Nena appearance on ZDF: Strong reactions after the Helene Fischer show

Berlin newspaper Nena appearance on ZDF: Strong reactions after the Helene Fischer show Article by Anne Vorbringer • 8 hours This year's “Helene Fischer Show” was broadcast from the exhibition hall in Düsseldorf at Christmas – and received top ratings. ZDF proudly announced the star guests in advance: Peter Maffay, ESC winner Loreen, rapper Shirin David, the Simple Minds. And then: Nena. Host Helene Fischer appeared on stage twice with the singer from Hagen, who became internationally known through the Neue Deutsche Welle. Once they both sang the song “Love is” together, which was published in 2005 and was then the theme song for the series “Verliebt in Berlin”. Later in the show, Nena and the band performed the hit “99 Luftballons,” which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and is one of the most successful pop songs in the German language. Helene Fischer left no doubt about how happy she was about Nena's appearance on her show. Recently, the 63-year-old had rarely been seen in public. Fischer hugged the singer, who was dressed all in black. “I loved it with you,” she said to Nena after the duet. Now this would all be quite harmless and not worth mentioning if Nena hadn't repeatedly caused discussions during the Corona period. In October 2020, she shared an Instagram statement that literally said: “I have my deep faith in God. This is where my trust in life comes from. And I have my common sense, which breaks down the information and scaremongering that streams at us from outside into all its individual parts. And so it is possible for me not to let myself be drawn into the darkness, hypnotized by fear. Let us step into the light and stand for love, because despite all the madness we are experiencing here, I believe and know that positive change can no longer be stopped.” This was followed by discussions as to whether the singer had fallen prey to corona deniers or possible conspiracy theories. Things continued in spring 2021, when Nena shared a post on Instagram in which she thanked the participants in a demonstration in Kassel. At the demo, around 20,000 people, many without adhering to hygiene rules, marched through Kassel city center and protested against the Corona requirements. There were also violent clashes during the protests. Nena then said that she didn't want to "associate herself with 'chaotics' and 'right-wingers'." She thanked the people in Kassel who did not agree with the current politics and “the inhumane conditions” that prevailed here and were on the streets because of it. She rejects “all kinds of hatred and violence.” At a concert in July 2021 in Berlin, Nena called on the audience to decide for themselves whether they should stay in their boxes as prescribed or not: “The question is not what we are allowed to do, but the question is what we do with ourselves “Everyone is free to decide whether to get vaccinated or not. Several organizers then canceled the singer's concerts, and Nena herself ultimately canceled her tour planned for 2022 because of the corona-related restrictions. Even back then, the singer's statements were hotly debated online and on social media. While many in the Facebook comment columns turned away from the singer in disbelief and sometimes bewilderment, others applauded her for her statements. Now Nena's appearance on the ZDF primetime show is also causing a stir. While her fans celebrated the performance as “fantastically beautiful” and thanked her for her “open and straightforward attitude in public over the last few years,” criticism came from other quarters. On Instagram, users wrote on Helene Fischer's account that Nena should "prefer to stay at her favorite lateral thinker events." An article on the topic on T-Online was titled with the question: “Does that have to be the case, ZDF? Viewers irritated by Nena's appearance on Helene Fischer's show. The editorial network Germany published an opinion piece with the line: “Comeback of a lost singer: The Christmas message also applies to Nena”. There is again criticism of this type of reporting on Twitter. Whether and how many of her fans Nena has actually lost or gained will become clear by 2024 at the latest. Then the singer goes on a “We belong together” tour with live shows in Hanover, Zwickau, Dresden, Munich and on October 25th in the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin.