Gabriella Cilmi
Encyclopedia
Gabriella Lucia Cilmi ( (born 10 October 1991) is an Australian singer-songwriter. In 2008, Cilmi was awarded six ARIA awards
including Single of the Year and Best Female Artist.
Her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned
was released in 2008, and was a worldwide success. Most recently, she has released a second studio album, Ten
.
She is currently working on her third studio album. Cilmi had enjoyed major success since 2008, mainly with her hit singles, "Sweet About Me
" and "On a Mission
" (Ten
).
suburb of Dandenong
. Of Italian heritage, she moved to London with her family when she was 15, where she currently lives with her parents Paula and Joe (whose origins are in Crotone
, Calabria
, Italy) and her brother Joseph.
At an early age, Cilmi developed an interest in a wide range of musical styles, including Nina Simone
, Led Zeppelin
, Janis Joplin
, The Sweet, T. Rex
and Cat Stevens
. She has also cited Suzi Quatro
as a particular influence. Despite her natural aptitude and vocal talent, Cilmi was told that she lacked the discipline necessary to pursue a singing career. Idolising Janis Joplin
, during this time she sang with a band (Foucault) performing cover songs
by Led Zeppelin, Jet
, Silverchair
and others. Cilmi recorded original songs with writer/producers Barbara and Adrian Hannan of The SongStore.
In 2004, Cilmi captured the attention of Warner Music
executive Michael Parisi while giving an impromptu rendition of the Rolling Stones
' song "Jumpin' Jack Flash
" at the Lygon Street
Festa, a community festival in Melbourne. At the age of 13, Cilmi travelled to the US and UK with Adrian Hannan and was offered four major US deals. She eventually signed a contract with Island Records
UK.
The tracks "Don't Tell Me" and "Sorry", co-written with Barbara and Adrian Hannan, appeared on the soundtrack of 2005 Australian film Hating Alison Ashley
. Cilmi shares a manager (Cassandra Gracey), writer/producers (Xenomania) and UK record label (Island) with the Sugababes
, and supported former Sugababe Mutya Buena
at the Jazz Café
in London in 2007. She made her UK TV debut in December 2007 when she sang her single "Sweet About Me
" on Later... with Jools Holland. The same month, Cilmi's song "Sanctuary
" featured in the film St Trinian's and on its soundtrack. Cilmi recorded the theme to UK TV series Echo Beach
, which aired in early 2008 on ITV1
; it is a cover of "Echo Beach
" by Martha and the Muffins
. In February 2008, she supported the Parisian band Nouvelle Vague
on their UK tour.
Cilmi's first album, Lessons to Be Learned
, was written and recorded with hit production team Xenomania
and was released in March 2008 in the UK. Cilmi has been compared to Amy Winehouse
. The first single, "Sweet About Me", debuted on the UK Singles Chart
that month and climbed to number six three months later, in June. It reached number seventeen on the Irish Singles Chart
, and peaked at number one on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. The song was used in a worldwide advertising campaign for the deodorant Sure/Rexona. Cilmi's second UK single, "Save the Lies", was not as successful as "Sweet About Me", peaking at number thirty-three in the UK. In Australia, the second single from the album was "Don't Wanna Go to Bed Now
", which reached number twenty-eight. The subsequent single, "Sanctuary", was issued in November 2008 and failed to chart.
From March to May 2008, Cilmi supported the Sugababes on their UK Change Tour
. She opened for James Blunt
on his June 2008 Australian tour, and participated in the October 2008 MTV
Greece concert alongside R.E.M.
and Kaiser Chiefs
. Also in 2008, Cilmi won six ARIA Awards
in Australia, taking Best Female Artist, Breakthrough Artist: Single ("Sweet About Me"), Breakthrough Artist: Album (Lessons to Be Learned), Best Pop Release (Lessons to Be Learned), Highest Selling Single ("Sweet About Me"), and Single of the Year ("Sweet About Me"). Cilmi covered a Connie Francis
song, "Warm This Winter
", for Co-operative
's Christmas 2008 advertising campaign; released as a single, it reached number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart. In January 2009, Cilmi was nominated in the International Female category at the BRIT Awards
and sang in the Rod Laver Arena
before the 2009 Australian Open Men's Final.
