Sting

Gabriella Cilmi's 2008 debut, the immensely charming Lessons To Be Learned, marked the arrival of a major new talent, one that swept me off my feet and blew me away. What was a metalhead to do?! All my life neither parent nor priest could sway me from my dedication to the darkside, but now a beam of light shone upon my music listening world plunging it into disarray. I was rendered powerless by the remarkable vocal ability of a sixteen-year-old girl and nothing would ever be the same. That memory, that joyful discovery, is the reason why Lessons To Be Learned will always hold a special place for me.The next chapter began two years later with the posting of the video for "On A Mission", the new single from her forthcoming album, Ten. Filled with glee, eyes ablaze in rapt attention, I eagerly clicked play expecting greatness. I was left cold and confused. My soul pop princess had gone corporate, transformed into a dolled-up diva fresh off the factory floor with a song to match. This was not what I wanted, but I found myself unable to resist. With repeated listens my reluctance gave way to appreciation, and so once I got my hands on the full album, I thought this new direction wasn't so bad after all.As of this writing I think Ten is really good, an album I stand by musically for the most part but the promotion of which is another matter. Why "Love Me Cos" was never pushed as a single is beyond my comprehension, and that "On A Mission" live routine was the embodiment of everything Gabriella Cilmi should not be. I also wasn't thrilled with the "Defender" video and the photos that were released at the time thinking she was too talented to have to resort to such tactics. Ultimately, selling a dish that wasn't her, served up by a bunch of cooks she didn't like, made for an unpleasant experience that led to Gabriella leaving her management and record label. It was a bold move but one that had to be done. With the reins of her career now firmly in hand, it was time to find herself again - it was time to make things right.The genesis of The Sting began with the writing of "Vicious Love", a song that renewed her confidence and gave her a direction of pursuit. If Ten is the anomaly, the one destined to show less and less of its glamorous self with each passing tour, then The Sting is the philosophical, if not chronological, follow-up to Lessons To Be Learned. It is also Gabriella's personal statement: her declaration of integrity as an artist that just as easily could have been a self-titled release. After all, it's more than just a course correction; it's a new beginning, a new start, and every bit as much a debut as the first, only if Lessons To Be Learned was a summertime stroll then The Sting has seen a change of season. It's a walk through a colder climate born of experience, and it makes for an album that's more mature, more complex, wiser, darker, better.In each aspect of songwriting, performance and production, cool moments and smart choices abound all over The Sting's musical landscape. The sparse "Highway" opens the proceedings with Gabriella's vocal embrace backed by lumbering beats and thudding bass. It's a powerful introduction to an array of atmospheric soul pop built on a foundation of bass and drums graced with guitar, keyboards and strings. "Awkward Game" used to be the brightest star in the Cilmiverse, but with the staggering "Don't Look Back" and playfully sinister title track being such supernova-like achievements, I think it's been outshined. With its stiff upper lipped military march of a percussion push come that stirring climax, "Vicious Love" draws engagement with fellow ballad-in-arms "Defender", and that's a battle that song simply doesn't win.The pleading "Every Memory", haunting "Not Sorry" and just plain haunted "I Am Just A Girl" follow the driving "Symmetry" and wistful "Sweeter In History" to complete The Sting's lineup of great songs, the number of which is testament to its overall quality. "Left With Someone Else", "Parallel Universe", "Kill Ourselves" and uncredited closer "Deep Water" are also quite good which leaves me empty handed when it comes to passing out criticism. As far as Gabriella herself is concerned, her vocal sorcery is more potent than ever, and if I'm fated to remain enthralled to such enchantment then that's fine by me.So there you have it. At the most important juncture of her career when it counted most, Gabriella Cilmi rose to the occasion and put forth the album she absolutely had to make: her best. The Sting is a classy return to form, and as a huge fan with high expectations, I couldn't be more pleased. It may have arrived three and a half years late, but it's exactly what I wanted. The Sting is the album I've been waiting for all this time. / RATING: Excellent!

