Beautiful Intentions

Beautiful Intentions
Studio album by
Melanie C
Released11 April 2005
RecordedJune–October 2004[1]
Genre
Length45:26
LabelRed Girl
Producer
Melanie C chronology
Reason
(2003) 		Beautiful Intentions
(2005) 		This Time
(2007)
Singles from Beautiful Intentions
  1. "Next Best Superstar"
    Released: 4 April 2005
  2. "Better Alone"
    Released: 1 August 2005
  3. "First Day of My Life"
    Released: 30 September 2005

Beautiful Intentions is the third solo album by the English singer Melanie C. This is the first album release on Chisholm's self-founded label, Red Girl Records after being dropped by Virgin Records. The album contains the hit singles "Next Best Superstar" and "First Day of My Life".

The album was a commercial success in Europe charting in the top 20 in Austria, Germany, Scotland, Switzerland and Portugal. It achieved Gold certifications in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and a Platinum certification in Portugal.

Background

After the release of her previous album Reason, Chisholm was dismissed by her original record label, Virgin Records. The main reason for her being dropped was the disappointing sales of her second album "Reason".[4] Talking about being dropped by Virgin during an interview on The Guardian, Melanie C stated that "[I had] mixed feelings. I knew that they were starting to lose faith in me, so I was actually quite relieved to go. I looked at my options and starting my own label was the most exciting thing".[5] In the spring of 2004, she created her own independent record label, "Red Girl Records", to record and release her own projects, alongside her manager, Nancy Phillips.[6] The name was inspired by the colours of the football Liverpool F.C., which Chisholm is supporter.

The album was Chisholm's labour of love for a year, and she previewed six tracks on her Barfly mini-tour in June 2004 before going into the studio to record the tracks. Following the release of the first single, "Next Best Superstar", the album was released on 11 April 2005 in the UK and some other countries. Later the album was re-released in some countries (with a new song—"First Day of My Life"). Chisholm stated in an Australian interview that she was pleased that Beautiful Intentions outsold Reason. Beautiful Intentions has received Gold certification in Germany and Switzerland. In Portugal, it has gone Platinum (9 weeks at number 1).

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
laut.de[7]

AllMusic editor Matthew Chisling found that the "new creative control that Melanie C had over her album broadened her horizons considerably; Melanie allowed herself to fly more freely on Intentions, giving her solo music a sharp new look. On Beautiful Intentions, Melanie C developed her style into an aggressive pop-angled album boasting heavy beats with dramatic rock swings doused in musical cyclones of energy. She borrowed qualities from other heavy-talented rock divas such as Anastacia to produce a more bombastic sampling this time around." He concluded: "The final product is simply dazzling; and Beautiful Intentions is without a doubt the strongest solo album by any of the Spice Girls. Truth be told, it was one of the strongest solo pop albums of 2005, regardless of artist."[2] Paul Taylor from Manchester Evening News also compared the songs with Anastacia's self-titled 2004 album and called it "a much finer album than we had any right to expect."[8]

Betty Clarke, writing for The Guardian remarked: "Released on her own, self-funded Red Girl Records label, the album is a bitter attack on her old employers. A chorus-led confection of vulnerability and hurt, its needling intent – "You'll Get Yours" and "Don't Need This" are just two titles – and aggressive pop-rock sound make it Chisholm's strongest album to date."[9] Irish website Entertainment.ie found that "she certainly delivers these riff-laden songs with gutsy conviction, and her backing band are as tight as they come. But the overall sound has a generic, processed feel to it, and poor old Mel can't write an interesting lyric to save her life. Beautiful Intentions certainly rocks hard, but ultimately it fails to convince."[10] Matthias Manthe from laut.de called Beautiful Intentions "a rock-solid album that doesn't compromise on chart compatibility; Sitting between the rock and pop chairs without stepping on anyone's toes. Mel C sings pleasant tunes about love and the injustices of business."[7]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Beautiful Intentions.

