Always good to get some new material from Natalie Imbruglia! Firebird is her first album since the covers release Male in 2015, and her first of original material since Come To Life in 2009. It was recorded primarily during lockdown; collaborators include Albert Hammond Jr of The Strokes, KT Tunstall, and writers behind hits from Adele, Dua Lipa, Sam Smith, Little Mix, One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Jason Derulo and Craig David. Firebird will be released in standard and deluxe CD versions as well as a limited edition vinyl. First single Build It Better is out now on streaming services, none of which I subscribe to so I still haven't heard it! For the rest of you: Natalie Imbruglia - Build It Better
She definitely seems to like to disappear completely between album cycles, even though the interims may last years. But good for her! I don't think she's even been doing any acting, but I haven't really paid any attention to that side of her career so for all I know she's been starring in something successful for years. I'm curious to hear how her music has evolved for this era.
I always thought that That Day would have been bigger. Instead, it was the beginning of the end for her commercial fortunes, at least in the US. I really like how she sings across the music during the verses.
White Lilies Island is still my favorite Natalie Imbruglia album - not a bad track on it. Beauty On The Fire and Do You Love? are probably my top two tracks on there. As far as the US goes, That Day went nowhere, but Wrong Impression got a new single mix and was a moderate success over here, primarily on the adult-oriented charts vs. the Hot 100. After that, though, it was pretty much over. Do You Love? (fan-made video since it wasn't a single):
Great news! Thanks for starting the thread! Album preorder info: Natalie Imbruglia Official Online Store : Merch, Music, Downloads & Clothing
And a video, too - complete with service station group dance-along! I hope it makes it on TRL so I can record it on VHS... Must say I quite enjoyed that, and it's serendipitously lyrically on point for our current times - definitely looking forward to the album. Looking at myself 25 years later and then looking at her 25 years later... well, that's just not fair, is it? (Although her face is looking juuuuuuuust a tiny bit taut so I'll take comfort in my natural state...)
For anyone in the UK, Natalie will be on Steve Wright's BBC Radio 2 show in a couple of hours (2pm local time). I'm assuming the interview will be available on the BBC iPlayer afterward so those of us in other countries can hear it later, too.
I’m sure you’re still gorgeous. I can definitely hear Kylie singing that. Probably on Aphrodite. Nat’s aged well. Though she’s gone a bit Angelina Jolie with the passing of the years. Will probably get her new album.
Any info on how the deluxe CD differs from the standard one? Other than the former apparently being in book style packaging.
Haha - I'm hanging in there... Interesting thought re: Kylie - I can hear her singing it, but you just know they'd add more of a pop-disco synth beat behind it! The track listing is the same for both versions, so looks like it's just the casebound book format that's different and some of the Deluxes will get an autographed card, too. I'm not a fan of this whole deluxe edition without any additional tracks thing that's happening lately! At least it's not as bad as Shirley Bassey's last album where the deluxe still came in a regular jewel box and the only difference was a few extra pages of old photos in the booklet. I've listened to Build It Better quite a few times now - it's really working for me. I'm sure Natalie Imbruglia is in the same stage of her career as so many of her contemporaries and it's unlikely to trouble the charts much, but I hope it does well for her and at least drives album sales.
Firebird (Natalie Imbruglia album) - Wikipedia 14 tracks according to Wikipedia. Natalie hasn’t the pull of Kylie, but it’s interesting to see that there are quite a few versions of Firebird for fans to collect. Hope the album fares better than Debbie Harry’s horribly titled Rockbird album from the 80s.
White Lilies Island is, ahem, a desert island disc for me. I absolutely adore it. Counting Down the Days was a solid follow-up, if not quite the 10/10 masterpiece that WLI was. I wasn't so enthused about Come to Life or Male, but they had some nice highlights. Already preordered the deluxe vinyl/CD signed insert set from her shop...
Very beautiful and am a huge fan ever since Left of the Middle. I havent heard the new single yet but am pumped for a new album. Her last album of original material was good. Come to Life i think it was called. Love White Lillies Island and Left of the Middle both get a lot of spins in my music playlist
Short video promoting Build It Better and Natalie's return. I could do without the pop-psychology "I found strength in my fragility" approach, but oh well... https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=882880782651144
I did it just to taunt you with the thought of missing out on Miss Natalie's Navel-Gazing. It's a Facebook video and they always make sharing things difficult! Don't worry, you're really not missing much.
Why can’t they just say they’re making an album because they want to or need the money or something?!
Because everyone's expected to share their pain and their triumphs over adversity in order to show their authenticity - as opposed to just releasing good music and letting it do its thing. I blame Gen Z and their microaggressions and safe spaces...
While enjoying Build It Better and waiting for more new tracks, I've been revisiting some of the older material. I've always liked this song, which I think gets unfairly forgotten - Identify was co-written by Billy Corgan and released as the main single from the Stigmata soundtrack in 1999 (the song plays over the end credits of the film). This should at least have been included on the Glorious compilation since it was a single, but it was omitted (I'm guessing the label didn't want to pay to license it since I don't think it was on her signed label). The song has such a great slinky, meandering chordal progression and constant key shifts to keep everything a little off-balance and interesting. If I remember correctly, it was originally written with Shirley Manson in mind. This is the official video for the single edit (the album version is about half a minute longer with even more musical wandering).
New behind-the-scenes video from the Build It Better shoot. Nothing overly exciting or novel, but something vaguely new while we wait for the album.
Maybe It’s Great, the next song from Firebird, is released at midnight tonight (local time, presumably). Some old school synth action going on in this clip. Log into Facebook
I’ve been a huge fan since Left of the Middle days and eagerly anticipate anything new from Nat. I can count on one hand the tracks I’m not too fond of. Releasing That Day as the first single after the massive success of LOTM/Torn era was such a bold move and one that wasn’t nearly appreciated enough. Side note.. I live in the suburb name checked in the b-side, Shikaiya. The only album I haven’t enjoyed is Male, the covers album. It felt really uninspired and bland to me. I really enjoyed Come To Life but it was such a failure on the charts. I think it only sold a couple of hundred copies or something ridiculous. From memory, I think she was in Oz doing promo months prior to it’s release then when the actual release came around she was back in the UK and there was little to no promo or fanfare. It has some really good tracks on there including one of my favourite Nat songs, Scars. Here’s hoping Firebird doesn’t suffer a similar fate!