The Rise To a Modern Evergreen:
Everlasting, Ever-evolving
An Interview with Bill Kaulitz
читать дальшеWithin the world of music, few artists manage to transcend the
boundaries of their craft, becoming icons whose influence reverberates
across generations. Rising to fame in the 2000s as the frontman of
Tokio Hotel, a band whose sound echoed in teenage bedrooms across
the globe, the Magdeburg-born Angeleno stands as one such luminary.
Traditionally hailed for his electrifying stage presence and distinct
fashion sense, Kaulitz has now re-accumulated old and new fans
through his captivating charisma. Together with his twin brother
and bandmate Tom, in their joint podcast Kaulitz Hills: Senf aus
Hollywood Bill has allowed for insights into the glitz, glamour and
grime that comes with his eventful life for four seasons now. Naturally,
he does so with his one-of-a-kind charm and transparency, which
is just one of the reasons the show is regularly topping the German
podcast charts. Emblematic of this popularity, the pair ditched the
instruments for their first-ever live podcast performance in a venue
no less than the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie.
Yet, behind the enduring spotlight lies a journey marked by creativity,
resilience and constant reinvention. In our exclusive shoot, we invited
Bill to explore this theme of reinvention together with a reflection on
his old iconic look, while I had the privilege of meeting Bill Kaulitz
for an exclusive interview. Join me, as I invite a forward-thinking man
to look back on his decade-long legacy.
Johannes Liedtke: First of all, how are you
doing and what have you been up to these
days?
Bill Kaulitz: I am jetlagged, but I feel like that’s a
constant state I’m in at the moment because I’m
travelling. It’s not something I’m proud of, it’s just
something that I have to do right now because
work is so crazy… I feel like I’m more on planes
than in music studios, which is kind of sad, but also
I’ve been working on new music so I’m jetlagged
and whenever I have the energy I’m trying to focus
and go in the studio because honestly, I have not
written enough music in the last year.
JL: I can imagine that must be so tough with
all the travelling. But being on the road, never
having a place to rest, what keeps you inspired
artistically, is travelling itself maybe something
that inspires you? Can you write music on
planes?
BK: Honestly, while on the plane I just take a
sleeping pill, drink two glasses of red wine and
try to get some sleep. Usually, my schedule is
so tight, because I time it that I land somewhere,
and I start working right away because otherwise
I never have enough time to fly back home,
so I always schedule everything super, super
tight. I never like to have like layover moments
or off -time when I go to work, it’s always super
tight and I just like to get it all done as quickly
as possible, I feel like I’m pretty straightforward,
I’m very German, I’m never too late and I like to
get things done, and I like to be busy, it’s like this
typical artist thing; I love to complain about and
say “Oh my god I’m so tired and jetlagged” but
at the same time I love to be busy, I love what I’m
doing, so it’s all fun.
JL: It’s funny that you say that, I actually had
an interview with someone else the other day
and she was late, so I was like: “Is Bill Kaulitz
gonna be late?”
BK: I’m never late, I’ve never missed an
appointment in my life, never slipped on any
agreements I’ve had, I’ve never missed a plane,
so yeah I’m very German in that regard.
JL: Deutsche Pünktlichkeit!
BK: Genau! [Laughs]
JL: And as a little reflection on your career,
what would you consider some of the most
defining moments, memories and even
milestones?
BK: Most defining moments, oh my god. It’s funny
that you ask, just yesterday my autobiography
turned three years and I can’t believe it’s been
three years since I wrote that book. I think for
me personally, but also for my career, writing an
autobiography when you’re only 30 years old is a
little crazy. But also I think it was one of the most
important things I’ve ever done, because I feel like
with that book, we kind of reinvented the whole
Tokio Hotel career. Also, I feel like it was such a
relief in a way, because it was so honest, and it
was the first time that I could truly tell my story
in my own words and my point of view without
anyone interrupting me or interpreting it differently.
It was very therapeutic in a way for me. Definitely
a milestone because it also started so many
different things that came after that, such as the
podcast, which then led to so many other things.