Cilmi performed at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
in March 2009 for Sound Relief
, a multi-venue rock music concert in support of relief for the Victorian bushfire crisis. The event was held simultaneously with a concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground
. All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert will go to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire relief. Cilmi made her U.S. television debut in March 2009 and performed on the Pyramid (main) stage at the Glastonbury Festival
in June 2009. The following August, she won Grand Prix at Sopot International Song Festival
, an international song contest in Poland.
", in January 2010. It was released in February 2010 in Australia, reaching number sixteen, and the following month in the UK, where it peaked at number nine. This preceded Cilmi's second studio album, Ten
, which was released in March 2010. According to Cilmi, the album features "lots of uptempo funk and disco-inspired numbers designed to make people groove" as well as "some more sexy tracks". One song incorporates a type of yodel into it.
While producing the album, Cilmi worked with Greg Kurstin
, The Invisible Men and Dallas Austin
, as well as Xenomania
on the song "Hearts Don't Lie" which she likens to a Bee Gees
song. The track "Love Me 'Cause You Want To" is the song she is most proud of due to the fact it was produced with her band. It features production from Xenomania
, Dallas Austin
and Greg Kurstin
, and bears an electropop sound in contrast to her first album. Ten was not as successful as Lessons to Be Learned, reaching number seventeen in Australia and number twenty-eight in the UK. The second single, "Hearts Don't Lie
", was released in June 2010 in the UK. The third single, "Defender
", was released in August 2010 accompanied by a B-side track, "Magic Carpet Ride
". Cilmi supported British artist Leona Lewis
on the UK leg of her 2010 The Labyrinth Tour
.
, roots music
, Tricky
and Enya
, so anything could happen."
vocal range and has been compared to that of Anastacia
and Amy Winehouse
for her vocal style. Cilmi also discovered her sound was partly caused by a back problem known as Hollow Back or Lordosis
which affects the way in which she uses her diaphragm muscles when singing, producing a more throaty sound.
Of her voice Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian
complimented her voice stating it was 'precociously blistering' and 'Her zest and powerful, black-like voice can't be faulted'.
Take40
commented further 'a voice that sounds like it fell from the heavens' further noting her abilities as a 'vocal powerhouse' and being a 'brilliant and unique vocal talent'.
in the song You Need Me, I Don't Need You, Sheeran using Cilmi as an example of a young singer-songwriter.
As supporting act
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
including Single of the Year and Best Female Artist.
Her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned
Lessons to Be Learned
Lessons to Be Learned is the debut album by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi, released in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2008 by Island Records and in Australia on 10 May 2008 by Mushroom Records...
was released in 2008, and was a worldwide success. Most recently, she has released a second studio album, Ten
Ten (Gabriella Cilmi album)
Ten is the second album by Australian-born singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi. Ten was released on 22 March 2010 in Australia. The album is preceded by the single "On a Mission" and marks Cilmi's foray into more 1980s inspired music...
.
She is currently working on her third studio album. Cilmi had enjoyed major success since 2008, mainly with her hit singles, "Sweet About Me
Sweet About Me
"Sweet About Me" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi from her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned . Co-written with and produced by Xenomania, it was released in April 2008 as the album's lead single. The song was used in commercials for Sure and Dove Bodywash in Europe, as...
" and "On a Mission
On a Mission
On a Mission is the second studio album by American country music group Trick Pony. It was released in 2002 as their final album for Warner Bros. Records. The album's singles were "On a Mission" and "A Boy Like You", the latter of which failed to reach the Top 40 on the Hot Country Songs charts...
" (Ten
Ten (Gabriella Cilmi album)
Ten is the second album by Australian-born singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi. Ten was released on 22 March 2010 in Australia. The album is preceded by the single "On a Mission" and marks Cilmi's foray into more 1980s inspired music...
).
Early life
Cilmi was born in the MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
suburb of Dandenong
Dandenong, Victoria
Dandenong is a suburb and major urban centre in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Situated on Dandenong Creek and mostly flat land at the foothills of Mount Dandenong, it is the main administrative centre for the City of...
. Of Italian heritage, she moved to London with her family when she was 15, where she currently lives with her parents Paula and Joe (whose origins are in Crotone
Crotone
Crotone is a city and comune in Calabria, southern Italy, on the Ionian Sea. Founded circa 710 BC as the Achaean colony of Croton , it was known as Cotrone from the Middle Ages until 1928, when its name was changed to the current one. In 1994 it became the capital of the newly established...
, Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, Italy) and her brother Joseph.
At an early age, Cilmi developed an interest in a wide range of musical styles, including Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, The Sweet, T. Rex
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
and Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
. She has also cited Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
as a particular influence. Despite her natural aptitude and vocal talent, Cilmi was told that she lacked the discipline necessary to pursue a singing career. Idolising Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, during this time she sang with a band (Foucault) performing cover songs
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Led Zeppelin, Jet
Jet (band)
Jet are an Australian rock band formed in 2001 while attending St Bede's College Mentone in Melbourne, . The band consists of lead guitarist Cameron Muncey, bassist Mark Wilson, and brothers Nic and Chris Cester on vocals/rhythm guitar and drums respectively...
, Silverchair
Silverchair
Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...
and others. Cilmi recorded original songs with writer/producers Barbara and Adrian Hannan of The SongStore.
In 2004, Cilmi captured the attention of Warner Music
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
executive Michael Parisi while giving an impromptu rendition of the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' song "Jumpin' Jack Flash
Jumpin' Jack Flash
"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone, the song was perceived by some as the band's return to their blues roots after the psychedelia of their preceding...
" at the Lygon Street
Lygon Street, Melbourne
Lygon Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne, Australia running through the suburbs of Carlton, Carlton North, Princes Hill and Brunswick East. Lygon Street's name has become synonymous with Italian restaurants and cafés located in the Carlton part of the street...
Festa, a community festival in Melbourne. At the age of 13, Cilmi travelled to the US and UK with Adrian Hannan and was offered four major US deals. She eventually signed a contract with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
UK.
2005–2009: Lessons to Be Learned
Hating Alison Ashley (film)
Hating Alison Ashley is a 2005 Australian comedy film based upon the 1984 novel of the same name produced by Elizabeth Howatt-Jackman and directed by Geoff Bennett...
. Cilmi shares a manager (Cassandra Gracey), writer/producers (Xenomania) and UK record label (Island) with the Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
, and supported former Sugababe Mutya Buena
Mutya Buena
Rosa Isabel Mutya Buena is an English recording artist who rose to fame as a member of girl group the Sugababes. With the Sugababes, Buena had four UK number one singles, an additional six top-ten hits and three multi-platinum albums. After leaving the group in December 2005, she released her...
at the Jazz Café
Jazz Café
The Jazz Café is a music venue in Parkway in Camden Town, London, England. It opened in 1990, in the former premises of Barclays Bank, and has been run by Mean Fiddler Music Group since 1992, now a subsidiary of the MAMA Group.-History:...
in London in 2007. She made her UK TV debut in December 2007 when she sang her single "Sweet About Me
Sweet About Me
"Sweet About Me" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi from her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned . Co-written with and produced by Xenomania, it was released in April 2008 as the album's lead single. The song was used in commercials for Sure and Dove Bodywash in Europe, as...
" on Later... with Jools Holland. The same month, Cilmi's song "Sanctuary
Sanctuary (Gabriella Cilmi song)
"Sanctuary" is a song by Australian recording artist Gabriella Cilmi from her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned . The song was first released digitally in the United Kingdom on 12 December 2007 as the album's lead single, and subsequently released in Germany and the Netherlands in December 2008 as...
" featured in the film St Trinian's and on its soundtrack. Cilmi recorded the theme to UK TV series Echo Beach
Moving Wallpaper
Moving Wallpaper was a British satirical comedy-drama television series set in a TV production unit. It ran on ITV for two series in 2008–2009. The subject of the first series was the production of a soap called Echo Beach, each episode of which aired directly after the Moving Wallpaper episode...
, which aired in early 2008 on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
; it is a cover of "Echo Beach
Echo Beach
"Echo Beach" is a song recorded by the Canadian group Martha and the Muffins in 1979. It was released as a single from their album Metro Music in 1980 and won the Juno Award for Single of the Year. It was certified gold in Canada on October 1, 1980, a month after Metro Music achieved gold status...
" by Martha and the Muffins
Martha and the Muffins
Martha and the Muffins are a Canadian new wave band, active from 1977 to the present. Although they only had one major international hit single under their original band name, they had a number of hits in their native Canada, and the core members of the band also charted in Canada and...
