Messy Little Raindrops
Encyclopedia
Messy Little Raindrops is the second studio album
by British recording artist Cheryl Cole
, released on 29 October 2010 by Fascination Records
. The project is the follow-up to Cole's multi-platinum debut solo album 3 Words
(2009), following seven successful years as a member of girl group Girls Aloud
. Recorded in Los Angeles
and London
, Cole mainly worked with Wayne Wilkins
who previously produced Cole's number one single "Fight for This Love
".
The album utilizes a more dance pop sound than Cole's previous album. It received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. It was preceded by the lead single, "Promise This
", peaking at number one in Ireland and the UK. The album debuted at number one in the UK, and at number two in Ireland. On 19 August, 2011 the album was certifated Platinum by BPI
, with sales in access of 300,000.
(2009), and comes in the aftermath of Cole's divorce from footballer Ashley Cole
and her life-threatening battle with malaria
. Cole started recording sessions for her second album in February 2010 though in an interview on Alan Carr: Chatty Man
she admitted that some of the songs submitted for the record dated back to 3 Words (2009). Recording continued in Los Angeles
while Cole recuperated from malaria. Cole described the album as "more exciting, very personal, very me," combining pop
, R&B, and dance
sounds. The album was largely produced by Wayne Wilkins
, who previously produced Cole's number one debut solo single "Fight for This Love
" and the album track "Rain on Me". Cole also reunited with will.i.am, who was the executive producer of 3 Words. American producer J. R. Rotem
contributed "Better to Lie", while Cole worked with British electronic music
ian Starsmith
, Al Shux
, and Free School for the first time. Messy Little Raindrops features guest vocals from August Rigo
, Dizzee Rascal
, Travie McCoy
, and will.i.am.
The album's title is taken from a lyric in the song "Raindrops"; "And now love can grow without tiny little raindrops. Tiny little, tiny little, messy little raindrops." Cole said, "when it rains, everything she's washed [...] it feels hopeful." Cole is seen in a bright pink and orange off-the-shoulder dress and five-inch animal print Christian Louboutin heels on the album cover, which was unveiled on 14 October 2010. It also features the album title and her name scrawled in orange text. Cole's barbed-wire and rose tattoo, located on her right thigh, was airbrushed out of the shot.
", the album's lead single, serves as the opening track. Produced by Wayne Wilkins
, it has been described as an "upbeat, pop track" with "more of a dance feel than previous releases." The song "finds her contemplating mortality with a cheerful morbidity, asking for prayers over a brutal march beat." Tabloids suggested that the lyrics were based upon her divorce from footballer Ashley Cole
, and how her dancer friend Derek Hough
nursed her to health while she was suffering from malaria
. This is unlikely however, as Cole did not write the lyrics to this song. The song is followed by "Yeah Yeah", which was produced by Starsmith
and features a rap from Travie McCoy
. It was called "a big-sounding, house-influenced track." It has received comparisons to Madonna
's Confessions on a Dancefloor era. "Live Tonight", produced by will.i.am
, "shuns dance and nods to U2
and Queen
." It includes a "Beach Boys-go-native breakdown completing the tug on the collective houseinflected heartstrings" and "a blissful synth line." The album's fourth track and second single, "The Flood", was described by X magazine as an "enormo-ballad" and "a massive, strong-laden, Christmassy tear-jerker about 'wreckage', 'drowning' and 'natural disaster love.'" The Wilkins-produced number is a "trip-hop ballad, with strong hooks and synthesised strings." It received comparisons to Natalie Imbruglia
.
"Amnesia" was initially rumoured to be a Britney Spears
cover; however, it is an original track produced by Wilkins and Steve Kipner
. It was called a "jittery electro tack with an Oriental feel." It was also described as "bhangra-flavoured." "Everyone," also produced by Wilkins, features guest vocals from British rapper Dizzee Rascal
and offers "serious soulful uplift." Cole cited the song's lyrics as her favourite. "Raindrops" is a ballad produced by Free School in which "guitars chime and jangle as Cheryl looks forlornly for love." "Hummingbird" was co-written and produced by Al Shux
. It "recalls a subtle version of Beyoncé Knowles
' 'Halo
'." "Better to Lie" was produced by J. R. Rotem
and features guest vocals from August Rigo. It received comparisons to Keri Hilson
's "Knock You Down
". "Let's Get Down," produced by and featuring will.i.am, is "another fast and furious dance number" with an "Eighties-style electronic rhythm." It samples "I.O.U.