So I feel like the book was very important. And
then for Tokio Hotel, oh my god there were so
many. I mean of course the first song [Durch den
Monsun], you know we started with a number one
song and I think that song is still so relevant and it’s
crazy because we just now see that even in other
countries, young people are rediscovering this
song, and they’re like 12 years old, so they weren’t
even born, when the song came out, and they’re
still loving it in 2024. It’s so crazy – I always ask
myself: “How does that even happen?” Because
when it came out there was no Instagram or TikTok
or anything like that, so it’s astonishing to see that
even an old song like that can still touch and move
people so many years after. So Durch den Monsun
was definitely a milestone, I think the first single is
always a milestone for a band. Then also winning
the VMAs over in the US is a moment I’ll always
remember, just because it was so unexpected.
Us breaking through in America in that way and
being nominated for all these international acts
was a huge thing for us. Honestly, there are just
so many memories, I could go on and on, I mean
it was pretty wild! [Laughs]
JL: Definitely! Maybe tightening the scope a bit,
what were some of your personal milestones
from the past year?
BK: I think doing the first live podcast with Tom.
I never expected people to be so crazy for live
tickets just to listen to two people talking on stage,
that was so unexpected. I think we’re going to do
some more live events with the podcast this year.
Then also winning The Voice of Germany was
super fun but unexpected, I would have never
anticipated the fun I had being on that show. To be
honest I was always hesitant to do it, they asked
us back when the first season was planned, and
we always said no, and we were always unsure if
that was going to be something for us. But I had
so much fun coaching young talents, even though
it took a long time and the shooting days were
super long. I had the best time doing it, one of my
best experiences on TV for sure. What else did we
do this year? Oh! Tom and I hosted our very own
show for which we won a Deutscher Fernsehpreis
[German TV award], which was also unexpected.
There were a lot of “firsts” in the last year, which
is nice because after 18-19 years of doing this, it’s
nice to see that you can still get excited and still
have things that still surprise you. So the last year
was definitely a year for those.
JL: Wow! One could imagine that you could get
used to all that after so many years.
BK: Yeah! Or like jaded, in a way that you’re like
“Oh, I’ve done that before”, but honestly I feel
like I’ve never been as excited about my career
as I’m now. Also with Tom and also with Tokio
Hotel, it feels really exciting right now, which is a
really good feeling.
JL: Sticking with your involvement in Tokio
Hotel now, is there anything we can expect
from you in the future? New music and projects
we can look forward to?
BK: We’re definitely working on new music, we also
just announced that we’re going to upgrade some
of the venues to bigger ones because they’re sold
out already for 2025! It’s nuts, I can´t explain why,
but countries like France are sold out, Italy is sold
out, a year in advance and I’m just like “What’s
going on right now?”, I don’t even know where
this is coming from. I was just at the Fashion Week
in Paris, just to see some shows and run around
the city with my friends and then all of a sudden
there were just so many people in front of my
hotel and I just thought “F*ck, I need to book
security!” I really did not expect this intensity
of excitement. I have no idea how people are
rediscovering some of the songs, but it’s definitely
nice and I love it. But yeah, we are working on new
music, we are working on the tour, we are playing
at big festivals this summer. In general, this year
we want to focus more on music and creative work,
but also on playing live, we are putting together a
new festival show and then next year we’re going
to tour and hopefully have a new album ready!
JL: Congrats, that sounds very exciting!
Then talking about your media work in the
past, you and your brother initially retracted
from Germany and its media landscape.
What would you say sparked the change to
come back? How has your experience been
with being back in the German media realm?
BK: It feels familiar, but still different. It’s definitely
a mix of both of those feelings. You know, Tom
and I have been in the public eye ever since we
were 15 and grew up with all that attention, the
media and fans and a very public career. I think
initially we needed to get away from that a little
bit and “lick our wounds”. We were scarred from
everything that happened when we were so young.
All that attention made us a bit tired of what we
were doing, and I think we also weren’t very happy
with what we were doing, we weren’t inspired by
it anymore. It was just a job that needed to be
done, and we were caught in horrible contracts
with a record label and management that we
didn’t want to work with, and we just felt kind of
forced and trapped to do what we were doing.
