Mika‘s mother put a “gypsy curse” on him—talk about motherly love!

The 26-year-old singer rented a lavish house in Los Angeles to write his second album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much, but his mom banned him from using it because it would bring him bad luck.

“She put a gypsy curse on me and said the more money I spent on comfort, the worse my album would be. Superstitious idiot that I am, I went back to the same old apartment I’d stayed in before.”

Mika says his mother has always pressed him to work hard and not take his success for granted. Although he agrees it is important to try your hardest, he admits that he has not always liked being under so much pressure.

“Money matters for me because I never used to be able to pay bills, which I can now. But to my mother, my career never has or ever will be about commercial success. It’s about discipline. Since I was 12 she’s drilled a quest for excellence into me—tirelessly.”