New York City in 1983 was a different beast. It was gritty. It was loud. It was the kind of place where you could walk into a basement on East 7th Street and see a woman with a three-octave range screaming about David Bowie and disco. That woman was Nina Hagen.
When people think of "New York, New York," they usually picture Frank Sinatra in a tuxedo or Liza Minnelli belting it out on a stage. But for a specific tribe of weirdos, goths, and club kids, Nina Hagen New York New York is the only version that matters. It’s a chaotic, glitchy, glorious mess of a track that basically defined the "Fearless" era of the East German icon.
The Moroder Connection: From Berlin to Manhattan
Honestly, the backstory of this track is as wild as the song itself. You’ve got Nina, the "Godmother of Punk," who had already caused massive scandals in Europe. She’s teaming up with Giorgio Moroder. Yeah, the guy who did "I Feel Love" for Donna Summer and basically invented modern electronic dance music.
Most people figured this would be a sell-out move. It wasn't. Moroder and Keith Forsey (the guy who wrote "Don't You (Forget About Me)") gave Nina a slick, synth-pop foundation, but they couldn't tame her. Instead of a polished radio hit, they got a track where Nina yodels, raps, and name-checks every legendary club in the city.
The song was the lead single for her 1983 album Angstlos (released in the US as Fearless). It’s a love letter to the city’s nightlife, but a really weird one. She isn't singing about the Statue of Liberty. She’s singing about:
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- Danceteria (where Madonna was just starting out)
- The Mudd Club
- The Pyramid
- The Roxy
What Nina Hagen New York New York Actually Sounds Like
If you haven't heard it, imagine a high-speed car crash between a cabaret singer and a drum machine.
She starts off with this deep, operatic growl about honeymoons and hotels. Then, it flips. Suddenly she’s rapping in this high-pitched, bratty voice. It’s "disco rap," as she calls it. One second she’s the mother of the world, the next she’s a "sternenkind" (star child).
The lyrics are a fever dream. She shouts, "Let there be light! 'Cause David Bowie's gonna be here tonight!" It’s pure, unadulterated fan-girl energy mixed with high-art pretension. It shouldn't work. By all laws of music theory and commercial appeal, it should be a disaster. But it’s catchy as hell.
The Chart Success (Sorta)
Believe it or not, Americans actually liked it. Well, some of them. While mainstream radio wouldn't touch a German punk singer who sounded like she was exorcising a demon, the clubs went nuts.
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- Billboard Success: The track hit #9 on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart.
- Cult Status: It became a staple in the NYC underground scene, later appearing in the movie Party Monster (2003) to signify that specific 80s decadence.
- MTV Era: The music video—filled with neon, bizarre costumes, and Nina’s elastic face—got actual airplay on early MTV.
Why We’re Still Talking About It
Nina Hagen New York New York wasn't just a song; it was a vibe shift. Before Lady Gaga was wearing meat dresses or Peaches was singing about "The Teaches of Peaches," Nina was doing it. She was the blueprint.
The song captures a moment when the lines between punk, disco, and hip-hop were incredibly blurry. It was okay to be a "fool" in this town, as she says. In fact, it was required.
She recorded the song in both English and German. The German version, "New York / N.Y.," is arguably even more unhinged. If you’re looking for the "authentic" experience, find the 12-inch maxi-single. It’s got a longer intro where she basically just screams the city's name for five minutes. It’s great.
Acknowledging the Limitations
Look, is it for everyone? No. If you like your pop music predictable and "pretty," Nina Hagen will probably give you a headache. Her vocal style is erratic. She jumps from a bassy growl to a piercing soprano without warning. Some critics at the time thought it was just a gimmick. They were wrong.
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The complexity of her performance—the way she uses her voice as an instrument rather than just a way to deliver lyrics—is something few artists can pull off today. It’s theatrical. It’s camp. It’s 100% Nina.
Actionable Steps for the New Listener
If you’ve just discovered this track or want to dive deeper into the world of 80s avant-garde, here is how to do it right:
- Listen to the 12-inch version first: The 7-inch radio edit cuts out the best parts of the synth-pop production.
- Watch the "Viva" 1987 performance: You can find it on YouTube. It shows Nina at the height of her powers, performing in Spain with an energy that most modern performers couldn't match.
- Check out the "Fearless" album: Don't stop at the single. Songs like "Zarah" and "What It Is" show the range Moroder and Forsey brought to her sound.
- Explore the clubs she mentions: Take a digital deep dive into the history of Danceteria or The Mudd Club. Understanding the locations she name-checks makes the lyrics feel like a historical map of a lost New York.
Nina Hagen New York New York remains a testament to what happens when you let a genius go completely off the rails in the best city on earth. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s perfect.
To get the full experience of Nina's "Fearless" era, start by comparing the German and English vocal tracks on the Angstlos LP to see how she changes her delivery for different audiences.