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The Sea (Melanie C album)

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The Sea
Studio album by
Melanie C
Released2 September 2011
GenrePop[1]
Length47:34
Label
Producer
Melanie C chronology
This Time
(2007) 		The Sea
(2011) 		Stages
(2012)
Singles from The Sea
  1. "Rock Me"
    Released: 24 June 2011
  2. "Think About It"
    Released: 4 September 2011
  3. "Weak"
    Released: 6 November 2011
  4. "Let There Be Love"
    Released: 2 December 2011

The Sea is the fifth studio album by English singer Melanie C. Made under her own independent record label Red Girl Records. The album marked her first new material in four years, since the reunion with the Spice Girls.

Preceding the album's release, promotional single, and lead single on the German version, "Rock Me" was released for digital download worldwide (and as well as a physical single in Germany, Austria and Switzerland) on 24 June 2011. The single serves as the official song of the popular German TV network ZDF's media coverage of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. The music video for lead single "Think About It", premiered on 15 July 2011 on her official website and was simultaneously sent to radio stations in the UK.

Recording and production

The album was recorded in London. Chisholm talked about her inspirations and goals for this record:

"I'm very excited about the record because it's quite diverse in styles. I've worked with lots of new writers, people I haven't worked with before. There's still very much a pop element, and I've got some lovely ballads, some rock inspired tracks, some more dancey stuff, some acoustic stuff, and production-wise, there are some very atmospheric moments. So I really think it's going to be a diverse and stronger album. When I started working with this album, I really didn't know what I wanted to achieve, so I wanted to be ambitious and experiment, work with new people, and try on different styles of music. And through doing that I really discovered the way I wanted to express myself and the sound I wanted to create. All that has made it become quite diverse, and it's funny, because I suppose my first studio album, Northern Star, is probably the most similar to this record, in that it does have loads of different styles, although it is fundamentally a pop record."[2]

Concept and artwork

Regarding the concept of The Sea, Chisholm said in a video interview on YouTube that the album is cohesively experimental, mixing many different genres/styles of music into one unified pop album with electronic undertones, therefore naming it The Sea, which encompasses the many species who inhabit beneath the oceans surface. Mel has also described the album as being both harmonic and euphoric in feeling. The cover, which depicts Chisholm standing and emerging from the sea, was photographed on location in Whitby, North Yorkshire.[3]

The cover photography is by Pip, who also provides a couple of the inner location photographs. Additional booklet photography is by long-term collaborator Ray Burmiston. The sleeve is by Ian Ross who also designed Chisholm's two previous solo albums, Beautiful Intentions and This Time.

Composition

Chisholm stated that she worked with a lot of new writers and producers for this album, where she tended to work with the same writers for her previous records, notably Adam Argyle, who co-wrote some material for this record. The album was co-written /produced with the likes of Starsailor's James Walsh, Guy Chambers, and Spice/Spiceworld producer Richard Stannard, Andy Chatterley (both of whom have worked with artists such as Kylie Minogue, amongst others). Chisholm also worked with the Swedish Cutfather producing team. The album has acoustic moments, as well as some rock-driven songs and upbeat dance records.[4]

Singles

"Rock Me" was released only in Germany on 24 June 2011. The song serves as the official song of the popular German channel ZDF's coverage of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. The music video for "Rock Me" premiered on Chrisholm's YouTube channel on 7 June 2011.[5] The single reached the Top 40 on the German Singles Chart and was featured in the UK as a B-side on the "Think About It" CD single.

The lead worldwide single "Think About It" premiered in the form of a music video premiere held on MelanieC.net on 15 July 2011. The single was released on 4 September 2011 and charted within the Top 100 of the UK Singles Chart at number 95. The track also went Top 10 on the Canadian Physical Singles chart (number 6) and Top 40 in both Austria (number 34) and Switzerland (number 30; also number 16 in the Swiss Radio Airplay Chart) and in Poland number 35 on radio airplay chart. The single peaked at number 15 on the Official UK Indie singles charts.

In the UK, "Weak" was released as the album's official second single and was released on 6 November 2011. The song peaked at number 29 on the UK Indie Singles Chart and at number 50 on UK Radio Airplay Chart, her highest appearance on the chart since her 2003 single "Melt".[6]

"Let There Be Love" was released in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on 2 December 2011.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Entertainment Focus[1]
Express(favorable)[7]
OK! Magazine[8]
Liverpool Echo(favorable)[9]
musicOMH[10]
Sunday Mercury(favorable)[11]

The album received positive reviews from music critics. Jon O'Brien wrote positively for AllMusic that "The Sea is still a huge leap forward from her past three efforts, and had it been released as the follow-up to Northern Star, rather than 12 years down the line, it could possibly have sustained her initial solo success."[4] O'Brien, who rated it three-and-a-half out of five stars, went to praise the tracks "Think About It" and "Stupid Game", which he considered "bombastic Katy Perry/Kelly Clarkson-esque pop/rock anthems which prove she can still compete with those who were barely in their teens during the peak of Spicemania, while the grandiose "Get Out of Here" sounds like Muse's cover of "Feeling Good" crossed with a John Barry's James Bond score."[4]

