march-2012

STAR STRUCK
what would she like to tell that
“Tiny Tina” (as she was dubbed)
today? “Ah, interesting! What
would I tell that girl? Be very
aware of what lies ahead. Good
and bad, absolutely.”
Indeed, her fame on the
defunct show — recently revived
and spectacularly re-booted on
Channel TEN with Arena now
a judge and mentor — didn’t
automatically mean an easy ride
for the girl who left YTT at age 16
(the show’s offi cial “graduation”
age). She launched into club gigs
until landing a recording contract
in 1988 at age 21. Her fi rst solo
album, Strong As Steel, included
the hit “I Need Your Body”. Watch
it back now and it seems
miles away from who
she is today. Arena
happily puts it all
in perspective.
“I don’t look at
that and think,
‘Oh I’ve come so
far!’ I look at it as a
tapestry; it’s like a
blanket or a piece of
work that has evolved
with time. It was never
going to stay the same. The
most interesting aspect of it has
been the reinvention. Looking
back — without knowing back
then that reinvention was such
an integral part of what it is that
I do, and anybody in the music
business who wants to have a
career has to continue to reinvent
and evolve — it all makes complete
sense now.”
Arena’s next step in her
evolution was to release the wellreceived
second album Don’t
Ask, which became Australia’s
biggest selling album of 1995 and
030
“Reinvention was
integral — it all
makes complete
sense now”
one of the
biggest selling
albums by any Australian female
singer to date. It sold more than
two million copies worldwide and
was certifi ed platinum 10 times in
Australia, with the song “Chains”
still one of her most well-known.
This was followed up with the
album In Deep, which actually
spawned many country music
covers of songs she’d penned. But
it was the next step which proved
to be the most life-changing
for Arena. After collaborating
with Marc Anthony on “I Want
To Spend My Lifetime Loving
You” from The Mask of Zorro
soundtrack, the song — and Arena
— caught the attention of new
TINA ARENA’S
FAVOURITE
HOLIDAY SPOTS
MARGARET RIVER, WA “My partner
hasn’t been, but when I was
last there, it reminded me of
Provence, France.”
INDONESIA “I love Indonesia
and haven’t been for a few
years, but I’m hanging to go
with my family.”
DARWIN “I absolutely want to
go back; I haven’t been there for
about 23 or 24 years, so I’m sure
it’s a different world now.”
DAINTREE, QLD “It’s so
beautiful there.”
Arena with Rob
Mills and her
fellow mentor
and judge
Chucky Klapow
MAIN PHOTO: CHANNEL TEN MARGARET RIVER: GETTY IMAGES