MOSCOW, April 1, Roman Kharrasov. The famous singer, one of the main hitmakers of the country, turns 40 today. On the eve of the anniversary, Sergey Lazarev met with a correspondent and discussed his age, the new album, the secrets of popularity, and relations with the public. 
Great age: what Lazarev has planned for the anniversary
— How do you feel about the 40th anniversary? Many do not celebrate this date.
— A wonderful date that has nothing to do with my sense of self (laughs). Really great age. I feel very comfortable in it.
— How do you plan to spend your birthday?
— Quietly, without any special celebrations. I planned a little vacation with the kids and friends for a couple of weeks. In general, to be honest, I don’t like noisy events for some time now. Another sign of age. 
Album and tour: plans for the year
— What's new for you this year?
— The year is going to be very eventful. Now I'm on tour around the country with the concert show «I'm not afraid.» There are already 40 cities behind, and even more ahead.
I will also release an album in the fall. Plus plans for shooting in TV projects «Come on, all together!» and Avatar.
— Before the anniversary, you released a video where you showed the second very important facet of your work — acting. Why did you turn to this topic in the video?
— Very often my videos are mini-movies. I am an actor by education and use this in the pop field. My shows are more like musical performances. Costume action with meaning, idea and direction.
As for the song and video «Don't try again», this is the first sign from my new album. It comes out as part of a large GM project, which brings together several artists. Music by Daria Kuznetsova, lyrics by Mikhail Gutseriev. Absolutely incredible video work. And a very difficult task.
I play myself and my alter ego meeting each other. Interesting and twisted plot. =»600″ data-crop-height=»338″ data-source-sid=»not_rian_photo» class=»lazyload» width=»1920″ height=»1080″ decoding=»async» />
The clip was filmed last summer for four days. At different locations. In addition to me, actresses Lyubov Tolkalina and Maria Andreeva participate there. Directed by Dmitry Litvinenko.
— Are there any ideas for new roles in the theater or cinema?
— This requires long rehearsals and total immersion in the process, and I, with my touring schedule scheduled for a year in advance, can still afford such I can't.
In general, I'm indifferent to cinema, I've never aspired to it. But the theater has been with me for 20 years.
— If a feature film was made about you, who would you approve for the main role? Why?
— I see no reason to make a film about myself, because I have been in the palm of the audience since childhood, for 30 years now.
— Who would you like or could play?
— I played Romeo, Figaro, the next step, probably Hamlet.
Face on screen: how not to annoy the viewer
— You are a popular face on the screens: you work on several projects at once on different channels. Are there any fears that the public might get tired of you? And in general, how to strike a balance in this?
— Indeed, I have many television projects, but I am different everywhere and the task is the same. I am as honest as possible in what I do. I dare to hope that the viewer feels it and he is not tired of my person (laughs). But I do not have a plan to be everywhere and everywhere, I accept proposals only for those projects that are really interesting to me from a creative point of view.
Russians cannot be canceled: about popularity in the West
— You, especially after Eurovision, had many fans all over the world. Unfortunately, recently we often see the abolition of everything Russian in the West. How did you feel it for yourself?
All this is temporary. There was a wave of negative statements on social networks, but now it is less. The Russians have done too much for world culture to just take it and cancel it.
— Do you plan to conquer Asia, for example, China, where Russian is very much loved?
— There is a different mentality and idols . And the music too. To conquer the market of another country, you have to live there. But I'm not going anywhere.
— You have repeatedly criticized colleagues in the media for fakes about yourself and called for stricter media regulations at the legislative level. Wouldn't you like to take the initiative before the parliamentarians yourself?
— There are a lot of fakes and «loud» false headlines and pseudo-media that allow themselves to write lies about public people with impunity, collecting traffic to their resources. They don't care how it affects the reputation and lives of artists. I hope they pass a law regulating such scribblers.
— You have no state titles (Honored, People's Artist of Russia). Why and how do you generally feel about them?
— To be honest, it seems to me a relic of the past. After all, the main thing is not a badge and a diploma, but the sincere love of the audience, their devotion for many years. At my concerts sold out all over the country. Here is the real reward.