Like the Boomtown Rats, I'm technically cheating on this one, since Natalie's biggest hit "Torn" peaked at #42. However, that was due to the way the Billboard charts worked at the time. See, because "Torn" was never officially released as a single, it was prevented from entering the charts until Billboard changed the rules, allowing songs without physical singles to chart. However, they only did this during the last 2 weeks of "Torn"'s 11 week run on the Hot 100 Airplay chart at number 1. So I think it is safe to say that if that rule hadn't been in place at the beginning of the song's run, it would have easily cracked the top 40.
History lesson! Natalie Umbraglia (who has a name that is way too easy to mistype) is actually Australian. Not only that, she got her fame as an actress, playing Beth Brennan on the show Neighbours, a soap opera.
After leaving the show, Natalie got involved in the club scene in London, where she met with her future producer Anne Barret. Convinced by Barret to produce a demo of four songs, the executives at BGM Publishing signed her, impressed by the demo for the song "Torn", which became her first, and biggest, hit, which is a double sting when you realize it is a cover song.
Music starts with a light acoustic guitar line, with keyboard in the background. The music is not bad, but is a bit repetitive on the guitar. As a singer, Natalie is pretty good singer. Definitely young, but she has an idea of what her limits are, showing a rather pretty voice.
The lyrics, despite the music backing her up are not happy. Basically, she is describing her emotions after a break up, with the guy leaving. Her faith has been broken, her illusion of happiness shatter. Basically, she is torn.
Overall, this is quite a good song. I haven't heard the original, so I can't compare the two. On its own merits, however, this song is quite nice. The music is a bit repetitive, but still sounds good, and Natalie has a great singing voice for this type of song, showing a fair bit of vulnerability, and sounding like someone who has, in fact, had their perception of the world shaken, if not broken. I'd definitely listen to it again.
Unfortunately, this song, and the album it was on, was the peak of her success as a singer. Her next album, "White Lilies Island", was successful on the charts in Australia, but only sold 1.2 million albums worldwide, going gold in the UK and Australia, as compared to her debut, which sold 6 million albums worldwide and went quintuple platinum in Australia, triple platinum in the UK and Canada, and double platinum in the EU and US. The next album only sold 1 million copies, and only went gold in Australia, and her most recent album, released in 2009, barely made a chart impact.
Her only US Top 100 hit besides "Torn" was "Wrong Impression" off of "White Lilies Island", which peaked at #68. Music is a bit different in this song, opening with a brief violin line, before switching to an electric guitar part with piano, then finally switching to acoustic guitar and piano like "Torn". Her singing is still solid, and much more fast-paced and happier than "Torn". As for the lyrics, she is telling a guy that she loves him, and wants to make a connection through love, saying she didn't want to give him the "Wrong Impression". It's a decent song, but I do like "Torn" more.
Her biggest hit worldwide besides "Torn", though it didn't chart in the US, was "Big Mistake". This song has much more keyboard, with drums this time, and electric guitar during the chrous. Her singing is, if anything, better than her two US hits, with a rougher voice, but still sounding high-pitched in a good way. The lyrics are quite different from her other songs as well, being a scathing attack on a guy who wronged her, telling him that he made a big mistake wronging her, and will not be forgiving him.
Should she have been a bigger hit in the US? Honestly...I don't think so. I think she is good, don't get me wrong. But at the time of her career peak, singers like her were a dime a dozen, and she just doesn't stand out as especially good in that crowd. However, she does have a new album planned for this year, apparently, so maybe she can turn it around.
Previously: The Corrs [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.825437-One-Hit-Wonderful-The-Corrs]
Next: The Buggles [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.825937-One-Hit-Wonderful-The-Buggles#20045723]
History lesson! Natalie Umbraglia (who has a name that is way too easy to mistype) is actually Australian. Not only that, she got her fame as an actress, playing Beth Brennan on the show Neighbours, a soap opera.
After leaving the show, Natalie got involved in the club scene in London, where she met with her future producer Anne Barret. Convinced by Barret to produce a demo of four songs, the executives at BGM Publishing signed her, impressed by the demo for the song "Torn", which became her first, and biggest, hit, which is a double sting when you realize it is a cover song.
Natalie, at the time of "Torn".
Music starts with a light acoustic guitar line, with keyboard in the background. The music is not bad, but is a bit repetitive on the guitar. As a singer, Natalie is pretty good singer. Definitely young, but she has an idea of what her limits are, showing a rather pretty voice.
The lyrics, despite the music backing her up are not happy. Basically, she is describing her emotions after a break up, with the guy leaving. Her faith has been broken, her illusion of happiness shatter. Basically, she is torn.
Overall, this is quite a good song. I haven't heard the original, so I can't compare the two. On its own merits, however, this song is quite nice. The music is a bit repetitive, but still sounds good, and Natalie has a great singing voice for this type of song, showing a fair bit of vulnerability, and sounding like someone who has, in fact, had their perception of the world shaken, if not broken. I'd definitely listen to it again.
Unfortunately, this song, and the album it was on, was the peak of her success as a singer. Her next album, "White Lilies Island", was successful on the charts in Australia, but only sold 1.2 million albums worldwide, going gold in the UK and Australia, as compared to her debut, which sold 6 million albums worldwide and went quintuple platinum in Australia, triple platinum in the UK and Canada, and double platinum in the EU and US. The next album only sold 1 million copies, and only went gold in Australia, and her most recent album, released in 2009, barely made a chart impact.
Her only US Top 100 hit besides "Torn" was "Wrong Impression" off of "White Lilies Island", which peaked at #68. Music is a bit different in this song, opening with a brief violin line, before switching to an electric guitar part with piano, then finally switching to acoustic guitar and piano like "Torn". Her singing is still solid, and much more fast-paced and happier than "Torn". As for the lyrics, she is telling a guy that she loves him, and wants to make a connection through love, saying she didn't want to give him the "Wrong Impression". It's a decent song, but I do like "Torn" more.
Her biggest hit worldwide besides "Torn", though it didn't chart in the US, was "Big Mistake". This song has much more keyboard, with drums this time, and electric guitar during the chrous. Her singing is, if anything, better than her two US hits, with a rougher voice, but still sounding high-pitched in a good way. The lyrics are quite different from her other songs as well, being a scathing attack on a guy who wronged her, telling him that he made a big mistake wronging her, and will not be forgiving him.
Natalie Umbraglia, 2013. She...hasn't aged all that well, in my opinion.
Should she have been a bigger hit in the US? Honestly...I don't think so. I think she is good, don't get me wrong. But at the time of her career peak, singers like her were a dime a dozen, and she just doesn't stand out as especially good in that crowd. However, she does have a new album planned for this year, apparently, so maybe she can turn it around.
Previously: The Corrs [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.825437-One-Hit-Wonderful-The-Corrs]
Next: The Buggles [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.825937-One-Hit-Wonderful-The-Buggles#20045723]