So it was important for us to get away from that
a little bit and rethink what we wanted to do
artistically, to take it into our own hands and to
be in charge, to be in control, in order for us to
be happy with it. We took control back musically
with the Dream Machine album and then finally, for
myself, I did that with my book and I think that’s
why it’s so important and dear to me. Everything
that happened after the book was on our own
terms, and it just felt great, and we started having
fun with it again. Now, everything feels different; the
relationship with Germany and Europe, with our
fans, and with the media is so different because
now we are finally in the driver’s seat. It just feels so
much more natural and fun. As I mentioned earlier,
I think last year was the best year career-wise,
for sure, for Tom and me, but also for the band.
JL: As you said, you were so young when
everything unfolded and you were confronted
with that amount of media attention. Being a
kid of the 2000s, I also remember the language
that was used in media was so harsh, often
even very homophobic. I think you being a
young boy wearing makeup back then also
was a huge, almost scandalous thing in the
German media. So I’m wondering, do you think
the reception nowadays is more positive?
BK: For sure! I think we have come a long way.
I was just watching back an old clip I found on
Instagram, there was a show back then called
Die Hundert Nervigsten Deutschen [The Top 100
Most Annoying Germans] and a show like that
would never be on TV in 2024. I think that show,
even just its title, tells how long of a way we
have come. I think they voted me number one
or number two, and the way they talked about
me… The words they used – mind you I was a
teenager – there were comedians, but also hosts,
grown, important people – and the way they talked
about me! Now being 34 and watching that back
and thinking of myself at 16, I was so insecure,
I was a normal teenager too, even though I was
always acting hard-shelled and cool. I was on
stage being bold and brave, but of course, I had
insecurities, and I was still figuring life out. It’s so
crazy how people talked about young kids for no
reason. It was very homophobic and very harsh,
very nasty, very wrong. You know, looking back at
everything that was written about us is pretty wild,
but then, now, it makes me happy to see that the
reception is so different. Even the people that
were on that show, some of them are still relevant,
and they have also changed a lot. I think for them
looking back at that it must be so embarrassing.
I heard someone say “You know, looking back
you guys were so ahead of your time, if you’ve
had your band breakthrough now, things would
be very different”. But I think we did everything
for a reason and honestly, I would not change a
thing, it was all meant to be like that.
JL: I think it’s safe to say that you were also
one of the reasons that that conversation has
shifted because you having been someone
so young, being yourself so outspokenly
and unapologetically for a lot of queer kids,
including me, you were always someone to look
up to and see that it’s ok to be the way you are.
BK: And that makes me so happy! I think, when
you’re in it, and you’re doing it you don’t realize
how much of a responsibility and how much of an
impact you’re having, I never thought about that.
But now, looking back and people like you or some
fans telling me these things, it just makes me so
happy and proud. It really is the best compliment!
JL: You deserve it all! Now maybe comparing
your fame and impact in Germany to your
experiences abroad, do you think those are
very different experiences?
BK: For sure! Personally, it always gave me a
sense of peace of mind to be successful in other
countries too because then I always felt relieved
in a way, like “Thank god my career is not only
dependent on Germany”. If things ever go wrong
and everyone starts hating me, I still have these
other countries. [Laughs] So that always gave
me peace of mind and made me very happy, and
I think that being successful in other countries
shifted our careers in Germany too. When we
started winning the VMAs and being more present
in America then slowly some of the German haters
started to be like “Oh, look at our boys!” [Laughs]
In terms of being taken seriously as musicians in
Germany that helped a lot, when we started to get
big in France and people started learning German
to sing the lyrics, this is when people slowly started
to become proud of us. That definitely shifted
the language of the media. In other countries it
was also way fewer tabloids and yellow press,
in Germany it was always about our private and
personal life and who we were dating and whatnot
and it was always a bit less about our music in a
way. We were constantly fighting with the tabloids
and kept trying to push our music and that never
really worked out. In other countries, our music
was always the main focus, so in places like France
or America, especially in America, we were always
more of an Indie band, never mainstream like in
Germany. We were always the cool German shit
with the Indie look, so I think the reception was just
very different. People looked at us as musicians
instead of celebrities. I feel like in Germany we
were celebrities, more than musicians, and I think
that was very different in other countries.
-------------------------------
“I’m just now learning how it feels to be completely yourself in public
even though I have been doing this for so long. I watch back old
interviews of myself sometimes, and I’m like “What am I doing there,
why am I lying so much, why am I so serious?” That’s not who I am.
