Natalia Kills
Encyclopedia
Natalia Keery-Fisher is an English singer-songwriter
, actress, and short-film director who performs under the stage name Natalia Kills. She released her first single "Don't Play Nice
" under the name Verbalicious in February 2005. She released her debut album, Perfectionist
, under the name Natalia Kills in April 2011.
, West Yorkshire
, to an Afro-Jamaican father and Uruguayan
mother, where she attended Bradford Girls' Grammar School
. In addition, she studied classical drama at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
.
and also played Amy Franks in the BBC
's long-running radio drama The Archers
. During her time on television and radio she began writing songs, some of which were featured in films and television shows, including Bring It On 4, Sleepover, Just My Luck
, and Entourage
. She auditioned for the part of Princess Amidala in the Star Wars
film series but did not get the part, as it instead went to Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman
. She did note later that "I auditioned in front of George Lucas
, it was amazing."
Keery-Fisher signed to the UK record company Adventures in Music and released her first single "Don't Play Nice
" under the name Verbalicious in February 2005. The song rose to 11 on the Billboard
R&B charts in the UK. (She later filed to be released from all recording/management agreements after the record label filed for bankruptcy.) In January 2008, will.i.am
signed Keery-Fisher to Interscope Records
via his will.i.am Music Group
imprint. She was noticed for her demo EP Wommanequin, which she produced and wrote herself. Once signed to Interscope, she was placed with Cherrytree Records
. Cherrytree encouraged her to find a name that was more direct and descriptive, and she then came up with the name Natalia Kills. (During this time she also wrote songs for French recording artist M. Pokora
and met underground director Guillaume Doubet, who as of 2011 now directs all her visual efforts in Paris.)
Kills released her debut album Perfectionist
in April 2011 in Germany. She has also produced and co-directed a filmed mini-series titled Love, Kills xx and an additional film under the working title The Exhibition, which was made concurrently with the album, the soundtrack to the film. The album's first single, "Mirrors
", was released in the United States in August 2010 and in the UK in April 2011. Her second single, "Wonderland
", was released on in April 2011 in Germany. The song was featured in the 2011 film Beastly
. In 2011, Kills began saying that her former stage name Natalia Cappuccini is her real name.
Kills opened for Kelis
' European All Hearts Tour, as well as supported Robyn
on her Body Talk Tour
in November 2010 and early 2011. Kills supported Ke$ha on the UK leg of her Get Sleazy Tour
alongside LMFAO
. Throughout August and September 2011, Kills is scheduled to support Katy Perry
on her California Dreams Tour
for eight dates in Europe and São Paulo
, Brazil.
Kills was featured in LMFAO's "Champagne Showers
."
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, actress, and short-film director who performs under the stage name Natalia Kills. She released her first single "Don't Play Nice
Don't Play Nice
"Don't Play Nice" is the debut single by English recording artist Verbalicious, now known as Natalia Kills.-Background:The single was released only in the UK and is her only single released under this name. Though the song charted well, due to poor sales, no album materialized...
" under the name Verbalicious in February 2005. She released her debut album, Perfectionist
Perfectionist (Natalia Kills album)
Perfectionist is the debut studio album by English recording artist Natalia Kills, first released digitally on 15 March 2011 and physically on 1 April 2011. The album has spawned three singles so far: "Mirrors", "Wonderland" and "Free".-Background:...
, under the name Natalia Kills in April 2011.
Early life
Keery-Fisher was born in BradfordBradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, to an Afro-Jamaican father and Uruguayan
Uruguayan people
Uruguayan people or Uruguayans are the citizens of Uruguay, or its descendants abroad. Uruguay is a multiethnic society, which means that it is home to people of many different ethnical backgrounds...
mother, where she attended Bradford Girls' Grammar School
Bradford Girls' Grammar School
Founded in 1857, Bradford Girls' Grammar School is an independent senior school for girls aged 11 – 18 with co-educational preparatory school and nursery, called Lady Royd Preparatory School for boys and girls aged 2 – 11 years....
