Powerhouse pop star tells it from the heart

Big-lunged pop diva Taylor Dayne scored an impressive run of 10 hit singles, both here and in her native US, in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

While almost two decades have passed since her musical ‘golden era’ (indeed, she last troubled the charts in 1993 with her sublime cover of Barry White’s Can’t Get Enough of Your Love), Dayne’s since branched into successful acting stints on film, television and even Broadway.

But she’ll revisit her classic hits this October with a month-long Australian tour, stopping off in venues from Darwin to Dee Why.

“I still love performing the ballads. Love Will Lead You Back, I’ll Be Your Shelter, Heart Of Stone — they all get such a great response,” the New York native told the Star Observer from her Los Angeles home.

Taylor’s earliest hits, Tell It To My Heart and Prove Your Love, were born from the freestyle dance music scene of the late ’80s — and Dayne had the look to boot. Clock her in her 1987 debut video for Tell It To My Heart and you’ll see a gorgeous 23-year-old swamped by a cascade of crimps, curls and make-up.

“Hey, that look got me a lot of dates back then! It’s funny, looking back at my old videos. One of them was directed by a guy who also directed Aliens — make of that what you will.

“Once I started getting more control, I could choose my own directors. I remember I chose a guy who had done shoots with the Playboy bunnies — I thought, if anyone’s gonna make me look hot, it’s this guy.”

By the early ’90s, the hair — and the music — were streamlined, as Dayne matured into a powerhouse pop performer thanks to hits like the enduring radio staple I’ll Be Your Shelter.

Her musical influence carried on through the ’90s even as she disappeared from the scene to raise her two children, twins Levi and Astaria. Indeed, it could be argued that without Taylor Dayne we wouldn’t have her slightly younger soundalike, Anastacia.

“Yeah, Anastacia would be the first to tell you [I was an influence]. When I first met her she told me she’d grown up listening to me, which was really sweet.

“But as for influences in today’s artists? I don’t know. I hear certain things. But if I’m hearing an influence, it’s usually something I’ve picked up from the singers who came before me.”

With artists like Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Adele, it seems like we’re slowly coming back around to the notion that you have to actually be able to sing to be a pop singer.

“I was a session singer before I even had a song to my name, so the voice came first and that’s always been my greatest asset,” Dayne said.

“It does seem like we’re moving back towards the singer and the voice — you can see that in all the singing talent shows on TV. But people have to remember, in pop it’s all about the song, not the singer. You can have the greatest voice in the world, but if you don’t have that one special song, no one cares.”

This attitude may explain why Dayne’s taken to the autotune — that much-overused crutch for lesser-voiced starlets like J Lo and Britney — for her latest single Floor On Fire. The uptempo dance number (co-written by our own Bachelor Girl frontwoman Tania Doko) sounds oh-so-2011.

“I should hope so! I did it with Niclas Kings, who’s this balls-out Swedish producer. It’s classic dance with a hell of a hook — the sort of song you’d better produce the hell out of, and we did.”

If nothing else, it seems tailor-made for Dayne’s gay fan base, a market she’s become better acquainted with in recent years. Last year she even performed at the opening ceremony of the Cologne Gay Games, singing the Games’ theme song, Facing A Miracle.

In recent years she also recorded a faithful cover of drag icon RuPaul’s 1992 hit Supermodel (You Better Work).

“I had a lot of fun with that. I’m friends with RuPaul, so she gave me her blessing. I’ve seen a lot of drag queen Taylor Daynes over the years, so I thought it’d be fun to turn the tables.”

With our time almost at an end, the Star Observer decided to address the proverbial elephant in the room: Dayne’s (presumedly relaxed) attitude towards plastic surgery. Ever since she appeared in the 2005 VH1 show Remaking Taylor Dayne, getting botoxed to the hilt on camera in preparation for a return to music, Dayne’s visage has looked increasingly — how shall we put this? — ‘refreshed’ for that of a woman now just six months shy of her 50th birthday.

“Look, for plastic surgery, I say whatever makes you feel good,” she said.

“I don’t know how much you need to talk about it, but do whatever you want. Obviously the natural look is best…”

INFO: Taylor Dayne performs across Australia in October. Visit www.taylordayne.com