Debbie Gibson wants younger female artists to help revisit the songs that made her a teenage pop star. She is considering new recordings and possible duets for the 40th anniversary of Out of the Blue in 2027.
The singer discussed the idea in an October 28 interview with PEOPLE from her Las Vegas home. She did not name potential collaborators or announce a recording schedule.
She also floated a return to New York’s Radio City Music Hall, where she performed during the album’s original run, saying the right promotion could make another appearance there possible.
At 56, Gibson isn’t wishing herself back to her younger years. “I don’t want to be 27,” she said, explaining that she remembers the work that filled the intervening decades and appreciates where she is now.
Her Mother Helped Take the Music From Demo Tapes to Clubs
Before the record deal, Gibson and her mother, Diane, sat at their kitchen table sending out demo tapes, headshots and cover letters. In an earlier interview with SoundExchange, the singer recalled writing and recording roughly a song a day until she had accumulated about 100. Many of their submissions brought rejection letters.
Once Atlantic Records became interested, Diane, who managed her daughter, asked how they could make the music stand out. They were advised to hire a club booking agent and get on the road. Gibson recalled traveling with two backup dancers while her sister handled sound and lighting.
“Only in My Dreams” had begun as a song Gibson wrote in 1984. She later credited producer Fred Zarr with developing the sound of her early four-track recordings into something ready for radio. As Rhino documented, she promoted the single through radio-station visits and free appearances before it became a hit.
Gibson also credited Diane with fighting for her to produce her own work when industry executives resisted. Her mother had taught herself management and trusted her instincts, Gibson told SoundExchange, rather than following an established route into the business.
Four Top-Five Singles Came From ‘Out of the Blue’
Released on August 18, 1987, Out of the Blue arrived when Gibson was 16. She wrote every song and co-produced the album, which eventually reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
Its Hot 100 run included “Only in My Dreams” and “Shake Your Love,” both of which reached No. 4, followed by the title track at No. 3. “Foolish Beat” became her first No. 1 in June 1988, when she was 17. The ballad made her the youngest artist at the time to write, produce and perform a Hot 100 chart-topper entirely on her own, according to Rhino.
Her next No. 1, “Lost in Your Eyes,” came from the 1989 follow-up, Electric Youth. Gibson wrote and produced that single herself as well.
‘Winterlicious D’Luxe’ Adds Six Recordings to Her Holiday Album
Gibson has already reworked the debut’s title song for a different occasion. “Out of the Blue Christmas” combines it with the Elvis Presley holiday favorite “Blue Christmas” on Winterlicious D’Luxe, released digitally October 22.
The expanded edition preserves the original 2022 album and adds six recordings for a 20-track collection, according to her Shore Fire announcement. New additions include the big-band-styled “Lit Up!” and “El Regalo,” her first Spanish-language release. Returning tracks include “Heartbreak Holiday,” her duet with Joey McIntyre, and “White Christmas,” recorded with her father.
“Christmas Star,” first released in 2021, also remains on the album. Gibson told Atwood Magazine that she co-produced that song with Sean Thomas, then 20. She liked working with younger collaborators and credited his contribution with keeping the production current.
A Snow Angel After Her Mother’s Funeral Inspired a New Song
Another addition, “Angels in the Snow,” honors Diane, who died in January 2022. Gibson told PEOPLE in its October 22 interview that she made a snow angel outside her sister’s house after the funeral, still wearing her dress and tights. She decided she would write a song about it.
Christmas in the family had included big meals and increasingly elaborate home recordings. Gibson recalled gathering relatives around microphones and headphones, preserving their performances on tapes stretching from 1982 into the 1990s. She wanted the new tribute to speak to people missing someone during the holidays.
The double-vinyl edition of Winterlicious D’Luxe is scheduled for November 6. Gibson’s official announcement lists five holiday shows at The STRAT in Las Vegas from December 17 through December 20, with both matinee and evening performances on December 19. The concerts will combine holiday material with her pop hits.