Pip Elwood from the "Entertainment Focus" was also positive, rating it four out of five stars. He wrote that "The Sea is a strong release from Melanie and one that could return her to her former chart glory. (...) "The Sea is a consistent collection of pop gems that should score her another big hit."[1] Simon Gage wrote favorably for the Daily Express that "This new album, her first in four years, gives that voice a real workout from power ballads and rock-outs to dancefloor fillers."[7] OK! Magazine wrote that "The Sea is easily her most ambitious album yet, blending rock, pop and maybe the tiniest hint of electro."[8] Jade Wright from Liverpool Echo wrote a favorable review, stating that "Mel C proves it’s about being real – there’s no saccharine sweetness, no femme fatale, just a take-me-as-you-see me attitude that shines through. The Sea makes for a good listen, whether you’re a fan or not."[9] Nick Harries from Sunday Mercury wrote a very positive review, declaring that the singer "cue a set with something for everyone – dance pop (Think About It); Alanis angst (Beautiful Mind); songwriter chic (One By One); 1980s electrobeat (Stupid Game); radio rock (All About You) – and the ballistic big finish (all eight minutes of Enemy). Best is the title track opener, with its minor key melody and drumbeat drama."[11]

Track listing

The Sea track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Sea"
Andy Chatterley4:51
2."Weak"
Chatterley3:24
3."Think About It"
  • Adam Argyle
  • Daniel Davidsen
  • Jason Gill
  • Chisholm
  • Mich Hansen
  • Cutfather
  • Davidsen
  • Jason Gill
3:47
4."Beautiful Mind"
  • Dee Adam
  • James Earp
  • Chisholm
Chatterley3:41
5."One by One"
Greg Hatwell4:06
6."Stupid Game"
Chatterley3:20
7."All About You"
Peter-John Vettese4:01
8."Burn"
  • Argyle
  • Davidsen
  • Gill
  • Chisholm
  • Hansen
  • Cutfather
  • Davidsen
  • Jason Gill
4:00
9."Drown"
  • Argyle
  • Jodi Marr
  • Chisholm
Chatterley3:59
10."Get Out of Here"
  • Chisholm
  • Vettese
Vettese4:10
11."Enemy"
  • Hatwell
  • Chisholm
  • Chatterley
  • Hatwell
8:12
Total length:47:34
iTunes bonus track[12]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
12."Let There Be Love"
  • Daniel Faust
  • Plate
  • Sommer
3:33
German edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Think About It"  3:47
2."Burn"  4:00
3."Get Out of Here"  4:10
4."Weak"  3:24
5."Stupid Game"  3:20
6."Let There Be Love"  3:33
7."Drown"  3:59
8."All About You"  4:01
9."The Sea"  4:51
10."Beautiful Mind"  3:41
11."One By One"  4:06
12."Rock Me"
  • Chisholm
  • Dave Roth
  • David Jost
  • Chatterley
  • Roth
3:13
iTunes bonus track[12]
No.TitleLength
13."Enemy"8:12
Amazon MP3 bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Think About It (Acoustic Version - Live at Hitradio Ö3)"3:23

B-sides

Title Single
"Stop This Train" "Rock Me" – German CD, digital download
"Cruel Intentions" "Think About It" – UK CD, German CD, digital download
"Stronger" "Weak" – UK CD, digital download / "Let There Be Love" – German CD, digital download

Leftover tracks

Charts

Chart performance for The Sea
Chart (2011) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[15] 38
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] 16
Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] 69
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 13
UK Albums (OCC)[19] 45
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[20] 29
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[21] 6

Release history

Release dates and formats for The Sea
Region Date Labels Refs.
Austria 2 September 2011 Warner Music / 313 Music [22]
Croatia [22]
Czech Republic [22]
Germany [23]
Serbia [22]
Slovakia [22]
Slovenia [22]
Switzerland [22]
Denmark 5 September 2011 Warner Music [22]
Finland [22]
Norway [22]
Sweden [22]
United Kingdom Red Girl Records [24]
United States
Poland 31 October 2011 Warner Music [25]
Turkey 12 December 2011 Warner Music / EMI Turkey [26]

References

  1. ^ a b c Elwood, Pipa. "Melanie C - The Sea - Entertainment Focus". Entertainment Focus. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  2. ^ Melanie C - Rock Me Interview on YouTube
  3. ^ "An update from Melanie & 'The Sea' preview 5: 'Drown'". MelanieC.net. 10 August 2011. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d O'Brien, Jon (6 September 2011). "The Sea - Melanie C". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  5. ^ Melanie C - Rock Me (Music Video) on YouTube
  6. ^ a b "New Singles: 'Weak' & 'Let There Be Love'". MelanieC.net. 21 September 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  7. ^ a b Gage, Simon (2 September 2011). "Express.co.uk - ALBUM REVIEW - MELANIE C: THE SEA". Express. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  8. ^ a b "OK! Magazine - Review: Melanie C, The Sea". OK! Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  9. ^ a b Wright, Jade. "Melanie C - The Sea - album review - Liverpool Echo". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  10. ^ Ben Weisz (5 September 2011). "Melanie C – The Sea". musicOMH. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  11. ^ a b Harries, Nick. "Melanie C - The Sea - album review - Sunday Mercury". Sunday Mercury. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  12. ^ a b "iTunes - Music - The Sea by Melanie C". iTunes Store. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  13. ^ "Melanie C - The Sea Live DVD - Too Soon (Bonus Track)". YouTube. 9 March 2012.
  14. ^ "Melanie C - Rising Sun (Full Song)". YouTube. 24 May 2013.
  15. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Melanie C – The Sea" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  16. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Melanie C – The Sea" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  17. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  18. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Melanie C – The Sea". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  19. ^ "Melanie C | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  20. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  21. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Melanie C talks about her fifth album 'The Sea' on YouTube
  23. ^ "The Sea: Melanie C: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  24. ^ "The Sea: Melanie C: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  25. ^ "Warner Music Poland". Warnermusic.pl. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  26. ^ "The Sea - Melanie C". Emikent.com.tr. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
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