Too good for this world: what happened to bearded singer Conchita Wurst after winning Eurovision?

Even after eight years, many still wonder why Copenhagen’s Eurovision was won by drag queen Tom Neuwirth, who created Conchita Wurst’s artistic alter ego. The answer is simple: because she sings damn well. Tom Neuwirth is celebrating her 34th birthday today.

The protests of the Russian conservative ranks against Conchita’s victory in 2014 were not surprising, but the disapproval was also heard from Austria, where Tom Neuwirth comes from. (Austria gives life from time to time to artists whose work goes far beyond its borders: before Conchita Wurst, such examples were Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Falco, or the writer Elfriede Jelinek, who did not accept the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2004 for fear of “not becoming a flower on Austria’s lapel”.)

“Trouble with that beard”

Most Czech viewers have known Conchita twice thanks to the competition Your face has a familiar voice. In 2016, Ondřej Sokol “jokingly” told Ivana Chylková in Conchita’s dress that in this show she “has a problem with that beard” and Jitka Čvančarová told the world what foul-mouthed people have said from the very beginning. : “Conchita needs a beard to impress, but you don’t need one, Ivanka.” Luckily, Ivanka is a good actress, so she pretty much played her voice, and no one really cared that she didn’t even come close to the vocal range required for Rise Like a Phoenix. Also this year, your face has a familiar voice, a Conchita Wurst song, Diamonds Are Forever performed by Martin Carev, was brought to Czech salons. We prefer to leave her performance without comment. Eventually, Allysa Flower, a member of the transvestite group Crazy Goddes, took over Conchita’s legacy in the Czech Republic in the most dignified way, with the utmost sentiment and sincerity.

Being a star is work

Becoming an icon isn’t as simple as wearing a beard with a woman’s dress (everyone would). Unlike her caricatures, each of Conchita Wurst’s artistic creations not only abounds with evidence of luxurious vocal equipment, great dance talent and skillful choreography (let’s not forget the brilliantly innovative costumes), but above all has something to say beyond joy.

For example in coveru Best As Net, a duet with Ina Regen (the original was sung by Hubert Von Goiser), Conchita engages in the extremely demanding singing discipline of yodeling and skillfully prevents the comic from leaving a soft and pure touch. The aforementioned duet Diamonds are forever with drag artist Trevor Ashley he has packaged feelings in a place as legendary as the Sydney Opera House. In the song Hit Me, she seems to literally communicate with the haters, who are a thorn in their side simply because of her free choice of how to appear. Last year, at the age of 33, Tom Neuwirth announced that Conchita Wurst’s artistic career had gotten to the point where she had achieved everything she wanted and was ending.

Conchita will leave in 2022

However, in recent days he released the single Call Me Up under his pseudonym. In it she psychoanalyses herself in a silk bathrobe that would also be useful for Jeff of the Big Lebowski. Tom Neuwirth seems to be making fun of himself for wanting to tell the world why the hell he’s wearing those clothes and that beard. Other new additions include the song (originally by Jürgens) Ich Weiss, Was Ich Will, sung as part of the soundtrack to the film Der Onkel (written and directed by Ostrowski / Koepling), which hits theaters this year. The trailer for Der Onkel (also called Hawke) is not only interesting, but it looks very promising and we wish it success, as does Thomas Neuwirth aka Conchita Wurst on her 34th birthday today.

Honors and executions

For the record, let’s give the historical context: in ancient times people with an androgynous appearance were venerated, there is even talk of an Athenian priestess with a beard of the fifth century BC, while in the Middle Ages they were burned and accused of frequenting the devil. From this point of view, Conchita is nothing new under the sun, yet the company that has seen almost everything in the 21st century still can’t get used to personalities who are guilty of nothing more than originality and talent.

Stand up like a phoenix

Tom Neuwirth, among other things, with his public declaration of being HIV positive, detabù this disease and draws attention to the fate of people blackmailed by their former partners, as happened to him. In light of this story, the song Rise Like A Phoenix has the essence of courage and determination to walk and not give up despite fatal obstacles.

Photo source: Profimedia