The album was a commercial success in Europe charting in the top 20 in Austria, Germany, Scotland, Switzerland and Portugal. It achieved Gold certifications in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and a Platinum certification in Portugal.
After the release of her previous albumReason, Chisholm was dismissed by her original record label, Virgin Records. The main reason for her being dropped was the disappointing sales of her second album "Reason".[4] Talking about being dropped by Virgin during an interview on The Guardian, Melanie C stated that "[I had] mixed feelings. I knew that they were starting to lose faith in me, so I was actually quite relieved to go. I looked at my options and starting my own label was the most exciting thing".[5] In the spring of 2004, she created her own independent record label, "Red Girl Records", to record and release her own projects, alongside her manager, Nancy Phillips.[6] The name was inspired by the colours of thefootballLiverpool F.C., which Chisholm is supporter.
The album was Chisholm's labour of love for a year, and she previewed six tracks on herBarfly mini-tour in June 2004 before going into the studio to record the tracks. Following the release of the firstsingle, "Next Best Superstar", the album was released on 11 April 2005 in the UK and some other countries. Later the album was re-released in some countries (with a new song—"First Day of My Life"). Chisholm stated in an Australian interview that she was pleased thatBeautiful Intentions outsoldReason.Beautiful Intentions has receivedGold certification in Germany and Switzerland. In Portugal, it has gonePlatinum (9 weeks at number 1).
AllMusic editor Matthew Chisling found that the "new creative control that Melanie C had over her album broadened her horizons considerably; Melanie allowed herself to fly more freely onIntentions, giving her solo music a sharp new look. OnBeautiful Intentions, Melanie C developed her style into an aggressive pop-angled album boasting heavy beats with dramatic rock swings doused in musical cyclones of energy. She borrowed qualities from other heavy-talented rock divas such asAnastacia to produce a more bombastic sampling this time around." He concluded: "The final product is simply dazzling; andBeautiful Intentions is without a doubt the strongest solo album by any of theSpice Girls. Truth be told, it was one of the strongest solo pop albums of 2005, regardless of artist."[2] Paul Taylor fromManchester Evening News also compared the songs with Anastacia'sself-titled 2004 album and called it "a much finer album than we had any right to expect."[8]
Betty Clarke, writing forThe Guardian remarked: "Released on her own, self-funded Red Girl Records label, the album is a bitter attack on her old employers. A chorus-led confection of vulnerability and hurt, its needling intent – "You'll Get Yours" and "Don't Need This" are just two titles – and aggressive pop-rock sound make it Chisholm's strongest album to date."[9] Irish websiteEntertainment.ie found that "she certainly delivers these riff-laden songs with gutsy conviction, and her backing band are as tight as they come. But the overall sound has a generic, processed feel to it, and poor old Mel can't write an interesting lyric to save her life.Beautiful Intentions certainly rocks hard, but ultimately it fails to convince."[10] Matthias Manthe fromlaut.de calledBeautiful Intentions "a rock-solid album that doesn't compromise on chart compatibility; Sitting between the rock and pop chairs without stepping on anyone's toes. Mel C sings pleasant tunes about love and the injustices of business."[7]
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