"Krone" interview

Leony: album release, tour and pop star life

The new album "Oldschool Love" can be heard everywhere from today.

(Bild: Raul Tejadaacha)

Leony made her breakthrough in 2021 with "Faded Love". Now the thoroughbred singer is releasing her second album "Oldschool Love" and is starting a tour of numerous cities in March - Vienna is also on the agenda. In an interview with us, she talked about her album, her dream feature and why it's sometimes hard to be a pop star from Bavaria.

From "Remedy" and "Brother Louie" to "Follow", they are absolute dance and sing-along hits. Leony (real name: Leonie Burger) has managed to ensure that her music is heard every day. Whether in the shower, on the radio or on various music platforms. Her songs promise soft sounds with very pop modern vibes.

Now her second album "Oldschool Love" is ready to be released and the singer is quite proud of it: "I put a lot of love and time into the album with my team. There are a lot of personal songs on it, a lot of private and personal stories," the singer told "Krone". When asked whether there is a particular song from the album that is especially close to her heart, she replies: "I basically love all of them, but the one I love the most is 'Oldschool Love'. It was inspired by my parents and their relationship. They have been married for 33 years and are still freshly in love".

Society has changed
But what exactly is it all about? The musician becomes melancholy in the talk and thinks it's a shame that society has "changed a bit". In her opinion, it has become a kind of throwaway society, because her parents have always modeled a beautiful traditional relationship for her. "There's online dating, Instagram, you swipe right to find a partner. I sometimes wish I had grown up in my parents' time".

Another of the singer's favorite songs is "Your Way". She dedicates this song to her late grandfather: "He always said that when it rains, the sun is bound to come out at some point. I think that's a very nice way to look at life".

In addition to the personal songs on her album, there is also a special feature that immediately catches the eye: the collaboration with US rapper G-Eazy. How did that come about? "I loved 'Rock'n'Roll' right from the start, but I immediately thought that it wasn't a song that was just for me alone. So I threw G-Eazy into the room. We sent the song to his management and got a response pretty quickly. He then recorded his part in the studio and that's how it all got rolling."

This collaboration was a real highlight for Leony - after all, G-Eazy is an internationally acclaimed artist. But the singer has even bigger wishes: "My absolute dream feature would be Coldplay. I love the music, the songwriting, Chris Martin's voice - and the live performances are sensational," she enthuses.

Speaking of live performances: In March, her solo tour starts through several cities, and of course Vienna is also on the tour schedule. On March 21, she will be performing at the Vienna Gasometer - a date she is particularly looking forward to. "I love Austria and the dialect. As a Bavarian, I always feel at home there and the city is simply beautiful." And even if she doesn't have a particular favorite Viennese dish, she is enthusiastic about Austrian cuisine: "From Kaspressknödel to Kaiserschmarrn and Schnitzel - Austrian cuisine is just super," she laughs.

And how do some artists actually prepare for a big tour? Exactly - with a treadmill. But what does that have to do with tour preparation? The "Faded Love" performer answers this question with great motivation: "I sing through the whole setlist while I'm running and then I know exactly where I need to take a breath." Perhaps that's one of the reasons why Leony is always so fit - not just physically, but also vocally.

Many hurdles in the anniversary season of DSDS
She was also in good shape during the anniversary season of "DSDS", when she was looking for new singing talent as a judge alongside pop titan Dieter Bohlen and rapper Katja Krasavice. "The show was very exciting, formative and also very challenging. It was my first time on television and I was able to gain a lot of experience. I enjoyed it, but there were also a lot of hurdles to overcome," she recalls. Hurdles that she knew early on in her career, however - especially in Bavaria, where she grew up.

As a young girl with big ambitions, Leony didn't always have it easy there. "In Bavaria, it's always important to stay down to earth and be normal. Many people told me I was too much - that people don't do that here, that I was imagining too much when I dreamed of becoming a pop star." It was only when she went abroad to work on her music that she came up against the complete opposite: "Suddenly I was too normal, too well-behaved, too down-to-earth. Then I was told: 'Do this, do that!"

But it is precisely this mixture that makes Leony what she is today. "I can stand on stage in a glittery dress as a pop star and still represent values that are very Bavarian, very down-to-earth. I think that's exactly what people like about me." She sees mistakes and challenges as an important part of the journey: "Sometimes I wish I had listened less to people who want to tell you that you can't do it. But in the end, it was precisely these experiences that made me the person I am today."

And that's exactly why her fans are really looking forward to her tour and the short stop in Vienna, because the singer is of course also taking a personal highlight with her, which you can then marvel at: "My dog Marlies, is also on the tour". Tickets are available at www.oeticket.com, so be quick!