" by Freeez
. It was called "a celebratory jam aimed firmly at Friday night" and "a Freeze-sampling electro-stomper that makes the Geordie lass sound almost New York cool." "Happy Tears" is "acoustic-based pop," which tabloids have suggested references Cheryl Cole's divorce from Ashley Cole. It was produced by Wilkins. The album's closing track "Waiting" is a "disco track that samples the piano from Vanessa Carlton
's A Thousand Miles
." It was co-written by American singer Kelis
and produced by Free School.
was generally positive, labeling Messy Little Raindrops a "competent and frequently enjoyable pop album." Johnny Dee of Virgin Media
noticed that with Messy Little Raindrops Cole is "returning to base" and described it as "good, clean, family-friendly fun". The Daily Mirror also gave three stars, noting an improvement from 3 Words
as well as Cole's perseverance. Daily Mail
also gave the album three stars out of five; the article praised Cole's vocals, but said "as she strives to find a niche for herself as a solo artist, Cole is suffering from an identity crisis." Critics noted a large amount of filler
. Lisa Wright of Dotmusic
said, "if there are no hooks, no catchy melody or at least something to put a swagger in your step then you're left with a song that's lyrically obvious and musically banal - and no-one wants that [...] Of course it's not all bad and 'Messy Little Raindrops' still shines with moments of pop brilliance."
The album was criticized for its lack of creativity and personality. Hugh Montgomery of The Observer
called the album "a serious disappointment." Although he saw an improvement from 3 Words, Montgomery felt the album did not live up to "the Xenomania
-directed wizardry of her Girls Aloud
oeuvre." Maddy Costa of The Guardian
wrote further, "Coming from a member of one of the most forward-looking pop acts of the 21st century, Messy Little Raindrops feels curiously dated." It received two stars out of five from Andy Gill of The Independent
, who wrote that "Cole delve[s] further into her experience for Messy Little Raindrops; sadly, most of the album simply continues its predecessor's tedious romantic arguments, with only a couple of songs drawing on her more traumatic illness." Simon Gage of the Daily Express
commented that "even by her standards this second solo outing is phoned in." A review from The Scotsman
agreed, criticizing the album as "a reasonable pop record that has had all the personality produced right out of it." Simon Price, also from The Independent
, was overwhelmingly negative. He summarized, "Messy Little Raindrops is music for yoghurt adverts, with lyrics for people who get their emotional vocabulary from Take a Break and Loose Women." A negative review from NME
said, "Unsurprisingly, we're not mad for Chezza's manufactured conveyor-belt-drivel." and commented that in "time when the likes of Janelle Monáe
are creating brilliant futuristic pop, it’s surely time to send Cole back to Newcastle". Entertainment.ie
s Jenny Mulligan describes Messy Little Raindrops as being more club-friendly and as a pop album with a few banging singles and a lot of filler.
The album has been nominated as the worst album of the year by NME
, Cheryl Cole made a high-profile appearance on Piers Morgan's Life Stories
, in which she discussed her marriage and divorce with Ashley Cole
and her life-threatening battle with malaria
. The show's ratings reached an all-time high. Polydor Records
worked with advertising firm MediaCom
to create various marketing strategies to promote the album, such as the usage of Facebook Places. Billboard
posters invited fans to "check-in" to the nearest poster using Facebook Places on their smartphone
, to win tickets, travel and hotel for a recording of The X Factor.
" was premiered on Chris Moyles
' BBC Radio 1
breakfast show on 14 September, where it was introduced as the lead single from Messy Little Raindrops. The video for the song was directed by Sophie Muller
and was debuted on 21 September 2010 on UK television channel ITV2
. On 24 October, Cole performed "Promise This" on The X Factors results show. She donned a white tuxedo jacket, "frilly black knickers," knee-high zebra print tights, and leather boots and was joined by multiple back-up dancers. The song was released on 25 October 2010 and charted at number one on the Irish
and UK Singles Chart
s. It was the fastest-selling single of 2010 in the UK. "The Flood
" is the second and finale single from the album. The music video premiered November 24, 2010 and the physical single is scheduled to be released January 3, 2011. Cole performed "The Flood" on The Royal Variety Performance 2010. She also performed the track along an acoustic version of "Promise This" on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. The song entered the charts, after its official release, at number 18.
