Dido "Girl Who Got Away"

Girl Who Got Away is the fourth studio album by English recording artist Dido, released in Europe on 4 March 2013, and in North America on 26 March 2013 by RCA Records.[4] The album serves as the follow-up to 2008's Safe Trip Home. Recording for the album began in 2009 and ended in 2012, taking place at studios in London and California. Dido served as a co-producer for the album and enlisted help from a variety of producers including Jeff Bhasker, Jon Brion, Greg Kurstin, Rick Nowels, Plain Pat, Rollo, among others. Musically the album is a pop album with elements of electropop and trip hop.

"Girl Who Got Away" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented "folky midtempo melody" and Dido's vocal performances, while others stated that the album didn't "break any new ground". The album commercially fared well; it debuted at number five in the United Kingdom, giving Dido her fourth album to do so. The album peaked at number one on the Swiss Romandie album charts, at number two on the Swiss and German album charts and at number thirty two on the US Billboard 200 and has sold almost 500,000 copies worldwide. The album also charted within the top twenty of the Australian, Irish and New Zealand charts.

The album was preceded by promotional single "Let Us Move On" featuring Kendrick Lamar, whilst the album's lead single "No Freedom" was released in January 2013 and charted at number fifty-one on the UK Singles Chart. The second single "End of Night" was released in May 2013, however the single failed to chart at all in the United Kingdom but did make appearances on the Belgium charts. To further promote the album Dido did a series of live performances and radio shows making appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Heart London, Magic Radio, and BBC Radio 2.

Dido revealed shortly after the release of Safe Trip Home that she had been in the studio recording new material, slated for inclusion on her fourth studio album. In July 2009, Dido revealed that the album would have an electronic approach, in an attempt to take it in a totally different direction to her previous albums. In September 2010, Dido unveiled her brand new single, "Everything to Lose", and the track was released via digital download, having previously appeared on the Sex and the City 2 soundtrack. In January 2011, Dido unveiled a second brand new track, "If I Rise", teaming up with producer A.R. Rahman for the track, for which an official music video was released. Dido announced via her official website that the recording of the album had taken place in both London and California, and that some of the material had been recorded in her own hotel room, with a keyboard and a microphone. She also described the album as a "big, fun, electronic extravaganza". In an interview with the Daily Mail, Dido revealed that the album will feature production from Rollo Armstrong, Sister Bliss, Lester Mendez, A. R. Rahman, Rick Nowels, Greg Kurstin, Brian Eno and Jeff Bhasker, and that the album is on the verge of being completed.

Girl Who Got Away made it into the top 5 of seven album charts, being Dido's fourth album to do so in the United Kingdom. In the UK Albums Chart, the album debuted at number 5, becoming her fourth top-five album, but her lowest charting album (all of her previous albums, peaked inside the top-three). In France, the album charted higher, debuting and peaking at number 3, matching the same position of her previous album, Safe Trip Home, (2008). In Germany, the album debuted and peaked at number 2, her highest since Life for Rent, (2003). The album also peaked at number 2 on the Swiss Albums Chart, however it broke her strike of consecutive number-one albums (with Life for Rent and Safe Trip Home), becoming her only album to not reach the number-one position, alongside her debut album, No Angel, (1999). Nevertheless, the album peaked at number 1 in the french-speaking part of Switzerland (Romandie).

In Australia, the album only managed to peak at number 12, becoming her only album to miss the top-ten. In Canada, it peaked at number 10, becoming her fourth consecutive top-ten album, but also her lowest charting album. In the United States, the album only peaked at number 32, becoming her first album to miss the top-twenty and, subsequently, her lowest charting album. To date has sold 470,000 copies worldwide.

Dido "Safe Trip Home"

Safe Trip Home is the third studio album by Dido. It was released in the United Kingdom on 17 November 2008. The album features collaborations and production with Jon Brion, her brother Rollo Armstrong, Brian Eno, Mick Fleetwood, Citizen Cope and Questlove. The album was the 44th best-selling album worldwide of 2008, according to IFPI and has sold 1 million of copies since then. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

The album's cover artwork and track listing were revealed by Dido's official website on 5 September 2008. The album was originally due to be released on 3 November, but was delayed for two weeks due to manufacturing delays. In the UK, the album launch was heralded with a special listening party, which fans can win an invitation to through the Nectar loyalty card points scheme.

The album cover features a photograph of astronaut Bruce McCandless II during a spacewalk, as part of space shuttle mission STS-41-B. McCandless later sued Dido, Sony Music Entertainment and Getty Images over violating his publicity rights. The case was settled under undisclosed terms on 14 January 2011.


