Gabriella Cilmi | |
|---|---|
 Cilmi in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gabriella Lucia Cilmi[1] |
| Born | (1991-10-10)10 October 1991 (age 33) Dandenong, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Pop[2] |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | https://www.gabriellacilmimusic.com/ |
Gabriella Lucia Cilmi (/ˈtʃɪlmi/CHIL-mee;[3]Italian:[ˈtʃilmi]; born 10 October 1991) is an Australian pop singer and songwriter. Acontralto, Cilmi is known for her distinctive raspy singing voice.
Her debut album,Lessons to Be Learned, was released in March 2008, becoming a moderate international success.[4][5][6][7][8] Cilmi won sixARIA Music Awards, including Single of the Year and Best Female Artist, in 2008. Her second studio album,Ten, was released in March 2010. Her third studio album,The Sting, was released in November 2013. In November 2019, Cilmi released a six-track EP,The Water, which she called a taste of a yet-to-be-released studio album. Cilmi holds dual Australian-Italian citizenship. In February 2025, Cilmi returned home to Australia to supportThe Corrs on the Australian leg of their tour.[9]
Gabriella Cilmi was born in theMelbourne suburb ofDandenong to parents of Italian descent.[10] She attendedSacred Heart Girls' College inOakleigh.[11][12] She moved to London with her family when she was fifteen, where she currently lives with her parents Paula and Joe (whose origins are inCalabria andSicily, Italy) and her brother Joseph. At an early age, Cilmi developed an interest in a wide range of blues and rock music acts, includingNina Simone,Led Zeppelin,Janis Joplin,Sweet,T. Rex andCat Stevens.[13] She has also citedSuzi Quatro as a particular influence.[14] 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) covering songs by Led Zeppelin,Jet,Silverchair and others.[15] Cilmi recorded original songs with writer/producers Barbara and Adrian Hannan of The SongStore.[16]
In 2004, Cilmi captured the attention ofWarner Music executive Michael Parisi while giving an impromptu rendition of theRolling Stones' song "Jumpin' Jack Flash" at theLygon 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 withIsland Records UK.
The tracks "Don't Tell Me" and "Sorry", co-written with Barbara and Adrian Hannan, appeared on the soundtrack of 2005 Australian filmHating Alison Ashley.[16] Cilmi shared amanager (Cassandra Gracey), writer/producers (Xenomania) and UK record label (Island) with theSugababes, and supported former SugababeMutya Buena atthe Jazz Cafe in London in 2007. She made her UK TV debut in December 2007 when she sang her single "Sweet About Me" onLater... with Jools Holland. The same month, Cilmi's song "Sanctuary" featured in the filmSt Trinian's and onits soundtrack. She recorded the theme to UK TV seriesEcho Beach, which aired in early 2008 onITV1; it is a cover of "Echo Beach" byMartha and the Muffins. In February 2008, she supported the Parisian bandNouvelle Vague on their UK tour.
Cilmi's first album,Lessons to Be Learned, was written and recorded with hit production teamXenomania and was released in March 2008 in the UK. Cilmi has been compared toAmy Winehouse.[17] The first single, "Sweet About Me", debuted on theUK Singles Chart that month and climbed to number six three months later, in June. It reached number seventeen on theIrish 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.[18] 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 UKChange Tour. She opened forJames Blunt on his June 2008 Australian tour, and participated in the October 2008MTV Greece concert alongsideR.E.M. andKaiser Chiefs. Also in 2008, Cilmi won sixARIA Music 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 theConnie Francis song "Warm This Winter", originally a minor hit for Francis in 1962 as "I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter", forCo-operative's Christmas 2008 advertising campaign;[19] 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 theBRIT Awards[20][21] and sang in theRod Laver Arena before the2009 Australian Open men's final.