-------------------------------
JL: I feel like maybe that whole focus on
celebrities’ personal lives, who they’re dating,
I get the impression that that has also changed
a bit…
BK: Totally! Also, I think because of social media.
Social media and podcasts and all that stuff really
changed the media world, because you can always
tell your own story. You can correct people, you
can always tell your own truth and you can share
whatever you feel you want to share. Media is
always a bit slower, so they can always invent
rumors. On social media, you can always share
where you are, and who you’re with. I think that
definitely has to do with it too.
JL: Definitely! Talking about you telling your
own story, especially your podcast Kaulitz Hills
with your brother, can be a big channel for that.
Run me through your journey with that! How
did it come about and how does it feel to be
so successful with it?
BK: Oh my god, I think the podcast was the most
unexpected thing ever. When Tom and I started
– almost two and a half years ago – we had no
idea what a podcast was! I remember when, I
think it was Georg from our band, came to us
with the idea, he just told us: “You know what,
you guys are so funny together, you should always
have a microphone in the studio or whenever you
hang out because that would make the funniest
podcast” and I just told him “What is a podcast?
I’ve never even heard of that!” and he was just
like “Well, it’s kind of like a radio show”, and I just
thought “Who in this world is going to listen
to that?” I couldn’t even imagine people just
listening to it, I thought you always needed a
visual, and it’s more like a YouTube thing, I had no
idea. But then, they brought a microphone, we had
a drink, and Tom and I thought “Okay, we’ll let’s try
it out!”, so we just sat down and started talking, like
our usual brotherly talk we have and recorded a
pilot. Then Spotify said “We’re going to give you a
contract for nine episodes” – that was the original
plan, but then it became so crazy successful,
and we had no idea why. People just loved it so
much, so quickly, so we extended the contract.
Fast-forward, we’re now on season four, and I
can’t even imagine my life without the podcast.
It’s something I look forward to every week and
Tom and I always have so much fun with it. We
always have something to talk about, and honestly,
there are a lot of people who never listened to
Tokio Hotel and a lot of new people. I feel like the
feedback we’re getting or the emails we’re getting
is from a lot of new people. Some even say, I never
listened to Tokio Hotel or I never liked you guys,
but they got recommended the podcast, and now
I am in love with it and I can’t stop listening to it.
I feel like people didn’t really know us before the
podcast because it’s always just interviews and
glimpses and fractions of something you’re saying
or doing. I think listening to someone for an hour
is very intimate. Especially someone talking to his
brother, we’re identical twins, we’re so close, and
we don’t have anyone else in the room, it’s just us
two. Opening that door and letting someone into
that conversation is something rather private and
intimate, and I feel like that’s how people really
get to know us, truly, without getting a question
asked, it’s just a conversation.
JL: And how does that feel, having so many
news fans that weren’t attracted by the music
but more by you personally, and now maybe
they became fans of the music too?
BK: It feels great. Tom and I always say when
people love your song or your brand or your live
show, that’s always art, so that’s always a question
of taste. You either like the song or you don’t like a
song, you can’t always cater to everyone’s taste.
But getting a compliment for the podcast, that’s
just so personal. When people say “I like the
podcast”, that truly really means they like us
as people and I think that might be the most
honest and intimate compliment we could get.
So that makes us really happy. Every week we’re
so overwhelmed with all the comments and how
we became a big part of so many people’s lives.
Sometime’s people write us things like “You’re
like my best friends I never had” and it’s just very
touching and very cute.
JL: And you also often give out advice on your
podcast, so it is also like a mutual thing with
the fans, right?
BK: Yes, it’s a great way to communicate. It’s just
so nice, because once a week we really get to
tell everyone about ourselves without relying on
interviews or reporters, so it’s really just us talking
with each other, but also with our fans. It’s kinda
crazy because I sometimes even forget about it.
[Laughs] Sometimes I’m in a conversation with
Tom, and I just can’t believe so many people are
going to listen to that, which honestly might be
the whole secret behind it. It’s just a real intimate
conversation, and you can’t think about the fact
that so many will listen to it.
JL: Do you cut things out often?
BK: Sometimes. Very rarely. Tom always edits
the episodes, so before we even send them to
Spotify, he is always listening back to the whole
conversation. Sometimes he will cut something
out, but it happens very rarely, like maybe every
other episode or something. If he does then mostly
because the episode was too long.
