Cringe factor to the power of ten in “Germany’s Next Top Model”: This time the models should not only pose in crazy outfits, but also recreate bands from different musical eras. You can choose from: 60s pop, 70s disco, 80s punk and 90s hip-hop.
The idea for the shoot came from Heidi Klum’s good friend Thomas Hayo, who is also on set and expects nothing less than “magic to happen.” However, he also claims that Heidi would be interested in music while at first mistaking the guitar for a bass and the bass for a violin.
After the playback singing wasn’t embarrassing enough and even girly Katherine found her role as Beatle with ease, Heidi increased the cringe factor and asked the women to sing along loudly. The 70s group then go all out in rainbow dresses and jumpsuits to Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family.” And practically incidentally, it is mentioned for the first time that Mirella was once born in the body of a boy. The fact that this has not been taken up once in the eleven previous episodes shows that after winning trans woman Alex Mariah Peter in 2021, it is no longer an issue on the show.
Standing out among the 80s group is Coco, who knows The Clash classic “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by heart and looks like a cross between Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson. “In all the time you’ve never gotten out of yourself like you did today,” praises Heidi. Only Selma looks even better, her wild haircut is perfect for the outfit with denim vest and patch. Her carefree attitude is also pure punk, which is why she completely immerses herself in the role.
Arriving in the nineties, Somajia in particular delivers on “Push It” by Salt ‘n’ Pepa. As a DJ, she dances crazy in the background and makes such funny noises that hardly anyone can concentrate. “My cheeks hurt a lot after the shoot – I’ve got ten new wrinkles again,” Heidi says happily afterwards and chooses the nineties as her favorite group.
After that, Mirella, Ida, Katherine and Selma are allowed to go to a casting. The models should tell in which situation they dared to do something. Mirella and Katherine, who haven’t gotten a casting job yet, get tips from Selma and Ida, who have bagged most of the jobs. “You worry way too much! The more you think about how you are received by others, the worse you are received,” explains Selma.
So Mirella thinks “Fuck it” and tells the customer her trans story when a sweater opened her eyes as a teenager: “I went shopping with my best friend and I got this one with glitter sequins embroidered on it Sweater stayed in my eye. But I would never have dared to take it with me because that would have heralded such a big change.” However, her friend persuaded her to try on the garment.
“At that moment I didn’t just decide on a sweater, but on myself and my freedom.” At the age of 15 she began her transition. “It was very difficult for my father to deal with at first. I think I’m still known as his son around him to this day,” Mirella admitted. Nevertheless, Selma secured the job – once again – Selma.
The elimination walk is coming. In violent outfits by The Blonds, the three of you walk the catwalk with a little choreography. The skimpy clothes – type exploded feather boa, glitter corsage or skin-tight one-piece suit – and the platform shoes are the focus.
With the otherwise shy Mirella, the knot seems to have burst this time, she makes Heidi howl (“She’s feeling herself”) and Hayo is amazed: “She accepted the criticism.” That makes things a lot more fun for Mirella too. “I felt it so much,” she says. “When I was at that stake, I made love to that one.”
The worst group is Selmas – because of their somewhat over-ambitious idea. She wanted to perform a kind of photo love story in Poznan in the background, which the jury didn’t even notice. Above all, Klum and Hayo are confused. “What did you do back there?” Asks Heidi first. After the explanation, Thomas Hayo states with a laugh: “Relatively little of it has arrived.”
For Maike, however, it is not the choreo that becomes a problem, but rather its unsteady and arrhythmic flow. The 23-year-old has to leave the show. “It was just great, it was a really, really good time,” she says goodbye.
