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Emotions, tears and a long-lasting momentum: the current season of the Vox TV format “Sing my Song – The Exchange Concert” shows how close artistic expression and personal vulnerability can be. For singer Alina Süggeler, coming to terms with her own past was an ordeal.
A song that lost its innocence
The focus is on the song “Slow,” released in summer 2016 with her band Frida Gold. What was once intended as an intimate message to her younger brother – a request to allow feelings and give yourself space – evolved into a contaminated track over the years.
The reason also lies in the visual implementation. For the music video, Süggeler consciously chose nudity – not as a dynamic provocation, but as a meditative symbol of trust and emotional openness. So no sexy calculation. Nevertheless, the reactions were unexpectedly strong.
“We were totally attacked,” remembers the now 40-year-old. The original idea quickly became a public sensation. Ridicule and misunderstandings obscured the message. The barrage changed Süggeler’s view of her own song to this day.
Johannes Oerding’s reinterpretation as an emotional turning point
When colleague Johannes Oerding reinterprets “Slow,” Süggeler sheds a few tears. His version apparently takes her back to the core of the lyrics – to her personal story, which had been overshadowed by the public boo.
This scene is given additional gravity by the knowledge of what happened shortly after the filming of the current season of the TV music series, which has existed since 2014: The singer, model and actress from Hattingen in the southern Ruhr area suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. She spent several weeks in the hospital. An Instagram post shows her in a hospital gown in a hospital bed.
Private things in the digital public
On the one hand, this posting documents a turning point that once again brings the themes of her 2016 song into an existential reality. On the other hand, it is a delicate game with very private moments in a digital public.
Instead of sensitivity and empathy, you often get a crude response. A challenge for today’s pop acts.