. In February 2008, she supported the Parisian band Nouvelle Vague
Nouvelle Vague (band)
Nouvelle Vague is a French musical collective led by musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Their name is a play on words, meaning "new wave" in French, and "bossa nova" in Portuguese...
on their UK tour.
Cilmi's first album, Lessons to Be Learned
Lessons to Be Learned
Lessons to Be Learned is the debut album by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi, released in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2008 by Island Records and in Australia on 10 May 2008 by Mushroom Records...
, was written and recorded with hit production team Xenomania
Xenomania
Xenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
and was released in March 2008 in the UK. Cilmi has been compared to Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
. The first single, "Sweet About Me", debuted on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
that month and climbed to number six three months later, in June. It reached number seventeen on the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, and peaked at number one on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. The song was used in a worldwide advertising campaign for the deodorant Sure/Rexona. Cilmi's second UK single, "Save the Lies", was not as successful as "Sweet About Me", peaking at number thirty-three in the UK. In Australia, the second single from the album was "Don't Wanna Go to Bed Now
Don't Wanna Go to Bed Now
"Don't Wanna Go to Bed Now" is a song by Australian singer–songwriter Gabriella Cilmi from her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned . Written by Cilmi, Nick Coler, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, and Shawn Lee, the track was released as the album's second Australian single on 21 July 2008...
", which reached number twenty-eight. The subsequent single, "Sanctuary", was issued in November 2008 and failed to chart.
From March to May 2008, Cilmi supported the Sugababes on their UK Change Tour
Change Tour
The Change Tour is the fourth Sugababes concert tour. The tour began with 2 nights in Brentwood on 12 March and 13 March 2008, with the final show on 1 May 2008 in Derby. The 30-date tour is their longest yet. Harvey B-Brown, director of the Denial video, directed the tour...
. She opened for James Blunt
James Blunt
James Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005...
on his June 2008 Australian tour, and participated in the October 2008 MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Greece concert alongside R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
. Also in 2008, Cilmi won six ARIA Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
in Australia, taking Best Female Artist, Breakthrough Artist: Single ("Sweet About Me"), Breakthrough Artist: Album (Lessons to Be Learned), Best Pop Release (Lessons to Be Learned), Highest Selling Single ("Sweet About Me"), and Single of the Year ("Sweet About Me"). Cilmi covered a Connie Francis
Connie Francis
Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
song, "Warm This Winter
I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter
"I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter" is a 1962 single by Connie Francis, released in that December to peak at #18 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100...
", for Co-operative
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
's Christmas 2008 advertising campaign; released as a single, it reached number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart. In January 2009, Cilmi was nominated in the International Female category at the BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
and sang in the Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena is a tennis stadium that is part of the Melbourne Park complex located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and has been the main venue for the Australian Open in tennis since 1988, replacing the ageing Kooyong Stadium...
before the 2009 Australian Open Men's Final.
Cilmi performed at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
in March 2009 for Sound Relief
Sound Relief
Sound Relief was a multi-venue rock music concert held on 14 March 2009, which was announced by the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby on 24 February 2009...
, a multi-venue rock music concert in support of relief for the Victorian bushfire crisis. The event was held simultaneously with a concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
. All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert will go to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire relief. Cilmi made her U.S. television debut in March 2009 and performed on the Pyramid (main) stage at the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
in June 2009. The following August, she won Grand Prix at Sopot International Song Festival
Sopot International Song Festival
The Sopot International Song Festival is an international song contest held in Sopot, Poland. It was the biggest Polish music festival altogether with the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, and one of the biggest annual song contest in Europe...
, an international song contest in Poland.
2010: Ten
Cilmi debuted a new single, "On a MissionOn a Mission (song)
"On a Mission" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi from her second studio album, Ten . The song was released as the album's lead single in Australia on 5 February 2010 and in the United Kingdom on 7 March 2010. The song has been praised by music critics for its...
", in January 2010. It was released in February 2010 in Australia, reaching number sixteen, and the following month in the UK, where it peaked at number nine. This preceded Cilmi's second studio album, Ten
Ten (Gabriella Cilmi album)
Ten is the second album by Australian-born singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi. Ten was released on 22 March 2010 in Australia. The album is preceded by the single "On a Mission" and marks Cilmi's foray into more 1980s inspired music...
, which was released in March 2010. According to Cilmi, the album features "lots of uptempo funk and disco-inspired numbers designed to make people groove" as well as "some more sexy tracks". One song incorporates a type of yodel into it.
