''Cinderella's Eyes'' is the debut studio album by English recording artist
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Maria Roberts (born 5 October 1985) is a British pop singer. She rose to prominence in late 2002 upon winning a place in Girls Aloud, a girl group created through ITV's '' Popstars: The Rivals''. The group's success helped them win the c ...
. It was released on 23 September 2011 by
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
. As a member of the British girl group
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud were an pop girl group that was created through the ITV talent show '' Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The group comprised singers Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. The group achieved a str ...
, Roberts drew inspiration from her time with the group. Her experience with Girls Aloud's formation found her being labelled "ugly" by the media, and the constant negative attention and subsequent personal problems resulted in her struggling with her confidence. She started recording for the album in 2010 and co-wrote all of the original tracks on the album, working closely with producers
Dimitri Tikovoï
Dimitri Tikovoï is a French, Grammy-nominated record producer and DJ who has worked with bands including Placebo, Purple Disco Machine, Ghost, The Horrors, Charli XCX, Black Honey, Mikky Ekko, Marianne Faithfull, Becky Hill, Blondie and ...
, Maya von Doll (from
electro group
Sohodolls) and
Diplo
Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with ...
on the album, as well as Canadian
electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
band
Dragonette
Dragonette is the stage name of Canadian singer-songwriter Martina Sorbara. Originally an electronic music band from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2005, the band consisted of Sorbara with her husband Dan Kurtz as bassist and producer (also in The ...
. The concept of the album derived from fairy tales, focusing mostly upon "
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
" after titling the album ''Cinderella's Eyes''. The album artwork features Roberts next to a collection of
vintage
Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...
artefacts wearing a modern interpretation of the Cinderella glass slipper, co-produced by shoe designer Atalanta Weller.
The album was characterised by electropop themes and autobiographical lyrics. The album opens with "Beat of My Drum", an electropop
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
track which features
chant
A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes ...
s, something that is presented throughout the album. Her use of
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
is included on tracks such as "I", "Take a Bite" and "
Sticks and Stones". The latter track was written about her lack of confidence during her times with Girls Aloud, and discusses the times she was labelled "ugly" by the media. Roberts wrote the track to highlight the subject of bullying and to make others in the same position feel less alone. The album was inspired by
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson (born 12 June 1979), known as Robyn (), is a Swedish pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. She arrived on the music scene with her 1995 debut album, ''Robyn Is Here'', which produced two Billboard Hot 100, ''Bil ...
and
Kate Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...
, both of whom have received comparisons to songs within the album.
''Cinderella's Eyes'' was received well by music critics, who praised the
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
on the album, Roberts's voice, and her lyrics. The album was also praised for being the most original solo album from any of the members of Girls Aloud. Although the album did not reach commercial success, many critics commented that the album was underrated and deserved more appreciation. "Beat of My Drum" was released as the album's first track. The track received positive reviews and performed well commercially, charting at number 27 in the United Kingdom. A music video directed by
Wendy Morgan showed Roberts performing in
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War i ...
-inspired outfits. The second single, "Lucky Day", was released a week before the album and featured production from the band Dragonette. It was also well-received, and the music video, directed by Stephen Agnes, featured Roberts in the
East Village of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
performing in a floral dress. A deluxe edition of the album featuring ten new songs, ''Behind Cinderella's Eyes'', was announced on 26 October 2021.
Background and inspiration
Nicola Roberts is one fifth of the band
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud were an pop girl group that was created through the ITV talent show '' Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The group comprised singers Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. The group achieved a str ...
. During her time with the girl group, she struggled with loneliness, due to living away from home in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, busy schedule, and media criticism of her image, eventually describing her time in the band as a "blur".
She became exhausted and found herself with two personalities, one being a "normal" girl and another to deal with the celebrity lifestyle, with which she was uncomfortable.
Roberts claimed that the hardest aspect of being with the group was the media attention – which would constantly pick out flaws with her image. She said she "just had to harden myself to it, actually, inside, I was dying".
The album was inspired by her time performing with Girls Aloud – "It would have been stupid for me to make an album that meant nothing."
For Roberts, the album was about making a risky record, where there wasn't a guaranteed commercial success, explaining to ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'': "It's taken every last bit of confidence just to release this record, or maybe I've just brainwashed myself into feeling more confident. I don't know if it's good, or if I've just told myself it's good."
On 6 May 2011 via her official website, Roberts confirmed that she had been developing a studio album ready for release, she said;
I'm writing this and I feel so excited and nervous all at the same time. Everytime I think about what I'm about to do I get the biggest butterflies
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
..For over a year, I've been in the studio writing my own songs and working towards making my own record. The time has come where I have to come out of my safe bubble that is the studio and share my music with you... butterflies just got worse ..I've had the incredible opportunity to work with some of my favourite artists, DJs and producers on my album. I have had the most amazing time and I have learnt so much. It was important that my record was personal to me. I wanted to be able to look back on the album and know that I have honestly put 100% of myself into it. I've written songs and stories that I have wanted to write for a long time. I really hope that you're able to relate to my music, because that really is what it's all about.. So here goes, I'm taking a big leap, but it's going to be the best fun ever.
Artwork
The album artwork premiered on 22 August 2011, and features Roberts next to a collection of
vintage
Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...
artefacts wearing a modern interpretation of
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
's glass slippers. The album artwork was shot at Master Shipwright's House in London, which Roberts described as "run-down reality with a hint of fairytale".
The concept of the artwork was to relate to the different sounds of the album, which Roberts described as "red" and "blue" tracks, claiming she wanted "to be on parallel with the art and clothes".
The emerging detailing in
electro music, as Roberts described it was something she wanted present in the artwork, whilst talking to ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' she said "I wanted that rhythm to be present in the imagery, the way I pictured it. There's a lot going on with the sounds on this record; it was important to me that the visual side was equally eclectic, so that it came full circle. This is a full package.
For the album photograph shoot, Roberts worked alongside shoe designer Atalanta Weller to produce the shoes for the album.
The "21st century" Cinderella style glass slippers were produced for the album campaign, Roberts explained about the shoes and fashion in relation to the record saying; "that will play a big part in the campaign for the record
..the crystals represent a massive part in the theme of the album".
The shoe, a wedge, is in Weller's signature style and, whilst talking to ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', Weller called her intrigue at working with Roberts due to them being an unlikely pairing.
Weller called Roberts' style "incredible" and "extremely distinctive, luxurious and original":
A collaboration is like a good conversation, Nicola came to my studio a couple of times and I went to hers; we initially chatted about her music, the forthcoming album and how this related to her vision for the shoes. I went away and started designing my response to this. After our first meeting I was excited by her ideas and collaborating with people who have a strong vision is really fantastic. Nicola considers everything she does really carefully and has a totally clear view of what she wants to achieve. While the shoes are just a small part of this, I knew it would be interesting and fun to work together.
Development
Roberts co-wrote every song on the album, with the exception of
the Korgis
The Korgis are a British pop band known mainly for their hit single "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" in 1980. The band was originally composed of singer/guitarist/keyboardist Andy Davis (born Andrew Cresswell-Davis 10 August 1949) and singe ...
song "
Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime
"Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" is a 1980 single written by James Warren and first performed by British pop band the Korgis; Warren was lead singer in the band. It has subsequently been covered by numerous other artists.
Background
"Everyb ...
" which she covered for the record.
The songwriting partnership was important to Roberts, who said "I had to feel like I would say and mean every single one of these lyrics" and explained that she wouldn't want to release something that wasn't her own as she had been given an opportunity where she "put every last bit of heart and soul into it".
In an interview with ''Rolling Stone'', Roberts was questioned on her concept for the record, where she stated that she wished to avoid a record produced under guidelines of regular
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
.
She found that producing an "electro" record helped her produce an innovative record, she found that after working with the Girls Aloud producer
Xenomania
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, Xenoman ...
that she was used to "breaking pop rules" something which she continued with during the
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
of ''Cinderella's Eyes''.
