Cover Sarah Potenza (Photo: Instagram/@iamsarahpotenza)
Sarah Potenza (Photo: Instagram/@iamsarahpotenza)
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Italian American singer Sarah Potenza talks about being inspired by Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga and battling body shaming ahead of her Café Carlyle residency in Hong Kong
From Norwegian Brazilian jazz singer Charlotte Dos Santos to acclaimed artist Clym Evernden (who was once John Galliano’s student), private club Carlyle & Co has a unique knack of inviting the best international artists to Hong Kong ever since it was established in 2021. This time, it has invited to Italian American singer Sarah Potenza, who will perform at Café Carlyle from February 12 to March 8.
Potenza, who sings in multiple genres including pop, blues, soul and country, rose to prominence through singing contests. In 2015, she wowed the audience and judges with her audition at The Voice. In 2021, she captivated all four judges and earned a standing ovation from the crowd at America’s Got Talent (AGT) when she delivered a soulful rendition of Mary Gauthier’s song Worthy. She has also won the hearts of many with her songs that promote body positivity.
Ahead of her shows, Tatler sits down with Potenza to talk about performing in Hong Kong for the first time.
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Above Sarah Potenza (Photo: Instagram/@iamsarahpotenza)
Sarah Potenza (Photo: Instagram/@iamsarahpotenza)
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How do you feel about performing for the first time in Hong Kong?
I know of the legend of the Carlyle New York and Bobby Short [celebrated Manhattan cabaret singer-pianist who performed at Café Carlyle in New York]. So for me, it was an honour not just to perform at the Carlyle [but also] to come to Hong Kong for it. I love adventures. I love new places. And I’ve heard Hong Kong is absolutely beautiful and incredible.
What do you hope to achieve during your residency at Carlyle & Co in Hong Kong?
I would love to connect with the audience, meet new fans and see where that takes me. I always open a door and walk through, and then there are more doors to open and walk through. In my business, it’s always important to put my best foot forward and to do a great job, because you never know who’s in the audience, especially in Hong Kong.
What can the audience expect from your show in Hong Kong?
I love big voices, women in music, stage art, costumes, hair and pageantry—all the big moments. So I’ll be creating a lot of that [inspired by] icons like Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Bette Midler, Adele and Dua Lipa. [I’d also love to] go back to the 1970s to Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor. I love the art form of being the diva. And I throw some guys in there too: there’ll be some Elton John. I’ll also be performing some of my own original music and costume changes.
Above From left: Sarah Potenza and Dave Audé (Photo: Instagram/@iamsarahpotenza)
From left: Sarah Potenza and Dave Audé (Photo: Instagram/@iamsarahpotenza)
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What motivated you to sign up for The Voice and AGT?
I wanted to get in front of a bigger audience. I would watch these shows as a kid and I knew I could do that; back then, they had Star Search, for which I auditioned as a little girl. Whenever they came to the city that I was in, I would audition. It has always been the goal.
What do you love about music?
I love the way I connect with the audience through music. Music is the most powerful art form to express my emotions, whether I’m angry, sad, lonely or joyful.
Read more: Add these female musicians from Hong Kong to your 2025 playlist—you won’t regret it
Above Sarah Potenza as a child and her father (Photo: Instagram/@iamsarahpotenza)
Sarah Potenza as a child and her father (Photo: Instagram/@iamsarahpotenza)
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Were there any personal experiences that inspired your music?
Absolutely. As a kid, I was bullied for being a thick, curvy girl. That phase helped shape what I wanted to express and I fought for my self-esteem. Having fought for that made me want to inspire other women and people to embrace the magic of being truly themselves.
As a female artist, have you encountered any challenges in your career?
It’s a known fact that it’s harder for female artists to get radio play. We as a society allow an endless number of men [onstage]. But with women, we have this one spot on the festival or cruise or this one female spot where we will say, “Well, she’s the diva”. Why can’t we have two, three or four divas together?
I have noticed there are a lot more men in the music business than women. I don’t know if that is intentional, but maybe it’s just the way that it’s been historically.
What can the industry or public do to make a change?
Book more women. Open up and say we’d like to book half women, half men [at festivals or shows].
How did you come to specialise in a wide variety of genres?
It’s [about] a better knowledge of myself and becoming interested in different things. The music that you listen to five years ago might not be the same kind of music you listen to now. It’s the same when you get exposed to things. You experiment with a new genre as an artist, then you fall in love with it and all of a sudden, you’re on to something else because it catches your attention. I just follow my heart and do what inspires me.
Any upcoming plans to share with us?
I’m working on a big disco diva album with superstar producer Dave Audé. I met him here in Nashville, and we’re wrapping up about half of the album we’re working on.
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