While producing the album, Cilmi worked with Greg Kurstin
Greg Kurstin
Gregory Allen "Greg" Kurstin is an award-winning American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Kurstin received a Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year. That same year he won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriters of the Year for "The Fear"...
, The Invisible Men and Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of his most notable clients include Michael Jackson, TLC, Boyz II Men, Pink, Monica, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, Another Bad Creation, Fishbone, Sugababes, Anastacia, Namie Amuro, Kim...
, as well as Xenomania
Xenomania
Xenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
on the song "Hearts Don't Lie" which she likens to a Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
song. The track "Love Me 'Cause You Want To" is the song she is most proud of due to the fact it was produced with her band. It features production from Xenomania
Xenomania
Xenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
, Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of his most notable clients include Michael Jackson, TLC, Boyz II Men, Pink, Monica, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, Another Bad Creation, Fishbone, Sugababes, Anastacia, Namie Amuro, Kim...
and Greg Kurstin
Greg Kurstin
Gregory Allen "Greg" Kurstin is an award-winning American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Kurstin received a Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year. That same year he won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriters of the Year for "The Fear"...
, and bears an electropop sound in contrast to her first album. Ten was not as successful as Lessons to Be Learned, reaching number seventeen in Australia and number twenty-eight in the UK. The second single, "Hearts Don't Lie
Hearts Don't Lie
"Hearts Don't Lie" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi from her second studio album, Ten . The song was released as the album's second single on 7 June, in the UK....
", was released in June 2010 in the UK. The third single, "Defender
Defender (Gabriella Cilmi song)
"Defender" is the 9th single from Australian singer–songwriter Gabriella Cilmi. It was chosen to be the third single to be released from her second album Ten. "Defender" was released as a double A-side along with "Magic Carpet Ride" in August 2010...
", was released in August 2010 accompanied by a B-side track, "Magic Carpet Ride
Magic Carpet Ride (song)
"Magic Carpet Ride" is the 9th single from Australian singer–songwriter Gabriella Cilmi. The song was originally a B-side to her hit single "On a Mission". "Magic Carpet Ride" is not included on the physical release of her second album, Ten, but is available as an iTunes bonus track. The song was...
". Cilmi supported British artist Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
on the UK leg of her 2010 The Labyrinth Tour
The Labyrinth (tour)
The Labyrinth is the name of the debut concert tour by British pop singer Leona Lewis. Beginning on 28 May 2010, it showcased songs from her debut album, Spirit and her second album, Echo. Dates in the United Kingdom and Ireland were completed with Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi serving as the...
.
2011–present: Third album
By October 2010, Cilmi had begun work on her third studio album. She has been quoted as saying: "It's totally exciting because I am spending a bit more time with this record. I want to see what works. I really love Dolly PartonDolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, roots music
Roots music
Roots music can refer to several styles or trends in music:* Americana * Folk music* Roots of hip hop, the conditions which led to creation of the hip hop genre* Roots reggae...
, Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
and Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
, so anything could happen."
Vocal ability
Cilmi has a contraltoContralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
vocal range and has been compared to that of Anastacia
Anastacia
Anastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States...
and Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
for her vocal style. Cilmi also discovered her sound was partly caused by a back problem known as Hollow Back or Lordosis
Lordosis
Lordosis is a medical term used to describe an inward curvature of a portion of the lumbar and cervical vertebral column. Two segments of the vertebral column, namely cervical and lumbar, are normally lordotic, that is, they are set in a curve that has its convexity anteriorly and concavity...
which affects the way in which she uses her diaphragm muscles when singing, producing a more throaty sound.
Of her voice Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
complimented her voice stating it was 'precociously blistering' and 'Her zest and powerful, black-like voice can't be faulted'.
Take40
Take40 Australia
Take 40 Australia is Australia's first and longest-running music countdown, created by MCM Entertainment, Pty Ltd.The Take 40 Australia brand encompasses radio, online, and television. First hitting the airwaves in 1984, Take 40 Australia was hosted by Barry Bissell for 20 years, until he passed...
commented further 'a voice that sounds like it fell from the heavens' further noting her abilities as a 'vocal powerhouse' and being a 'brilliant and unique vocal talent'.