Vocally she also wanted to produce something that could come as a surprise to those who hadn't heard her "full range before".
The title of the album derives from a track of the same name from the album.
The song "Cinderella's Eyes" was written in the early stages of the album recording, with lyrics telling a story similar to several fairy tale characters. Roberts described "Cinderella's Eyes" as "a song on my album that I wrote about a year ago… It's about a girl called
Sleeping Beauty
''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...
who wakes up and wonders what life has instore for her… 'Will she meet any baddies or goodies and will she lay with any Princes or Hoodies'… She asks Cinderella 'Are you happy with your fella and your nice home', and tells girls 'They have to do it for themselves as cards are so randomly dealt.' I think it represents my views on happy endings."
Whilst discussing the record with ''Rolling Stone'' she discussed her selection of producers for the record, with a goal to create "a unique record" becoming the basis of her selection.
After being asked whether there was anyone she wished to work with on the record, Roberts declared that she wanted
Kate Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...
. However, contacting Bush was difficult; after asking and hinting to her record label during the year she was producing the album, she found that nobody could establish communications.
Electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
band
Dragonette
Dragonette is the stage name of Canadian singer-songwriter Martina Sorbara. Originally an electronic music band from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2005, the band consisted of Sorbara with her husband Dan Kurtz as bassist and producer (also in The ...
worked on the album, producing the second single from the album, "Lucky Day".
The band were among the first to work on the record. Roberts co-wrote the lyrics, saying: "When I wrote 'Lucky Day' I had short hair and was really into
'40s fashion. All of the 'woah woah woah woah' and the 'ah ha' really is a reflection of that."
She also stated when it came to the production of the track, early in 2011, that she wanted to produce a "more
downbeat
' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
record" noting it was what she was into at that point".
Roberts worked with producer
Diplo
Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with ...
, who co-produced the track "
Beat of My Drum",
she explained whilst talking to ''The Guardian'', "I had to ring him
iplo
The Irish People's Liberation Organisation was a small Irish socialist republican paramilitary organisation formed in 1986 by disaffected and expelled members of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), whose factions coalesced in the aftermat ...
and… you know when you ring a boy for the first time? I knew I only had one chance, so I just fired at him. 'I want this, I want that, don't send it back like that. I'm going to send you the session again just so you've got it.' He reassured me a bit, and I put the phone down, thinking, it's not in my hands now".
When Roberts received the track back from Diplo, she was too nervous to listen to it, as it meant so much to her.
Whilst back in her hometown of
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
she put her younger brother and sister in the car with her, and after burning the track to a CD, drove to a deserted field and played it loudly.
After positive responses from the pair, Roberts declared "I'm so proud of it. I can't believe it's mine. The man is a genius".
Roberts worked with producer
Joseph Mount
Joseph Patrick Kennith Mount (born 11 September 1982) is an English musician and record producer. He is the founder of British band Metronomy.
Biography
Mount started out as a rock and roll drummer, playing in various bands at school and then ...
on the album, recording two songs.
For years before the pair started work together, Mount had mentioned several times that he wished to work with Girls Aloud, and had sent "short beats" to her, including music which he thought the record label would approve of, as well as a wild-card style compilation.
When the two started work in the studio, both of the tracks produced by Mount were chosen from the wild-card category, with lyrics written by Roberts, and the melodies in the tracks produced jointly.
Composition
The album opens with the track "Beat of My Drum" and the track has been compared to artists
M.I.A.,
Daphne and Celeste
Daphne and Celeste are an American pop duo, consisting of Celeste Cruz and Karen 'Daphne' DiConcetto. Three of their singles reached the top 20 in the UK Singles Chart.
Success and album reaction
They released three singles in the UK: " Ooh Sti ...
and
the Ting Tings
The Ting Tings are an English indie pop duo from Salford, Greater Manchester formed in 2007. The band consists of Katie White (vocals, guitar, bass drums, bass guitar, cowbells) and Jules De Martino (drums, lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, ...
, featuring a "breakdown section" where Roberts
raps as well as singing traditional vocals.
The second track, "Lucky Day", is a
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
song and has gathered comparisons to artists
Katy Perry
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
and
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...
.
The
1960s
File:1960s montage.png, Clockwise from top left: U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War; the Beatles led the British Invasion of the U.S. music market; a half-a-million people participate in the 1969 Woodstock Festival; Neil Armstrong and Buzz ...
style track lyrically talks about falling in love, with Roberts explaining "The song is about a boy not playing along but in the end you win him over and it's your lucky day. You can take it however you want though, maybe you won on the scratch cards and so you had a lucky day, that kind of thing".
Roberts' voice has been described as a "springy" vibrato, with breathy background vocals featuring sounds effect including repeated kissing noises.
The next track, "
Yo-Yo
A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in ...
", has been compared to the sound of Kate Bush and described as "wistful", featuring the lyrics "I'm the kind of girl who likes to dream a lot".
It opens with an
808 808 may refer to:
Music
* Roland-808, Roland TR-808, a drum machine
* 808 (film), ''808'' (film), a documentary about the Roland TR-808
* 808 State, British electronic group
* ''808s & Heartbreak'', the fourth studio album by American Hip hop artis ...
kick drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
, and the track "thumps to a dramatic,
50's girlpop
pastiche
A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking it ...
". The "unhinged" choruses featuring explicit words, lyrics such as "Don't want to be the last to know-oh oh oh", and during the
middle-eight of the track the 1950s theme "completely goes out the window" for a classic club mix featuring a
drum machine.
"Cinderella's Eyes", the fourth track, has been compared to past tracks by Girls Aloud, with a "
slomo disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
" style where Roberts performs
falsetto
''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave.
It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...
, suggesting a Kate Bush influence.
"Porcelain Heart" is the fifth track, featuring an "eerie twinkle of descending notes". The track has been described as "
Italo-disco
Italo disco (variously capitalized, and sometimes hyphenated as Italo-disco) is a music genre which originated in Italy in the late 1970s and was mainly produced in the early 1980s. Italo disco evolved from the then-current underground dance, p ...
" with a "single-minded pulse", with Roberts shouting the word "heart" before the track breaks into a
synth
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
section.
The sixth track, "I", has been described as a "moody-electro" and a "dark pop" track.
It opens with an
Eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
-style introduction which merges into a "romantic synth" part, with Roberts singing "I’m scared to wake up one day and find out that my bubble's burst" and hoping that "everyone loves" her new direction, as well as mentioning her dislike for "people that leave comments on the internet".
The next track is a cover of the Korgis' "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime". Roberts explained the inclusion of the track on the album saying "The lyrics mean a lot to me. I identified with the song in general. It might not be powerful to everybody, but it's powerful to me. I wanted to do it, I love the song."
The cover precedes the song "Say It Out Loud", which has gathered comparisons to Katy Perry, and is a
high-energy pop song featuring "
Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles was a Canadian electronic music group formed in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, formed by songwriter-producer Ethan Kath and singer-songwriter Alice Glass, who later left and was replaced by Edith Frances. Crystal Castles were know ...
-ish 8-bit bleeps here and there" and a chorus with a "big old fuzzy hollering rush".
"Gladiator", the ninth track, has been described as a
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
-style dance track.
The disco track hears Roberts perform "girly" vocals, with comparisons to
Teena Marie
Mary Christine Brockert (March 5, 1956 – December 26, 2010), known professionally as Teena Marie, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, composer, arranger, and producer. She was known by her childhood nickname Tina before taking the sta ...
and
Heartbreak, whilst the following song "Fish Out of Water" garnerered comparisons to
Metronomy
Metronomy are an English electronic music group formed in 1999. As of 2021, the band consists of Joseph Mount (vocals, keyboards and guitar), Oscar Cash (keyboards, backing vocals, guitar and saxophone), Anna Prior (drums and vocals), Olugbenga ...
.
Track eleven, "Take a Bite" has been compared to singer
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson (born 12 June 1979), known as Robyn (), is a Swedish pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. She arrived on the music scene with her 1995 debut album, ''Robyn Is Here'', which produced two Billboard Hot 100, ''Bil ...
;
and features a rap from Roberts including "Called me a rude ginger bitch, they're gonna eat all their words" – referencing a 2003 feud with a member of pop group
Busted.
The final track "
Sticks and Stones" describes a time when she would beg her driver to buy her
vodka
Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuritie ...
despite being underage, in relation to the subject matter Roberts explained "How funny that I was too young for so many things, yet you thought I'd cope with being told I'm ugly, Over and over".
Roberts explained the concept of the track, noting "What it is with 'Sticks and Stones' is I wanted all the people out there who hurt like that to know that they're not the only ones in that position. Sometimes there's so many people in the world suffering from the same thing or hurting from the same thing, but they feel like they’re on their own. I wanted a song that could highlight the subject so it was like, actually I’m so not on my own here."
Lyricism on the album, was based around rap, and rhyme with Roberts stating they were based on personal events, she said:
The lyrics are quite personal. I like rap music
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
, and rappers use real-life language and don’t hold back in what they talk about. My lyrics aren’t generic pop lyrics just there because they rhyme. I’ve tried to write things as I’d say them, so it sounds more like me. There’s a song called "Sticks And Stones", which is about when I was 17 and I thought I’d won the jackpot when I got in the band irls Aloud and then things not turning out as I might have expected. The middle eight on that song is very honest and truthful.
Critical reception
The album received praise from music critics upon its release. Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the ''
Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' found that Roberts had pushed her "mainstream pop background to the limit".
He explained that whilst many expected the worst from another Girls Aloud band member, he noted "You expect the worst – well, not worse than
Cole
Cole may refer to:
Plants
* Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed).
People
* Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole
* Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole
Companies
*Cole Motor C ...
's terrible albums, but not good – only to discover that ''Cinderella's Eyes'' is actually very promising".
Robert Copsey from
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
found that without listening to the album the impact would be limited as she had a "troubled start" and "limited solo spots" with band Girls Aloud but after listening to the record he expressed that her transition to a "trendy solo songstress is one discussed with admirable honesty throughout her debut offering".
James Lachno of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' gave the album four stars out of five and stated "Nicola Roberts has made an assured solo debut that suggests she may outlast her flashier bandmates as a
pop star
A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in popular culture is regarded as constituting a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The usage of the term is largely subjective since there are no definitively object ...
of substance", he positively commented on her use of a "autobiographical lyrics" and compared the album to those of Robyn.
Hermione Hoby of ''The Guardian'' gave the album four stars out of five, calling "Beat of My Drum", "infectiously bratty" and positively responded to the track "Porcelain Heart" saying, "her
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
-bothering bellow of 'heaaaaaart' on the fearsome 'Porcelain Heart', Roberts sounds utterly self-assured."
Rick Pearson of the ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'' felt that her Cinderella-persona for the album concept was appropriate to her life story calling the record "a glittering pop song furnished with yelping Kate Bush-isms – while Metronomy's Joseph Mount drops by to produce the haunting highlight 'Fish out of Water'. Fun and fearless: Roberts can go to the ball".
Emily Mackay of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' generally responded well to the album's tracks, Mackay concluded her review of the album, stating "Well, it's admirably honest, if trying a little to hard to be weird, and its LOOK I'M WELL QUIRKY charms might well grow on us with repeated listens. Unlike the work of her fellow Girls, there's some actual depth and wit here."
Hugh Montgomery of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' described Roberts as "the most interesting Girl Aloud" whilst calling the album "one of the finest pop albums of the year".
Montgomery described the album as "conspicuously characterful", "self-revealing" and called the record "a fairy tale indeed".
Matthew Horton of
Virgin Media
Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, Cable television, television and Internet access, internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, Berkshire, Reading, Engla ...
found Nicola Roberts solo effort to be the most successful of the Girls Aloud band members, saying "While the obvious voices,
Nadine and Cheryl, have had a go, it's shy sullen Nicola who's made a satisfying record from start to finish", Horton labelled "I" a "
avant-pop
Avant-pop is popular music that is experimental music, experimental, new, and distinct from previous styles while retaining an immediate accessibility for the listener. The term implies a combination of avant-garde sensibilities with existing ele ...
" song, and called "Beat of My Drum" "ear-catching", whilst writing about the album "somehow everything works".
Despite giving the album seven out of ten, Krystina Nellis of ''
Drowned in Sound
''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums.
History
''D ...
'' gave a mixed to positive review, Nellis listed both "Say It Out Loud" and "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" as the two weakest on the album but praised tracks like "I" as well as producer Metronomy, overall Nellis declared "''Cinderella's Eyes'' isn't exactly a
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
PhD thesis
A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...
on the Plight of Woman. But it's born out of the knowing air of experience, particularly of life's shittier moments, that all the best pop artists should have and too many lack."
Release and promotion
The lead single was released with the "
on air on sale" method had an on air. Roberts stated that
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
wanted this as it was the way they were releasing all of their new work.
The record label was attempting to avoid illegal downloads as much as possible, with Roberts stating that "it's now harder for artists" this way.
Talking of Girls Aloud, Roberts stated she was used to releasing a song after around six weeks of promotion, including radio, television and press promotion, and commented that it was "very scary" to release a song without this publicity.
She also noted the effect of this kind of release against chart positions, she said, "I think it's harder for the public now because it's always been about the chart position. I also think it takes the excitement out of the charts because it's not a competition anymore."
The album artwork and track-listing were confirmed on 22 August 2011 on Roberts official website, with a confirmation that fans who pre-ordered the album on
Play.com
Rakuten.co.uk is a website owned by Rakuten, that operates as an online marketplace. The website does not sell any products directly, but instead allows third party sellers to sell their products. The website replaced Play.com, which was origin ...
would receive a signed poster, and those who pre-ordered the song from digital store
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
would have an exclusive highlight video montage of her webisode series ''Through Nicola's Eyes''.
A deluxe edition of the album featuring ten new songs, ''Behind Cinderella's Eyes'', was announced on 26 October 2021.
Singles
"Beat of My Drum" was the first single released from the album, and was produced by French producer
Dimitri Tikovoï
Dimitri Tikovoï is a French, Grammy-nominated record producer and DJ who has worked with bands including Placebo, Purple Disco Machine, Ghost, The Horrors, Charli XCX, Black Honey, Mikky Ekko, Marianne Faithfull, Becky Hill, Blondie and ...
with additional production by Diplo
and was released on 5 June 2011 in the United Kingdom.
The track has been compared to those of artists M.I.A. and Daphne and Celeste. Produced by
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after t ...
, it features Roberts performing both singing and rap vocals.
The track received acclaim from critics,
but commercially it performed weakly, peaking at number 27 in the United Kingdom.
A music video, directed by
Wendy Morgan, was recorded in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
The second single, "Lucky Day", was released on 16 September 2011
and was produced by Canadian electropop band Dragonette.
Inspired by the 1940s era, Roberts wanted to produce a "more downbeat dance record".
The dance-pop track lyrically talks of a relationship where the man is not succumbing to Roberts advances, but "winning" him over in the end of the song; however, she stated the lyrics could be interpreted into any lucky situation.
It garnered generally positive reviews from critics, who responded positively to the pop elements and the production by Dragonette.
A music video, directed by Stephen Agnes, was released and was recorded in the
East Village of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, featuring Roberts performing in a floral dress. "Yo-Yo" was released as the third single from the album on 6 January 2012.
The song garnered generally positive reviews being labelled "radio friendly".
Track listing
* additional production.
Charts
Release history
References
Works cited
*
{{Authority control
2011 debut albums
A&M Records albums
Albums produced by Diplo
Nicola Roberts albums
Albums produced by Dimitri Tikovoi