Free Me | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 9 February 2004 | |||
Recorded | 2002–2003 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 45:30 | |||
Label | 19 | |||
Producer |
| |||
Emma Bunton chronology | ||||
| ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
Singles from Free Me | ||||
|
Free Me is the second studio album by English singer Emma Bunton (credited mononymously as Emma),released on 9 February 2004 by 19 Recordings. [1] The album peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart and spawned three top-10 singles:"Free Me","Maybe" and "I'll Be There". With this album,Bunton became the only former Spice Girl to have sold more copies of her second album than her first.
In 2001,Bunton released her solo debut album A Girl Like Me through Virgin Records. It spent over 12 weeks inside the UK Albums Chart,peaking at number four and earning a gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It also produced her only solo chart-topper "What Took You So Long?" and the top-five single "Take My Breath Away". Bunton explained that she left Virgin Records due to a lack of support from the label,citing a desire to work with a label "where I know people are going to be right behind me and work as hard as I do.'" [2]
The album was inspired by 1960s sounds,such as bossa nova,Motown and French pop. [1] [3] [4] [5] [6] The album was largely produced by Mike Peden and Yak Bondy,who have produced tracks for acts such as S Club 7 and Lucie Silvas. Other contributions on the album are courtesy of Cathy Dennis,Henry Binns,and Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi. The album was released via 19 Recordings,which is a division of 19 Management,the company owned by Simon Fuller. Bunton says of the inspiration behind the album:"I've been listening to Motown since I was about five,and just loving it,being very passionate about the fact how it was all done live,and I thought,'Hold on,I always talk about the fact I love '60s and Motown',so I thought I'd take elements of it,bits of it,and put it into my album,so that's exactly what I did." However,Bunton's songs on this album mainly started life as a simple scribble. She says,"I have a little book beside my bed,where I put all my ideas for songs and stuff. It's kind of weird,'cuz usually when I'm having a dream,I'll wake up,and I'll write something down,then I'll look at it again and think,'God,what was I dreaming about?'"
The album's lead single,"Free Me",was released in May 2003. The song immediately picked up airplay,peaking at number five on the UK Singles Chart.
"Maybe" was released as the second single in October 2003,and also gained extensive airplay throughout the United Kingdom,peaking at number six.
In January 2004,"I'll Be There" was released as the third single from the album. Like its two predecessors,it performed well on the charts,peaking at number seven on the UK chart.
Later in the year,in May,"Crickets Sing for Anamaria",was released as the fourth single. The song peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.
In the United States,both "Free Me" and "Maybe" were dance club regulars,reaching numbers four and six on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart,respectively. [7]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
BBC Music | Positive [8] |
Blender | [9] |
The Daily Telegraph | positive [10] |
The Guardian | [11] |
musicOMH | mixed [12] |
Rolling Stone | [13] |
USA Today | [14] |
Free Me received generally positive reviews from music critics,many of whom approved of the use of sounds from the Motown and 1960s era. BBC Music said the album is "light and frothy,like a good cappuccino,but this time it's with the sugar taken out". [8] General acclaim was given to the album by Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic,who described the album as being the best Spice Girl-related record. He noted:"This music is stylish without being flashy,thanks in large part to the charmingly tuneful,sturdy songs (all but one bearing a writing credit from Emma). While Bunton may still have a small,sweet voice,she's developed a stronger presence on record,giving this album not just a face,but a fetching persona that's hard to resist". [1]
According to Lynsey Hanley from newspaper The Daily Telegraph ,Bunton's new musical direction was "a brave move,given that high-sheen,saucy R&B is currently the main mode of expression for female pop performers,but Emma's lilting vocals and only faintly suggestive image suit this album's less aggressive style". [10]
"The album's got charm,grace and it's fun",said Q magazine. Marie Claire magazine said it "mixes up bossa nova with James Bond soundtrack" and that "Emma resembles a seductive Brigitte Bardot". [15]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Free Me" |