Trivia
Gabriella Cilmi is mentioned by Ed SheeranEd Sheeran
Edward Christopher "Ed" Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter who is currently signed to Asylum / Atlantic Records. Sheeran broke through commercially in June 2011, when his debut single "The A Team" debuted at number 3 on the UK chart.-Early life:Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire to...
in the song You Need Me, I Don't Need You, Sheeran using Cilmi as an example of a young singer-songwriter.
Discography
- Lessons to Be LearnedLessons to Be LearnedLessons to Be Learned is the debut album by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi, released in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2008 by Island Records and in Australia on 10 May 2008 by Mushroom Records...
(2008) - TenTen (Gabriella Cilmi album)Ten is the second album by Australian-born singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi. Ten was released on 22 March 2010 in Australia. The album is preceded by the single "On a Mission" and marks Cilmi's foray into more 1980s inspired music...
(2010)
Tours
Headline- 2008 – Lessons to Be Learnt Tour
As supporting act
- 2008 – SugababesSugababesThe Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
– Change TourChange TourThe Change Tour is the fourth Sugababes concert tour. The tour began with 2 nights in Brentwood on 12 March and 13 March 2008, with the final show on 1 May 2008 in Derby. The 30-date tour is their longest yet. Harvey B-Brown, director of the Denial video, directed the tour...
(Selected Dates) - 2010 – Leona LewisLeona LewisLeona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
– The LabyrinthThe Labyrinth (tour)The Labyrinth is the name of the debut concert tour by British pop singer Leona Lewis. Beginning on 28 May 2010, it showcased songs from her debut album, Spirit and her second album, Echo. Dates in the United Kingdom and Ireland were completed with Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi serving as the...
(UK Dates Only)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Type | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | ARIA Music Awards ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association... |
Breakthrough Single | |
| Breakthrough Album | |||
| Highest Selling Single | |||
| Best Pop release | |||
| Best Female Artist | |||
| Single Of The Year | |||
| Q Awards Q Awards The Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards, helped in no small part by the often boisterous behavior of the celebrities who attend the event... |
Breakthrough Artist | ||
| MTV Europe Music Awards MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider... |
Breakthrough Artist | Shortlisted | |
| 2009 | BRIT Awards 2009 BRIT Awards The 2009 BRIT Awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 18 February 2009. It was the 29th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London, and was broadcast live on ITV1 on 18 February at 8pm... |
Best International Female Artist | |
| Echo Awards | Best International Newcomer | ||
| Sopot International Song Festival 2009 Sopot International Song Festival The Sopot International Song Festival is an international song contest held in Sopot, Poland. It was the biggest Polish music festival altogether with the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, and one of the biggest annual song contest in Europe... |
Best Performer | ||
| 2010 | ARIA Music Awards ARIA Music Awards of 2010 The 24th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards are a series of award ceremonies which included the 2010 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fine Arts Awards and ARIA Awards. The latter ceremony took place on 7 November at the Sydney Opera House and was... |
Most Popular Australian Single ("On A Mission") |
Television appearances
- Hating Alison AshleyHating Alison Ashley (film)Hating Alison Ashley is a 2005 Australian comedy film based upon the 1984 novel of the same name produced by Elizabeth Howatt-Jackman and directed by Geoff Bennett...
(2005) .... Performer of "Don't Tell Me" (movie exclusive) and "Sorry" (from Lessons to be Learned) - Later... with Jools Holland (1 episode, "#30.7", 2007) .... Herself
- Echo BeachEcho Beach (soap)Echo Beach was a short-lived British teen-drama series that aired on ITV in 2008. Set in the fictional Cornish coastal town of Polnarren, it ran for twelve weekly episodes from 10 January to 21 March 2008...
(unknown episodes, 2008) SoundtrackSoundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the... - This MorningThis Morning (TV series)This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
(1 episode, "14 February 2008", 2008) .... Herself and Singer - Saturday DisneySaturday DisneySaturday Disney is a children's program which has aired on the Seven Network in Australia for over 20 years, with the first episode going to air on 20 January 1990. Although, according to the hosts during the 800th episode of the show, they revealed the show premiered in March 1990, causing...
(1 episode, "Mothers, Muck, Music and Manners!", 2008) .... Herself - The National Lottery: Big 7 (2008) (TV) .... Herself
- Wetten, dass..?Wetten, dass..?Wetten, dass..? is a long-running German-language entertainment television show. It is the most successful Saturday television show in Europe...