. In addition, she studied classical drama at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art is a leading British drama school in west London. LAMDA's president is Timothy West and its new principal is Joanna Read, who recently succeeded Peter James...
.
Career beginnings in television and radio
Keery-Fisher made her acting debut at age 9 in 1995 in New Voices. She had a regular role as Sima on the TV sitcom All About MeAll About Me
All About Me is a British television sitcom starring Jasper Carrott about a multicultural family living in Birmingham. It was broadcast on BBC One from 2002 to 2004...
and also played Amy Franks in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's long-running radio drama The Archers
The Archers
The Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
. During her time on television and radio she began writing songs, some of which were featured in films and television shows, including Bring It On 4, Sleepover, Just My Luck
Just My Luck
Just My Luck is a 2006 American romantic comedy film directed by Donald Petrie and written by I. Marlene King and Amy B. Harris. The film stars Lindsay Lohan and Chris Pine as the main characters. Lohan stars as Ashley, the luckiest girl in Manhattan, New York. She loses her luck after kissing...
, and Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
. She auditioned for the part of Princess Amidala in the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
film series but did not get the part, as it instead went to Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
. She did note later that "I auditioned in front of George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
, it was amazing."
Musical and film career
After finishing with The Archers in 2003, Keery-Fisher attributes her musical breakthrough to winning a Radio 1 MC Battle in Leeds under the name "Candy Rapper" in 2003.Keery-Fisher signed to the UK record company Adventures in Music and released her first single "Don't Play Nice
Don't Play Nice
"Don't Play Nice" is the debut single by English recording artist Verbalicious, now known as Natalia Kills.-Background:The single was released only in the UK and is her only single released under this name. Though the song charted well, due to poor sales, no album materialized...
" under the name Verbalicious in February 2005. The song rose to 11 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
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...
R&B charts in the UK. (She later filed to be released from all recording/management agreements after the record label filed for bankruptcy.) In January 2008, 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...
signed Keery-Fisher to Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
via his will.i.am Music Group
Will.i.am music group
will.i.am music group is a vanity label founded by hip hop artist will.i.am of the The Black Eyed Peas. Other than will.i.am, there are popular artists such as Fergie, Macy Gray and Sérgio Mendes signed to the label...
imprint. She was noticed for her demo EP Wommanequin, which she produced and wrote herself. Once signed to Interscope, she was placed with Cherrytree Records
Cherrytree Records
Cherrytree Records is an American record label and is an imprint of Interscope Records.-History:Cherrytree Records was founded in 2005 by Martin Kierszenbaum, being German for cherry tree...
. Cherrytree encouraged her to find a name that was more direct and descriptive, and she then came up with the name Natalia Kills. (During this time she also wrote songs for French recording artist M. Pokora
M. Pokora
Matthieu Tota in Strasbourg, France commonly known as M. Pokora or Matt Pokora, is a French singer and songwriter.-Early life:...
and met underground director Guillaume Doubet, who as of 2011 now directs all her visual efforts in Paris.)
Kills released her debut album Perfectionist
Perfectionist (Natalia Kills album)
Perfectionist is the debut studio album by English recording artist Natalia Kills, first released digitally on 15 March 2011 and physically on 1 April 2011. The album has spawned three singles so far: "Mirrors", "Wonderland" and "Free".-Background:...
in April 2011 in Germany. She has also produced and co-directed a filmed mini-series titled Love, Kills xx and an additional film under the working title The Exhibition, which was made concurrently with the album, the soundtrack to the film. The album's first single, "Mirrors
Mirrors (Natalia Kills song)
"Mirrors" is a song by English recording artist Natalia Kills from her debut studio album, Perfectionist. Written by Kills, Martin Kierszenbaum, Akon and Giorgio Tuinfort, and produced by Akon, Tuinfort and Kierszenbaum, the song was released as the album's lead single in August 2010. Lyrically,...
", was released in the United States in August 2010 and in the UK in April 2011. Her second single, "Wonderland
Wonderland
-Literature:*Wonderland , the setting of Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland*Wonderland , a 1971 novel by Joyce Carol Oates...