| Peden | 4:28 |
2. | "Maybe" |
| Peden | 3:43 |
3. | "I'll Be There" |
| Peden | 3:23 |
4. | "Tomorrow" |
| Bondy | 3:55 |
5. | "Breathing" |
| Boo Dan Productions | 4:00 |
6. | "Crickets Sing for Anamaria" | Peden | 2:46 | |
7. | "No Sign of Life" |
| Ellis | 3:38 |
8. | "Who the Hell Are You" |
| Ray "Madman" Hedges | 3:18 |
9. | "Lay Your Love on Me" |
|
| 3:23 |
10. | "Amazing" (featuring Luis Fonsi) |
| Peden | 4:06 |
11. | "You Are" |
|
| 3:46 |
12. | "Something So Beautiful" |
|
| 3:46 |
Total length: | 45:30 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "Free Me" (Dr. Octavo Seduction Remix) |
| 3:38 | |
14. | "Free Me" (Full Intention Freed Up Remix) |
|
| 4:01 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Free Me. [16]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [21] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States | — | 17,000 [22] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Label |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 9 February 2004 | 19 |
Australia | 19 July 2004 | Universal |
Brazil | 20 September 2004 | |
Germany | 21 January 2005 | |
United States | 25 January 2005 | 19 |
Emma Lee Bunton is an English singer, songwriter, media personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice, reflecting the fact that she was the youngest member.
Life in Mono is the third studio album by English pop singer Emma Bunton. The album was originally set for a November 2006 release in the UK, however it was later pushed back to 4 December 2006. Much like her previous album, Free Me, the album experiments with elements of 1960s pop music. For this particular album the musical arrangement was more directed towards 1960s French pop music, with some elements of British 1960s pop and Motown.
Forever is the third studio album by English girl group the Spice Girls, released on 1 November 2000 by Virgin Records. It is their only album without Geri Halliwell, who later rejoined the group for their Greatest Hits album in 2007.
"Crickets Sing for Anamaria" is the English-language version of "Os Grilos", a song written by Brazilian musician Marcos Valle with his brother Paulo Sérgio Valle.
A Girl Like Me is the debut solo studio album by English singer Emma Bunton, released on 16 April 2001 by Virgin Records. Following the release of the Spice Girls' third studio album, Forever (2000), the group announced that they were beginning an indefinite hiatus and would be concentrating on their solo careers in regards to their foreseeable future. Recording sessions for Bunton's first solo album took place from July 1999 to October 2000 at several recording studios.
Anytime is the third studio album by American singer Brian McKnight. It was released by Mercury Records on September 23, 1997, in the United States. Following his moderately successful second album I Remember You (1995), McKnight consulted a wider range of collaborators to work with him on the album, including producers Sean Combs, Keith Thomas, Poke & Tone and songwriters Diane Warren, and Peter Black. While McKnight would provide most of the material by himself, Anytime deviated from the urban adult contemporary sound of his older work, with the former acts taking his music further into the hip hop soul genre.
"What I Am" is a song written by Edie Brickell and Kenny Withrow and recorded by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians for their debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars (1988). The song is highlighted by a guitar solo that notably features an envelope filter. It peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, topped the Canadian RPM 100 Singles chart, and became a top-20 hit in Australia and New Zealand. "What I Am" was ranked number 23 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s".
"What Took You So Long?" is the debut solo single of English singer Emma Bunton from her debut solo studio album, A Girl Like Me (2001). The song was written by Bunton, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Martin Harrington, John Themis and Dave Morgan, and produced by Stannard and Gallagher in Biffco Studios in Dublin, Ireland. It was released as the album's lead single in the United Kingdom on 2 April 2001. A pop rock song, its sound is influenced by the work of AOR artists such as Sheryl Crow, Gabrielle, and the band Texas. For the lyrics, Bunton explained that the song is about men taking longer than women to realise they are in love, a concept inspired by her past romantic relationships. The song received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, with many of them praising the melody and Bunton's vocal delivery, while others were critical of its production.
