Debbie Gibson's releasing The Body Remembers, her first pop album in 20 years, on August 20 and she's just dropped a new song and video from the project: "One Step Closer," a bona fide dance banger. Debbie says at first, she wanted to release a whole dance album -- and you can blame the pandemic for that.
"It initially started out as 'Oh, I'm going to do, like, a six-song dance EP,' because my musical style was just gravitating toward the dance pop thing," Debbie tells ABC Audio. "And I think a lot of that is because of the year we all had."
"Everyone kind of got through it in their own way," she says. And when she's "curled up in a corner crying because of the chaos of the world," she says, "I sing and dance."
Debbie says her new music is both nostalgic and modern, because she mostly listens to today's artists. So what advice does she have for Olivia Rodrigo, who, like, Debbie, topped the Billboard Hot 100 before she even graduated high school?
"I don't think she needs my advice," Debbie laughs. "That girl is doing just fine! But I jokingly say if any of those young artists ever want to call me for any kind of...emotional advice...I think there are timeless psychological and emotional challenges that come with the turf of starting young."
On August 26, Debbie and fellow former teen idol Joey McIntyre from New Kids on the Block kick off a joint Las Vegas residency and Debbie was surprised at how quickly many of the dates sold out.
"Y'know, a lot of people had financial difficulties this last year. You don't know when and for what people are going to part with their money," she says. "It was thrilling to see that kind of excitement."