| Make a Scene | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 April 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–11 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 50:06 | |||
| Label | EBGB's | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Sophie Ellis-Bextor chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Make a Scene | ||||
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Make a Scene is the fourth studio album by English singer and songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released in Russia on 18 April 2011 by Universal Music Group and in the United Kingdom on 13 June 2011 by Ellis-Bextor's own record label, EBGB's. It is her first studio album since Trip the Light Fantastic (2007).
Make a Scene originated from recording sessions for a planned Greatest Hits compilation, which was proposed for release in Autumn 2008. However, the success of recording sessions led Ellis-Bextor and her record label at the time, Fascination Records, to change their plans and record a full studio album instead. The album's lead single, "Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)", a collaboration with the Freemasons, was released in June 2009, before a second single, "Can't Fight This Feeling", a collaboration with Junior Caldera, was released in February 2010. The album's third single, "Bittersweet", was released in May 2010, and was the first single from the album to feature only Ellis-Bextor. The album's fourth single, "Not Giving Up on Love", a collaboration with Armin van Buuren, was released in August 2010. Following the release of these four singles, Ellis-Bextor parted ways with Fascination, leaving the future of the album hanging in the balance. However, Ellis-Bextor soon announced plans to release the album on her own label, EBGBs, which she had set up in 2002 with her father, Robin Bextor.
The album's title, Make a Scene, was announced in January 2011, despite rumours the album would be named Cut Straight to the Heart, after the final track on the album. [2] This was rather unexpected as Ellis-Bextor had previously criticised title tracks. [3] On 11 April 2011, "Off & On" was released as the album's fifth single overall, exclusively in Russia, before the album was released a week later on 18 April. [4] On 5 June, "Starlight" was released as the album's sixth single overall, exclusively in the United Kingdom, before the album was released a week later on 12 June. [5] In 2012 "Revolution" was released as the album's seventh and final single overall but, unlike the majority of the singles, it was an international release. [6]
Make a Scene features production by Fred Ball, Armin van Buuren, Junior Caldera, Julien Carret, Freemasons, Ed Harcourt, Calvin Harris, Greg Kurstin, Liam Howe, Metronomy, Richard Stannard, Dimitri Tikovoi, and Richard X. According to Clixie Music, on the opening track "Revolution", Ellis-Bextor has been said to utilise catchy repetition and deliver a sweet vocal with "commanding vocals". [7] It was described as "a heavily energetic and impressive opener that defines the overall mood." Following the opener is the third single "Bittersweet" and the electropop "Off & On", which Clixie elaborated on as having an early 1980s disco sound. It was written by Calvin Harris and Irish singer Róisín Murphy and was originally recorded with Murphy on vocals for Murphy's 2007 studio album Overpowered , but was omitted from the final track listing. [7] [8] Both "Not Giving Up on Love" and "Can't Fight This Feeling" have been called anthems by Clixie Music, as well as "international smash singles". [7] "Starlight" was also said to feature a "soothing" vocal delivery by Ellis-Bextor, with a "very '80s-esque twist." [7] "Magic" is a dance music-driven track and was called "enjoyable" due to its employment of harmonic vocals. Finally, "Synchronised" and "Cut Straight to the Heart" were talked about as focussing on Sophie's vocals, and noted as being "a lot more relaxed" in comparison to the rest of the album. [7]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 53/100 [9] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| BBC Music | negative [11] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [12] |
| Digital Spy | [13] |
| The Guardian | [14] |
| The Mirror | [15] |
| NME | 2/10 [16] |
| Yahoo! Music |   [17] |