On 27 October 2008, it was announced that eleven short films were being produced to accompany the tracks on the album, based around the theme of home.

Dido "Life For Rent"

Life for Rent is the second studio album by British singer and songwriter Dido, released by Arista Records on 29 September 2003. The album was produced by Rollo Armstrong and American songwriter Rick Nowels. Work on the album began in mid-2002. It was certified 7× Platinum by the BPI; and sold over 12 million copies worldwide, making it the fourth best-selling album worldwide of 2003. The album became the seventh best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK, making Dido the only singer to have two albums in the Top 10 list.

Life for Rent's first track and lead single "White Flag" begins with a lone synth-chord reminiscent of Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U". In the song, the protagonist is unwilling to give up, even if they know it is over. It features "multi-layered" sound, delicate piano outro, and strings. In battle, a white flag signals surrender. By stating there will be "No white flag," she indicates she will not give up on the relationship. The second track "Stoned" has a dance vibe, bringing to mind David Bowie circa Outside (1995). The title track, "Life for Rent", has emotional gravity and graceful melody. The song opens with an acoustic guitar, keeping the guitar in and giving the tune a hip-hop beat. "Nothing I have is truly mine" she repeats at the conclusion. “Mary’s in India” is a reflective song about a friend who moves abroad, as the title suggests, and the void her departure creates in those she leaves behind. The fifth track "See You When You're 40" is a somber and melodic ballad with a touch of symphonic air, featuring "quasi" trip hop beat. 'And I've seen, tonight, what I'd been warned about / I'm gonna leave, tonight, before I change my mind,' she sings.

The sixth track "Don't Leave Home" sounds like she is picking herself up again although she speaks of shutting the blinds and closing the door, but she revealed that it's about drug addiction. The "narrator" of the song is the drug. Like a controlling lover, the drug takes over the user's life until he does not even want to leave home. "Who Makes You Feel" is a trip-pop, soulful and tender track. "Sand in My Shoes" talks about not having time, while the bridge get a bit dance-house. "Do You Have a Little Time" features lush strings and hip-hop back-beats. "This Land Is Mine" is a reflective piece that according to PopMatters, "could have Travis or Coldplay recording it with big grins on their faces. Simplistic and sparse, the song sounds just a bit like Olivia Newton-John in the early seventies, according to them. "See the Sun" sees Dido swoops in as savior for a broken heart, classified as a "mini-anthem that has all the right items in their proper places."

Life for Rent is the fastest selling album by a female artist, passing five million sales mark in just two weeks. It sold 102,500 on the first day, and 400,351 in the first week. According to the IFPI, it was the fourth best-selling album worldwide of 2003. Also, according to the BPI, Life for Rent was the best-selling album of 2003 in United Kingdom; and the seventh best-selling album between 2000 and 2009 in the country. The album spent ten weeks at the top of the UK albums chart. It remained on the chart for 54 weeks. Also, spent 18 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the European Top 100 Albums chart. In the United States, Life for Rent debuted and peaked at number four. By October 2003, the album had sold over a million and half copies. In Australia the album debuted at number one on the ARIA albums chart, being certified platinum (70,000) copies in its first week. It was one of the biggest selling albums of 2003 and went on to be certified six times platinum for sales of over 420,000. With this, Dido matched the huge success of her previous effort, No Angel. Dido's "Life for Rent Tour" was taken around the world in 2004. The album was nominated for "Best British Album" at the 2004 BRIT Awards along with Daniel Bedingfield's Gotta Get Thru This, Blur's Think Tank and The Coral's Magic and Medicine, but they were all beaten by The Darkness's Permission to Land. "White Flag" was awarded the 2004 Ivor Novello Award in the category "International Hit of the Year". Also, in same year, Life for Rent earned Dido's first Grammy nomination, at the 46th Grammy Awards, in the category "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the song "White Flag".

Dido "No Angel"

No Angel is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Dido. Originally released on 1 June 1999 in the United States, the album found a mass audience when it was released worldwide in February 2001. As of 2014, the album has sold more than 22 million copies worldwide, and was the second best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK, behind James Blunt's Back to Bedlam.

Recording for the album began in 1998, when Dido officially signed a record deal with Arista Records. As well as recording ten new tracks, Dido took two previously recorded tracks from her demo collection, Odds & Ends, and used them for the album, with "Take My Hand" appearing in its original form, and "Sweet Eyed Baby" being remixed to create "Don't Think of Me". During recording for the album, a deal to release the album in the United States was finalised, however, a deal to secure European sales of the album was not completed, thus meaning that when the album was released in June 1999, it was released exclusively in America. Prior to the album's release, a promotional sampler titled The Highbury Fields EP was issued to radio stations, featuring four tracks from the album, and "Worthless", another track from the demo collection Odds & Ends.

