Stefanie Heinzmann: “I want to make music that helps people feel good”

With her latest album, Circles, Swiss singer Stefanie Heinzmann lets listeners get close to her true self. The record is an intimate testimony of her personal journey and an endorsement of the benefits of looking closely at who you really are.

Speaking with Stefanie, you do not meet a pop diva, but a woman who talks with remarkable openness about topics like insecurity, personal growth, self-acceptance and, last but not least, the benefits of spring cleaning, which she has interrupted for our meeting.

Becoming a star

Stefanie’s career was not drafted at a drawing board and hence did not begin with a well-constructed master plan. In fact, she never necessarily intended to go on a major stage at all. It was her brother who persuaded her to audition for Stefan Raab’s television casting show SSDSDSSWEMUGABRTLAD (short for Stefan is looking for a superstar who may sing whatever he or she wants and who is also happy to appear on RTL) back in 2008. “I didn’t want to apply,” she recalls with a laugh. “My brother teased me and said, ‘You won’t get very far anyway.’ So I went.”

Shortly afterwards, the then 18-year-old won the competition. “I think it’s safe to say that my family and I were almost in shock! I remember that my parents went to console the runner-up, the magnificent Gregor Meyle, before they congratulated and hugged me.”

What makes her and her story different from other pop fairy tales is the honesty with which she speaks, not only about her beginnings but also about the darker chapters of her life. At 17, Heinzmann spent a long time in hospital and it may be this experience that plays a huge part in explaining Stefanie’s determination to look into herself. “I’ve always had a deep trust in myself,” she says. “And I always wanted to grow.” Her words show a deeply-anchored self-awareness that becomes palpable throughout her latest album. “Circles is a hymn of our unique ways and needs,” the singer explains.

The emotional world of Circles

Stefanie’s honesty towards herself and others may well be the reason why the singer’s listeners feel emotionally connected to her music. The songs on Circles do not feel strained or artificial. They feel real and are not built around perfection, but around vulnerability, doubt, the challenge of accepting oneself as well as the pressure to keep functioning.

An exceptionally emotional song on the album is Feel, in which she confronts the harsh inner voice that so many people carry within themselves. “I made peace with that voice and often tell it to sit down and have something to drink,” she smirks. “The important part was learning to understand what that voice actually wanted from me,” Stefanie recalls.

Hurricane, a song which initially sounds almost defiant, is less about fighting but about remaining steadfast; a hymn to stay focussed on yourself. For Stefanie, a hurricane symbolises the chaos of the outside world. “The storm is happening around us. If we manage to sit in the calm eye of the hurricane we can stay quiet, remain connected to our true self and prepare to face what is happening around us.”

Myself feels like an ode to solitude, though never to loneliness. “I used to be very insecure about being introverted,” the singer says. “Now I understand that it’s simply part of who I am. And that’s ok.” So, on the tour bus, while her band and team are sitting together, drinking, chatting, and listening to music, you may find Stefanie in the middle of it all, reading a book. “I love being there, being among people. I just don’t necessarily want to interact socially. My friends understand that part of me. And they know that I love them and that I’m there for them whenever they need me.”

Tour with a new concept

The difference with Circles, amongst others, is the production process itself. Earlier in her career, songwriting was often influenced by commercial expectations. This time, Stefanie approached music in a more holistic way, visiting many emotional and perceptual levels. A close friend working in energy healing became part of the creative process. “I think that Circles is my most intimate album,” Stefanie muses. “I feel that the older I get, the less interested I am in the rotation lists of radio stations or similar. I want to make music that genuinely helps people feel good.”

The concept of her upcoming tour fits this mood. Several dates have already sold out. This time, Stefanie deliberately chose seated theatres and concert halls instead of the more traditional standing room venues. Earlier in her career, she loved the raw energy of gigs: arriving, playing, causing mayhem, moving on to the next city. But: “My new songs required something different, something deeper,” the singer says. “A seated concert feels more peaceful. I don’t want stress to be part of the experience.”

Love on the go and a big announcement

When asked what she hopes people take home after her concerts, Stefanie’s answer comes straight away. “Hope. Lightness. Love packed away in Tupperware that you can take out whenever you need it.”

A beautiful image that probably says more about Stefanie than mere words could do. She is a woman that has learned to be true to herself and who genuinely cares about others. Beautiful traits that will soon bring her to an even wider television audience, as the singer has just been announced as the new host of the Swiss edition of Sing My Song in 2027.

Upcoming tour dates:

8 October, 2026
Visp (CH) – La Poste

9 October, 2026
Luzern (CH) – KKL

10 October, 2026
Bern (CH) – Kursaal

24 October, 2026
München – Alte Kongresshalle

25 October, 2026
Offenbach – Capitol

26 October, 2026
Aachen – Eurogress

28 October, 2026
Essen – Lichtburg

29 October, 2026
Köln – Theater am Tanzbrunnen

30 October, 2026
Hannover – Theater am Aegi

31 October, 2026
Halle – Steintor Varieté

2 November, 2026
Dresden - Alter Schlachthof

3 November, 2026
Baunatal - Stadthalle

5 November, 2026
Bremen – Metropol Theater

6 November, 2026
Lübeck – Kulturwerft Gollan

7 November, 2026
Berlin – Großer Sendesaal des rbb

8 November, 2026
Osnabrück – Osnabrück Halle

10 November, 2026
Hamburg – Laeiszhalle

11 November, 2026
Erfurt – Alte Oper

12 November, 2026
Ludwigshafen – BASF Feierabendhaus

13 November, 2026
Stuttgart – Theaterhaus T1

15 November, 2026
Weikersheim – Tauberphilharmonie

16 November, 2026
Neunkirchen – Neue Gebläsehalle

19 December, 2026
Schaffhausen (CH) – Stadttheater

20 December, 2026
Basel (CH) – Volkshaus

21 December, 2026
Zürich (CH) – Volkshaus

Tickets available at: www.stefanieheinzmann.de

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