Make a Scene received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 53, based on 7 reviews. [9] While reviewing some songs on the album, Robbie Daw from Idolator said that "after taking in small handful of singles, it sounds like there's even better material lying in wait on Make A Scene". [18] Daw called the Richard X productions "Starlight" and "Magic" are "amazing". [18] Lee Bradshaw from Clixie Music rated it eight stars out of ten, labeling it "her most dance-filled release" and praised Sophie for having "out-done herself on this one", stating that "she has definitely provided an album with great future potential." [7] Robert Copsey from Digital Spy was positive, rating it four stars out of five, opining that the "wistful pop-ballads 'Starlight' and 'Synchronised' proving that she is more than capable of handling the centre stage if she so chooses. It might be a scene of two halves, but there's no shortage of elegance, class and pop sensibilities throughout." [13]
Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian rated it two stars out of five and concluded that "The bulk of the record is shopping-mall pop that was probably expensive to make, but sounds depressingly cheap." [14] Matt Wilkinson from NME was negative, rating it two stars out of ten, commenting that "Make A Scene sees her straddle a multitude of different genres" Gavin Martin from The Mirror was positive, feeling that the album is a "jolly effective blend of high-bred hoofing, fun and sincerity." [15] James Lachno from The Daily Telegraph judged that "A legion of co-producers attempt to recreate the slick dance-pop for which she is famed, but too often her husky voice and arch delivery are given short shrift by bloated house beats and perfunctory hooks." [12] Alex Hall from The Tune was positive, saying that "Make A Scene is by no means a 'dark' record; however, Sophie Ellis-Bextor manages to prevent what would have been an unbearable 50 minutes had every song been a reproduction of 'Starlight' by applying to the crevasses all the insight she's gained in a decade." [19] Gay Times also gave a positive review, calling it "a proper pop album...easily head and shoulders above the offerings from her contemporaries in the last year". [20]
Make a Scene entered the UK Albums Chart at number thirty-three with first-week sales of 6,143 copies, and by January 2014, it had sold 13,716 copies in the United Kingdom. [21] Within three months of release, the album received a gold certification in Russia, denoting sales in excess of 5,000 copies. [22] In spite of the album's lack of success, its singles became top 30 hits in the UK and Europe.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Revolution" | Kurstin | 2:44 | |
| 2. | "Bittersweet" |
|
| 3:27 |
| 3. | "Off & On" |
| Harris | 3:32 |
| 4. | "Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)" (Freemasons featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor) |
|
| 3:25 |
| 5. | "Not Giving Up on Love" (versus Armin van Buuren) |
|
| 2:56 |
| 6. | "Can't Fight This Feeling" (Junior Caldera featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor) |
|
| 3:35 |
| 7. | "Starlight" |
| Richard X | 4:20 |
| 8. | "Under Your Touch" |
| Howe | 3:53 |
| 9. | "Make a Scene" |
|
| 3:50 |
| 10. | "Magic" |
| Richard X | 4:34 |
| 11. | "Dial My Number" |
| Howe | 3:37 |
| 12. | "Homewrecker" |
| Kurstin | 3:25 |
| 13. | "Synchronised" | Ball | 3:12 | |
| 14. | "Cut Straight to the Heart" |
|
| 3:37 |
| No. | Title | Director(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Bittersweet" | Chris Sweeney | 3:38 |
| 16. | "Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)" | Chris Sweeney | 3:40 |
| 17. | "Not Giving Up on Love" | Sophie Muller | 2:58 |
| 18. | "Can't Fight This Feeling" | Jelle Posthuma | 3:38 |
| 19. | "Starlight" | Robin Bextor | 3:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Starlight" (My Doctor Elvis Remix) |
| Richard X | 5:52 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Sophia Loren" (B-side of "Bittersweet") |
|
| 4:16 |
| 16. | "Dear Jimmy" (Previously unreleased unmixed version) |
|
| 3:27 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Make a Scene. [26]
|
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Russia (NFPF) [31] | Gold | 5,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Label | Format(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia [32] | 18 April 2011 | Universal Music | |
| Germany [33] | 12 June 2011 |
| Digital download |
| United Kingdom [23] | EBGB's | ||
| Poland [34] | 13 June 2011 | Mystic Production |
|
| United Kingdom [35] | EBGB's | CD | |
| Germany [36] | 17 June 2011 |
| |
| Belgium [37] | 24 June 2011 | Armada Music |
|
| Luxembourg [37] | |||
| Netherlands [37] | |||
| Australia [38] | 30 September 2011 | Shock Entertainment | |
| Italy [24] [39] | 18 October 2011 |
| Digital download |
| 25 October 2011 | CD | ||
| United States [40] | 16 October 2012 | Essential Music | Digital download |
| Mexico [41] | 16 October 2012 |
|
|
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo and achieved success beginning in the early 2000s. Her music is a mixture of mainstream pop, disco, nu-disco, and 1980s electronic music influences.