Promise This has sold over 400,000 copies in uk alone.
Sample credits
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British recording artist Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
, released on 29 October 2010 by Fascination Records
Fascination Records
Fascination Records is a UK-based record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as an imprint of Polydor Records. The label was launched in spring 2006, and is managed by former TOTP Magazine editor Peter Loraine...
. The project is the follow-up to Cole's multi-platinum debut solo album 3 Words
3 Words
3 Words is the debut studio album from British pop singer Cheryl Cole, released on 23 October 2009 by Fascination Records. The project is Cole's first solo release following a break from releasing material with her band Girls Aloud whom after seven years have enjoyed five successful albums and...
(2009), following seven successful years as a member of girl group Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
. Recorded in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Cole mainly worked with Wayne Wilkins
Wayne Wilkins
Wayne Wilkins is a classically trained pianist, Record producer, songwriter, record engineer, and record mixer born in the southeast London neighborhood of Croydon...
who previously produced Cole's number one single "Fight for This Love
Fight for This Love
"Fight for This Love" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her debut studio album, 3 Words. Initially, the song was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the lead single on 16 October 2009 by Fascination Records however, in 2010 it was also released in Europe as the...
".
The album utilizes a more dance pop sound than Cole's previous album. It received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. It was preceded by the lead single, "Promise This
Promise This
"Promise This" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her second studio album Messy Little Raindrops. It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the album's lead single on 24 October 2010 by Fascination Records...
", peaking at number one in Ireland and the UK. The album debuted at number one in the UK, and at number two in Ireland. On 19 August, 2011 the album was certifated Platinum by BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
, with sales in access of 300,000.
Background and development
The album is the follow-up to Cole's multi-platinum debut album 3 Words3 Words
3 Words is the debut studio album from British pop singer Cheryl Cole, released on 23 October 2009 by Fascination Records. The project is Cole's first solo release following a break from releasing material with her band Girls Aloud whom after seven years have enjoyed five successful albums and...
(2009), and comes in the aftermath of Cole's divorce from footballer Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
and her life-threatening battle with malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. Cole started recording sessions for her second album in February 2010 though in an interview on Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Alan Carr: Chatty Man is a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Alan Carr. The award-winning show is on Channel 4. The show features interviews with celebrity guests, sketches, topical chat and music....
she admitted that some of the songs submitted for the record dated back to 3 Words (2009). Recording continued in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
while Cole recuperated from malaria. Cole described the album as "more exciting, very personal, very me," combining pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, R&B, and dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
sounds. The album was largely produced by Wayne Wilkins
Wayne Wilkins
Wayne Wilkins is a classically trained pianist, Record producer, songwriter, record engineer, and record mixer born in the southeast London neighborhood of Croydon...
, who previously produced Cole's number one debut solo single "Fight for This Love
Fight for This Love
"Fight for This Love" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her debut studio album, 3 Words. Initially, the song was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the lead single on 16 October 2009 by Fascination Records however, in 2010 it was also released in Europe as the...
" and the album track "Rain on Me". Cole also reunited with will.i.am, who was the executive producer of 3 Words. American producer J. R. Rotem
J. R. Rotem
- Early life :Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age...
contributed "Better to Lie", while Cole worked with British electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
ian Starsmith
Starsmith
Starsmith is a songwriter, producer, remixer and DJ. He studied a classical music degree at the University of Surrey majoring in performance on saxophone...
, Al Shux
Al Shux
Alexander William Shuckburgh is a music producer and songwriter known for producing the song "Empire State of Mind". He is also credited as Alexander Shuckburgh, Al Shuckburgh, Al Shux, or Shux....
, and Free School for the first time. Messy Little Raindrops features guest vocals from August Rigo
August Rigo
Dan August Rigo or better known professionally as August Rigo is a recording artist, songwriter, producer and musician. August Rigo is signed to a publishing contract with Sony/ATV as a songwriter.-Early life:...
, Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
, Travie McCoy
Travie McCoy
Travie Lazarus McCoy is an American singer and rapper. He is the lead vocalist of the alternative hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes. He released his debut solo album Lazarus on June 8, 2010....
, and will.i.am.
The album's title is taken from a lyric in the song "Raindrops"; "And now love can grow without tiny little raindrops. Tiny little, tiny little, messy little raindrops." Cole said, "when it rains, everything she's washed [...] it feels hopeful." Cole is seen in a bright pink and orange off-the-shoulder dress and five-inch animal print Christian Louboutin heels on the album cover, which was unveiled on 14 October 2010. It also features the album title and her name scrawled in orange text. Cole's barbed-wire and rose tattoo, located on her right thigh, was airbrushed out of the shot.
Composition
"Promise ThisPromise This
"Promise This" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her second studio album Messy Little Raindrops. It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the album's lead single on 24 October 2010 by Fascination Records...
", the album's lead single, serves as the opening track. Produced by Wayne Wilkins
Wayne Wilkins
Wayne Wilkins is a classically trained pianist, Record producer, songwriter, record engineer, and record mixer born in the southeast London neighborhood of Croydon...
, it has been described as an "upbeat, pop track" with "more of a dance feel than previous releases." The song "finds her contemplating mortality with a cheerful morbidity, asking for prayers over a brutal march beat." Tabloids suggested that the lyrics were based upon her divorce from footballer Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
, and how her dancer friend Derek Hough
Derek Hough
Derek Hough is an American dancer, choreographer, musician and actor. A world champion in Latin American Dance, Hough has appeared since September 2007 on the hit U.S...
nursed her to health while she was suffering from malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. This is unlikely however, as Cole did not write the lyrics to this song. The song is followed by "Yeah Yeah", which was produced by Starsmith
Starsmith
Starsmith is a songwriter, producer, remixer and DJ. He studied a classical music degree at the University of Surrey majoring in performance on saxophone...
and features a rap from Travie McCoy
Travie McCoy
Travie Lazarus McCoy is an American singer and rapper. He is the lead vocalist of the alternative hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes. He released his debut solo album Lazarus on June 8, 2010....
. It was called "a big-sounding, house-influenced track." It has received comparisons to Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's Confessions on a Dancefloor era. "Live Tonight", produced by will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
, "shuns dance and nods to U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
." It includes a "Beach Boys-go-native breakdown completing the tug on the collective houseinflected heartstrings" and "a blissful synth line." The album's fourth track and second single, "The Flood", was described by X magazine as an "enormo-ballad" and "a massive, strong-laden, Christmassy tear-jerker about 'wreckage', 'drowning' and 'natural disaster love.'" The Wilkins-produced number is a "trip-hop ballad, with strong hooks and synthesised strings." It received comparisons to Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
.
"Amnesia" was initially rumoured to be a Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
cover; however, it is an original track produced by Wilkins and Steve Kipner
Steve Kipner
Steve Kipner is a multi-platinum-selling songwriter and record producer with hits spanning over a 40 year history, including chart-topping songs such as Olivia Newton-John's "Physical", Chicago's Grammy-nominated "Hard Habit to Break", "Genie In A Bottle" by Christina Aguilera, for which he won an...
. It was called a "jittery electro tack with an Oriental feel." It was also described as "bhangra-flavoured." "Everyone," also produced by Wilkins, features guest vocals from British rapper Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
and offers "serious soulful uplift." Cole cited the song's lyrics as her favourite. "Raindrops" is a ballad produced by Free School in which "guitars chime and jangle as Cheryl looks forlornly for love." "Hummingbird" was co-written and produced by Al Shux
Al Shux
Alexander William Shuckburgh is a music producer and songwriter known for producing the song "Empire State of Mind". He is also credited as Alexander Shuckburgh, Al Shuckburgh, Al Shux, or Shux....
. It "recalls a subtle version of Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
' 'Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...
'." "Better to Lie" was produced by J. R. Rotem
J. R. Rotem
- Early life :Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age...
and features guest vocals from August Rigo. It received comparisons to Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
's "Knock You Down
Knock You Down
"Knock You Down" is a song by American singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, taken from her debut studio album, In a Perfect World... . The song features guest vocals from American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo and American rapper Kanye West. The song was written by Hilson, West, and Ne-Yo along with Kevin...
