Sasha Gradiva is a dance/pop singer from Russia who reached international success with her albums “Sasha” and “Say My Name with Love.” She’s currently in the studio hard at work on her first English-speaking album, to be released later this year. HC caught up with Sasha to get the scoop on her style, music, celeb crushes, and well-wishers (she responds personally to every piece of fanmail!).
HC: What are you most excited about in 2012?
Sasha: The most exciting thing is that we’re in 2012 already and it seems like Armageddon is indefinitely postponed, which gives me plenty of time to finish my album. (Laughing) On the serious note 2012 promises to be a turning point in my career. A lot of great things happening. You’ll see it soon.
Sasha: I’ve been inspired by American music ever since I was a little girl. For me it was just a matter of time. The songs I was writing, singing and performing always had that progressive twist to them which I often had to fight to create with Russian producers. But I managed to stand up for the music I had passion for, and to get to the top of the charts. People tend to appreciate a fresh smash hit when it has already made its way to the top. Believe me, it wasn’t easy!
HC: You’ll be releasing a new album this year. What kind of sound are you going for?
Sasha: My songs are a mixture of club and electrifying dance, but still have a solid pop base. Club and dance music are very popular in Europe and I’m happy to see that America is on the same page. You can expect a lot of dance hits from me, which you’ll want to dance to, love to and live to.
HC: What’s it like working with Tricky Stewart (the man behind #1 smash hits such as Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”)?
Sasha: Tricky Stewart is a brilliant producer. In addition to being a true visionary, he knows the exact ingredients for making a hit song. It’s like he’s got some X-Ray in him that sees each talent inside out and miraculously brings out the magic in artists. Working with him is definitely a milestone in my career.
HC: How would you describe your fans?
Sasha: My fans are not only appreciative of my sound but they appreciate the visual aspects of my performances. I’ve noticed that when I come on stage, they just stop dancing and stare and take photos. During my first three songs it feels like I’m performing in a place full of paparazzi, because all I see is a forest of hands holding cameras and phones directed towards me (laughing). I love my fans. They inspire me a lot. When I read messages from them on Facebook, Twitter or my website I get truly affected by what my fans want to talk about and by their intelligence and spirituality.
HC: Your style is so unique! What’s your style inspiration?
Sasha: I’m a fashion fanatic. I appreciate the art of fashion in any form possible. With this being said, I am not easy to please. Personally I love mixing up styles and eras, feminine with brutal, vintage with contemporary. For example, today I wore my hair short, wavy and platinum-blond with a contemporary Soho-hipster outfit. Just imagine Marylyn Monroe walking the streets of New York in her boyfriend’s pajamas. I don’t have one particular inspiration; it changes every day. It’s like I want to time travel and go to different parts of the world. You might be laughing, but the Google Earth App is my biggest inspiration! It just feels so good to move throughout space and time!
HC: Which singer would you most want to collaborate with?
Sasha: Justin Bieber. I would also love to collaborate with Prince, who I’ve been idolizing forever and George Michael whose “Too Funky” song along with the music video was in my ultimate “Pop Bible” when I was a kid.
HC: Your music videos are very artistic and theatrical. Would you consider acting in movies?
Yes and I have, actually. I’ve done a couple movies and TV shows in Europe, including a special MTV documentary. You know, maybe that explains why I’ve been always into making my videos so visual, because subconsciously my mind plays scenes & stories that I want to share with people. It is definitely a zone of my interest & I am very open for all kinds of cinematic proposals.
HC: Who’s your Hollywood crush?
Sasha: Mmmmm … Ryan Gosling! I mean, have you seen the guy! (Giggling) Not only does he look great, but he also sounds like a guy I would totally get along with!
HC: Where does your stage name come from?
Sasha: This actually turned out to be one of the greatest spontaneous finds! You know, I’ve been performing under name Sasha since the beginning of my career and it’s my real name. So I got to the point when it started to feel too close to me, it became awkward when your family calls you Sasha & fans on my show scream the same name out loud. Then, in the States, one of my artistic friends started calling me Gradiva, because Gradiva, as he explained was a nickname Salvador Dali gave his Russian wife Gala. Gradiva was the Muse of Surrealism. Then I researched the subject more scrupulously and found out that originally Gradiva was a mythical woman, whose name translated from Latin means The Woman Who Walks Through Walls. And that is me! I’ve made it here all the way from Ural mountains. (Laughing)
HC: Anything else you’d like to share with Her Campus readers?
Sasha: I always want to talk to my fans, get to know their opinions on all the things happening in the world which I write about in my blog and on all of my social networks including my website (www.SashaGradiva.com). I do respond personally to each one of them and I’ll continue doing it for as long as I can. If I owe my career to my fans, shouldn’t I treat them the best? So I often asked to give an advice on very real life situations. What I want to say the most, is that you gotta stay true to yourself and be prepared to fight for your truth.
Check out Sasha’s song “Pandemonium”.