“Not a question of pride or ego”

In an interview broadcast on YouTube, Mr. Pokora spoke frankly and transparently about the financial difficulties he encountered at the start of his career in music. Today, the 38-year-old artist is sheltered from want thanks to his albums and his tours but also his various projects, particularly as an actor.

Why did Mr. Pokora have financial problems?

21 years ago, Mr. Pokora won with his group at the time, the Linkup, the show Popstars on M6. However, the singer experienced a big period of financial void. This took place a few years after the show. “In 2008-2009, when I released my album in English [MP3, certifié seulement disque d’or en France, ndlr], there were no sales and I hadn’t assimilated enough financially in the first years of my career, I’m starting to see the red coming…”, he confides in the show Important Talk, by Taylor Chiche.

The husband of American singer and actress Christina Milian had to sell a lot of things to get his head above water: “There, at that moment, I immediately sold my car. I also sold my apartment in the 16th“. Mr. Pokora, originally from Strasbourg, then moved to a city “a little cheaper, in Suresnes (…) It’s not a question of pride or ego, I just took something a little cheaper, which was even a little bigger, to reduce my monthly payments”.

Mr. Pokora’s beginnings in show business

Mr. Pokora was a member of the group Linkup with Lionel Tim and Otis Guilon. The group wins Popstars. But, in 2004, a year later, Mr. Pokora already went solo. “For me, when I saw “Popstars”, I saw a springboard. It was a gateway to Paris. This musical register was not at all what appealed to me at the time. It wasn’t made for me and I didn’t thrive there.” he admitted on France 2.

The group will only release an album with flagship titles My star And A second of eternity, then Mr. Pokora will abandon his comrades. “I stayed for the duration of this album. We were going to go into the studio for the second album, and then I had a meeting with the other members of the group and our managers at the time to tell them that I didn’t want to start another album and that I wanted to try a solo career.” Since then, the father of two boys has not regretted his choice.