Lenny Kravitz.
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Lenny Kravitz is now 60 and back, hungrier than ever.
The legendary rock star spoke to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of his performance at London's Wembley Stadium on Saturday night, which will kick off European sport's biggest event, the UEFA Champions League Final.
He exudes pride in his newly released album, Blue Electric Light. His 12th studio album, he says, marks a new phase for Kravitz. “After being around for so long, I still feel fresh, motivated, inspired, hungry, and all of that just as I did when I started, and I think that's amazing.” He seems invigorated by the new music, which the star acknowledges is rare in the industry. “There are a lot of people who've been doing it for years,” he says. “I'll give you a few examples. [of people] A place where no two feelings are the same. Every day is exciting. Every new day may open new possibilities.”
The album reflects his youthfulness. His surroundings, his life, inspired it. “I'm just an antenna, picking up what comes to me,” he says. “So I don't do it myself. When the first song comes to me, my job is to get it down on tape exactly how I hear it in my head. Everything I've been through during this time, [the album is] It's just a reflection of what's going on.”
Kravitz made the album in the Bahamas, but admitted he misses being on the road. And he's not looking forward to it any more; the Pepsi kickoff show is the first show of a long-awaited tour. “I'm always making music, but I missed being on the road,” he tells THR. “I was staying in the Bahamas and creating. What I was doing, what was coming out of me, what I was feeling the whole time, everything was amazing.”
It's a big concert to kick off the tour, and perhaps Kravitz's biggest yet. An estimated 450 million people in 200 countries tune in to watch the Champions League final, which this year sees Borussia Dortmund facing Real Madrid. Of course, he says he's not nervous. But why did he take on the match? “Both music and sports are ways to bring people together,” he says. Americans should remember where they are and pause before calling it “soccer.” “Soccer is just so huge, so full of energy. It's a huge event. Hundreds of millions of people are watching, and I'm all for it,” he says. He promises THR that the performance will be “fun,” and that “I'll be playing a little bit of classical, and I'll be playing some new stuff.”
Outside of music, Kravitz boasts a memorable acting career; fans may remember him from The Hunger Games, where he starred alongside Jennifer Lawrence. It's a question he doesn't hesitate to answer with joy. He's working hard to get back in front of the camera and has his own projects in the works.
“When I have the opportunity and the time, I love to do it. I'm working on a few things right now,” Kravitz says. “Making my own film is something I've always wanted to do, but I also love working with other people and collaborating and making films. When I'm in the studio, I do everything myself. I play all the instruments, I write the songs, I produce. That's my vision. That's my job. When I make a film, it's never about me. It's about the character. It's about the director's vision. So it's nice to be in that position and be able to collaborate with a bunch of people. It's a nice change of pace.”
He can't say much more than that. Today it's all about the music and the fans. What does he want his fans to take away from Blue Electric Light? “A little bit of everything: life, humanity, the spirit of God, love, fun, romance. Everything that makes life sweet.”
Lenny Kravitz will headline the UEFA Champions League Final Kickoff Show presented by Pepsi.
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