", was released on in April 2011 in Germany. The song was featured in the 2011 film Beastly
Beastly (film)
Beastly is a 2011 romantic fantasy film loosely based on Alex Flinn's 2007 novel of the same name. It is a retelling of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast set in modern-day New York City. The film is written and directed by Daniel Barnz and stars Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer.The plot focuses...
. In 2011, Kills began saying that her former stage name Natalia Cappuccini is her real name.
Kills opened for 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...
' European All Hearts Tour, as well as supported Robyn
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
on her Body Talk Tour
Body Talk Tour
-Tour dates:Festivals and other miscellaneous performancesKerri Mason praised her performance in Miami. She wrote, "On stage, she is enigmatic, an appealing sprite with a voice that coos and chirps, but with a fighter's stance and narrow eyes...
in November 2010 and early 2011. Kills supported Ke$ha on the UK leg of her Get Sleazy Tour
Get Sleazy Tour
The Get Sleazy Tour was the first concert tour by American recording artist Kesha in support of her first extended play, Cannibal. Officially announced on November 8, 2010, the tour visited the Americas, Australia and Europe. It was scheduled to visit Asia but due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake...
alongside LMFAO
LMFAO (group)
LMFAO is an American electro pop duo consisting of rappers, producers, dancers, and DJs Redfoo and SkyBlu . The group formed in 2006 in Los Angeles, California. Redfoo is SkyBlu's uncle. Redfoo is also the son of music mogul Berry Gordy, SkyBlu a grandson...
. Throughout August and September 2011, Kills is scheduled to support Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
on her California Dreams Tour
California Dreams Tour
California Dreams Tour is the second concert tour by American pop singer Katy Perry, in support of her third studio album Teenage Dream. Beginning February 2011, the tour will visit Europe, Australasia, Asia and the Americas...
for eight dates in Europe and São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil.
Kills was featured in LMFAO's "Champagne Showers
Champagne Showers
"Champagne Showers" is a song performed by American electro recording duo LMFAO featuring vocals from English singer-songwriter Natalia Kills. It was released as the second single from the album Sorry for Party Rocking .-Music video:...
."
Discography
Studio- Perfectionist (2011)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | New Voices | Pearl | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2003 | All About Me All About Me All About Me is a British television sitcom starring Jasper Carrott about a multicultural family living in Birmingham. It was broadcast on BBC One from 2002 to 2004... |
Sima | TV series, 22 episodes |
| Casualty Casualty (TV series) Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The... |
Samina Khan | TV series, 1 episode | |
| Coronation Street Coronation Street Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960... |
Laura Mangen | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 2004 | Doctors | Hazel Perry | TV series, 1 episode |
| Blue Murder Blue Murder (UK TV series) Blue Murder was a British crime drama television series based in Manchester. Shown on ITV from 2003 until 2009 when it was axed by the Network, it starred Caroline Quentin as DCI Janine Lewis.-Outline:... |
Anisa Khan | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 2005 | No Angels No Angels (TV series) No Angels is a critically acclaimed British television comedy drama series, produced by the independent production company World Productions for Channel 4, which ran for three seasons from 2004 to 2006. It was devised by Toby Whithouse.-Premise:... |
Sujata | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2006 | Silent Witness Silent Witness Silent Witness is a BBC crime thriller series focusing on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in February 1996, the series is still airing to the present day, with a fifteenth series expected to air in January 2012. The series was... |
Kelly Wetherby | TV series, 1 episode |
| Tripping Over Tripping Over Tripping Over is a British/Australian six-part drama series. Its first episode aired on Network Ten in Australia on 25 October 2006, and in the United Kingdom on Five on 30 October 2006. In the UK Tripping Over is repeated on Five Life.... |
Julie | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 2007 | Cape Wrath Cape Wrath (TV series) Cape Wrath is a British drama television series produced by Ecosse Films which focuses on a family trying to escape its past while confronting an even more uncertain future... |
Kerry | TV series, 1 episode |