She was pink-haired and out front long before there was a singer named Pink. And she helped paved the way for idiosyncratic women in pop, along the lines of Bjork, Pink or Christina Aguilera.

Rocking since the 1980s, Cyndi Lauper's role has changed over time. Still, she's an artist in charge of her music and her destiny.

Her hair is blonde now. And like fireworks, she'll explode on New Year's Eve at the Sheraton Waikiki hotel, then move on to Maui and the Big Island for another pair of concerts.

Lauper took time out for an e-mail chat to reflect on her life and music:

Q. You've been a girl/woman of true colors — unusual to some, but perhaps well ahead of your time, before you became famous. What prompted you to be different?

A. I guess I have always felt like a bit of an outsider, since I was a kid. I always felt a bit different. I always expressed myself through my music and fashion. It's very freeing.

Q. In addition to being emblematic of who you are and how you live, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" has been a sort of an anthem for several generations. What do you think about that?

A. It's great that "Girls" has become an anthem for generations of women; I see that when I play. Women bringing their daughters, and their mothers, to the show; three generations sit side by side. It's so great.

Q. What's your idea of fun these days?

A. I always find joy in performing and writing. When my son was born (on Nov. 19, 1997), I found a new joy in being his mom. I am very lucky.

Q. You've been a prolific composer. One of your other '80s hits, "Time After Time," has become another lasting signature song, covered by so many other singers. What touches you first, the words or the music, and when do you know something's right?

A. I like to write poems, and sometimes I start with a melody in mind, and sometimes I start with an idea of a story I went to tell. It's always different.

Q. MTV kinda put you on the map, at least visually. Do you enjoy the creativity involved in making a film clip? How much input do you have in deciding what goes?

A. It's very different now. MTV doesn't even play videos. When I started, videos were a new medium, and creating ideas and executing them in film was so exciting. I was very lucky and was very involved in every video I ever made. I participated in storyboard to art direction and eventually directed all my videos as well.

Q. You've toured extensively, all over the world. What have you discovered about yourself in this process of touring? Is there a common thread?

A. We all want to feel connected. Music is a great facilitator. We all want love and peace, and you see that whether you are in Bayonne or Berlin.

Q. You've done films and sang and acted on Broadway in addition to CDs and concerts. What was playing Jenny in "The Threepenny Opera" like, in terms of the rigidity of a stage role versus a concert, where spontaneity is so welcome?

A. "Threepenny" was a remarkable experience for me. While it's true that your lines are scripted, every night was a new experience because the crowd reacted differently each time. It was so much fun. I hope to do more of it.

Q. You had a world-class wedding in November 1991, with Little Richard as minister, Patti La Belle singing and Pee-Wee Herman among the guests. And a white gown, instead of something colorful. A mix of glitz and some things traditional. How has family life, and motherhood, impacted your singing career? Does family occasionally accompany you on your gigs? Will hubby and son be with you in Hawai'i?

A. Yes, my husband (David Thornton, an actor) and son (Declyn Wallace Thornton Lauper) will be with me in Hawai'i. Whenever my son's school schedule allows him to be out with me, we try and make mini-vacations out of the tours. Especially when I travel someplace as fantastic as Hawai'i. We can't wait.

Q. How have you adjusted to the changing ways of the music business — fewer album sales, tons of downloading, iTunes, MP3 players, iPods, etc.? If you have an iPod or an MP3, what's on it now?

A. I have thousands of songs — everything from hip-hop to techno to pop, to alt rock to dance to folk. I just love music and listening to what other artists have to say. Bill Withers, Joni Mitchell, The Clicks, Akon (my son's favorite), Tegan & Sara are in heavy rotation right now.

Q. You've completed an album that is due next year. Any specifics on what's on it?

A. I am not sure what the CD will be called yet. It's a rhythm record. I don't usually come up with CD title until the whole record is done. ... It kind of names itself. It will be out late spring 2008.

Q. You'll be working New Year's Eve in the same room you performed in years ago at a Columbia Records convention (I know; I was there). You're the girl who will evoke fun. If you didn't have to be on stage, what's your notion of the perfect way to ring in the New Year?

A. With my husband and son ... nothing like being with my family.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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