Nena appears in Florian Silbereisen’s show “Schlagerjubiläum”. And that despite the fact that she has drawn negative attention to herself over the past two years with questionable statements about the corona pandemic. Her performance caused angry voices online.
Leipzig – For a long time, hit star Nena (62) was considered one of the most respected musicians in Germany. After all, with hits of the century like “Lighthouse” and “99 Luftballons” she has created a legacy that many newcomers can only dream of. The reputation of the native of North Rhine-Westphalia has had to take a few hard hits in the last few years, because with her sometimes bizarre statements about the corona pandemic, she has divided her fan base.
After Nena had made a controversial appearance on “Schlagercomeback” in July, she was a guest on October 22nd in Florian Silbereisen’s show “Das Große Schlagerjubiläum 2022”.
Appearance at the “Schlagerjubiläum”: Nena makes Florian Silbereisen cry with her performance
In a casual black jacket, Nena performs her 1989 hit “Wonders happen” at the colorful anniversary show – and thus ensures wet eyes and a sing-along mood among the hit fans. Even showmaster Florian Silbereisen is visibly touched and joins in the bawling. The negative opinions about the singer are not noticeable during the performance and the audience and the charming host completely surrender to the sounds of the hopeful anthem.
“This song means a lot to me and it gives me a lot of strength and comfort,” explains Florian Silbereisen after the last note has faded and the two stage-tested stars are in each other’s arms. Nena speaks cryptically of inner strength and joy and concludes her visit to the Schlager stage with a gift for Flori – a scarf she crocheted herself. “We only met recently, but it was love at first sight, even if it’s only platonic,” Flori enthuses – and again the negative voices about Nena seem to have died out.
“99 balloons” – a real world hit
Nena is more likely to make headlines today with her political and socially critical statements, but that used to be very different. When the single “99 Luftballons” was released in 1983, nobody could have guessed what a global phenomenon the song would develop into. In the US, the anti-war anthem climbed to number two on the charts and the English-language version “99 Red Balloons” even reached the top spot in the UK. A new version of the piece was released in 2009, which also contains passages in French in addition to the German text. A world hit in the truest sense of the word.
“Evidence of poverty”: ARD viewers angry after Nena’s appearance on the Silbereisen show
While only cheers and shouts of joy can be heard in the concert hall, things are very different on social media. Many ARD viewers do not seem to have succumbed to the magic of nostalgia and are making a few clear announcements on Twitter. “Why are you giving this woman a stage again?” asks a user. “The fact that Nena appears shows me that you haven’t learned anything,” makes clear another. “A real indictment”, a comment turns to the broadcaster and a disappointed viewer writes: “No longer my ARD.”
Although many Schlager fans are happy that Florian Silbereisen is having so much fun during his big anniversary spectacle, ARD’s decision to invite Nena to the program casts a clear shadow on the success of the evening. “It’s probably the only TV show I’ll do in this life,” she joked after her performance. Is there a hint of self-mockery? The strange appearance of Stefan Mross and Anna-Carina Woitschak at the “Schlagerjubiläum” also caused a stir. Sources used: watson.de, ARD Mediathek, ndr.de, laut.de