". "Let's Get Down," produced by and featuring will.i.am, is "another fast and furious dance number" with an "Eighties-style electronic rhythm." It samples "I.O.U.
I.O.U. (song)
"I.O.U." is a song from 1983 by British musical group Freeez, their most successful hit.The song scored #2 in the UK Singles Chart earlier in 1983 before reaching the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the U.S., giving them their only chart-topping single on any chart in America. It...
" by Freeez
Freeez
Freeez were a United Kingdom dance music group from London, known initially as one of the UK's main jazz-funk bands of the early 1980s. Initiated by John Rocca, Freeez consisted of various musicians, originally with Rocca and others such as Andy Stennet Freeez were a United Kingdom dance music...
. It was called "a celebratory jam aimed firmly at Friday night" and "a Freeze-sampling electro-stomper that makes the Geordie lass sound almost New York cool." "Happy Tears" is "acoustic-based pop," which tabloids have suggested references Cheryl Cole's divorce from Ashley Cole. It was produced by Wilkins. The album's closing track "Waiting" is a "disco track that samples the piano from Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
's A Thousand Miles
A Thousand Miles
"A Thousand Miles", originally titled "Interlude", is a pop song written by American singer Vanessa Carlton and recorded for her 2002 debut album Be Not Nobody. It was co-produced and co-arranged by Carlton and Ron Fair, and was released as the album's first single in 2002. Her signature song, it...
." It was co-written by American singer Kelis
Kelis
Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
and produced by Free School.
Critical reception
Messy Little Raindrops has received generally mixed reviews from music critics. A predominantly positive review came from Jon O'Brien of Allmusic who awarded it four out of five stars, saying that "Messy Little Raindrops is a cohesive and adventurous follow-up that will undoubtedly continue [Cole's] ascent into pop's premier league", and praising the songs "Promise This", "Amnesia" and "Happy Tears". Tom Hocknell of BBC MusicBBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
was generally positive, labeling Messy Little Raindrops a "competent and frequently enjoyable pop album." Johnny Dee of Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
noticed that with Messy Little Raindrops Cole is "returning to base" and described it as "good, clean, family-friendly fun". The Daily Mirror also gave three stars, noting an improvement from 3 Words
3 Words
3 Words is the debut studio album from British pop singer Cheryl Cole, released on 23 October 2009 by Fascination Records. The project is Cole's first solo release following a break from releasing material with her band Girls Aloud whom after seven years have enjoyed five successful albums and...
as well as Cole's perseverance. Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
also gave the album three stars out of five; the article praised Cole's vocals, but said "as she strives to find a niche for herself as a solo artist, Cole is suffering from an identity crisis." Critics noted a large amount of filler
Filler (media)
In media, filler is material that is combined with material of greater relevance or quality to "fill out" a certain volume.-Early television:...
. Lisa Wright of Dotmusic
Dotmusic
Dotmusic was a music website that existed as a standalone website from June 1995 to December 2003. Initially intended as the web complement to the UK music industry trade magazine Music Week, the site was relaunched in December 1998 as a website for music fans.In addition to music news, reviews,...
said, "if there are no hooks, no catchy melody or at least something to put a swagger in your step then you're left with a song that's lyrically obvious and musically banal - and no-one wants that [...] Of course it's not all bad and 'Messy Little Raindrops' still shines with moments of pop brilliance."
The album was criticized for its lack of creativity and personality. Hugh Montgomery of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
called the album "a serious disappointment." Although he saw an improvement from 3 Words, Montgomery felt the album did not live up to "the 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...
-directed wizardry of her Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
oeuvre." Maddy Costa of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
wrote further, "Coming from a member of one of the most forward-looking pop acts of the 21st century, Messy Little Raindrops feels curiously dated." It received two stars out of five from Andy Gill of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, who wrote that "Cole delve[s] further into her experience for Messy Little Raindrops; sadly, most of the album simply continues its predecessor's tedious romantic arguments, with only a couple of songs drawing on her more traumatic illness." Simon Gage of the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
commented that "even by her standards this second solo outing is phoned in." A review from The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
agreed, criticizing the album as "a reasonable pop record that has had all the personality produced right out of it." Simon Price, also from The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, was overwhelmingly negative. He summarized, "Messy Little Raindrops is music for yoghurt adverts, with lyrics for people who get their emotional vocabulary from Take a Break and Loose Women." A negative review from NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
said, "Unsurprisingly, we're not mad for Chezza's manufactured conveyor-belt-drivel." and commented that in "time when the likes of Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe is an American R&B/soul musician signed to Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records.Monáe debuted with a conceptual EP, Metropolis: Suite I ...