(1 episode, "4 October 2008") .... Herself - Today ShowToday (Australian TV program)Today and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
(1 episode, "27 October 2008" .... Herself - GMTVGMTVGMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
(1 episode, "29 October 2008" .... Herself and Singer - Australian IdolAustralian IdolAustralian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
(1 episode, "Top 7 Verdict", 2008) .... Herself - Never Mind the BuzzcocksNever Mind the BuzzcocksNever Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
(1 episode, "#22.6", 2008) .... Herself - Star AcademyStar AcademyStar Academy is a highly successful television show format based on the Spanish format "Operación Triunfo" produced by Endemol, that has been broadcast in over 50 countries...
(1 episode, "31 October 2008", 2008) .... Herself - The Xtra Factor (2 episodes, "#5.17" and "#5.18") .... Herself
- Loose WomenLoose WomenLoose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
(1 episode, "#14.48", 2008) .... Herself and performer - City HomicideCity HomicideCity Homicide was an Australian television drama series that aired on the Seven Network between 27 August 2007 – 30 March 2011. The series was set on the Homicide floor of a metropolitan police headquarters in Melbourne...
(1 episode) .... as Claudette WymsClaudette WymsCaptain Claudette Wyms is a fictional Los Angeles Police Department captain in the television drama series The Shield. Claudette is played by CCH Pounder.-Personal:Claudette has been divorced twice and raised two daughters, Bonnie and Rebecca... - TV totalTV totalTV total is a German late-night television comedy talk show that has run since 8 March 1999 on ProSieben, and is currently aired at around 23:15 from Monday to Thursday....
(1 episode, "11 November 2008", 2008) .... Herself - HollyoaksHollyoaksHollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
(1 episode, #1.2367, 2008) "Sweet About MeSweet About Me"Sweet About Me" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi from her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned . Co-written with and produced by Xenomania, it was released in April 2008 as the album's lead single. The song was used in commercials for Sure and Dove Bodywash in Europe, as...
" - Other People's Breast Milk (2008) (TV) Performer of "Sweet About Me"
- Lipstick JungleLipstick Jungle (TV series)Lipstick Jungle is an American comedy-drama television series created by DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler for NBC Universal Television Studio . The hour-long series was based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Candace Bushnell, who also served as executive producer alongside...
(1 episode, "Chapter Nine: Help!", 2008) Performer of "Sweet About Me" - 9021090210 (TV series)90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
(1 episode, That Which We Destroy", 2008) "Save the Lies" (uncredited) - Divas II (2008) (TV) .... Herself and performer of "Sweet About Me" (uncredited)
- Top of the PopsTop of the PopsTop of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
(2008) (TV New Years Special) .... Performer of "Sweet About Me" - The L WordThe L WordThe L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
(1 episode, "Long Night's Journey Into Day", 2009) "Awkward Game" (uncredited) - The Paul O'Grady ShowThe Paul O'Grady ShowThe Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
(2009) (TV) .... Performer with Enrique IglesiasEnrique IglesiasEnrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa... - Loose WomenLoose WomenLoose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
(2009) (TV) .... Performer] with Enrique Iglesias - Late Night with Jimmy FallonLate Night with Jimmy FallonLate Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
(24 March 2009) ... Herself - Let's Dance for Sport Relief (27 February 2010) .... Performer
- GMTVGMTVGMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
(11 March 2010) .... Performer - The Alan Titchmarsh ShowThe Alan Titchmarsh ShowThe Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime TV chat show broadcast between 3 and 4pm weekdays on the ITV Network.-Format:The programme made its debut on ITV in 2007. It focused on the theme of "The Best of British" focusing on food, entertainment and celebrities in a mid-afternoon slot...
(22 March 2010) .... Performer - Popstars: Girls foreverPopstars: Girls foreverPopstars: Girls forever is the ninth season of Popstars , in which young aspiring female singers/dancers competed in order to claim their spots to make it into the next girl group...
(9 September 2010) ... Performer/Vocal coachVocal coachA vocal coach is a music teacher who instructs singers on how to improve their singing technique, take care of and develop their voice, and prepare for the performance of a song or other work. Vocal coaches may give private music lessons to singers, or they may coach singers who are rehearsing on...
Sources
- Gabriella Cilmi poised to make a big splash Jack Foley, Indie London, March 2008