The album's lead single, "Here with Me", was initially released in the United States in May 1999, which subsequently became the theme song for the popular American science fiction television series Roswell. The song reached No. 21 on the Adult Top 40 chart. It became globally available in February 2001, peaking at No. 4 in the United Kingdom.

In an attempt to boost album sales, a second single, "Don't Think of Me", was released in February 2000, but did not fare as well as expected, only peaking at No. 35 on the Adult Top 40 chart in the U.S., spending only seven weeks.

"Thank You" was released as the album's third single in December 2000. It became the biggest hit of No Angel, reaching No. 3 in both the United States and the United Kingdom, where it was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry for selling over 200,000 copies in the country. It also topped several Billboard charts such as Adult Top 40, Adult Contemporary and Dance Club Songs.

The album's third European single, "Hunter", was released in September 2001, reaching the top twenty in the United Kingdom. It spent fifteen weeks on the Adult Top 40 chart peaking at No. 16, while it became a top ten hit on the dance charts in America.

A fourth single, "All You Want", was released in December 2001, but was ineligible to chart due to only being released as a 3" mini-single in the United Kingdom.

Some of the album tracks were later licensed for use in television programmes, with "My Life" appearing in an episode of the drama series Angel Eyes, as well as alongside "My Life", "Honestly OK" and "Thank You" in several episodes of the Warner Bros. show Popular. "My Lover's Gone" was featured on the soundtrack of Brazilian telenovela "O Clone" and became a smash radio hit in the country.

Q listed No Angel as one of the best 50 albums of 2001.

No Angel was first released in North America on 1 June 1999 and entered the Top Heatseekers chart at number fifty a month and a half later. Twelve months after its original release, it hit number one on the chart and simultaneously entered the Billboard 200 at No. 144, which was attributed to extensive touring by Dido in clubs and small venues across the country and radio exposure in adult contemporary stations. However, No Angel continued to climb up the chart afterwards largely due to the sampling of "Thank You" on hit single "Stan" by American rapper Eminem. By January 2001, the album finally cracked the top ten of the Billboard 200 moving 17-9. Six weeks later, it reached its peak position of number-four on its 40th week on the chart, while "Thank You" was already a top twenty hit on the Hot 100 Airplay. No Angel spent sixty-nine weeks on the Billboard 200 and became the 17th best-selling album of 2001 in the country. According to Nielsen Soundscan, the album has sold over 4.2 million units in the United States and has been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Meanwhile, in Canada, No Angel also reached number-four on the albums chart and sold over 400,000 copies in the country, which resulted in a quadruple platinum certification by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. Additionally, the Association of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms certified the album platinum for selling over 150,000 units in Mexico.

Following the success of "Stan" in Australia and the United Kingdom, where it hit number-one, No Angel was finally distributed in other markets outside North America in late 2000. The album made its debut on the UK Albums Chart in October of the same year at number fifty, and entered the top ten for the first time on its 14th week by climbing 11-5. By early February 2001, No Angel finally reached the top of the chart and remained there for six consecutive weeks. In early October, it returned to number-one for a seventh and final week at the top. Notably, the album re-entered the top ten on its 126th week on the chart at the end of the busy Christmas shopping period of 2003 due to the massive success of her second studio album Life for Rent. No Angel became the top-selling album of 2001 and the 27th highest-selling of 2002. Moreover, it has been recognised as the 26th best-selling album of all time in the country, with sales that exceed 3,088,700 copies, resulting in a tenfold platinum certification by the British Phonographic Industry. Meanwhile, in neighbouring Ireland, the album was listed as the second highest-selling of 2001 by the Irish Recorded Music Association, behind Swing When You're Winning by Robbie Williams. Elsewhere in Europe, No Angel also experienced success, selling nearly 1.3 million copies in France, where it was certified diamond by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique, and 750,000 units in Germany, which resulted in a triple gold certification by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie.

Furthermore, No Angel entered the Australian albums chart at number twenty-one and quickly rose to the top on its sixth week, dethroning The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem. It remained there for eight consecutive weeks. No Angel finished 2001 as the second highest-selling album of the year, behind the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, and was also amongst the forty best-selling records of the following year. The album received a sextuple platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association, denoting shipments of over 420,000 units in the country. In New Zealand, No Angel topped the albums chart for nine non-consecutive weeks and spent fifty-nine weeks inside the top forty. By the spring of 2002, the album had sold 75,000 copies and was certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand.