Ira Losco
Ira Losco M.Q.R. (born 31 July 1981) is a Maltese pop singer. Her career breakthrough came in 2002, when she represented Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 with the song "7th Wonder". She placed second in the competition, Malta's best ...
's first unplugged album (her third studio album) is ''Unmasked: the unplugged album''.
It was recorded in 2006, produced by Howard Keith (at Jagged House), and released on 6 December 2006. ''Unmasked'' includes various unplugged renditions of Losco's previous hit songs, unique arrangements of some 80s classics, and some new original material.
Concept and idea
The idea for an unplugged album was born after Losco's supporting tour in Germany. The producer of the album, Howard Keith, said "Whilst touring her electric set in Germany Ira Losco had an opportunity of also doing 4 unplugged shows with
Katie Melua
Ketevan Katie Melua (; ka, ქეთევან "ქეთი" მელუა, ; born 16 September 1984) is a Georgian and British singer and songwriter. She was born in Kutaisi and raised in Belfast and London. Under the management of comp ...
who is now a multi platinum respected artist. The experience was very positive, and her set was so well received, that I thought it would be a great idea to record an unplugged album. I ran this thought by Ira, who loved the idea and we started working on it. The result speaks in volumes..."
Losco said that "The whole concept was to allow the instruments and voice top take prominence in this record... I wanted to really explore my voice and its different tones... Lyrically I wanted to expose my true emotions.. vulnerability is truly beautiful through music."
Songs
''Unmasked'' includes special unplugged arrangements for some of Losco's previous songs, including the hit singles "Love Me Or Hate Me", "Accident Prone", and "Driving One Of Your Cars".
The album also features unplugged cover versions of some '80s classics, including
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
's "
Time After Time",
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their plat ...
's "Bedsitter", and
The Cure
The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...
's "
Love Song
A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order. ...
".
Two original songs are found in this album, which were both released as singles. The first was "Winter Day", which received positive reviews, and was a hit in the local radio airplay charts.
[Ira Losco – Latest News]
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The second single from ''Unmasked'' was "Arms of the Ones... ...", released in March 2007.
"The songs speak of the injustices in the world especially in times of war. It is an appeal and a wake-up call to those who by their actions and decisions cause conflicts over and over and thus affecting the lives of innocent people and children. Ira Losco claims to have been inspired to write the song after recently being in contact with War Child International, whom she is now supporting."
Track listing
Charts
References
External links
Official Ira Losco website
Official Myspace page
Lyrics to Ira Losco's ''Unmasked'' album
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2006 albums
Ira Losco albums