This is Alsou. The youngest and the most modest pop star has granted us access to her craft, to her lifetime passion-music.

You-are young, rich and famous. You live in London, you have fun. Describe your ordinary day, so that we could be happy for you.
An ordinary day? Today, for example. I woke up at ten in the morning. In Moscow. I travelled to pick up a bundle of clothing at the atelier-I’m preparing for a concert now-then I went to the office. We have a studio right there too-I sang a little. Then I had lunch.
Where and what did the entertainment star eat?
I had lunch at the office. The bought me this finely shredded salami with cheese. And bread. The star had eaten. Dinner is not in sight.
But that’s some kind of exploitation of youth labour… No, describe for us something glamorous, some other day.
I woke up at half past ten… And drank orange juice with my salami…
Y-yes, it seems that celebrities are right to conceal the details of their personal lives. But tell us, when you’re called the Russian Britney, how do you react?
It amazes me and exasperates me. In my view, we do not resemble each other at all. Perhaps Britney is of a different opinion. Ask her, how she’d react if she’d been called the American Alsou.
You are completely different, therefore, you do not share her views on virginity?
Good question. No matter how I respond, there’ll be a sensation. “Alsou encourages virginity!” “Alsou is for the early start of sex life!”-You won’t get it. The personal is exactly that-one needs to keep it to oneself. I’m not going to tell you nor about my intimate life, nor about the lack of it. Have I disappointed you?
But no, really… Just in case. You don’t at all dress provocatively, you’re quite reserved with the press, and your entire image is modest. Is it because you are a Muslim?
No, that’s not why. It’s just that I was brought up this way. Not in the sense that papa controls my skirt length, and mum spies on the extent my bellybutton is revealed. I have my own head on my shoulders, and I know myself, what can and what cannot be done.
Which men do you find more interesting-ours, or the English?
I don’t have nationalistic prejudices with regard to this. I liked both Russian and English guys. But if one day I do marry, it will probably be to a Russian-speaking person.
Is there such a place on Earth where ordinary guys like us could come up to you and try our luck? One of our readers was bragging that he swam with you in a Jacuzzi in a prestigious Moscow fitness club. He was lying?
More likely, he was delirious. Last time I was in a Moscow sports-club aged about 13.
What a villain… We’ll rid him of his subscription. But in the end, where can one meet you in a normal situation? Where do you go to sunbake, for example?
To the beach… Soon in Spain we’ll have this… girls’ party. So ordinary guys-all head off to Spain.
And are your girlfriends cute?
Christina Aguilera, Shakira… Joking. Normal girls, like me.
Spain… But can we narrow down the zone of defeat?
Spain, Marbella, the beach, end of August. Although I don’t make acquaintances on the street. They call me-I don’t know how they find my phone number,-or they send me an SMS, they ask me where and how they can meet me. I reply that I don’t talk to people I don’t know. Who knows, maybe it’s a maniac, or even worse-a journalist. Usually all my acquaintances are through friends.
But we’re your friends now, so through us, dear readers, through us…
(She laughs)
Such intent attention from the male sex has come down on you recently, or did boys always like you?
All teenagers have this ugly period from about the age of 13 to 15. I also put on weight back then, I wore braces. But after 15 I put myself back in order, and at the same time I began to sing. Although I always had attention from the opposite sex. But when I became famous, began some kind of hysteria.
But did you ever want to give up all this? To exchange all this hysteria for the opportunity to calmly go to the movies with a young man or to go to a café?
Of course, sometimes I want this. I am overall a pretty calm and modest girl, I never liked to stand out in the crowd. But why this coquetry-“I am tired of fame”-I am tired, but I’ll happily endure it for another 50 years.
Three years ago the most popular plastic surgeries in Russia were to resemble Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer, now everyone orders an Alsou resemblance. How do you feel about this?
What horror! Just an attack of clones. Horribly pleasant really.
Incidentally, with regard to surgery, do you have any interesting scars “with a story?”
Perhaps only on the heart… But on my leg I have a scar. I was about five years old, I was staying over at my grandma’s with a cousin, and my grandpa had a collection of different daggers, and back then we were crazy about Ninja Turtles. We were running around, portraying all kinds of karate (she shows), and I waved the dagger, I wanted to stick it into the ground, but I stuck it into my thigh.
Show us.
There we go. I knew, that it was not about the scar. Next question.
By the way-Marat Safin is your brother?
Yes, I have a brother and his name is Marat Safin. I could have finished my answer here. But all right-I’ll bring in a clarification-it’s not the Marat Safin you’re thinking of. Just a namesake.
On our cover you turned out so long-legged, almost like in real life. But tell us: is it true that waxing is as painful as women say?
But you try it yourself and you’ll find out. The first time it’s very painful. For me it was a total nightmare, even tears ran down my face. Then I got used to it.
Did Enrique Iglesias bother you with indecent proposals during your joint project?
Well… It’s not that he bothered me, but at some moments I felt uncomfortable. He is so pushy, usually women just hang on his neck. But I’m not like that. He’d grab your waist, as well as other parts… During filming he’d always ask when is the love scene. I said that he’d have to wait till my coming of age. He couldn’t wait and was filmed with Kournikova. Overall, vivid recollections.
Impudent creature. Although, one can understand him. You’ve recorded some songs to the movie “Atlantida” and for sure you’re often called to be filmed in the movies. Do you have plans?
Proposals to film in a movie are coming in all the time. I very much want to be in a movie. I even make my clips like little movies. I’m currently studying theatre at GITIS (GITIS-Government Institute of Theatrical Arts, Moscow, very prestigious). I want to be in a good standard film with a good plot. I have an historical movie in sight about the war of 1812.
With hussars? And how about love scenes? We won’t tell Iglesias.
Well, kisses are possible. I don’t know about more. Keep in touch with cinema announcements.
Does your guard go with you to Uni?
No, they just escort me to the building, then I’m by myself.
Aha, so there is another chance for GITIS students. Do you ever swear strongly? And in which language?
It’s very easy to swear in English. Basically, there’s only one word… Our language is rich. But I almost don’t swear. Perhaps in my head, and in English…
Do you have that case in mind-grandpa’s dagger into the leg?
Ninja Turtles don’t know such words.
Your new album is called “I dreamt of Autumn”, but tell us about your very worst nightmare.
I rarely remember dreams. And overall I’m a pretty brave girl. With regard to nightmares… I’m scared of spiders and insects. Better journalists with stupid questions.
But have you seen the movie “Spiderman”?
No.
We’ll send you a video. Your first music clip was based on a Lolita story. But have you read the book yourself?
Imagine, yes. We singers sometimes do that too. But the idea to make a clip based on “Lolita” didn’t excite me.
The heroine didn’t arouse any sympathy?
That’s not the word. But after having seen the film, I just started hating her. But when they explained to me that it’s only the idea in the video, I agreed. In the end we finished up with a relatively positive Lolita story. Makovetsky, by the way, who was embodying Humbert, at one point fell into depression-on the street they’d approach him with the words “Are you that bloke who was in the music video with Alsou?” He got more 13 year old admirers.
What is your favourite part of the body on a man?
(She laughs.) The brain… Relief pumped up brains… Really-the eyes. Even when I paint, and I oil paint portraits, I try to capture the expression of the eyes. Sometimes it doesn’t quite resemble well, but if the eyes have turned out right, the whole portrait works.
And what kind of men’s eyes do you like?
I like a contrast-dark hair and light eyes. Green or blue. Like Mel Gibson’s. He is actually my favourite actor.
And if he’ll show up on your path, will he have a better chance than Enrique?
I don’t think so, he’s old enough to be my grandpa.
It’s a poor Lolita out of you.
Thank you for the compliment.

By Ilya Bezugly

Direct link to HQ scans

Translated by Veronica for AFP