The life behind the music

Cyndi Lauper’s solo breakthrough made individuality central to mainstream 1980s pop. She’s So Unusual, released in 1983, set exuberant songs beside more vulnerable performances. Her colourful screen presence was one part of a broader musical personality: a voice that could be playful, piercing, tender or deliberately rough at the edges. True Colors followed in 1986, offering another setting for that expressive range.

This collection looks beyond the immediate visual impression. Girls Just Want to Have Fun uses humour and shared energy; Time After Time makes a promise feel uncertain enough to matter. All Through the Night allows the singer to move through a spacious arrangement, while the title song of True Colors brings the focus close again.

For a useful first listen, pair one high-energy song with a ballad and follow the changes in phrasing. The performer remains recognisable even when the scale and pace change. That ability to carry a distinct identity across contrasting material is the thread connecting these five features.

Five ways into the music