are creating brilliant futuristic pop, it’s surely time to send Cole back to Newcastle". Entertainment.ie
Entertainment.ie
entertainment.ie is a Dublin-based Irish website which provides extensive cinema, TV, live music, theatre, comedy, exhibition and festival listings for free, as well as celebrity gossip, music and movie news, movie and DVD reviews, CD reviews and up-to-date lottery results.The site was developed in...
s Jenny Mulligan describes Messy Little Raindrops as being more club-friendly and as a pop album with a few banging singles and a lot of filler.
The album has been nominated as the worst album of the year by NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
Promotion
In addition to her role as a judge on The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, Cheryl Cole made a high-profile appearance on Piers Morgan's Life Stories
Piers Morgan's Life Stories
Piers Morgan's Life Stories, also known as Life Stories, is a British television chat show presented by journalist Piers Morgan. Filmed in front of a studio audience, each programme is devoted to one special celebrity guest. The interviews are intimate, in-depth and emotionally-charged as Piers...
, in which she discussed her marriage and divorce with Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
and her life-threatening battle with malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. The show's ratings reached an all-time high. Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
worked with advertising firm MediaCom
MediaCom
MediaCom is a global media agency. Its services include media/interactive planning and buying , ROI research , online/search engine marketing, consumer insights, media strategy and branded content...
to create various marketing strategies to promote the album, such as the usage of Facebook Places. Billboard
Billboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
posters invited fans to "check-in" to the nearest poster using Facebook Places on their smartphone
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
, to win tickets, travel and hotel for a recording of The X Factor.
Singles
"Promise ThisPromise This
"Promise This" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her second studio album Messy Little Raindrops. It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the album's lead single on 24 October 2010 by Fascination Records...
" was premiered on Chris Moyles
Chris Moyles
Christopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....
' BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
breakfast show on 14 September, where it was introduced as the lead single from Messy Little Raindrops. The video for the song was directed by Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...
and was debuted on 21 September 2010 on UK television channel ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
. On 24 October, Cole performed "Promise This" on The X Factors results show. She donned a white tuxedo jacket, "frilly black knickers," knee-high zebra print tights, and leather boots and was joined by multiple back-up dancers. The song was released on 25 October 2010 and charted at number one on the Irish
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 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 ...
s. It was the fastest-selling single of 2010 in the UK. "The Flood
The Flood (Cheryl Cole song)
"The Flood" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole. The song was written by Priscilla Hamilton and Wayne Wilkins, for Cole's second studio album, Messy Little Raindrops . It was released on January 2, 2011 through Fascination Records, as the album's second and, to date, final single...
" is the second and finale single from the album. The music video premiered November 24, 2010 and the physical single is scheduled to be released January 3, 2011. Cole performed "The Flood" on The Royal Variety Performance 2010. She also performed the track along an acoustic version of "Promise This" on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. The song entered the charts, after its official release, at number 18.
Promise This has sold over 400,000 copies in uk alone.
Track listing
- Track listing and credits taken from official album booklet.
Sample credits
- "Waiting" contains a sample of the recording "A Thousand MilesA Thousand Miles"A Thousand Miles", originally titled "Interlude", is a pop song written by American singer Vanessa Carlton and recorded for her 2002 debut album Be Not Nobody. It was co-produced and co-arranged by Carlton and Ron Fair, and was released as the album's first single in 2002. Her signature song, it...
" as performed and written by Vanessa CarltonVanessa CarltonVanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
.
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
7 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
2 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
Year-End Charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart | 21 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Ireland International Recording Media Association The International Recording Media Association , previously known as the International Tape Association , is an international trade association dealing with every facet of recording, media and related industries... |
Platinum |
| UK OCC OCC is an acronym for several American colleges:* Oakland Community College, Michigan* Oakton Community College, Illinois* Ocean County College, New Jersey* Onondaga Community College, New York* Orange Coast College, California... |
Platinum |