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Gabriella Cilmi

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Gabriella Cilmi

Gabriella Lucia Cilmi[2] (Template:Pron-en, CHIL-mee[3]) (born 10 October 1991) is an Australian singer-songwriter. She is best known for her debut single "Sweet About Me", released in Australia in April 2008.

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.

Early life

nothings sweet about me....nuff said

Musical career

2005–2009: Lessons to Be Learned

Main article: Lessons to Be Learned
Gabriella Cilmi at the 2008 Godiva Festival

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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] 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;[7] 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[8] 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.[9][10] The event was held simultaneously with a concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[9] All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert will go to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire relief.[9][10] 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–present: Ten

Main article: Ten (Gabriella Cilmi album)

Cilmi debuted a new single, "On a Mission", 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.

Cilmi's second studio album, Ten, 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.[11]

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's most proud of due to the fact it was produced with her band.[11] 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.[12][13] 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.

Cilmi has announced that she is working on a third studio album that will be released sometime in 2011. She is aiming for a more pop/rock sound.

Vocal ability

Cilmi has a Contralto[1] vocal range and has been compared to that of Anastacia and Amy Winehouse[14] 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.[14]

Discography

Main article: Gabriella Cilmi discography

Tours

Headline
  • 2008 – Lessons to Be Learnt Tour
As supporting act

Awards and nominations

Year Type Award Result
2008 ARIA Music Awards Breakthrough Single Won
Breakthrough Album Won
Highest Selling Single Won
Best Pop release Won
Best Female Artist Won
Single Of The Year Won
Q Awards Breakthrough Artist Nominated
MTV Europe Music Awards Breakthrough Artist Shortlisted
2009 BRIT Awards Best International Female Artist Nominated
Echo Awards Best International Newcomer Nominated
Sopot International Song Festival 2009 Best Performer Won
2010 ARIA Music Awards Most Popular Australian Single ("On A Mission")[16] Nominated

Television appearances

Other appearances

In May 2010, Cilmi posed topless for FHM magazine.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b Review: Gabriella Cilmi – Save The Lies
  2. ^ Warner Chappell Music entry
  3. ^ Gabriella Cilmi on make-up Video clip in which Gabriella Cilmi pronounces her own name
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference autogenerated1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Is Gabriella Cilmi the new Amy Winehouse?", The Times Online, 10 February 2008
  6. ^ http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2008/gabriella-sweet-about-me-in-commercials/
  7. ^ http://christmas.co-operative.coop/gabriella.php Gabriella Cilmi – That's the spirit
  8. ^ http://www.capitalradio.co.uk/music-showbiz/music/brits-2009/gabriella-cilmi/ Gabriella Cilmi interview at the BRITs nomination party.
  9. ^ a b c Brumby, John (24 February 2009). "Artists Unite For 'Sound Relief' Bushfire Benefit – Premier of Victoria, Australia". Premier of Victoria. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  10. ^ a b Mitchell, Geraldine (24 February 2009). "Coldplay, Kings of Leon to headline bushfire relief concerts". Herald Sun. The Herald and Weekly Times. Retrieved 25 February 2009. [dead link]
  11. ^ a b Nick Levine (12 January 2010). "Interview – Exclusive: Gabriella Cilmi". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  12. ^ http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Gabriella+Cilmi&titel=Ten&cat=a
  13. ^ http://www.chartstats.com/albuminfo.php?id=14693
  14. ^ a b http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/health/article-23842913-gabriella-cilmi-back-in-tune.do
  15. ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a214569/cilmi-confirmed-as-leona-tour-support.html
  16. ^ 2010 ARIA Nominations Announced Take 40 Australia (mcm entertainment). Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  17. ^ Hood, Stewart; Mosel, Guy (May 2010). "Hold me/Thrill me Cilmi". FHM. No. 145. pp. 62–70.

Sources

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