Xenomania is an English songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed by Higgins with his Creative Director Miranda Cooper and Business Director Sarah Stennett of First Access Entertainment, Xenomania has written and produced for artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Pet Shop Boys, The Saturdays and Sugababes. In particular, all but one of Girls Aloud's studio albums have been entirely written and produced by Xenomania. Sugababes' "Round Round" and Girls Aloud's "Sound of the Underground" have been credited with reshaping British pop music for the 2000s. Gabriella Cilmi's "Sweet About Me" and Girls Aloud's "The Promise" were named Best Single at the ARIA Music Awards of 2008 and the 2009 BRIT Awards, respectively.
Sound of the Underground is the debut studio album by English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud, formed through the ITV television series Popstars: The Rivals. It was released in Ireland on 23 May 2003, in the United Kingdom and Europe on 26 May 2003, and reissued on 17 November 2003 through Polydor. Girls Aloud worked with a variety of musicians and producers on Sound of the Underground, which was largely inspired by 1980s music. Comparisons were made with artists such as Bananarama, The Bangles, Blondie and Spice Girls.
"Sound of the Underground" is a song that was the debut single of British-Irish pop group Girls Aloud, and later featured on their debut album of the same title. The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and Niara Scarlett, and produced by Higgins and his production team Xenomania. Following Girls Aloud's formation on the ITV1 reality television show Popstars: The Rivals, "Sound of the Underground" was released 16 days later, on 16 December 2002. Commercially, it was an immediate success; it became the year's Christmas number one in the UK, spending four consecutive weeks atop the chart. It also reached number one in Ireland and peaked within the top forty in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.
"Long Hot Summer" is a song by English-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken as the first single from their third studio album Chemistry (2005). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. "Long Hot Summer" was written for inclusion in the Disney film Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005), but plans fell through. Higgins later described the track as "a disaster record." Released in August 2005, it became Girls Aloud's first single to miss the top five on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number seven.
Brian Thomas Higgins is a British record producer and songwriter, who has written and produced albums and tracks for several successful pop music singers and groups, including Girls Aloud, S Club 7, Sugababes, and the Saturdays through his Xenomania production team. Miranda Cooper is a key collaborator who shares co-writing credits in nearly all Xenomania-written tracks.
Robert Edward Bradley is a Grammy award winning British music composer, producer and songwriter. He is mostly known for producing Above & Beyond's acoustic albums as well as working with the late Jeff Beck on his last recordings. He also creates soundtracks, themes and incidental music for film, television and advertising.
The following is a discography of UK pop production house Xenomania, put together by songwriter and record producer Brian Higgins. Members of the Xenomania writing and production team include Nick Coler, Giselle Sommerville, Niara Scarlett, Miranda Cooper, Lisa Cowling, Tim Powell, and Matt Gray. In the turn of the decade, the team also welcomed members Carla Marie Williams, Toby Scott, Timothy "Hight" Deal, Florrie, Luke Fitton and Ben Taylor and Sarah Thompson. Xenomania also have their own in-house DJ and remixer, Tony Lamezma. They did have a second, Gravitas, but there has been no commercially released Gravitas remixes since 2005, the last one of these a remix of "Wake Me Up" by Girls Aloud.
"Call the Shots" is a song by British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud from their fourth studio album, Tangled Up (2007). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, with inspiration from an article about the advance of women in business, and Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Lisa Cowling, and Giselle Somerville also received songwriting credits. Polydor Records originally intended to release it the lead single for The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits (2006); however, "Something Kinda Ooooh" was selected instead. In September 2007, "Call the Shots" leaked online, and on 26 November of the same year, it was released as the second single from Tangled Up through Fascination Records, a week after the album's release.
"Can't Speak French" is a song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fourth studio album and serving as the third and final single from the album Tangled Up (2007). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Described as "a swirling, slower cut with great jazzy guitar changes," Higgins said it was "the easiest Girls Aloud single they made." Upon its release in March 2008, "Can't Speak French" charted within the top ten on the UK Singles Chart, continuing their five-year streak of top ten hits.
"Here We Go" is a pop song written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, and Matt Gray, originally recorded by Cooper under the alias Moonbaby. The song was initially released as Moonbaby's first single in 2000, later being covered by Lene Nystrøm in 2003 and Girls Aloud in 2004. A version with rewritten lyrics appears as the theme music of the French/Canadian animated television series Totally Spies!.
"My Love Is Pink" is a song by English girl group Sugababes from their fifth studio album, Change (2007). It was written by band members Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range in collaboration with the songwriting and production team Xenomania, who produced the song. "My Love Is Pink" is an uptempo dance-pop and electropop song, reminiscent of those performed by British girl group, Girls Aloud. The song was released on 10 December 2007 in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the second single from Change. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the composition and sound, but criticised its lyrical content. The song peaked at number five on the UK Commercial Pop Club chart and number 51 on the Slovakian Singles Chart.
"Sweet About Me" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi from her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned (2008). The song was released as the album's second single on 10 March 2008 in the United Kingdom and on 24 March 2008 in Australia. One month later, it topped the Australian ARIA Singles Chart and stayed there for five non-consecutive weeks.
Gabriella Lucia Cilmi is an Australian pop singer and songwriter. A contralto, Cilmi is known for her distinctive raspy singing voice.
Vagabond were a UK band and signed to the newly reformed Geffen Records UK.
Florence Ellen Arnold, better known as Florrie, is an English pop singer-songwriter, drummer and model. Closely associated with the Xenomania production house, since joining as their in-house drummer in 2008 she has played live and on record for popular artists such as Kylie Minogue, Girls Aloud and the Pet Shop Boys.
Tim Powell, born Timothy Martin Powell, is a British songwriter, producer and mixer. Powell was a member of the writing and production house, Xenomania, for fourteen years. His first hit "All I Wanna Do" for Dannii Minogue peaked at number four in the UK Singles Chart in 1997. In his fourteen years at Xenomania, Powell contributed to hit records such as "Hole in the Head" and "Round Round" by Sugababes, "Call the Shots" by Girls Aloud and "Love etc." by Pet Shop Boys.
Nick Coler is an English musician, producer, composer and songwriter. He has been nominated for and won awards for songwriting and music production and has written, produced and played on hit songs for diverse acts ranging from Goldie, KLF, and Alice Cooper to Girls Aloud, Sugababes, and Gabriella Cilmi.
"Memory of You" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud recorded during sessions for their fifth studio album Out of Control (2008). The song was written by Girls Aloud, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Described as "more dance oriented than pop," the track is influenced by trance and progressive house music, originating as a track entitled "Japan" by trance project Cadence.
"Swinging London Town" is a song by British girl group Girls Aloud, taken from their third studio album Chemistry (2005). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, and Matt Gray, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. "Swinging London Town" both chronicles and ridicules the lives of the upper class in London, particularly yuppies, socialites and It girls. Influenced by techno, the synth-pop song drew comparisons to Giorgio Moroder and Pet Shop Boys.
Carla Maria Williams, known professionally as Carla Marie Williams, is a British songwriter and singer. Notable songs she has written or co-written include Beyoncé's "Freedom", Naughty Boy's "Runnin'" and Britney Spears's "Private Show". In 2016, Williams was nominated for two Grammy Awards for her work on Beyoncé's Lemonade album. She is the founder of Girls I Rate.
