So, you’re looking kinda cut, mate. Been hitting the weights room?
Well, in your 30s you can’t let nature take its course.
Are you grappling with your mortality or grappling with putting on weight?
Not putting on weight. It’s just there’s something about the Born in the USA-period Bruce [Springsteen] where he hit the gym and looked hungry again. That’s how we feel.
Both you and Lady Gaga have referenced The Boss as inspiration for your new records. We wouldn’t have seen that coming.
No. Bruce in the past 10 years has turned a whole new generation on to him. And it’s great in your 30s to discover a new favourite band, and at the same time, in the same decade, discover so much about Jay-Z and Kanye. It’s been a nice two avenues of inspiration.
So how did the Rihanna collaboration on Mylo Xyloto, “Princess of China,” come about? You’ve name-checked Beyoncé so many times in the past, we kinda expected her to turn up on the album.
Well, I did write a song for Beyoncé, but it got rejected by her A&R people. And the one I wrote for Rihanna didn’t get rejected. It was when she was doing Rated R, but it took so long –there’s still this tribalism in music where we’re rock and you’re pop and you’re hip-hop, and it sometimes takes a while to get across those barriers. Whereas a 14-year-old doesn’t even see those barriers. So once we started thinking like that, it was, “Who cares if we used to be shelved in different places record stores?” She’s f—king rad, and I love listening to her. It’s my favourite real singing on the album, because it isn’t me.
For the full feature and images grab the January issue of MAXIM, in stores Dec 21 – Jan 21, 2012.
To grab a digital copy CLICK HERE. All past issues available for download.
To subscribe CLICK HERE . Australian residents only.
iPad Application also available. CLICK HERE. All past issues available for download.
