Danielle Bollinger, Kiss The Sky, When The Broken Hearted Love again, Dance Music, EsNtion Records, Chicago, Billboard, aol music, video, mp3, cd

Newcomer Performs Her Radio-Friendly Dance Numbers in Phoenix June 9

By Paul E. Pratt

For dance music newcomer Danielle Bollinger, her younger sisters play a role in career decisions she makes.  "Anything I do, they're going to think is OK to do as well," acknowledges the singer. In a strange twist, Bollinger says this encouraged her to pose nearly nude on the cover of her debut CD, When the Broken Hearted Love Again.

"I know that seems like a strange thing to say," admits the Detroit native, whose remixed "Kiss the Sky" is currently pushing toward the top of Billboard's dance music charts. "One of the biggest things I want to represent with my career is that I'm not a 'Size 2' -- and that's just fine!"

A recent conversation with her 5th and 7th grade sisters showed the rising disco star just how important it is to educate girls on what it means to be empowered, self-confident women.

"When I heard my little sister say, at age 12, that she looked fat," Bollinger recalls, "I almost went through the roof."

To be a role model for her siblings and other young women whose body images are warped by societal pressures to be overly thin, Bollinger embraces -- and puts on display -- her own shapely figure. In what some might consider a bold decision, the singer what she describes as "risque" photos glorifying her voluptuous frame for the cover of her debut CD.

"I'm not naked," she assures with a laugh. "They're very tastefully done and there's still plenty left to the imagination."

Self-acceptance is not about turning a blind eye to health, Bollinger notes. The singer runs six days a week and "takes care of" herself to remain fit.  "I don't want to gain a lot of weight and get obese," she points out, "That's not healthy either, but I am happy with my body." While she advocates "balance," Bollinger scoffs at the risky routes some entertainers take to to reach the "small sizes that are the norm."

"We see it in Hollywood all the time, with the eating disorders and surgeries," she says.  "As long as you are comfortable in your own skin, that is beautiful.  I'm trying to instill in my sisters that we need to grow up to be independent women comfortable with who we are."

For Bollinger, being comfortable is getting easier and easier.  The first two releases from When the Broken Hearted Love Again have landed in the upper echelon of Billboard magazine's "Hot Dance Music/Club Airplay" chart.  Last fall remixes of the title track rocketed the singer to the Top 5 for the first time.  Now she's once-again climbing toward the summit with "Kiss the Sky."

"To see it climb, to see the 'bullets,' to see everything happening that you need to have happen feels really good," confesses the singer.  Though she admits rushing out to buy every copy of the charts to watch the singles ascend, Bollinger says she does not think too far into the future, opting instead to "just enjoy the moment!"

In addition to her club success -- which has garnered Bollinger a variety of appearances at gay pride events around the country -- her music is now crossing over to radio.  "Kiss the Sky" is receiving a particularly strong response at dance radio, including KNRJ, Energy 92.7 in Phoenix.  The radio station brings Bollinger to Flagstaff, AZ, June 9 for a "Temptation Weekend" performance at the Orpheum.

"They have been supporting both records and have gotten a huge response," Bollinger acknowledges, suggesting KNRJ helped push "Kiss the Sky" into the Top 10 of Billboard's Dance Airplay chart. "Of course, I want to go where the support is. I want to go where people want to see the face behind the music."

Bollinger admits being considered a "faceless voice" is one of several drawbacks associated with being a "dance performer." In addition to the genre getting limited acceptance at "pop" radio, she says "it's easy to get pigeon-holed." "Apparently there's a stigma that if you record dance music, you're not a real artist," she notes. 

On her full-length debut, which includes ten original songs and bonus remixes of both "When the Broken Hearted Love Again" and "Kiss the Sky," Bollinger went out of her way to prove herself a bonafide artist. With vocals ranging somewhere between "Ginger Spice" Geri Haliwell and dance icon Amber, the set  includes a variety of musical styles without straying too far from her dance roots. 

High-energy tracks "Forget About Today" and "You'll Always Have Me" are reportedly in the running as the next single. However, "Tear Stains on the Dancefloor" and "You Want My Love" are among the most instantly-memorable and DJ-ready cuts.  Radio could easily embrace "Don't Give Up on Me Yet" and "Feelin' Like a Fool," whereas "Boom Pop" is saccharin sweet pop. 

Bollinger, who lived for a while in Nashville and once dated country superstar Faith Hill's keyboardist, says she required all the songs on the disc to speak to her emotions.  "I was only going to record songs where I can tell a story rather than just putting a voice over a beat," she says. "I have something to say and want people to relate to the experiences I've had."

"It's my passion to sing," Bollinger closes. "Whether I have to do it in my shower or do it onstage, I'm still going to sing. As long as I get to touch people's hearts, I'm doing what I set out to do."