Sarah Connor sings about online hate and open relationships

Berlin. Sarah Connor's fans have had to wait six years for a new album – quite a long time in today's music world. Following her number-one records "Muttersprache" (2015) and "Herz Kraft Werke" (2019), she releases her third album in German, "Freigeistin," on Friday – singing about topics that move many people and that polarize.

Having to let go – it's a feeling every parent probably experiences when their children leave the nest. Connor, a mother of four, can relate to this too. In "Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?" she describes the emptiness she felt when her eldest children, Tyler (21) and Summer (18), moved to the UK within a year. He studied music production and business there, while she earned her British baccalaureate in acting, dance, and singing.

"I was shocked by the force with which this hit me," Connor admits in an interview with dpa. The song goes, "Where did that little girl go? This is all happening way too fast for me."

Sarah Connor's new album "Freigeistin" is released on Friday.

Source: Universal Music/dpa

But a half-empty house (daughter Delphine is 13, son Jax is 8) can also be a blessing. As a mother and singer, she already had a lot of responsibility and structure in her life in her earlier years. After her eldest children moved out and her last album, she increasingly focused on her own needs. "I wanted to see what would happen if I traveled alone and no one knew me. Who am I if no one was looking?"

On her journey to self-discovery, Connor has apparently also given a lot of thought to the concept of marriage. The Delmenhorst native has been with former boy band singer Florian Fischer (50) for 15 years, who also manages her. "I love you," "Deep like the sea," and "For Life" are romantic declarations of love to her husband. Not the only ones on the album.

But Connor also sheds light on the difficulties of a long-term relationship, which many are surely familiar with. In "Why are we like this?" she sings about a rocky road, days without kisses, and expensive gifts "instead of affectionate letters." "Bad Idea" is about polyamory – a type of relationship in which the partners aren't exclusively with one person.

Wishes for fear-free communication in the relationship: Sarah Connor with her partner and manager Florian Fischer.

Source: Maurizio Gambarini/dpa

"My impression is that when you enter into marriage, you agree to all these things. You promise yourself that you'll never be attracted to anyone else again. That's absurd. We're human beings, we resonate with each other," Connor told dpa.

"My wish is to create a safe space and to engage in fear-free communication with my partner, without devaluing each other for what we long for or what we may be missing."

In the feel-good song "My French Girlfriend" and the extremely emotional "Die Fremde," free spirit Connor also hints at relationships with women. But here, as so often, she sticks to her approach: she doesn't want to explain her lyrics in detail. "I've always written songs that aren't autobiographical, but are still intense."

"Heart in Turmoil" is a plea for peace. After the Hamas attack on Israelis in October 2023, her son's Jewish classmates should have been protected by the police.

"I told my then 6-year-old son about our history, the persecution and murder of the Jews, and Hitler for the first time. This conversation moved and saddened me deeply," the musician recalls. "My heart also breaks for the dead in Gaza. What a humanitarian catastrophe. We talked about that, too."

In addition to thoughtful piano ballads, many of the 17 pop songs on "Freigeistin" exude good cheer and are also linguistically authentic. In "Ficka," Connor pokes fun at the insults circulating against her on social media. "I think they're really bad – the music is crap," or, "Their tits aren't real, and their style is so bad."

It's these honest words that Sarah Connor is valued for by her fans. While many pop songs simply offer platitudes, the 44-year-old gets down to business. After spending the winter months at her house in Provence, the singer is returning to Berlin – she's scheduled to play several open-air concerts this summer, followed by a major arena tour next spring.

RND/dpa