Rachel Stevens
|
With a catchy comeback single and a fresh new attitude, Rachel Stevens is about to score big time. In a revealing interview, the sexy semite singer talks about her solo life both on stage and off.
Oh my God. Rachel Stevens is about to say the most un-celeb thing ever. 窶廬 don窶冲 think I窶冦 fat,窶 she says as we relax on a sunny roof terrace in east London. 窶廝ut being photographed so much does make you aware of your figure. You can窶冲 help but look in magazines sometimes and think, 窶楼h no, I look really big there!窶 The thing is, you can窶冲 scrutinise yourself too much - it窶冱 just not important enough.窶 Well said, the girl in the customised England kit!
This honest and no-nonsense attitude is the first sign that, after six years in pop - five in S Club and one as a solo artist - Rachel is finally finding out what she窶冱 all about.
Looking chilled, smiley and - grrr - flawlessly gorgeous, she happily fills us in on all the new stuff kicking off in her life. For starters, she窶冱 just bought a new house in North London 窶彿t窶冱 really cute窶 - and is busily hooking up with interior designers. 窶廬窶冦 going to oversee everything,窶 she tells us excitedly. 窶廬 want a stone bath and I窶况e seen this brilliant one with little spotlights on the side that change colour.窶
Fab new pad aside, the 26-year-old is undergoing a total Rachel Revolution. 窶廬窶况e got to a stage where I want to learn about everything. And I窶冦 much more open. I don窶冲 bottle things up the way I used to. Before I used to expect people to realise when I was down. Now I talk about my feelings a lot more.窶 New house, new her and a new single to boot - this girl ain窶冲 messing around.
Her new tune Some Girls is a hip-swayingly catchy number. It窶冱 also the official Sport Relief song - hence her sporty get-up on our cover. 窶廬窶冦 really proud to be part of such a fantastic charity,窶 she gushes. 窶弋hey raised ﾂ｣14m last time. I窶冦 just glad that I can help in any way I can.窶 It窶冱 also a sure-fire hit. And let窶冱 face it she had to have a big single as, despite the mega success of Sweet Dreams My LA Ex, Rachel窶冱 last single Funky Dory limped into the charts last December at number 29.
Funky flop
窶廬 was really disappointed with Funky Dory,窶 Rachel admits. 窶廬 thought it was a great track, but it didn窶冲 work. It窶冱 not a bad thing when things don窶冲 work, though - it窶冱 how you deal with it.窶 But didn窶冲 that knock her confidence? Especially when these days popstars get dropped quicker than Colin Farrell窶冱 boxer shorts when they don窶冲 reach the top spot窶ｦ 窶廬t was really scary,窶 she admits. 窶廝ut I know my solo career is going to be different to S Club - I窶冦 expecting to have highs and lows. I actually think it was good for me. It窶冱 made me even more determined.窶廸ormally I窶冦 a real worrier but I窶况e surprised myself. Funky Dory did get me down but now I窶冦 just going to go for it and enjoy it.窶 Rachel won窶冲 be drawn on whether she窶冤l be releasing any more tracks from her last album - also called Funky Dory窶ｦ窶弩e really don窶冲 know yet窶. She just says she窶冱 writing material for her next album and focusing on promoting Some Girls.
Boys窶 bits
Despite the Sport Relief stuff you won窶冲 be seeing a Rachel Stevens exercise video any time soon. She confesses that - despite having a posh gym in her apartment building - she窶冱 not very athletic and has been slacking off. 窶廬窶况e no excuse,窶 she tells us sheepishly. 窶廝ut you know - busy life!窶
On footie and the England team
窶弋hey窶况e got good legs and it窶冱 fun watching them run round the pitch, but I窶冦 not a footballer-type girl. 窶廬窶冦 more into the Jude Law type. He窶冱 sexy.窶 So what is it that makes her sit up and take notice of a bloke? 窶廬 love guys窶 shoulders. I think there窶冱 something very sexy and strong about them. And I like a nice back and neck. Not too beefy though - Freddie Ljungberg in that Calvin Klein undies advert is spot on!窶
In demand?
You窶囘 have thought that, now she窶冱 single, Rachel would have guys queuing up round the block. Not so, she says. We reckon that窶冱 because most lads might feel just a bit intimidated chatting up the girl recently voted the second sexiest woman in the world - and who even beat the bootylicious Beyoncﾃｩ! Rachel giggles, 窶廴e and my mum have been talking about this and we窶况e worked out that men aren窶冲 how they used to be. Guys don窶冲 make the first move any more. I don窶冲 know whether it窶冱 because they recognise me or what. But it does make things a lot more difficult. Nowadays girls have to be a lot more forthcoming.窶 And that isn窶冲 her? 窶廬t is now! I窶冦 having to learn! I窶冦 not used to being single and going up to guys. I窶况e always been in a relationship. But boys can come up to me, OK?!窶 Not she窶冱 in any rush to get coupled up. Right now, going out with her girlfriends and having a gossip is exactly where she wants to be. 窶廬t sounds so corny but I窶冦 enjoying taking time to learn about myself. Now I窶冦 finding a balance. So it窶冱 a good time for me to be by myself. 窶弩hen the right guy comes along, that窶冱 fine. But I窶冦 enjoying going on dates and having fun.窶 Any good dates? 窶廣 few,窶 she giggles. 窶廝ut that窶冱 all I窶冦 saying!窶
Single life
A year ago the only dates she had were with her fiancﾃｩ, actor Jeremy Edwards. But earlier this year, after three years together, the couple split up. Rachel admits it窶冱 scary being single. 窶廬t gets a bit lonely and I miss him. But we weren窶冲 meant to be and we窶冤l learn from it. 窶弋he important thing is that we窶决e still on good terms as I care about him so much. I really couldn窶冲 bear it if it had been a really ugly break-up.窶 They still see each other occasionally but Rachel isn窶冲 dwelling on the past. 窶廢verything in my life is changing but in a really positive way. I don窶冲 know what the future holds and that窶冱 exciting. But I窶冦 hoping I窶冤l find my Brad Pitt one day!窶
The full interview complete with exclusive photoshoot of Rachel Stevens appears in the August issue of Sugar magazine, out now.
E-mail this to a
friend