Beautiful Intentions track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Beautiful Intentions"
  • Greg Haver
  • Boddy
3:52
2."Next Best Superstar"Adam ArgyleHaver3:29
3."Better Alone"
Haver4:35
4."Last Night on Earth"
  • Chisholm
  • Phil Thornalley
  • Dave Munday
Haver3:28
5."You Will See"
Haver3:29
6."Never Say Never"
  • Chisholm
  • Charlie Grant
  • Peter Woodroffe
  • Haver
  • Grant
  • Woodroffe
3:11
7."Good Girl"
  • Chisholm
  • Tore Johansson
Haver4:07
8."Don't Need This"
  • Chisholm
  • Greg Hatwell
  • Marc Lane
  • Haver
  • Hatwell
3:50
9."Little Piece of Me"
  • Chisholm
  • Richard Buckton
  • Woodroffe
Haver3:00
10."Here and Now"
  • Chisholm
  • Mathew William Benbrook
  • Simmons
Haver4:29
11."Take Your Pleasure"
  • Chisholm
  • Paul Boddy
  • Dele Ladimeji
Haver3:11
12."You'll Get Yours"
  • Chisholm
  • Vettese
  • Haver
  • Vettese
4:43
Total length:45:26
2006 re-issue edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."First Day of My Life"
Richard Flack4:04
2."Beautiful Intentions"
  • Chisholm
  • Boddy
  • Ladimeji
  • Haver
  • Boddy
3:52
3."Next Best Superstar"ArgyleHaver3:29
4."Better Alone"
  • Chisholm
  • Vettese
Haver4:35
5."Last Night on Earth"
  • Chisholm
  • Thornalley
  • Munday
Haver3:28
6."You Will See"
  • Chisholm
  • Kroeyer
  • Binzer
  • Owais
  • Odedere
Haver3:29
7."Never Say Never"
  • Chisholm
  • Grant
  • Woodroffe
  • Haver
  • Grant
  • Woodroffe
3:11
8."Good Girl"
  • Chisholm
  • Johansson
Haver4:07
9."Don't Need This"
  • Chisholm
  • Hatwell
  • Lane
  • Haver
  • Hatwell
3:50
10."Little Piece of Me"
  • Chisholm
  • Buckton
  • Woodroffe
Haver3:00
11."Here and Now"
  • Chisholm
  • Benbrook
  • Simmons
Haver4:29
12."Take Your Pleasure"
  • Chisholm
  • Boddy
  • Ladimeji
Haver3:11
13."You'll Get Yours"
  • Chisholm
  • Vettese
  • Haver
  • Vettese
4:43
14."First Day of My Life" (Making of the music video)  4:05
Brazilian bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."First Day of My Life"
  • Iglesias
  • Chambers
Flack4:04
14."Everything Must Change"
  • Chisholm
  • Henry Priestman
  • Guy Batson
The Erneez3:32
15."Warrior"
  • Chisholm
  • Johansson
Johansson3:47
16."Runaway"
  • Chisholm
  • Johansson
Haver3:24
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."First Day of My Life"
  • Iglesias
  • Chambers
Flack4:04
14."Runaway"
  • Chisholm
  • Johansson
Haver3:24
15."Next Best Superstar" (Culprit One club mix)Argyle
5:29
16."Better Alone" (pop mix)
  • Chisholm
  • Vettese
  • Haver
  • Jon Dixon
  • Pete Craigie[a]
3:56
17."First Day of My Life" (acoustic)
  • Iglesias
  • Chambers
Flack4:04
Portuguese re-release bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."First Day of My Life" (RFM − live acoustic)4:05
14."Better Alone" (RFM − live acoustic)3:01
15."Here and Now" (RFM − live acoustic)3:27
16."Next Best Superstar" (RFM − live acoustic)3:21
17."Beautiful Intentions" (RFM − live acoustic)4:03
Singaporean bonus DVD
No.TitleLength
13."Next Best Superstar" (Music Video)3:31
14."Better Alone" (UK Music Video)3:59
15."Beautiful Intentions" (E.P.K)17:52
16."Photo Gallery"3:00
17."Biography" 
Portuguese bonus DVD
No.TitleLength
13."Next Best Superstar" (music video)3:31
14."Better Alone" (European music video)3:06
15."First Day of My Life" (music video)4:04

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer

Personnel

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications for Beautiful Intentions
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI)[27] Gold 100,000^
Portugal (AFP)[28] Platinum 40,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[29] Gold 20,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "SoloSpiceNews.com - Spice Girls Solo Projects News". www.solospicenews.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Beautiful Intentions at AllMusic
  3. ^ "Melanie C - Beautiful Intentions". Entertainment Weekly. 18 April 2005. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  4. ^ Pidd, Helen (14 June 2004). "Melanie C, Barfly, Glasgow". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  5. ^ Pool, Hannah Azieb (30 May 2007). "Melanie C talks about her depression and being dropped by her record label". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Nel frattempo l'artista interrompe il suo rapporto di lavoro con la Vrigin e crea una propria label, la Red Girl Records". Festibar. 17 December 2007.
  7. ^ a b Manthe, Matthias. "Nicht weiter auffallen scheint ihre größte Stärke". laut.de (in German). Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Beautiful Intentions - opinion". Manchester Evening News. 30 June 2005.
  9. ^ Clarke, Betty (17 May 2005). "Melanie C, Shepherd's Bush Empire, London". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions". Entertainment.ie. 18 April 2005. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  12. ^ "Ultratop.be – Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  13. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Lescharts.com – Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  15. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  16. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  17. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  18. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  19. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  20. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  21. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  22. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  23. ^ "Melanie C | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  24. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts (2005)". Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  25. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2005". Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  26. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2006". Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  27. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Melanie C; 'Beautiful Intentions')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  28. ^ "Portuguese album certifications – Melanie C – Beautiful Intentions" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  29. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Beautiful Intentions')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
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