Gabriella Cilmi

Wikipedia:

Gabriella Lucia Cilmi ( /ˈtʃɪ/ CHIL-mee; 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 moderate international success. Then, she recorded in 2010 her second album, Ten. As of January 2012, a new album is planned for 2012 spring, and a teaser of the album is available on YouTube with the song "Vicious Love"

Cilmi had enjoyed success since 2008, mainly with her hit singles, "Sweet About Me" and "On a Mission" (Ten).

Early life

Cilmi was born in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong. Of Italian-Albanian(Arbereshe) 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 pop music acts, 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) 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.

Musical career

2005–2009: Lessons to Be Learned

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.

2010: Ten

The lead single of Gabriella Cilmi's Ten is "On a Mission". It was released on 5 February 2010 in Australia and on 7 March 2010 in Europe. As soon as the song is broadcast on Australian radios, it reaches number-one most added track to Australian radio in its second week of release, getting played 296 times. The song reaches number 9 on the UK Singles Chart and number sixteen in Australia.

The new album Ten was planned for 22 March 2010 and Cilmi said it would feature "lots of uptempo funk and disco-inspired numbers designed to make people groove", referring to "On a Mission", "Hearts Don't Lie", and "Love Me Coz", as well as "some more sexy tracks" probably referring to "Superhot" and "Invisible Girl". The song "Superman" incorporates a type of yodel into it. The song "Let Me Know" is described as the "Lessons To Be Learned-ish" song of the album.

It also features a new version of "Sweet About Me", with some disco / electronic style to show her music has changed.

While producing the album, Cilmi worked with Greg Kurstin, The Invisible Men and Dallas Austin, as well as Xenomania. She made her debuts in producing songs with the track "Love Me Coz", she says 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, which had more of a pop / rock style.

Ten was not as successful as Lessons to Be Learned, reaching number 17 in Australia and number 28 in the UK. In an interview, Cilmi explains that the sales were not her first concern, at stated she considered her music as not dead. However, she regrets some events that has happened during the promotion of Ten, such as her posing topless for FHM magazine. She said in January 2012 that for her new album, she won't let herself being used again.

The second single, "Hearts Don't Lie", was released in June 2010 in the UK. while the third single, "Defender", was released in August 2010 accompanied by a B-side track, "Magic Carpet Ride", but failed the charts. Gabriella's version of "Magic Carpet Ride" was featured over the closing credits of British film "Soulboy (2010)". Cilmi supported British artist Leona Lewis on the UK leg of her 2010 The Labyrinth Tour.

Popjustice named Ten as their 4th best album of 2010

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 Parton, roots music, Tricky and Enya, so anything could happen."

On 20 January 2012, Cilmi has broadcast a brand new acoustic version of a new song from her album : "Vicious Love". It is played in a clip video where she sings with her band and walks around an Italian restaurant with sunglasses. Two days after the broadcast, she says : "This is an “Acoustic-ish” version of a tune that will be on the new record, one that I love very much". The song has blues influence, and shows a different kind of music since Ten, which was more of a disco type of album.

Things might be different with the new album upcoming. Cilmi admitted in "The Herald Sun" that the poor commercial reception of her last album, Ten taught her not to compromise herself or her music : "it was an awakening for me to realise the position I am in to make the record that I want to make and just stand up for myself." She also said that she hopes to have consecutive albums finished by the middle of this year.

On 22 January 2012, Cilmi explained how the song "Vicious Love" was inspired. She states : "If you’ve ever experienced any type of “Vicious Love” you will know that sometimes despite all the arrows pointing to a dead end there is just no way out, there is no way back. But then again don’t all roads lead to dead ends? Guess we should just enjoy the ride..."

Artistry

Vocal ability

Cilmi has a contralto vocal range and has been compared to Anastacia and Amy Winehouse in 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'.

Trivia

Gabriella Cilmi is mentioned by Ed Sheeran in the song "You Need Me, I Don't Need You", with Sheeran using Cilmi as an example of a young singer-songwriter.

Tours

Television appearances

Other appearances

In May 2010, Cilmi posed topless for FHM magazine.

Sources