Read My Lips is the debut studio album by English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor. It was released on 27 August 2001 by Polydor Records. After the disbandment of the Britpop group Theaudience, in which Ellis-Bextor served as vocalist, she was signed to Polydor. Prior to the LP's completion, the singer collaborated with several musicians, including band Blur's bassist Alex James, Moby and New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander. The record was described as a collection of 1980s electronica and 1970s disco music.
Shoot from the Hip is the second studio album by English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released on 27 October 2003 by Polydor Records. It was produced by Gregg Alexander, Matt Rowe, Jeremy Wheatley and Damian LeGassick.
"Take Me Home" is a song recorded by American singer and actress Cher for her fifteenth studio album. The album, released in 1979, bore the same name as the single. "Take Me Home" is a disco song conceived after Cher was recommended to venture into said genre after the commercial failure of her previous albums. The lyrics center around the request of a woman to be taken home by her lover. It was released as the lead single from the Take Me Home album in January 1979 through Casablanca Records, pressed as a 12-inch single.
Trip the Light Fantastic is the third studio album by British singer and songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor. It was released on 21 May 2007 by Fascination Records following the release of the lead single, "Catch You" and the second single, "Me and My Imagination". The album was available to stream via the internet on 18 May 2007, three days before the official release date. It debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number 7.
British singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor has released seven solo studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, one remix album, one extended play, one video album, thirty-six singles and twenty-seven music videos. Ellis-Bextor debuted in 1997 as frontwoman of the indie music group theaudience, whose single "I Know Enough " reached the top 25 on the United Kingdom singles chart. They released a self-titled album—a follow up was shelved by label Mercury Records although selected tracks circulate as bootlegs.
"Me and My Imagination" is a song by British recording artist Sophie Ellis-Bextor for her third studio album, Trip the Light Fantastic (2007). It was written by Ellis-Bextor, Hannah Robinson and co-written and produced by Matt Prime. It is a dance-pop, disco song and its lyrics advise an overeager suitor to play harder to get. Some critics noted that it recalls the songs from her first studio album, Read My Lips (2001).
"Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)" is a song by English production duo the Freemasons and English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The song was written by the production duo James Wiltshire and Russell Small, Richard Stannard and Ellis-Bextor, and production by Wiltshire and Small. It was released on 15 June 2009 in promotion of the Freemasons' second studio album, Shakedown 2 (2009), and as the lead single from Ellis-Bextor's fourth album, Make a Scene (2011).
"Bittersweet" is a song by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, written by Ellis-Bextor, James Wiltshire, Russell Small, Richard Stannard and Hannah Robinson for Ellis-Bextor's fourth studio album Make a Scene. The song was released as the album's third single on 3 May 2010, following two singles on which Ellis-Bextor collaborated, that also appear on Make a Scene.
"Can't Fight this Feeling" is a song written by Junior Caldera, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Roselyn Della Sabina, and produced by Junior Caldera for his first album, Début, released in 2009. It was released as the album's fourth single in February 2010. It was also the second single from Ellis-Bextor's fourth studio album, Make A Scene. The single was released in France prior to the release of Ellis-Bextor following single, "Bittersweet". The video for the song was shot in Paris on 10 March 2010. It was believed that Roselyn Della Sabina stopped writing for Madonna to complete this song. The single was released in Australia on 26 March 2011.