JL: As you mentioned, that authenticity and
unapologetic unfilteredness might be the
secret behind Kaulitz Hills’ success. With so
much success and so much media attention,
a lot of people in the industry develop a sort
of “media mask” and are someone completely
different once cameras or microphones are
off. How do you think you could preserve and
maintain your authenticity?
BK: To be honest, I’m just now learning how it feels
to be completely yourself in public even though
I have been doing this for so long. I watch back
old interviews of myself sometimes, and I’m like
“What am I doing there, why am I lying so much,
why am I so serious?” Like that’s not who I am.
I think because of the book and the podcast,
we just recently discovered how much easier it
is to be transparent and in every way authentic.
It’s so much easier than putting on a persona or
a different face, you know, that’s exhausting.
So I think because of all the tabloids and the
media and what people thought of us we always
thought we had to be a certain way and I had to
talk in a very serious manner in order to be taken
seriously and I completely let go of that and that
just feels great. I have so much more fun now
doing TV shows and doing interviews because I
feel like I don’t have to pretend to be anything I’m
not anymore. People know who I am, they know
how nasty and how funny I am. I think that was a
big relief for us, I discovered after so many years
that being yourself is just so much easier and it’s
really not hard to do. Just do an interview like you
would talk to your best friend or your brother and
I think this is the best advice I could give anyone.
I wish I could talk to my younger self and say “Just
be yourself and don’t try anything, that’s gonna
be a big relief for you”.
JL: And I mean, it’s also nice to let that guard
down and see that people still like you and
might even like you even more.
BK: And a secret is only a secret if you make it one.
When you’re open and honest, there’s no scandal,
there’s nothing to reveal or uncover. It’s nice to be
open and honest and not have that many secrets,
because it’s just unnecessary. That doesn’t mean
you can’t keep things private.
JL: Going back to The Voice of Germany.
You said that being authentic is one thing
you would recommend to anyone, probably
especially in the music industry and people in
the public eye. How has your experience been
as a coach and what other things would you
recommend to people starting out in the music
industry and in the public eye?
BK: It was great. I never thought I would have that
much fun doing The Voice, again I was always
a little scared of it, because as the producers
told me, you’re not just a judge, you’re a coach
and I just thought “Oh, that sounds like a lot of
responsibility”. [Laughs] But yeah, before it was
just never the right time, but when we ended up
doing it it just came at the perfect time. Tom and
I had so much fun doing it, especially together.
Being in one chair, it really just felt like doing
the podcast with music and our other fellow
coaches. We had a great team and you really
get so invested. I never thought I would get this
invested in this whole “game” in a way like I’m so
competitive. I thought if I do it, I want to win, and it
was great fun because in the end, we won. I never
expected this after the semi-final, where we lost
so many of our team members. I think the best
advice was to be authentic. We were trying not to
be so serious, and to be “coaches” all the time. I
was trying to meet them eye to eye and just have
fun. That’s the most important advice: to have fun
with what you’re doing. When it feels like work,
it might not be your thing. I remember when we
started out, I just wanted to be on stage. Every
stage you gave me, every microphone you gave
me, every chance you gave me, I was up there.
If you’re scared of the stage, scared of sharing
your talents, and your writing skills, this might just
not be for you and that’s okay. A lot of our talents
also found that out in the process, some always
thought the stage was for them, but maybe they
see themselves more as producers or writers in
the background. There are so many things you
can do in music, you can be a great producer or
mixer or work on the record label site. So being on
stage is really not for everyone. I think that really is
the best advice I can give, have fun with it and be
yourself. It’s really not an easy thing to do. It took
me all these years to figure that out.
JL: Which other artists, also from other
disciplines like film and fashion inspire you?
BK: Fashion always inspires me. I love to discover
new looks and designers. For me, music and
fashion go hand in hand and I can’t do one thing
without the other. It was always very important to
me to not just express myself with my voice but
also with my looks. For me that always supports
the music. For inspiration, I would say David Bowie
was always the biggest one. He was my childhood
hero, that’s why I had the hair, because I loved
him in The Labyrinth. It really was my childhood
fairytale, I watch it pretty much every weekend.
I loved the looks he was wearing, his tight pants,
the colors, his hair and makeup. Then also Prince,
more look-wise than his music. I loved his music,
but I always got more inspired by his outfits.
Whenever I am putting together new looks for
our shows, I always go to the Prince archive, and I
send my custom designer all these pictures of him.
Also Hedi Slimane, I think he’s a great designer
and just really someone I look up to, I love all of his
photography, designs and just his general point of
view. I also get inspired by film a lot. Pretty much
every Sunday, I will watch one. I had someone tell
me, that watching movies is like therapy for me and
that’s just so true. When I’m watching a movie or
a good TV show, that’s the moment where I can
just get out of my head and be inspired.
JL: As you just touched upon fashion, how
would you say your own style has changed
over the years?
BK: Oh my god! It has changed so much. I feel
like I change so often that even when I look back
at my outfits from last week, I sometimes feel like
I wouldn’t wear them again. [Laughs] I feel like I
get tired of things so quickly, I constantly need to
change and evolve. But it’s never something I’m
planning, it’s not like I’m sitting down wondering
what my next fashion move could be. It’s just
something that comes naturally to me, I need
fashion to stay and feel alive, I just like to try out
new things and when you’re trying out new things
you’re also always bound to fail. If you want to
be bold, you’re also always going to look back
at some failures, but that’s okay. To me that was
always the fun of it all and you also learn from it.
Looking back at old styles, I always understand
what I was thinking there and what I felt. The outfit
was always a reflection of the way I felt at that
moment, so very authentic. I might have not
been the most fashionable or best-dressed, but
it was always me. As long as it feels good, and
again, authentic, to me. That’s also why I never
tried styling Georg, Gustav or Tom and why we
always looked different because we were just
being ourselves. I never wanted to look alike or
told them to blend better, I always wanted us to
be ourselves. The worst feeling is when you feel
dressed up in somebody else’s style. So yeah,
my style changed big time and it just keeps on
changing. A lot of people like to have their uniform,
I have friends that only wear black or only this one
specific type of pants and it works for them and it
gives them peace of mind. Like Karl Lagerfeld for
example. That just goes to show how people are
wired so differently, some people derive a sense
of peace of mind from having their uniform so they
can focus on other things, but for me, that would
mean death. If I had to wear the same thing every
day, honestly I would rather die. [Laughs] Changing
my fashion and style keeps me alive and it keeps
me inspired.
JL: I think it’s safe to say that for the shoot
for ZOO #82 you underwent quite a big one.
How did that feel?
BK: I’m always up to try something different, so
when they told me they wanted to do a “homage”
to my old style and my old look, going back to the
black hair and the eye makeup, I was like “Let’s do
it!” Because for me personally, I never really look
back. I’m always thinking about the next song,
the next move, I never really sit and reflect and
think about the past. The only time I really do that
is when I am doing an interview or when I wrote
my book. So going back to the original Bill and
taking out the piercings, going back to a time
when I did not have the tattoos, and dying my hair
black was a weird feeling, but I liked it. It was like
traveling back with all the experience I have now
in my 30s, but also embracing and hugging my
inner child in a way.
JL: What can we expect from you in the future?
BK: There’s so much I wish I could tell you. For
instance, this summer is almost going to be a bit
overwhelming, we have all these things coming out
at the same time, that Tom already is scared it’s
going to be a sort of overkill and people will get
tired of us. There’s a lot of new TV stuff happening,
there’s amazing new music coming. Tom and I
just finished two songs that are going to be the
theme songs of two of our projects that will come
out in the summer. In a way, it feels almost like a
second career. Somebody said the other day that
when they look at me and Tom now, it’s almost
like different people, like the old Tokio Hotel was
so big and everyone remembers these songs and
that career, but to him it was like Tom and I are
separated from that. It’s the old Tokio Hotel, and
the new Tokio Hotel, with almost new members.
He feels that we really reinvented ourselves and
that he couldn’t connect the two careers anymore.
And I listened to that, and I found it so interesting
because we never planned it. It’s just something
that happened naturally, and I love that people
can see that we’re having fun with everything
again. It was so many things happening for the
first time, I hope I’ll have more unexpected things
coming this year because I am just having so much
fun with that.
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“For me, music and fashion go hand in hand and I can’t do one
thing without the other. It was always very important to me to not
just express myself with my voice but also with my looks”
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