Cilmi performed at theMelbourne Cricket Ground in March 2009 forSound Relief, a multi-venue rock music concert in support of relief for theVictorian bushfire crisis.[22][23] The event was held simultaneously with a concert at theSydney Cricket Ground.[22] All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert will go to theRed Cross Victorian Bushfire relief.[22][23] Cilmi made her US television debut in March 2009 and performed on the Pyramid (main) stage at theGlastonbury Festival in June 2009. The following August, she won Grand Prix atSopot International Song Festival, an international song contest in Poland.
The lead single of Cilmi'sTen was "On a Mission". It was released on 5 February 2010 in Australia and on 7 March 2010 in Europe. As soon as the song was broadcast on Australian radios, it reached number-one most added track to Australian radio in its second week of release, getting played 296 times. The song reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart and number sixteen in Australia.
The new albumTen 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 "Boys" incorporated a type of yodel into it.[24] The song "Let Me Know" was described as the "Lessons to Be Learned-ish" song of the album. It also featured a new version of "Sweet About Me", with some disco/electronic style to show the change in her music.
While producing the album, Cilmi worked withGreg Kurstin, The Invisible Men andDallas Austin, as well asXenomania. She made her debut in producing with the track "Love Me Coz", saying that it was the song she was most proud of due to the fact it was produced with her band.[24] It bore anelectropop sound in contrast to her first album, which had more of a pop/rock style.[citation needed]
Ten was not as successful asLessons to Be Learned, reaching number 17 in Australia and number 28 in the UK. In an interview, Cilmi explained that the sales were not her first concern; however, she expressed regret about posing topless for FHM magazine during the publicity for the album.
The second single, "Hearts Don't Lie", was released in June 2010 in the UK.[25][26] The third single, "Defender", was released in August 2010 accompanied by a B-side track, "Magic Carpet Ride", but both singles failed to make impact on the charts. Cilmi's version of "Magic Carpet Ride" was featured over the closing credits of British filmSoulboy. Cilmi supported English singerLeona Lewis on the UK leg of her 2010The Labyrinth Tour.
Popjustice namedTen as their fourth-best album of 2010.
By October 2010, Cilmi had already 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 loveDolly Parton,roots music,Tricky andEnya, so anything could happen."[27]
On 20 January 2012, Cilmi released an acoustic version of a 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 influences, contrasting the disco-inspired pop sound ofTen. Cilmi claims she felt pressured into adopting a more sexual image, which prompted her to part ways with Island Records and her management team.[28][29] She also told theHerald Sun that the lacklustre commercial reception of her second 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."[30]
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..."[31][non-primary source needed] In March 2013, Cilmi first performed "Sweet About Me", as well as two new songs "Come Wander With Me" and "Sweeter in History", at the Moxafrica Festival. On 15 March, the video from her new single "Sweeter in History", premiered on her YouTube page. The video was shot in Italy, precisely inCassino and Valvori,Lazio. In July 2013, Cilmi announced a new track called "The Sting", released on 2 September as the album's lead single.[29] The artwork of the single was revealed on 15 July 2013, picturing Cilmi in black and white, in front of a flower field. Cilmi's third studio album,The Sting, was released on 4 November 2013 on her own UK-based imprint Sweetness Tunes, in association with Absolute Marketing & Distribution.[32] "Symmetry" was released on 11 November as the album's second single.[33]
In April 2015, Cilmi announced that she would be performing with her brother Joseph under the name All Kings and Queens, and released the single "Voodoo" in September 2015.[34][35] In 2018, single "Push" was released.[36]
In June 2019, Cilmi posted a series of Instagram posts, explaining her desire to return to music and that she was in the process of completing new songs. On 1 July, Cilmi shared the first teaser for her new single titled "Ruins", which was released on 5 July 2019[37][38] with a music video released on 16 July 2019.
Cilmi announced she would be playing her first solo gig since 2014 atSt Pancras New Church in London. Cilmi kicked off the promotion of her first new single in six years by appearing on ITV News, London Live and BBC Radio London. The track made its debut onBBC Radio 2.
Cilmi took part in live sessions on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 5 Live.[39][40] She appeared on theJames Whale show onTalkradio on 12 August 2019. Cilmi released her EP,The Water on 1 November 2019. In an interview for the EP, Cilmi stated, "For this EP, I wanted to take things back to basics....When I went back and listened to my favourite records I realised there's no fancy production and the songs weren't written sitting in front of a computer playing a loop back and forward....these were songs that were written prior to being recorded in the studio....We recorded the songs onto my mobile phone into a folder called 'Skeletons' until it was time to go into the studio."[41]
In 2020 she startedChillin' With Cilmi during the pandemic[42][43] and she has plans to tour again and celebrated her streaming numbers at the end of 2022, in Europe, UK and Australia.[44]
In February 2025, Cilmi toured alongsideDelta Goodrem andThe Corrs on the Australian leg of their tour.[45]
 | This sectionis missing information about Cilmi's musical style and typical lyrical content. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(March 2017) |
Cilmi has acontralto vocal range and has been compared toAnastacia andAmy Winehouse for her vocal stylings during the initial stages of her career.[46][47] Cilmi also discovered her sound was partly caused by a back problem, known as hollow back orlordosis, which affects the way in which she uses her diaphragm muscles when singing, producing a more throaty sound.[47]In a review forTen, Caroline Sullivan ofThe Guardian complimented her voice stating it as 'precociously blistering' and 'Her zest and powerful voice can't be faulted'.[48]Take 40 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'.[49] She describes her music as "Quite vulnerable and compromised".[50] Her debutLessons to Be Learned is seen as having pop rock, jazz, blues and soul influences. Her voice is also seen as having a blend of Anastacia andMacy Gray elements.[51] She experimented with "Eurovision disco and '50s jazz and 1950s sound" also onLessons to Be Learned.[52]Ten, her second album is her tribute to disco and EDM pop, highlighted by Invisible Girl discussing being someones "dirty little secret".[53] She also had experimented with campy electro pop and aMoroder-ish "Love Me Cos You Want To".[54] During her early twenties, she began to record her third albumThe Sting as her voice became raspier and developed a lower range, which allowed her to display her own signature sound. She discusses relationships that were doomed to fail on her the Sting album, which deals with her upset with career and relationship failures.[55][56]The Water is described as "high-energy tracks that all exude a heady mix of soul drenched folk and swing whilst offering crossover hints of pop and country" and a range from country to soul music.[57]
In 2008, "Sweet About Me" was released in Simlish (Sim speak) as part ofThe Sims 2 expansion pack Apartment Life's soundtrack.[58] Cilmi is mentioned inEd Sheeran's song "You Need Me, I Don't Need You".[59]Her song "Sorry" is featured in the 2005 movieHating Alison Ashley.
Headline
As supporting act
| Year | Recipient | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Gabriella Cilmi | ARIA Music Awards | Best Female Artist | Won |
| Lessons to Be Learned | Best Pop Release | Won | ||
| Breakthrough Artist – Album | Won | |||
| "Sweet About Me" | Breakthrough Artist – Single | Won | ||
| Highest Selling Single | Won | |||
| Single of the Year | Won | |||
| Gabriella Cilmi | Q Awards | Breakthrough Artist | Nominated | |
| MTV Europe Music Awards | Best New Act | Shortlisted | ||
| Žebřík Music Awards | Best International Discovery[62] | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | BRIT Awards | International Female Solo Artist | Nominated | |
| Echo Awards | Best International Newcomer | Nominated | ||
| Sopot International Song Festival | Best Performer | Won | ||
| 2010 | "On a Mission" | ARIA Music Awards | Most Popular Australian Single[63] | Shortlisted |
I got signed when I was 14 after I was heard singing "Jumping Jack Flash" at an Italian Fiesta. My parents are Italian, so every year we go to the Fiesta Della Madonna in Melbourne to eat lots of cheese and wine.
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