Whatta Man! Anastacia says Arnold Schwarzenegger made her sing Salt-N-Pepa classic 12 times at his birthday party
Anastacia reveals how Arnold Schwarzenegger made her sing Salt-N-Pepa’s Whatta Man multiple times at his 50th birthday party.
Anastacia has revealed that Arnold Schwarzenegger once made her sing the same song 12 times in one night at his birthday party - and she was too amused to say no.
The I'm Outta Love singer, 56, recalled being hired to perform at the Hollywood birthday bash for the Terminator star back in 1997, when Schwarzenegger was turning 50. Now 78, the actor and former California governor had Anastacia on repeat, as she found herself caught in a musical loop of Salt-N-Pepa’s 1993 hit Whatta Man.
Anastacia admitted she found the request odd but endearing, calling it a “great song”, just maybe not one to sing “over and over again.”
She told the BBC: “Every time, I was like, ‘Oh my God, he wants it again,’ it really made me laugh.”
Before launching her own music career in 2000, Anastacia was a staple at elite events in Los Angeles, even singing at Steven Spielberg’s 1991 wedding to Kate Capshaw. But the Schwarzenegger party stood out, she said, for its sheer eccentricity.
Whatta Man, originally a 1968 soul track by Linda Lyndell, was reimagined by Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue into a chart smash, landing Top 10 placements in the US, UK, Australia and beyond.
The funny anecdote comes as Anastacia prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of her debut album, Not That Kind.
The nine-date #NTK 2026 tour kicks off in Belfast on September 17, and includes stops in Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester, and more - with a long-awaited return to London’s OVO Wembley Arena on September 26, her first time at the venue in more than two decades.
Fans can expect a hit-packed setlist including I’m Outta Love, Left Outside Alone, and Paid My Dues, alongside favourites from her multi-platinum catalogue.
She’ll also take the celebration global with four Australian headline shows, before heading back to Europe for additional dates.
