Cher covers the comeback issue of PAPER Magazine
CHER ON THE COVER OF PAPER! pic.twitter.com/BHLoTwGm55
- Paper Magazine (@papermagazine) October 26, 2023
PAPER Magazine is back (after ceasing editorial operations and laying off its staff in April), and for its comeback cover story Cher sat down with editor-in-chief Justin Moran to talk about legacy, trans rights and her newest album Christmas.
• On Christmas: "I've made so many albums, and some of the ones I thought were as good as I could like an album of mine weren't hits. And then other ones that I was not that excited about [were]. But my career has been like this [makes an up-and-down motion]. So I like this album. I'm not a Cher fan, but I like doing it. When I listen to it, I think this worked out."
Click to view• On innovating with "autotune" on "Believe" (1998): "I was mesmerized, and it really picked up the verses, because I could never make the verses really work. And all of a sudden, they were so amazing, they just pulled you in. Also, it didn't sound like me, so I was really excited. We high-fived and then had to talk [Warner chairman] Rob Dickins into it, because the first thing he said was, 'It doesn't sound like you,' and I said, 'I know, it's glorious.'"
• On success: "Success is a fleeting thing. I want to do good work, and then you hope people will like it and I guess that's success, but I've been doing it too long. I don't like failure, but success is not a thing. Success is like different moments, like pearls, and if you string them on long enough you've got a necklace."
• On today's music industry: "The more people in the mix [the better], and different sounds and different voices. I'm especially happy about women, because it wasn't easy [when I started]. It was messy, you didn't have any choices. Your art was much more influenced by other things than just your own expression. And now, it's easier. I mean, it's not easy. I always think women are gonna have to fight for what they want."
• On anti-trans legislation: "It's insane, okay? It's fucking insane. I don't understand, this is not my America. It doesn't make sense and it makes me really frightened for people. It's like, you have to be one thing and all of a sudden, all the things that add spice and excitement and beauty, unless you do it in their way, it's no good and they want to get rid of it-like teaching Black history or banning books that are fabulous books. I don't know how we came to this, truthfully, and it's just a terrible, terrible period. I couldn't think of anything worse and the direction that we're going is crazy.
"If we're all together, we make such an interesting tapestry-and that sounds like such bullshit-but we make something more interesting than just one thing. It's like if you had to have potatoes and you’re like, “Oh fuck, is this all there is?”
• On her first exposure to the gay community: "I met my first gay guys when I was nine and I thought, Why isn't everybody like this? None of the men I know are like this, none of the men are so funny and so vivid and full of life and fun to be around. And that was my introduction."
“Success is like different moments, like pearls, and if you string them on long enough you've got a necklace.” @cher https://t.co/Q9lOIMbTLY pic.twitter.com/S1zlZNvWaU
- Paper Magazine (@papermagazine) October 26, 2023
Our latest cover star is the comeback queen herself @cher, chatting with PAPER's editor-in-chief about legacy, her first original music in a decade, trans rights and more.https://t.co/Q9lOIMbTLY
- Paper Magazine (@papermagazine) October 26, 2023
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