I’ve never felt younger than I do now, says Lenny Kravitz, who turns 60 and releases new album

“Bom dia, bom dia!”, this is how, in good Portuguese, American singer Lenny Kravitz, 59, greets the reporter when he joins the audio call. The conversation is to talk about his new album, “Blue Electric Light”, which hits platforms next Friday (24) — after a 5-year hiatus without new releases. But it also goes through six decades of life, which the pop star completes on the 26th.

“I’ve never felt younger than I do now,” says he, who is in his 12th studio effort. “Mentally, physically and spiritually, I’ve never felt better in my life. But, yes, I’m not 20 anymore. It turns out that no matter how old you are, you don’t know how many days you have left. So, we have to live each day as if was the last.”

The singer laughs when he learns, from the report, that some people call him a “real-life vampire” because of his youthful appearance and athletic look — it’s as if time never seems to pass for him. “No, I’m not a vampire (laughs)”, he assures. “Well… I do my best to take care of my temple. The body is the temple. That’s a biblical statement.”

Much of this temple can be seen in the video for the first single from the new album, “TK421”, released at the end of last year and in which Kravitz appears as he came into the world. He says the idea came from Ukrainian director Tanu Muiño (“you can blame her”), but that he had fun in the process. The second single, “Human”, has been available for about a month on audio platforms.

But it’s difficult for him to choose which other songs to highlight from the new work. For him, who recorded the new work only with the help of guitarist and faithful sidekick Craig Ross, they could all become singles. Why, then, in an era where many don’t even bother compiling more substantial works, did he find it necessary to bring these songs together on the same album?

“I make albums, that’s what I do. I’m sure that’s what I’ll always do. I believe in the album. It’s a closed work. It’s a collection of songs that’s about a moment. And for me, it needs several songs to tell a story”, he explains, who says he has a passion for the experience of listening to music in this way.

The song that gives the work its name appeared to him in a dream. “I arrived at the studio in the morning, recorded, played all the instruments, sang, finished”, he reports. “It was the last song and it ended up being ‘Blue Electric Light’. For me, in that song, that blue electric light is positive energy, it’s spirit, it’s God, it’s humanity, it’s love, it’s sensuality, it’s sexuality. It’s all of that, It’s all the elements that make us.”

If this work was carried out in the studio that the singer maintains in the Bahamas, he does not rule out making an entire album on the farm he has in Duas Barras, in Rio de Janeiro, on a future occasion. The property, which used to grow coffee, is one of the singer’s favorites and was recently made available for seasonal rental.

“I would like to make an album in Brazil at some point,” he says. I dream with this. I want to do it on my farm and stay there for six months making music. This will happen one day. There is a particular energy in this place, in Brazil, in the mountains.”

While that doesn’t happen, he plans to go through the country with the new tour, which will start on Thursday (23), in Hamburg, Germany. “We will be there as soon as possible,” he says. “You guys are the best. I love Brazil and consider it one of my homes. I love the people, the culture, the music, the architecture, the food, the vibe. It’s such a rich country.”

Upon learning of Madonna’s recent concert on the sands of Copacabana, in Rio, he is excited about the idea of ​​returning to the place where she sang in 2007 to an estimated audience of 400,000 people. “That was incredible. I think I was the first to do it, the Stones did it a year after me,” he recalls. “It was so emotional. So many people. It was like a celebration. I want to do it again!”

Check out the main excerpts from the interview below.

You’ve already released two singles from the new album. The most recent of them is called “Human”. In it, you ask: what is this life for? Do you have an answer for this question?

The verse following this is: “I will win.” So, it’s about going through this life and winning. And what does it mean to win? It means different things to different people. But following your path, being authentic to who you are, fulfilling your destiny… for me, those are the things I consider winning. I will live my truth in this life. I will not live a lie. I came here to be alive. I came here to be human. We are spiritual beings who have a human experience. So, I came here to experience this human situation we are in. It’s a learning process.

You also say that our time on Earth will not last forever. You’re about to turn 60, just two days after the album comes out. Do you think this has made you think about these questions more? philosophical?

I think I always thought about that. I don’t relate to getting older the way a lot of people do. I have never felt younger than I do now. Mentally, physically and spiritually, I have never felt better in my life. But, yes, I’m not 20 anymore. It turns out that no matter how old you are, you don’t know how many days you have left. There are many young people who come here for a short time. Children, young people, people of any age. So, we have to live each day as if it were the last. And do our best to make the most of this experience.

Well, I’m glad you say so strongly that you’re human because when I was researching this interview, one of the first things that came up on Google was someone calling you a “real vampire.” ‘Cause it’s like you never grew old.

A real vampire? No, I’m not a vampire (laughs). Well… I do my best to take care of my temple. The body is the temple. This is a biblical statement. So, I do my best to take care of him. Everything I do is natural. The way I eat, the way I think, the way I train my body and my mind. You can be 30 and destroyed. And you can be 80 years old and be young and vibrant. I’ve seen this. Have you seen this. It really depends.

Yes definitely. The comment was about the “TK421” video, in which you appear completely naked.

Well, it was fun. I was surprised. It wasn’t my idea. It was the director’s idea [Tanu Muiño]. But I had fun. We have fun. It really was like watching someone who is at home alone playing music. And, you know, being silly and enjoying yourself while you get ready to start the day. That was the concept of the video. It was very simple. But it was fun to do. I love the director, Tanu. I discovered her work when I saw Rosalía’s video for “Chicken Teriyaki”, which I love. And that’s why I called her. So, it was her idea. You can blame her.

And what can you tell us about “Blue Electric Light”? Why did you choose this song to baptize the album?

It was actually my guitarist, Craig Ross, who has been with me for a long time. He is my right hand. I dreamed about the song, arrived at the studio in the morning, recorded it, played all the instruments, sang, finished it. And Craig looked at me and said, ‘You know that’s the title of the album.’ I said, ‘Yeah?’. He said, ‘Blue Electric Light, man, that’s the title. This song is the title’. I had already chosen another title and was thinking about something different. But I kept listening and I said, ‘You’re right.’ It was the last song and ended up being ‘Blue Electric Light’. For me, in that song, blue electric light is positive energy, it’s spirit, it’s God, it’s humanity, it’s love, it’s sensuality, it’s sexuality. It’s all of that, it’s all the elements that make us. And I only saw this blue electric light, just this warm, bright light that embraces us.

It had been 5 years since their last album, “Raise Vibration”. Why did it take so long to release something new?

I played the last album for two years and then closed myself off for almost three years [na pandemia]so it’s been 5 years.

And what other songs do you think could be released as singles?

“Honey”, “Paralyzed”, “Love Is my Religion”… I’m playing with those for now. I’m stuck on these. But the whole album. All the album.

Nowadays it seems like most people don’t care about making albums anymore, they just release single after single. Why did you think it was important to release the work like this?

I make albums, that’s what I do. I’m sure that’s what I’ll always do. I believe in the album. It is a closed work. It’s a collection of songs that are about a moment. And for me, it takes multiple songs to tell a story. I grew up listening to albums. I love the album experience. I love when people sit down and put on an album. They sit on the sofa, read the liner notes, who did what, in which studio, who played drums, who played guitar, who was the sound engineer, who was the orchestra arranger. You sit there, listen and take it all in. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s a great experience.

You play most of the instruments on the album, right? How many instruments do you play?

I play whatever. On most songs, I play everything. On the other songs, I play everything except the guitar part, when Craig plays with me. And Craig is also the engineer on the album. So I produce and play, Craig plays and engineers. It’s the two of us in the studio, and this is how we do it.

So it’s a very guys.

Absolutely. Always always. I always put all my soul into each album.

Like the previous album, the new album was recorded in his studio in the Bahamas. Is it the place where you have the most inspiration these days?

I get inspiration wherever I go in life, but this is my studio and I love working there. Being in the Bahamas is wonderful because it’s a place where you can connect with the Earth, with nature, with the air, the ocean, the trees. And it’s a great place to open up.

It’s in Brazil? Have you had any inspiration here?

Firstly, I would like to make an album in Brazil at some point. I dream with this. I want to do it on my farm [em Duas Barras, no RJ] and stay there for six months making music. This will happen one day. There is a particular energy in this place, in Brazil, in the mountains.

I saw a video of the farm. It’s a property beautiful.

Yes it is. Thanks. But I’m looking forward to playing the new album in Brazil, with the “Blue Electric Light” tour. And we will be there as soon as possible. You are the best. I love Brazil and consider it one of my homes. I love the people, the culture, the music, the architecture, the food, the vibe. It’s such a rich country.

You are one of the biggest international stars who have performed on Copacabana beach. Who knows, maybe come back with a show there?

That was incredible. I think I was the first to do it, the Stones did it a year after me. It was so exciting. So many people. It was like a celebration. I want to do it again!