"Free Me" is a song by the English singer Emma Bunton from her second solo studio album of the same name (2003). The song was written by Bunton, Hélène Muddiman and Mike Peden, and produced by the latter. It was released on 26 May 2003 as the album's lead single. It debuted and peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Bunton's fourth UK top-five single. The single also peaked at number four on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. An accompanying music video was directed by Tim Royes and filmed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, including locations such as Macumba Beach, Guanabara Bay and the Alto da Boa Vista neighbourhood.
"Maybe" is a song by English singer Emma Bunton from her second studio album, Free Me (2004). It was written by Bunton and Yak Bondy and produced by Mike Peden. The track was released on 13 October 2003 in the United Kingdom by 19 Recordings and Universal Records as the album's second single. "Maybe" is a bubblegum pop song with influences from bossa nova and French music were also noted into its composition. Lyrically, it deals with "missed chances and self-deception" on love.
"I'll Be There" is a song by English singer Emma Bunton from her second solo studio album, Free Me (2004). She cowrote it with Hélène Muddiman and producer Mike Peden. It was released on 26 January 2004 as the album's third single, debuting and peaking at No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart. A black-and-white music video directed by Giuseppe Capotondi was shot in Paris.
Damage are a British R&B boy band who achieved success in the 1990s with eleven hit singles, including four top 10 successes on the UK Singles Chart. They have sold 4 million records worldwide. The band currently consists of Jade Jones, Rahsaan J Bromfield, Andrez Harriott, and Noel Simpson.
Soul Alone is the third studio album by American singer and musician Daryl Hall, released in 1993 on Epic Records. Distinct from the sound of his successful duo Hall & Oates, this album features a more soulful and jazzy feel, with production by Hall with Peter Lord Moreland and V. Jeffrey Smith from R&B group The Family Stand, and Michael Peden. Soul Alone features singer Mariah Carey, Alan Gorrie from the Average White Band, and producer/multi-instrumentalist Walter Afanasieff as composers. Four singles were released from the album: "I'm in a Philly Mood," "Stop Loving Me, Stop Loving You," "Help Me Find a Way to Your Heart" and "Wildfire." The Japanese version of the album came with an extra 12th track, "I've Finally Seen the Light."
English singer Emma Bunton has released four studio albums, 15 singles and 12 music videos. Her debut solo album A Girl Like Me was released in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2001 by Virgin Records. The album debuted and peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart. On 7 September 2001, A Girl Like Me was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 100,000 copies, ultimately becoming the 147th best-selling album in the UK for 2001. The album brought the UK number-one "What Took You So Long?" as well as top-five hits "What I Am" and "Take My Breath Away" and the top 20 hit "We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight". The album sold 127,000 copies in the UK.
ck is the seventh studio album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1988.
Tribute to Bobby is a 2008 album by Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall under the mononym 'Hucknall' and was his first solo album. It was released in the United Kingdom on 19 May 2008 and is a collection of songs in tribute to the blues singer Bobby Bland. The album charted at number 18 in the UK Official Albums Chart and spent two weeks inside the Top 75.
Spice Girls Live at Wembley Stadium is the third video album by English girl group the Spice Girls. It was released on VHS on 9 November 1998 by Virgin Records, and was filmed at Wembley Stadium in London on 20 September 1998 during the Spiceworld Tour. The concert was first broadcast live in a pay-per-view special on Sky Box Office, and although the television broadcast was completely live, studio vocals were dubbed into several songs for the video version of the performance. It received a DVD release in the United Kingdom on 6 October 2008.
"Tell Me Why" is a song by British girl group, the Spice Girls, appearing as the second track on their third studio album Forever (2000). The song was written by Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins III and Mischke Butler. Jerkins and Daniels produced the song. It was released as a promotional single in December 2000. Originally planned as the second single from Forever, the release was scrapped.
My Happy Place is the fourth studio album by British singer Emma Bunton. It was released on 12 April 2019 by BMG Rights Management. The album consists of ten tracks; eight are cover versions of some of Bunton's favourite songs and two are original songs co-written by the singer.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)