Sunday, March 6, 2011 5:11am ET by  
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R.E.M.'s Stipe talks creativity

R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe gave an exclusive interview to The Guardian and opened up about being a front man for over 30 years and what it's like to release his fifteenth full-length studio album. 

When asked if he feels obsessive when indulging in a new and creative outlet, Stipe answered:

"But, you know, that feels like a purely selfish reason for creating, and that's not what it's about. There's an ego and a desire to be loved that is colossal and so peculiar to public figures, the kind of people that do what I do, but I think I have a pretty good handle on that. "

He also explained that once he accepted his talent for writing "great pop songs with big hooks", he was able to tweak them and be completely in control of the sound:

"There's some truth in that. I've learnt to have fun fucking around with the medium. And the pop song is such a great medium to fuck around with. But it took a while."

Stipe added that there's no place like New York, where he currently lives, and admitted that it's been a great inspiration to him both personally and musically:

"You come here to change the world but you end up changing yourself."

Watch R.E.M.'s brand new video for 'ÜBerlin', which was directed by Sam Taylor-Wood and stars Aaron Johnson, below: