Leon was hooked ever since he heard Trust Me – “Pandora’s diversity as an artist is impressive”

Leon Alexander, a big Eurodance fan from Australia, discovered Pandora’s Trust Me cd single in a music shop, took it to the counter to listen, enjoyed what he heard, and bought it.

– I became a fan immediately. I honestly didn’t think I would ever hear from this artist again.

Then I saw One of a Kind and decided to buy it, which is really strange for me because I usually wait until I like three songs by the same artist before I buy their album. I took the chance with this one, and I’m so glad I did. I was hooked ever since, Leon recalls.

Eurodance was very popular in Australia in the 1990s. Artists such as La Bouche, Culture Beat, Corona, Real McCoy and Motiv8 were also familiar to Leon, but there was something very special about the Swedish artist Pandora.

– Unfortunately, most Pandora albums were never released here so I had to buy them online. This Could Be Heaven is my favourite album. It feels more like a ‘Best Of’ than a standard album to me. So many banging songs and no fillers.

As his favorite Pandora song Leon names: You’ll Be Alright.

– I think what makes it so special to me is that it’s such an uplifting song lyrically, and when she sings the chorus, it just calls out to me that yes, indeed, I WILL be alright. I truly believe that if it was released as a single here in Australia after the success of A Little Bit (Top10 hit), it would have been an even bigger hit for Pandora.

“She replied that she wanted to surprise me – she sure did”

In 2017 Leon saw an advertisement for an upcoming ‘90s tour that featured Pandora. By that time, Leon and Anneli had already connected on Facebook a few years ago.

– I remember sending her a message and saying: I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were coming. She replied that she wanted to surprise me – she sure did.

The Ultimate WILD Tour brought Pandora back to Australia after 20 years. The tour had dates in Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne and Perth.

– Never in my wildest dreams had I believed that I would not only see Pandora live in concert but that I would get to meet her and spend so much time with her too.

“We still laugh about it now and then”

Leon remembers giving Pandora the biggest hug when they finally met before her show in Melbourne.

– We chatted for a while and after the Meet & Greet ended with other fans, my friend and I spent some time chatting with Anneli and her friend Mia.

Leon had so many questions about Pandora’s songs.

– I remember asking who sings the vocal part in The Naked Sun that sounds like Middle Eastern or Indian singing. She said it was her. I was so shocked as I always thought it was some Arabic or Indian woman, Leon laughs.

When they were saying goodbyes Leon’s friend said ‘chookas’ to Pandora.

– That is something you say to wish someone good luck before they go on stage. Anneli thought he said the word ‘tjockis’ which I think meant ‘fatso’ in Swedish. It was so funny, so we still laugh about it now and then.

“I think her secret is just how genuine she comes across”

It has been nearly 30 years since Leon grabbed the Trust Me single from the rack and thought he might never hear from that artist again, but Pandora is still going strong.

– I think her secret is just how genuine she comes across. She is an inspirational person and has time for all her fans. Unlike many other Eurodance artists, she actually has talent. She can sing, write and produce, and she doesn’t rely on anyone to make her music. Her diversity as an artist is impressive too.

– She made me feel so comfortable and was truly interested in me as a person which made me feel really special and happy, Leon recalls.

Leon gave Anneli the biggest hug when they met in Melbourne.

Leon had a lot of questions about Pandora’s songs.