Annie Lennox, 70, has shared her analysis with followers for the primary time, saying the situation “explains so much”.

A pioneer for 5 a long time, Annie Lennox stays as cutting-edge and influential now as when she first exploded onto the music panorama within the Seventies with new wave outfit The Vacationers, due to her unmistakable look and memorable vocal expertise.

She catapulted to world stardom when she teamed up with Dave Stewart – her former romantic companion – to create Eurythmics, surprising audiences within the 1983 Candy Desires (Are Product of This) music video by sporting a gentleman’s swimsuit and vibrant orange cropped locks.

However this week, the music legend revealed her neurodivergent analysis after not too long ago discovering she has ADHD – cheekily telling Girls’s Hour host Nuala McGovern that she “handed the check with flying colors.

“I am a magpie, I observe issues, I am extremely delicate,” Annie mentioned on the BBC Radio 4 present. “And I discovered that I truly am a bit neurodivergent. And it is defined a fantastic deal to me about how my thoughts works and the way different folks with ADHD, how their thoughts works.

“It isn’t a straightforward factor to reside with nevertheless it’s additionally a superpower. I feel it does convey brilliance – I am not saying that I’m sensible, however I am going to take that!”

She continued: “For many of my life I aspired to brilliance, to illustrate, by way of the medium of music, by way of the medium of language, lyrical, presentation, all of that. All that curiosity has introduced me to this place right now in 2025 once I’m 70,” reviews the Mirror.

Annie, a extremely profitable solo artist, has re-released her 1992 hit single Why? from her debut solo album Diva, in assist of the charitable Collectively for Palestine fund. Her major focus is now on contributing to peace within the Center East.

The mom to daughters Lola and Tali together with her ex-husband, Israeli document producer Uri Fruchtmann, she speaks in regards to the devastating battle in Gaza: “I simply need the struggle to finish. Politicians are imagined to have dialogue and imagined to keep away from battle. Everyone knows struggle is probably the most heinous damaging drive on the planet, however I simply need peace.

“After I noticed the violence on October 7 two years in the past it was surprising. I knew it was going to unleash the gates of hell. I believed one thing horrible was going to occur and we’ve all been watching it since. In your telephone you’ll be able to see everyday what’s going on. I’ve seen probably the most horrendous issues and I do not wish to see them once more, ever.”

Each penny from Why? goes to Palestinian-led organisations on the forefront of the disaster, similar to Taawon, Palestine Youngsters’s Reduction Fund and the Palestinian Medical Reduction Society.

She says: “I’ve tried to contribute in my very own approach. I simply wish to see peace and see a ceasefire and see them cease killing males, girls and kids. Seeing folks being displaced has hit me so laborious.

“I’ve two daughters and their father is from Israel. Having kids is the most important change one can ever expertise. I’m so grateful for it. It made me a nicer individual and it fulfilled me. You like them a lot.”

She provides: “I’ll inform you why I converse up: as a result of it’s nothing to what these folks should endure.”

In London, launching her recent photographic memoir, Retrospective, chronicling her exceptional profession – which has witnessed her scoop eight Brit awards, 4 Grammys, an Oscar, a Golden Globe plus quite a few Ivor Novello song-writing accolades – Annie, 70, reveals success nearly eluded her totally.

The straight-talking Scot, who entered the world in Aberdeen on Christmas Day 1954, recollects how executives at RCA Information merely could not grasp what Eurythmics represented after they emerged in 1980.

She recollects: “We fashioned after our first band The Vacationers cut up. We cherished the identify Eurythmics. As we cherished being European and “rhythm” is within the identify there. No one else bought it however us.

“We actually struggled however a brand new A&R man actually cherished us and mentioned ‘Mainly, there is just one band I’m taking up’ and it was us. They let loads of bands go, which was a disgrace, nevertheless it was good for us.

“If it had not had labored I believed I must return to Scotland. Success takes you on these large highs and it might probably take you down as nicely.”

The duo’s first single By no means Gonna Cry managed solely a disappointing No. 63 chart place. Three years later, they achieved their breakthrough with the internationally acclaimed Love Is A Stranger, which climbed to No. 2 within the UK.

What adopted grew to become legendary, because the pair dominated the charts all through the Eighties with anthems together with Candy Desires, Who’s That Lady?, Proper By Your Aspect, Right here Comes The Rain Once more and Sexcrime.

Annie’s highly effective vocals have been totally distinctive, while her hanging orange crop immediately sparked a trend motion on the daybreak of the power-dressing decade. However her standing as a method pioneer occurred by likelihood.

“I had no thought the haircut could be iconic,” laughs Annie. “I assume Dave and I have been on a mission. We had gone by way of a lot. We had nothing to lose. I felt I had nothing to lose. It was solely later that we understood what we had executed. We have been within the pursuit of excellence.

“We lived to make music. If you’re going to pursue excellence that’s what you must do. It’s important to have a ardour for it. The garments gave us an id. I assume all of us have a way of favor.

“When you’ve the chance you go for it. They wished us in Australia, Japan, Germany, Holland. France so we travelled so much. We have been all the time on the street.

“We have been writing, recording, doing movies, performing and being exhausted after doing two hour exhibits, dancing, sweating and peeling off the leather-based on the finish of the night time.”

In addition to globetrotting, the duo grew to become extremely sought-after and have been quickly collaborating with a few of music’s greatest legends, together with soul icon Aretha Franklin and Stevie Surprise, who contributed harmonica to their chart-topping 80s anthem There Should Be An Angel (Enjoying With My Coronary heart).

Nevertheless, Annie recollects how Stevie saved them ready round, explaining: “He did maintain us ready within the studio. That’s one other story. However I sat on the ground within the studio in awe when he recorded with us. I keep in mind his assistant put a bean bag round his head so his beads didn’t make any noise after we recorded.”

Overwhelmed by his brilliance, she continues: “It was intimidating and there you might be with him, it was unbelievable.”

David Bowie commanded the identical reverence, significantly on the star-studded Freddie Mercury Tribute Live performance at Wembley Stadium in 1992, staged to rejoice the late Queen frontman a yr following his dying from AIDS.

“I sang Below Strain with David, which he had executed with Freddie. He did put his arm round me and you may see his thumb on my again within the pictures. That’s as shut as we bought, however that is not dangerous is it? I used to be drawn to attach with him, not simply stand subsequent to him.

“I didn’t actually know the track that nicely and if you tackle a track you must embody it. It’s important to actually sing it time and again. I needed to actually get into that with David and the band which occurred to be Queen.

“Singing it was loads of stress like ‘Below stress…I’m underneath stress!'”

Regardless of shifting over 75 million data, Annie admits that stardom nonetheless would not sit simply together with her, explaining: “Being well-known is like having two heads. Like you’ve one in your shoulder like one is Annie and one is Annie Lennox. I wish to be remembered for who I’m and I’m Annie.

“Folks do take a look at you. It ain’t a straightforward gig. I do not imply like ‘Oh poor me’. I didn’t have any ideas about fame when it first occurred. It isn’t till you’ve discovered success that there are guidelines.

“I’m only a regular individual actually. I’m not starry starry or a ‘buddy of the celebrities’. I’m a shy, modest individual. I prefer to be modest and I like the standard of modesty.”

Trying forward, Annie intends to proceed her activism – carrying on utilizing her distinctive voice and slogan T-shirts to unfold her message on the worldwide stage.

She explains: “I put on T-shirts with slogans on as a result of I do not want fancy robes. I do not want any of that. I like to make use of my platform, you recognize.

“Each time my time involves pop my clogs and depart this earth I wish to really feel I did one of the best I might.”