishing artists World Music Awards winners MTV Europe Music Award winners American mezzo-sopranos 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers People with Crohn's disease Dance-pop musicians Singer-songwriters from Illinois Masked Singer winners