New album

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No new studio work, but an opulent children's song show: Helene Fischer knows how to surprise.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Universal Music, Ben Wolf)

After the Netflix documentary about her big tour and the life behind it was canceled at the last minute, pop queen Helene Fischer is now making positive headlines again: her first children's album with 25 well-known songs from the history of German-language children's songs will be released in a few days.

These days, two topics are dominating the media mood: Halloween and All Saints' Day. Wherever you look or listen - it's either about zombies and ripped-out intestines or about remembering the deceased and devout mourning. A contradiction in terms that only seems to exist, because these two contrasting galaxies have long been commonplace in our everyday lives. Germany's immaculate pop queen Helene Fischer opens up a third area with her latest album: the celebration of childlike joy, which perhaps doesn't seem as inappropriate as it seems in the middle of the fall vacations. Instead of a follow-up to her successful album "Rausch", which is also three years old, she delights fans and interested parties with "Die schönsten Kinderlieder".

Career slightly stalled
This motivation probably came not least from her own daughter Nala, who celebrates her third birthday in December and plays an important role in the fact that Fischer has made herself more than scarce live for the past year. Helene herself has fulfilled a long-held passion with this project, as she emphasizes in a press release about the album. "The project probably comes as a bit of a surprise to my fans, but it's actually been a heartfelt wish of mine for a long time to make music for children. It is therefore the logical next step in my career." A career that, despite all the highs, has recently stalled somewhat. The Netflix documentary that had already been produced and was canceled at the last minute due to differences of opinion about the final cut was just the tip of the iceberg.

So it's fitting that a fresh sign of life is coming just in time for the Day of the Dead so that the slick image doesn't get any scratches. Insiders rumor that it could also be due to the artist's lack of scandal, which means that the streaming provider simply didn't have enough "meat" for a documentary. In any case, the 40-year-old dug deep into German song history for "Kinderlieder". No fewer than 25 more or less well-known interpretations can be heard as new recordings. "It was very important to me that these classics, which in a certain way have already become German cultural heritage, are not lost." However, Fischer did not write any of his own children's songs for the album.

Guaranteed to soften
"It was a lot of fun to reinterpret these songs and record them in my very own version. I hope that all parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who remember these songs from their own childhood will also enjoy the album." Of course, it remains to be seen to what extent the little ones, i.e. the main target audience, are aware that the world's biggest pop star is interpreting songs that are sometimes centuries old. Likewise, whether the sometimes very shrill, whiny voice that Helene uses in songs such as "Bruder Jakob" or "Weißt du, wie viel Sternlein stehen" really had to be like this in the exaggerated way she presents them. Sometimes she also gets direct reinforcement from children's mouths, giving the interpretations an extra touch of fabric softener feeling. Sometimes a techno beat is even mixed into the overall picture.

The cover artwork is a particularly detailed work of art. A mixture of innocent "When the animals left the forest" romance and cartoon fever dream, with a focus on the detail work. The friendly donkey winks knowingly at us that we should look forward to a masterpiece here. The fox and turtle admire Helene, perfectly photoshopped into the scenery, who personifies the type of "buddy mom next door" in her casually torn jeans. Behind her, six drawn children rejoice, complete with perfect political correctness: different skin colors and various genders cheer her on. The spiky-haired boy with the "Mitsubishi" logo shirt can't believe his luck, the one with the chic rainbow sweater seems a little paralyzed - may it have just been an overdose of sugar!

A lot of return for little effort
This colorful rollercoaster ride through the history of German children's songs, performed by the most popular singer in the German-speaking world, is a clever and commercially surefire mixture of success. The German hip-hop collective Deine Freunde shows that there are also more upbeat and exciting songs for children. If you like it more martial and prefer to introduce the little ones to the power of the electric guitar, the dinosaur children's metal band Heavysaurus is the right choice. Helene prefers to concentrate on time-honored traditions - and seems to have only opened the first chapter of a whole series. A sequel will follow - a lot of return for little effort is guaranteed. And apart from the inviting cynicism: Fischer exudes a pleasantly homely feeling. That's not the worst thing in times like these.

Live at Vienna's Happel Stadium
If you want to see Helene Fischer live in Austria, you'll have to wait a little longer. On July 11, 2026, she will be performing again at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna - probably without children's songs in her repertoire. There are still plenty of tickets for the stadium show at www.oeticket.com.