Tom Neuwirth "killed" Conchita Wurst. "It was time," he says. How did the bearded singer become a man again?
Various alter egos are nothing new in the world of show business. For example, drag queen Dame Edna Everage, represented by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, lives her own life; many in the Czech Republic once believed that she had a twin sister, "Rebecca", and Gábina Partyšová. Sometimes, however, the time comes when there is no room for an alter ego, or its existence no longer makes sense. And this is the case of the famous Conchita Wurst...However, by her "change" into Tom, she also draws attention to a much more complex topic, which is the changeability of human identity. The concept of gender, which is firmly linked to human identity, has taken a beating.
To stars like Phoenix...
The chic, bearded singer became a worldwide celebrity in 2014. She managed to impress with her non-conformity in the Eurovision Song Contest, which she won with the rather symbolic song Rise Like a Phoenix. Then Conchita, whose "creator" was the Austrian performer Tom Neuwirth, released two albums(Conchita and From Vienna with Love in collaboration with the Vienna Philharmonic), but gradually information leaked out that she would soon be gone. Neuwirth himself, who last received global attention last spring when, under pressure of alleged blackmail from an ex-partner, he issued an official declaration that he was HIV positive, announced that he was going to be.
Now, however, Neuwirth has rather shocked his fans with his brand new look, which he reveals in the current video for "Hit Me," which is also the second single from his upcoming third studio album, Truth over Magnitude. And musically, it's definitely a surprise too, as the song is quite different from the style Neuwirth still followed when he was still performing as Conchita.
Conchita is dead, long live Conchita (or is it Tom?)
Neuwirth spoke about his plans to see Conchita off in 2017 in an interview with Germany's Die Welt. Back then, he claimed that the bearded drag queen had even surpassed her intended lifespan. "I feel I need a new personality. Because with this bearded lady I have already achieved absolutely everything I wanted to achieve in terms of winning Eurovision," Neuwirth said.
Even at concerts, the Austrian performer no longer appears in make-up and dresses, but relishes his male role. "I enjoy being able to choose who I can be. And at the moment, I have decided to look masculine," the artist said when asked directly why Conchita Wurst has disappeared into history. Of course, the question is how much his male self is enjoyed by the fans themselves. After all - Conchita has become a popular gay icon, so regardless of whether it's an individual concert or participation in an event, everyone expects a bearded drag queen, not a bearded Tom Neuwirth. Thus, no matter how well she sings, Conchita fans must logically be disappointed at the very least. On the other hand, it's understandable that Tom in particular was getting on Conchita's nerves - everyone knew her, unlike him.
Who is who?
However, Conchita's transformation into Tom - and especially the various statements to the media made by the performer himself - also resonates on the level of human identity. This is because "traditionally" it has been assumed that biological sex is linked to gender identity. So if you have a penis, you are a man - you look like a man and act like a man (and vice versa for women). However, leaving aside transsexuals, who logically escape this description (though they do change their gender definitively), and drag queens, who do not live in their female role by default, but usually only use it for show (the same goes for drag kings), the fluidity of human identity is a relatively unexplored issue. Yes, some people (for example, specifically those who identify as non-binary) may be (visually) Charles on Monday and Karla on Friday, but this is certainly not a very common phenomenon. This is also because society is still not very understanding of such gender games.
Conchita/Tom, however, holds up an interesting mirror to us all. It shows how performative the category of gender really is. Regardless of biological sex, it is up to each person whether (and with what success) he/she decides to perform outwardly as a woman or a man. The only question is to what extent Tom himself - next to his global star Conchita - will really stand up. After all - there is little of interest to the media in a bearded, bleached man (who is also biologically male)...
