⁠“I’m not gonna stop the gift that keeps pouring through my body” — Stevie Wonder says he wants to continue performing for as long as he can

Stevie Wonder says retirement is out of the picture.

The legendary musician, now 75, sat down for an interview with BBC’s Sidetracked podcast on Monday, July 21, where he revealed his plans to perform for as long as his body lets him.

“For as long as you breathe, for as long as your heart beats, there’s more for you to do,” the musician told the host, Annie Mac. “I’m not gonna stop the gift that keeps pouring through my body.” He added, “an artist doesn’t stop drawing just because.” Instead, “you keep on. So as long as you can imagine, as long as you are going to be creative, and as long as you let your mind work, you don’t have to retire.”

Stevie Wonder, who has 25 Grammy Awards to his name, said he still feels the thrill of releasing new music the way he did when he dropped his first album ever at the age of 12.

“I love playing music, that’s like my mantra. I think I can do all the stuff I want to do – still have fun and do what I need to do – but I’m not going to stop the gift that keeps pouring through my body,” he said. “I love doing what I’m doing,” Wonder added. “Songs are like children, they’re with you forever. They are statements from the spirit within you, and singing those songs is like me taking another breath.”

Stevie Wonder's decades-long career explored:

As reported by Billboard, Stevie Wonder has dedicated nearly all his life to music, having dropped his first single at 11 years old. By 13, he scored his first Hot 100 dominating hit with Fingertips. While the last time he dropped an album was 2 decades ago, A Time To Love, he has released a string of singles, including last year's Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart.

Stevie Wonder made a surprise performance at this year's Met Gala, and he is expected to perform several of his hits around the nation as part of his Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart tour. His next few pitstops include Pittsburgh, New York City, and Atlanta.

He recently performed in Cardiff, Wales, as part of the Love, Light & Song UK Tour, where he made headlines for addressing the rumors that he was blind:

"I must say to all of you, something that I was thinking, ‘When did I want to let the world know this?’ But I wanted to say it right now," Wonder began. "You know there have been rumors about me seeing and all that?" He went on, "But seriously, you know the truth. Truth is shortly after my birth, I became blind. Now, that was a blessing because it’s allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight. See people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what color they are, but what color is their spirit?"

Stevie Wonder first teased fans with the prospect of a new album, titled Through The Eyes Of Wonder, back in 2008, and over the years, he has only dropped hints about what to expect. The BBC has reported that it will reflect his experience of being blind.

Apart from his career as a musician, the singer is also a vocal advocate for civil rights, and he is most known for being a crucial figure in establishing Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a holiday in the nation.

Per the BBC, Stevie Wonder threw his weight behind Democrat Kamala Harris her bid for president last year, and he told Macmanus that America was under attack by "people trying to go backwards".

"It's not gonna go down like that," he insisted. "I think that if you look back in history, there's always been a point when people wake up. And I think that, for those who think it is gonna go down like that, remember that God is watching you."

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