American pop star Anastacia has shared a bizarre but funny story from her early career, recalling how Hollywood legend Arnold Schwarzenegger once insisted she perform En Vogue’s Whatta Man repeatedly at his birthday celebration.
Speaking in a recent interview, the Chicago-born singer said Schwarzenegger requested encores of the 1990s R&B classic over and over.
“I played Arnold Schwarzenegger’s birthday, and he had me do En Vogue’s Whatta Man,” Anastacia said. “Great song, but he just wanted me to sing it over and over again. I think I sang it 12 times. Every time, I was like, ‘Oh my God, he wants it again.’ It really made me laugh.”
The revelation came as the singer reflected on her unusual path to fame. Before breaking through with her 2000 hit I’m Outta Love, Anastacia performed at countless private functions and corporate events, including Steven Spielberg’s wedding.
Despite years of rejection from record labels who were unsure how to market her distinctive raspy voice and trademark tinted glasses—her appearance on MTV’s The Cut in 1998 changed everything. Within two years, she was topping charts worldwide with her debut album Not That Kind, which went on to sell more than four million copies.
Now celebrating the 25th anniversary of that album with a global tour, Anastacia says she’s thrilled to be reconnecting with fans old and new.
“When I started, a lot of older people loved my voice because it has the nuances of Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner,” she said. “Now, 25 years later, I’m getting the younger audience who were in single digits the first time around. This is their first time ever seeing me in concert and you can feel their excitement.”
The star, who has twice survived breast cancer, is also working on new music alongside her anniversary shows, but admits the music industry is still unpredictable.
“After all these years, it’s still a mystery,” she said with a laugh.
