These are turbulent times. Between ”fake news,” the passing of music icons David Bowie and George Michael, and Angelina and Brad announcing their split, some might wonder, is now the time to “Dance Again”?
“Hardship and celebration go hand in hand,” asserts Bielfield, the American operatic wonder who is now making a name for himself in pop music. “I mean, you can’t see the rainbow until you get through the rain, right?”
His new pop track, “
Dance Again,” is a collaboration with international drag superstar, Courtney Act. It’s also a brilliant salute to the late great George Michael, who Bielfield says strongly influenced him growing up. “Whether I knew it or not, I was vocally, musically, and professionally influenced by him.”
Like George Michael, Bielfield is a gay artist. However, where the Wham! frontman hid his sexuality until he was forced out by scandal, Bielfield has opted to be open about his. He doesn’t blame Michael for staying closeted so long. “He had no choice. It’s hard, even now, to be a gay man in this industry. It’s still such a sensitive topic.”
On whether he thinks George Michael was a good role model for the gay community, Bielfield cuts the superstar some slack. “Most of us in his situation would have done the same thing. Now that we have more rights, it is our responsibility to step up and act more appropriately.”
Bielfield says he always assumes his little niece, Ruby, is watching everything he posts online and every spot he does on radio or TV. “It helps keep me honest. Obviously, I slip up from time to time, but for the most part, I am keeping my public life pretty PG-13.”
A Miami-native, Bielfield was trained at the prestigious Juilliard School and is best known in the states as a quintessential American opera tenor with a five octave range. He has performed productions and galas with the New York City Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, Center City Opera, and Juilliard Opera. He is currently touring in Australia with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.
At the same time, he is pursuing a pop career and while in Sydney earlier this month, he was able to escape the opera house for a few hours to experience Mardi Gras. “It was very tricky as I had two performances that day, but I was thrilled to get a few moments to celebrate with Courtney.”
Bielfield first met
Courtney Act last year, backstage at a music festival. “I immediately knew I needed to work with her,” he remembers. “A week or two later, we came face to face again, at a concert, where she introduced me to the stage. After the show, I took Courtney out for Mexican and told her I could totally make an amazing song for her. She was wasted, and so she agreed.”
“Dance Again” mixes modern electronic elements with retro sounds to create a unique club sound all its own. Bielfield describes the song as if Major Lazer and Ace of Base had a love child.
With their Ken and Barbie looks, it’s easy to think Bielfield and Courtney Act might be a real item. They’re not. In fact, Bielfield is happy flying solo. “I’m not really looking to break any hearts right now,” he laughs. He does see marriage in his future, but it likely won’t be down under.
Australia is currently in a heated battle for gay marriage rights, and “it’s looking very bleak,” reports Bielfield. “Many people here don’t see the need to push through marriage because same sex unions in Australia are so much more advanced then what we had in the states. It’s been an uphill battle to get conservatives to understand that there are dozens of rights and privileges that come with marriage that unions just do not provide.”
He’s hopeful that the different sides will eventually come together and do the right thing. He points to how he and Courtney had different goals, yet managed to make beautiful music together.
“In the studio, I was overly concerned about perfecting sounds while Courtney simply wanted to look and feel fabulous the whole time. I think it is what made the collaboration so special. We both hopped on for the ride and then the magic happened.”
Bielfeld’s "Dance Again" featuring Courtney Act is out now. Visit Bielfield.com.