Over the past four or five years, Brooke Hogan has gone from the daughter of a very famous person to a very famous person herself thanks to reality television and her burgeoning music career. With that fame has come lots of attention, which means lots of eyes on her family's split, her private life and every other facet of her life. As Brooke preps for the release of her second album 'The Redemption' this July, she was kind enough to chat with PopEater about her drama-filled personal life, her penchant for bikinis (and possibly Playboy eventually), her feelings about Perez Hilton and more. Check It Out Below:
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©BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA*** Reality star Brooke Hogan gets some soda from a fountain at McDonalds after working out with a friend. NON-EXCLUSIVE May 17, 2009 Job: 90517M1 Miami, Florida www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com
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©BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM ***NO CANADA*** Reality star Brooke Hogan gets some soda from a fountain at McDonalds after working out with a friend. NON-EXCLUSIVE May 17, 2009 Job: 90517M1 Miami, Florida www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com
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Brooke Hogan and friend Rachel Speck attend Hogan's 21st birthday party at The Pool at Harrah's Resort for Brook's on May 9, 2009 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Brooke Hogan's 21st Birthday Party The Pool at Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, NJ United States May 9, 2009 Photo by Tom Briglia/FilmMagic.com To license this image (57410889), contact FilmMagic.com
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Singer Brooke Hogan and Executive Chef for Harrah's Resort Edward Batlen celebrate Brooke's 21st Birthday at The Pool at Harrah's Resort May 9, 2009 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Brooke Hogan's 21st Birthday Party The Pool at Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, New Jersey United States May 9, 2009 Photo by Bill McCay/WireImage.com To license this image (57401076), contact WireImage.com
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Brooke Hogan's 21st Birthday At Pure Nightclub on May 5, 2009 in Las Vegas,Nevada. Brooke Hogan Rings In Her 21st Birthday At Pure Nightclub PURE Nightclub at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, NV United States May 5, 2009 Photo by Chris Farina/WireImage.com To license this image (57367681), contact WireImage.com
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LAS VEGAS - MAY 05: Singer Brooke Hogan arrives at the Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace on May 5, 2009 in Las Vegas,Nevada. (Photo by Jacob Andrzejczak/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brooke Hogan
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LAS VEGAS - MAY 05: Singer Brooke Hogan arrives at the Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace on May 5, 2009 in Las Vegas,Nevada. (Photo by Jacob Andrzejczak/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brooke Hogan
So tell me about the overall vibe of The Redemption and what you were trying to accomplish with it.
"I was really inspired by an album I used to listen to when I was younger, and it was Pink's 'Missundaztood' album. I always related to her because she was talking about her family problems and stuff like that, so I really connected to her music. So I tried to model my album around that, just more my style. I'm trained in R&B vocally and I love listening to pop and stuff. So it's a mix of pop and R&B and a touch of rock here and there. Lyrically, I just talk about everything I've gone through this past year. Between love and family and people that have stabbed me in the back ... so many things, this has been such an up-and-down year. It was great for album material (laughs)."
Do you think the fact that people see your life on 'Brooke Knows Best' makes it easier for you to open up in your songs?
"It makes it easier, but the nice thing about it is people only see one percent of my life and personality on the show. This will actually let them see that I have guts and I have a heart and I'm not just a Tin Man. People never get the full story and unless it comes from the horse's head, they don't know at all. It stinks because everybody's like 'you're so funny on the show, you're so crazy' ... they're living a couple months back when we filmed it, and life changes so quickly. I do so many other things in my life and have so many other facets of my personality that people only know Brooke Hogan as the dumb blonde who does dumb things and has to have daddy save her all the time."
Are you able to use that dumb blonde stereotype to your advantage?
"Honestly, I was just talking to my friend about this. Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton ... all these girls pretend they're so dumb. They're businesswomen and it's all just a character. It makes people like them. It's funny, because every girl has that dumb blond personality in them, but behind the scenes we're doing business and signing contracts and talking to lawyers. When the cameras are on, we like to have fun and it's us being goofy, then once they go away there's business we have to buckle down on."
How much of the music do you write?
"I wrote I would say 98 percent of the album. I had a little help with a couple songs, but I made sure I did most of it. It was so personal to me, and we'll see if I'm a good writer or not."
Do you care about what critics say?
"I love to hear people talk about what I'm doing. Any press is good press, and any critiquing is good critiquing. I love to hear people's opinions, that way it's constructive even if it comes in a sarcastic form."
Even the heavy-handed bloggers who aren't so gentle?
"Everybody's gotta feed their kids and pay their rent, so if people figured out that's the way to do it by talking crap about other people, let them do their thing. We all know why they're doing it. I'm sure Perez Hilton gets sick of going on the Internet every single day and doing it, you know?"
I thought you had a good relationship with him. You did a video interview with him for his site.
"We never really had a relationship other than me reading the mean things he'd write about me. I always thought it was funny and never really took it personally and I did an interview with him and he was very sweet and kind, and that's all I have to say about that."
And you seem to be working in some of your personal life into the album now. Has your mother heard the song about her?
"I don't know if she has or not. We played it on 'Bubba the Love Sponge' and I played it and I don't know if she heard it or not. I think she was listening though. I hope she can only take good things out of it. It's how I feel and hopefully it will help her see where I'm coming from because talking doesn't help. So maybe singing is a good way of communicating."
Your video for Falling shows a good deal of skin, with you in a bikini for pretty much the whole thing. How do you balance taste with sex appeal, and is there a lot of pressure to be racy?
"I like being more clothed, but for some reason, everybody wants to put me in a bikini. Every photographer, every director. I'm like, 'Why?' I don't look like Claudia Schiffer. I've been born and raised on the beach, so I don't really see being in a bikini as sexy or sex appeal. I just relate it to sand and ocean and not Playboy. To me, sexy is more attitude and confidence and stuff."
So would something like Jennifer Aniston's GQ cover or Playboy be entirely out of the question?
"Everything is possible. I don't know how I'm going to feel when I'm 30 or 40. I might need a little ego boost, so I'm always open to it."
It seems like splits/divorce and reality television are synonymous these days. This week Jon and Kate Gosselin split. Do you think there's any added weight on a relationship that comes with being on a reality show?
"The cameras don't really make you get a divorce, they just make you hold in what you're really feeling. You can't air your shorts out when you walk in the door from work, so I think it just adds a little tension. I think the problems lie beneath."
We had a great interview with your dad a few months ago and he said he was approached for a Rock of Love type show but turned it down. Is that something you'd ever consider?
"No! The last thing I need is guys puking in my house and drinking all my booze and kissing every single person in the house. That's herpes waiting to happen. Reality dating seems cheesebally and like a charity case. I don't think I'd go there."
