Messy Little Raindrops

by Cheryl, Cheryl Cole

Overview

Impressively managing to achieve what every solo Spice Girl, All Saint, or Sugababe has failed to do, permanent tabloid fixture Cheryl Cole scored a number one album with her debut solo release Three Words, not to mention a huge-selling chart topper and a loyal fan base obsessed with her fashion style as much as her music. Of course, her success has been helped by the national treasure status she's been bestowed by the British press since taking a judge's role on the hugely powerful TV series, The X-Factor. But appearing in front of 15 million viewers every week isn't necessarily a platform for chart success (just ask Dannii Minogue), so to give her credit, Cole has convincingly grasped the opportunity to become Britain's most successful female pop star. Like her previous effort, the clumsily titled Messy Little Raindrops eschews the spiky pop of Girls Aloud in favor of anthemic dance and synth-led R&B. With regular collaborator will.i.am back on board ("Let's Get Down"), productions from Shux (Jay-Z) and JR Rotem (Jason DeRulo), and a duet with Travie McCoy ("Yeah, Yeah"), the album certainly appears to have one eye firmly on the U.S. market. With her increasing transatlantic profile, it's a smart move, which unlike Craig David and Natasha Bedingfield, avoids the mistake of alienating her own native audience in the process. Indeed, alongside the Ciara-esque synth heavy "Better to Lie," and the dancehall-infected "Amnesia," there's ambient dub-bass (the Dizzee Rascal-featuring "Everyone"), pulsating David Guetta-style floorfillers ("Waiting"), and Kylie-influenced Euro-pop ("Live Tonight"). Not exactly known for her vocal prowess, the ballads are thankfully kept to a minimum. The stripped-back, piano-led "Raindrops" exposes her limited singing ability, however, the Ryan Tedder-esque clattering rhythms and Coldplay-inspired riffs of the majestic "Happy Tears" surprisingly provides the album's highlight, alongside the Gallic-fused dream pop of lead single "Promise This." A much more inventive affair than her sometimes formulaic debut, Messy Little Raindrop is a cohesive and adventurous follow-up that will undoubtedly continue her ascent into pop's premier league. ~ Jon O'Brien

Product Details

Release Date:	03/31/2023
Label:	Music On Cd
UPC:	0600753976319
Rank:	151541

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Cheryl Cole   Primary Artist
Cheryl   Primary Artist,Vocals
Travie McCoy   Primary Artist,Rap,Featured Artist
August   Primary Artist
will.i.am   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Dizzee Rascal   Primary Artist,Rap,Featured Artist
Wayne Wilkins   Keyboards
RaVaughn Brown   Vocals (Background)
Nick Lashley   Guitar
Andre Merritt   Vocals (Background)
Aimee Proal   Vocals (Background)
Steve Kipner   Percussion
Priscilla Renea   Vocals (Background)
Antwoine "T-Wiz" Collins   Drums
Jimmy Burney II   Vocals (Background)
Starsmith   Piano,Keyboards
August Rigo   Vocals,Featured Artist
Grace Tither   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Wayne Wilkins   Programming,Drum Programming,Keyboard Programming,Composer,Producer
Nick Marsh   Composer
Ingrid Michaelson   Composer
J.R. Rotem   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Producer,Instrumentation
Tim Roberts   Assistant
Alain Whyte   Composer
will.i.am   Producer,Executive Producer
Anthony Palazzole   Engineer
Marshall Altman   Composer
Matty Green   Assistant
Isha Erskine   Engineer
Nasri Atweh   Composer
Rich King   Vocal Arrangement
Dylan Mills   Composer
Andre Merritt   Composer
Jean-Baptiste   Composer
Ryan Buendia   Composer
Cheryl   Composer
Free School   Producer
James Loughrey   Engineer
Charles Moniz   Engineer
Priscilla Renea   Composer,Vocal Producer
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Tamara Savage   Composer
Steve Kipner   Composer,Producer
Jeremy Wheatley   Mixing
Christopher Jackson   Composer,Composer,Composer
John Hanes   Mixing
Mark "Spike" Stent   Mixing
Wayne Hector   Composer
Brian Gardner   Mastering
Antwoine "T-Wiz" Collins   Composer,Producer,Programming,Drum Programming,Keyboard Programming
Richard Edgeler   Assistant
Kevin Clayton   Vocal Engineer
Michael McHenry   Composer
Alexander Shuckburgh   Composer
Edd Hartwell   Assistant
Starsmith   Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer
Fin Dow-Smith   Composer
Travie McCoy   Composer
August Rigo   Composer,Engineer,Vocal Producer,Vocal Arrangement
Anthony Kronfle   Assistant
George Pajon Jr.   Composer
Al Shux   Composer
Kelis Rogers   Composer
Finlay Dow Smith   Composer
Nick Cage   Vocal Engineer,Vocal Producer
Juliette Amoroso   Assistant
Priscilla Hamilton   Composer
Shux   Producer
Jonathan Rotem   Composer
William Adams   Composer
Antwoine Collins   Composer
Cheryl Cole   Composer