Tiffany performs as part of the Flashback Concert Jam at the Orleans Arena May 14
Tiffany performs as part of the Flashback Concert Jam at the Orleans Arena May 14
courtesy of The Firm Public Relations and Marketing, used with permission
























Mall tours may be a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean former ’80s pop star Tiffany might
 not be at Nevada’s largest retail center, Fashion Show, sometime this weekend.
“I developed a mean shopping habit from the mall tour,” Tiffany, whose full name is Tiffany
 Darwish, told AXS.com with a laugh. “I have family in Las Vegas, so I’ve spent a ton of
afternoons at Fashion Show.”
Performing at the Orleans Arena May 14 as part of the Flashback Concert Jam presented
 by Sunny 106.5, Tiffany may be busy promoting her new album, A Million Miles, but she’s
excited to celebrate the music that made her a household name for one night. Scheduled to
perform a 30-minute set, Tiffany will share the bill with several other notable artists from
the ’80s and ’90s, many of whom she’s looking forward to seeing as well.
“Taylor [Dayne] is my girl,” Tiffany said of the “Tell It to My Heart” singer, who was recently
 added to the Flashback Concert Jam lineup. “I adore her and she’s such a powerhouse
 vocalist. Taylor always spoke to me when I was doing shows as a kid and she still kills it.
I just love to watch her do her thing. Exposé (who is also on the bill) are good buddies of mine,
 too. They take me back to the ’80s. I was just a little girl back then, so I always looked up to
them because they got to wear all the cool outfits. It’s so interesting to look back at when we
were in our teens and early 20s and see how much we’ve all grown as moms and songwriters.”
While Tiffany said she’ll be sensitive of the fact that the Las Vegas concert is a celebration of
 “retro music,” fans will likely get to hear her new single, “Right Here,” as well.
“Fans want to hear it and it blends well with the set list,” Tiffany explained. “For some people,
 it’s a pleasant surprise. They’re like, ‘Oh, this is something I would listen to today.’ But I’m
 definitely bringing the old-school, too: ‘Could’ve Been,’ ‘All This Time,’ ‘I Think We’re Alone
 Now.’ I make people work during my set. I make them get up and sing. I always try to take
 things to the next level because listening to a record is great, but this is live music, so there
will be a background singer and a guitar player.”
Unlike some artists who refuse to sing their earlier hits, Tiffany said she never gets tired of
 performing her first No. 1 single, “I Think We’re Alone Now.”
“It’s such a staple of the ’80s and it’s really taken on its own life,” Tiffany said of the song,
which was originally recorded in the ’60s before her 1987 cover took it to the top of the charts.
 “People are discovering it in movies now, so you have this whole new age group finding it.
 It’s very flattering and I’m very thankful for it. I’m always trying to breathe new life into the
song, though, whether I’m singing it acoustically or doing a country version of it. I always
want to continue to complement it and take it to the next level with me.”
Even though Tiffany may be one of Nashville’s go-to songwriters today, that doesn’t mean
she thinks any less of the songs she didn’t write that first put her on the map.
“I love all my music,” Tiffany said. “I’m really proud of how much I’ve grown as a songwriter
 over these past 30 years, but my success stems from the success of songs like ‘I Think We’re
 Alone Now’ and ‘I Saw Him Standing There’ (Tiffany’s gender-swapped version of The
 Beatles’ classic, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’). They were such a great foundation and really
set the bar for me. I wanted to be able to write something that could stand next to songs like
 ‘Could’ve Been’ and be timeless.”
Tiffany even laughed at how the meaning of “I Think We’re Alone Now” has changed for fans
 over the years.
“The song wasn’t dirty by any means, but the idea behind it was intriguing. It used to be kids
sneaking off together and saying, ‘I think we’re alone now.’ Now, it’s parents sneaking off
from their kids going, ‘I think we’re alone now.’”
In addition to Tiffany, Taylor Dayne and Exposé (“Seasons Change”), other artists scheduled
 to perform as part of the Flashback Concert Jam include En Vogue (“Free Your Mind”), The
 Jets (“You Got It All”), Club Nouveau (“Lean on Me”), Nu Shooz (“I Can’t Wait”) and Timmy T
 (“One More Try”). When asked if there was anyone she ever wanted to tour with that she
 never got the chance to, Tiffany was quick to reply with two iconic artists from the ’80s and
’90s: former 10,000 Maniacs lead singer Natalie Merchant and English new wave/synthpop
group Duran Duran.
“I’ve never met Natalie Merchant, but I would love to pick her brain for two minutes or do
something together,” Tiffany said. “And I’m bummed I’ve never seen Duran Duran.
 They’re one of my favorites, but I’ve never seen them because I’ve always been on the road
 when they come to town. It would be awesome to be on the same bill as them.”
Until then, Tiffany is looking forward to promoting her new album with an intimate tour.
“We’ve just added some new dates,” Tiffany said of the 2016 tour. “It will be more of a
stripped-down, acoustic experience: ‘An Intimate Evening with Tiffany.’ Each show will be
 one of a kind, tailored to that evening’s audience. If a fan yells out, ‘If Love is Blind,’ I’ll sing
that song. Since it will be a smaller audience, I’ll get to tell people about the ideas behind the
songs, sort of like a songwriter’s showcase or VH1’s ‘Behind the Music.’ The new album
 lends itself a lot to that, but I recorded it with that type of show in mind. I love rockin’ out
and I love that people still love the old music, but to be exposed and just sing—that’s a tall
order. It’s not easy, but it’s what gets my juices flowin.’”
Tiffany performs as part of the Flashback Concert Jam Sat., May 14, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets
 range from $35 to $79, plus tax and fees. To reserve your seats, click here, and for more
 on Tiffany’s other upcoming concert dates, visit tiffanytunes.com.