"Not Giving Up on Love" is a collaboration between Dutch DJ and record producer Armin van Buuren and English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor. It was released on 20 August 2010 as the second single from van Buuren's fourth studio album, Mirage, and the fourth single from Ellis-Bextor's fourth studio album, Make a Scene.
"Starlight" is a pop song released by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor as the sixth overall single from her fourth studio album, Make a Scene. It was written by Ellis-Bextor, Hannah Robinson and its producer Richard X. The song was released on 5 June 2011, in the United Kingdom as a digital download, a week before the release of the album. Ellis-Bextor appeared on various talk shows to promote the single prior to its release. The song also served as the lead single in Australia and Italy, released on 23 September 2011 a week ahead of the album release there. It's her first single as an independent artist with her label EBGB's.
Wanderlust is the fifth studio album by English singer and songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released on 20 January 2014 by EBGB's. The album marks a sharp shift from Ellis-Bextor's electronic dance roots, incorporating elements of folk, baroque and orchestral music. It was featured as BBC Radio 2's "Album of the Week" on 18 January 2014.
"Young Blood" is a song by English recording artist Sophie Ellis-Bextor from her fifth studio album Wanderlust (2014). The song was released as the album's lead single on 21 November 2013. It was co-written by Ed Harcourt and Ellis-Bextor; the former also produced it. The song is a chamber pop piano ballad, which features instrumentation from subdued drums and various string instruments. In the track, Ellis-Bextor sings with restrain, incorporating a low register in the verses and hitting her highest note in the chorus. A demo version of the track was offered online in March 2013.
"Love Is a Camera" is a song performed by English recording artist Sophie Ellis-Bextor for her fifth album Wanderlust (2014). Ellis-Bextor co-wrote the song with Ed Harcourt, who also produced the track. Its lyrics recount the story of a woman who takes photos of her victims and keeps their souls in the pictures. Musically, the song features piano, guitars, double bass, and influences of tango and baroque. "Love Is a Camera" was serviced to hot adult contemporary radio stations in the United Kingdom as the third single from Wanderlust. The song was released on 23 June 2014.
"Runaway Daydreamer" is a song by the English recording artist Sophie Ellis-Bextor for her fifth studio album Wanderlust (2014). The song was released on 31 March 2014 as the second single of the album. Composed by Ed Harcourt with additional writing by Ellis-Bextor, it is a chamber pop track which features percussion and string instruments. Its lyrics, written in a way resemblant of nursery rhymes, expound on escapism and "self discovery".
Familia is the sixth studio album by English singer and songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The album was produced by Ed Harcourt, who also produced Ellis-Bextor's previous album, Wanderlust. It was released on 2 September 2016, by EBGB LLP and was critically acclaimed. It was preceded by disco-pop single "Come with Us", which was released on 19 July.
The Song Diaries is a compilation album by English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released on 15 March 2019 by EBGB's. Made in collaboration with Ed Harcourt, the album consists primarily of orchestral versions of Ellis-Bextor's solo singles, including her collaboration with Italian DJ Spiller, "Groovejet ", and a song from her time as part of Theaudience, "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed". It was called an "orchestral greatest hits" by Clash. Ellis-Bextor toured the UK with a full orchestra and band in support of the album from June 2019.
Songs from the Kitchen Disco is the first greatest hits album by English singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released on 13 November 2020 by EGBG's, although it was previously announced for 23 October. It features singles from all her studio albums: Read My Lips (2001), Shoot from the Hip (2003), Trip the Light Fantastic (2007), Make a Scene (2011), Wanderlust (2014) and Familia (2016), as well as a number of cover versions of songs by other artists. Songs from the Kitchen Disco serves as the follow-up to her previous release, the 2019 orchestral compilation album The Song Diaries.
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