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AUSTRALIAN聽icon Tina Arena has just marked 40 years in the entertainment industry with a new album. Matthew Wade caught up with the singer to chat about how her LGBTI fans have been part of that journey.

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Whether聽she鈥檚 belting her hit Chains at the World Music Awards or being awarded by the President of the French Republic, a supportive gay community has always been around Australian songstress Tina Arena.

With this year marking her 40th as a recording artist, Arena can鈥檛 recall a time when she didn鈥檛 have the love of Australia鈥檚 LGBTI community behind her, and she certainly hasn鈥檛 underestimated its significance.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the community I鈥檝e been around since I was a little girl,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just the community that鈥檚 always been a part of my life 鈥� we鈥檝e always done things together and I鈥檝e always been supported by them.鈥�

She attributes her large gay fan base to her song writing, which she believes many in the country鈥檚 marginalised LGBT community have related to over the years.

鈥淚 think [my music] has always come from an honest place, and that鈥檚 all I can really say,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 intellectualise it more than that, other than whatever it is I do I always make sure it鈥檚 from the heart.

鈥淵ou鈥檒l never get anything contrived from me.鈥�

To mark her four-decade spanning career in Australia and abroad, Arena has released a new two-disc Greatest Hits and Interpretations album.

The latter disc finds notable Australian artists covering Arena classics in fresh ways: The Veronicas, Jimmy Barnes, and Jessica Mauboy form just part of the superstar line-up.

Arena found the idea of a greatest hits record slightly trite and thought bringing together artists to reimagine her songs would help give her fans something different.

Even Dannii Minogue reworks Arena鈥檚 Sorrento Moon into a contemporary dance number for the album.

鈥淚 thought it was a nice idea, hearing different generations and how they interpret my music,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t was about trying to get a mix of artists I really like, and voices that moved me that I felt could tell the story.

鈥淸The Veronicas] were great girls, they鈥檙e really great ladies.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e honest, very humble, and total creators 鈥� they鈥檙e just women with big hearts.鈥�

When it comes to Arena鈥檚 LGBTI fans and the state of equality in Australia, she believes we鈥檙e heading in the right direction.

With the renewed push for marriage equality around the country over the past year, she firmly believes it鈥檚 only a matter of time before same-sex marriage is legislated.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 one of those things that takes time, everything takes time,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about constructing a whole new constitution of some sort and those things don鈥檛 happen overnight.

鈥淚t鈥檚 time for people to understand, to debate, and to find solutions for all these things.鈥�

She added that having positive intentions behind the legalisation of same-sex marriage will help it pass.

鈥淚 have a lot of faith that things will move in the right direction, because again it comes down to the most fundamental and important thing,鈥� she said.

鈥淭hat is that we鈥檙e doing it because that鈥檚 what we believe in.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e doing it for the right reasons it鈥檒l happen.鈥�

When asked what message she would like to send to the 17c起草社区 readers, Arena gushed.

鈥淗ave a really bloody good time again 鈥� 40 years is something that鈥檚 worth celebrating,鈥� she said.

鈥淢any, many thanks for the support over the last four decades, and thank you for always protecting me.鈥