I always love the music of Gabriella Cilmi and this is no exception. There is something extremely sexy about her voice and if anything her voice seems to get more sexy as she gets older

If you are a fan, you need this album. It is a clear evolution in style that showcases her maturation as an artist.

Best sound from a great "new" singer. Finally an artist to appreciate after 2 decades.

Love it!!

Gabriella Cilmi's best album to date. If you enjoyed the last 2 releases lessons to be learned and ten.Then this follow up is right up your alley. 5 stars.

Loved her first two albums and this didn't disappoint either

Great mix of music been away and come back stronger she is a great talent will feature on music scene for long time

Finalmente è uscito il terzo disco di Gabriella Cilmi, che a soli 16 anni aveva stupito il mondo con il singolo Sweet about me ed un conseguente straordinario disco di debutto Lessons to be learned.A questo era seguito l’abbastanza deludente “Ten”, disco orientato verso la dance e l’electro-pop, non del tutto disprezzabile, ma certo lontano dalle vere passioni musicali e dalle ispirazioni di Gabriella.Liberatasi dal contratto con la Universal, Gabriella ha fatto la scelta coraggiosa di autogestirisi immagine e musica, ed ha realizzato questo ambizioso disco.Disco che, devo dire, non trovo completamente riuscito. Se da un lato è apprezzabile la coerenza ed il coraggio della giovane italo-australiana, e la cura complessiva nella realizzazione del disco, dall’altro non si può notare come The Sting soffra di alcune debolezze. Nei suoi momenti migliori (Simmetry. Left with someone else)il ritmo è pulsante e trascinante e sembra di essere tornati ai tempi di Lessons o delle cose migliori di Ten; oppure la musica crea un’atmosfera affascinante in cui il cantato di Gabriella emerge in modo significativo (Sweeter in History, Don’t look back). Alle volte, però, soprattutto nella iniziale Highway e nella parte finale del disco, Gabriella si fa prendere un po’ la mano dal manierismo, sia musicale che canoro, il ritmo rallenta, la musica scema riducendosi ad un puro tappeto percussivo( Not Sorry) le canzoni diventano involute e, diciamolo, un po’ noiose, ed il modo di cantare della bella australiana, basato su toni esageratamente bassi e sussurrati, diventa lezioso fino alla noia.Questo non compromette il giudizio complessivamente positivo sul disco, però mi auguro che in futuro Gabriella torni a sfoggiare la sua distinta e bella voce senza intellettualismi o manierismi di sorta.

THE STING ist das Ergebnis von 3 1/2 Jahren Arbeit im Studio und der Trennung vom Label Island Records und ihrem Management. Gabriella Cilmi hat ihre Fans lange warten lassen, aber das Warten hat sich gelohnt. In THE STING verarbeitet Cilmi die Erfahrungen der letzten Jahre im Privaten wie auch im Business. Der Weg geht weg vom poplastigen Sound des zweiten Studioalbums TEN. Cilmi zieht konsequent ihren eigenen Stil durch, teilweise kehren Elemente ihres ersten Studioalbums LESSONS TO BE LEARNED zurück. Mehr Balladen, mehr akustische Elemente, mehr Blues bestimmen den Sound von THE STING. Das Album ist durchgehend sehr gut anzuhören. Schade nur, dass das Album zur Zeit nur in Großbritannien performed wird. Auch in Deutschland wäre Gabriella Cilmi mit diesem Album durchaus wieder eine Bereicherung für die vielfältige Radiolandschaft.

Auch mit weniger Budget kann man ein gutes Album veröffentliche. Das beweist Gabriella Cilmi, nach einigen Schwierigkeiten kam ihr drittes Album nun endlich auch in Deutschland raus. Es kann sich wirklich hören lassen. Sie überzeugt einen von Anfang an mit ihrer Stimme.Es hätten ruhig etwas mehr Up-Tempo Songs vertreten sein dürfen, das vermisst man ein wenig auf dem Album.