Neneh Cherry, who? That's probably what many of Mabel's fans are thinking. The 23-year-old has now surpassed her famous mother. Great hits like "Woman" or "Manchild" are considered by teenagers to be evergreens by a singer from times long gone. Mabel's famous uncle Eagle-Eye Cherry is no better off. His super-hit "Save Tonight" from the 90s is only played at teen parties as part of the oldies program. "Don't Call Me Up" and "God Is a Dancer" are the hits of the hour. Driving dance pop numbers that burn themselves into the brain and speak to fans from the soul.
Mabel McVey is on the rise and doesn't let anything distract her. "I don't mind working hard and not getting any sleep. I do whatever it takes," she said in a recent interview. Within 24 hours, the singer performs in a hotel in Ibiza, gives an interview on a radio show in London and plays a concert in France a few hours later.
Even at the age of five, Mabel knew that she wanted to be a singer one day. "I dreamed of performing in front of thousands of people and hearing my songs on the radio. Without these thoughts, I probably wouldn't be where I am today." But how does a five-year-old come up with such thoughts? It's not just because of her mother Neneh Cherry and uncle Eagle-Eye Cherry. Her father is the well-known producer Cameron McVey, her godfather the R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe. Her older half-brother is Marlon Roudette. He also landed international hits with "When the Beat Drops Out" and "Anti Hero".
Her family of musicians inspired Mabel. Did the singer become so successful because of her parents? "If I was making music and it wasn't good, it wouldn't have mattered who my mother and father were," clarifies the British singer, who grew up in Sweden. "I think it was precisely because of my musical background that people actually found it harder to take me seriously at first."
Nevertheless, Mabel impressed with her first single "Know Me Better" - and landed a record deal with a major label. With a restrained pop song that has nothing in common with her current dance pop and R'n'B numbers. And instead of taking a bubble bath like in the video for "Don't Call Me Up", Neneh Cherry's daughter presented herself as a typical teenager in a flowery dress. Four years ago, she wasn't ready to take off, Mabel admits today. "Because of my early success, I was under pressure to release more music. But I hadn't found my sound yet. I felt so naked, it was terrible."
Mabel is now considered the most important newcomer. Critics praise her for her sound and shower her with awards. Boys rave about her when she dances half-naked in the bathroom with her friends. Female fans dream of being as pretty as the singer. Mabel's world is not as perfect as it seems. She used to suffer from anxiety and insomnia. Working on the current album "High Expectations" wasn't always easy for the 23-year-old either. Sometimes Mabel felt too stressed to go into the studio. The singer was plagued by self-doubt. But she didn't give up. "It's better to be honest about how I feel than to try and fake it. The album is for anyone who has ever felt they weren't good enough. I know what that feeling is. And it sucks!"