Helene Fischer’s 40th birthday: How she turned the pop world upside down

In 2024, Helene Fischer (40) will not only celebrate her 40th birthday, but also the 20th anniversary of her entry into the pop music world. It is now exactly two decades since her mother Maria sent a demo CD to artist manager Uwe Kanthak (62), who immediately arranged her talented daughter’s first record deal. From there, the young talent began a career in which she would not only break all records, but also turn the entire pop music business upside down.

Undisputed queen of German pop music

Over the past 20 years, the singer, who was born on August 5, 1984 in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, and emigrated to Germany with her Russian-German parents in 1988, has had a truly breathtaking career. On her birthday today, she is not only the undisputed ruler of the German pop world, but is also one of the highest-selling pop acts on the planet.

The fact that the German pop queen entered the top 10 of the “Forbes” list of the highest-earning female musicians in the world in 2018, even leaving Britney Spears (42) and Céline Dion (56) behind, attracted some attention, and not only in the German media. The surprising new entry at number 8 was met with clear recognition: “Although she is not as well known as her American compatriots on the list, European superstar Fischer earns more than most divas in the USA. This year, the majority of her income comes from a phenomenally successful tour, where she earns seven-figure sums per stop.”

Record-breaking career record

Eight number one albums, more than 18 million records sold, which have so far earned them 64 platinum awards and 18 gold awards in Germany alone, as well as 17 Echos, eight Golden Hens and three Bambis – the list of their successes and records could go on and on.

However, the exceptional artist has not only earned a lot of money and won numerous accolades on the pop market. Together with a visionary management team and songwriters such as Jean Frankfurter (76) and Christina Bach (62), she has turned the entire genre around and brought it up to date.

A breath of fresh air in the dusty pop genre

Helene Fischer deserves credit for making the Schlager music, which was still dusty and frowned upon by young people at the beginning of the millennium, socially acceptable again and filling it with new meaning. From the very beginning, she focused on a musical balancing act between classic Schlager and pop, opening up the previously staid genre to new influences, cooler looks and more spectacular stage shows.

According to musicologist Marina Forell, Schlager is now one of the most popular music genres among younger target groups. A study has shown that the typical Helene Fischer fan is on average 31 years old, female and single.

During Helene Fischer’s rise to become the new queen of pop music, the genre has undergone a major modernization. “There are suddenly cool beats and even music videos that have not played a role in pop music for a long time,” says Forell. “A lot of things are produced more professionally than they were a few years ago. The lyrics are also appealing to a younger target group: they are about hedonism, party culture, being in love. The usual, outdated family life that we know from popular pop music has faded into the background.”

New standards for the competition

Helene Fischer has set new standards that others have also followed. This can be seen not least in Fischer’s biggest competitor Andrea Berg (58). “She has by no means copied Fischer,” says the scientist, “but her productions and stage shows have become much more professional. Pop singers have always come across as a bit uncool and old-fashioned. But Berg now looks more like a pop singer.”

On her way to setting new standards in the German pop world, Fischer repeatedly broke new ground and did things that would have been unthinkable in the once ultra-conservative genre. This also included taking a clear political stance at the beginning of 2024. “Discrimination, racism, hatred and violence are poisoning our society. I want to live in an open, tolerant and diverse Germany and I wish for a colorful future for our children,” she wrote there and called on her fan base to vote: “For democracy and against the extremists!”

Revolutionary cosmopolitan reign

The fact that a fresher and more cosmopolitan wind is blowing under her reign was also made clear by the singer in 2018 in the Christmas edition of her “Helene Fischer Show”, to which she invited the openly lesbian pop icon Kerstin Ott (42) to perform her new hit “Regenbogenfarben” with her.

In one of them, Ott later praised her colleague highly. When asked whether this much-acclaimed duet had “made Helene Fischer cooler,” she answered resolutely: “Helene has always been cool. It’s more like she made the whole hit or pop hit cooler. She opened the doors for all of us and made a small revolution possible.”