Paradise (Kaci Battaglia album)
Encyclopedia
Paradise is the debut album by American singer Kaci Battaglia. Released on June 21, 2001 it was only released in the United Kingdom. Selling nearly 10,000 copies in its first week, the album debuted at number 47 on the official UK album's chart. To date the album has sold nearly 100,000 copies in the UK alone, but only around 8,000 internationally. In 2002, the album was re-released, under the name I'm Not Anybody's Girl. The re-release spawned a new single, titled the same, which had some success on the UK Singles Chart.
Paradise also spawned several successful singles. The album's title track was released as the lead single, and Kaci's debut single in March 2001. It has become a major hit on musical charts in the UK, peaking at number 11 on the official UK Singles Chart
. "Tu Amor" was released as the second single, and become Battaglia's second Top 40 hit in the UK. Other singles released include "Intervention Divine" and a cover of The Partridge Family
's hit single I Think I Love You
, which has became Battaglia's first top 10 hit on the UK singles chart.
when she was eleven years old, due to the success of her independent album. She caught the eye of record producer Joel Diamond
after Battaglia's mom called and asked Diamond to audition her daughter. Diamond put up his own money to record her. After being turned down by over 20 record labels with his demo, "Paradise", for her, it was Mike Curb
who called Diamond months after receiving the recording and told him that he wanted to sign Battaglia to Curb Records.
Her debut single "Paradise" was released in 2001 and hit #11 in the UK. The single was followed by "I Think I Love You
". In 2003, she teamed up with a Japanese photographer and released a photo book entitled, Kaci: I'm a Singer. This photo book was filled with pictures of Battaglia while in her hometown in Florida. The book was released in 2007 exclusively in Japan, along with a re-release of Paradise.
, however certain songs, such as "I Think I Love You
" have more of a club influenced beat, while "Paradise" and "Tu Amor" show influences by Spanish music. Many critics have noted the lack of originality in the music, comparing her to many other artist at the time, like Mandy Moore
and Britney Spears
, noting similarities with Spears' debut album, ...Baby One More Time
. The album's lyrical content mainly deals with love and relationships, from the perspective of a teenage Battaglia. Like most teen pop album's released in the 90' and early 2000s, the lyrics deal mainly with themes such as love
, break-up, desire
and joy
.
Paradise is the first track on the album, and was also released as the album's lead single
. It is an uptempo pop song, with a Hispanic tint to it, with the use of a Spanish Guitar. It is a cover after the 1982 song by Fausto Papetti
. Kiss Me Crazy is the second track on the album, and is more modern day than the previous track, with more of a club oriented beat. Butterflies Don't Lie is the album's third song, and is a ballad that lyrically speaks of Battaglia's feelings for someone, while she imagines they feel the same way, even though they don't. Tu Amor is the fourth track on the album, it features more of a Hispanic feel. Everlasting is the fifth song on Paradise, and is an uptempo dance/ballad that speaks of an everlasting love for someone. I Think I Love You
is the sixth track, and also the album's second and final single. It has become Battaglia's only top 10 hit in the UK.
Just an Old Boyfriend is the seventh song, and is a midtempo pop song about Battaglia's break-up with someone, and how she is completely over him. Beggin' Me is the eighth song on the album, and is the most uptempo song on the album, featuring prominent dance and rock elements. All Over You is the next song on the album, and has more of an adult-like feel to it, and is similar to the album's previous track. You Got Me is the tenth song on the album, and has been called the most open song on the album. I'm Gonna Break Your Heart This Time is the eleventh song on Paradise and is more uptempo than its predecessor. Intervention Divine is the final track on the album, and was also released as the album's second promotional single, after "Tu Amor".
. The second, Intervention Divine, was released at the beginning of January, just a few days before the album's second official single. The song had little success in the UK or on international charts.
After the release of I Think I Love You
in 2002, Battaglia began touring as the opening for pop/R&B boy band O-Town (band)
, in support of their debut album of the same name. The tour lasted for a few months, however Battaglia only opened for them during a few shows during their stops in the UK and a few locations in the US. During a stop on the tour in Florida, Battaglia made an appearance on popular radio show WFLZ 93.3's The Big One on August 25, where she gave an in studio performance. During ESPN's Super Bowl Halftime Show in January 2002, the music video for her single, Paradise was played for the audience on the big screen, which provided major promotion. Pepsi
also founded a small mall tour for Battaglia, and the tour reached over 10 states in only 2 months. On January 1, 2003 Battaglia performed her single I'm Not Anybody's Girl at the Capital One Bowl Halftime Show, to critical acclaim.
I'm Not Anybody's Girl Track listing
Despite attempts to promote the album, it failed to chart on the official UK charts, and barely managed to bring any extra sales to Paradise. However, the album's lead single, I'm Not Anybody's Girl did have some success on the UK Singles Chart
, peaking at number 55. This would be her last single to chart in that country, before Kaci broke out in the US.
The re-release of the album served as Kaci's debut album in countries other than the UK. After the single of the same name had some success on the US Pop stations, the album was expected to be a hit for Battaglia. However, the album failed to chart on the US Billboard 200
. The album had similar outcomes worldwide, failing to chart on any charts.
, Intervention Divine failed to make an impact on any of the charts in the UK. I Think I Love You
was released as the official second and final single off of the album, and has become her biggest hit to date in the UK, peaking at number 10 on the official UK singles chart. A video was also released, and features Battaglia singing while holding a picture of her love interest on her bed.
Paradise also spawned several successful singles. The album's title track was released as the lead single, and Kaci's debut single in March 2001. It has become a major hit on musical charts in the UK, peaking at number 11 on the official UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. "Tu Amor" was released as the second single, and become Battaglia's second Top 40 hit in the UK. Other singles released include "Intervention Divine" and a cover of The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
's hit single I Think I Love You
I Think I Love You
"I Think I Love You" is a 1970 single by The Partridge Family, featuring David Cassidy, composed by songwriter Tony Romeo. The song was released at the same time as the debut of the network television sitcom The Partridge Family. During the show's first season the song was featured on the show...
, which has became Battaglia's first top 10 hit on the UK singles chart.
Background
At age 11, Battaglia independently released A Thousand Stars, an album that was produced by her mother, Donna. A portion of the proceeds from A Thousand Stars went to help a housing project for the less fortunate. Battaglia began looking for a recording contractRecording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
when she was eleven years old, due to the success of her independent album. She caught the eye of record producer Joel Diamond
Joel Diamond
Joel Diamond is an American music producer. He has been nominated for a Grammy twice and has produced 36 Gold and Platinum recordings and had over 54 recordings on the Billboard Charts.-Selected discography:Joel Diamond is an American music producer. He has been nominated for a Grammy twice and has...
after Battaglia's mom called and asked Diamond to audition her daughter. Diamond put up his own money to record her. After being turned down by over 20 record labels with his demo, "Paradise", for her, it was Mike Curb
Mike Curb
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, NASCAR and IRL race car owner. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
who called Diamond months after receiving the recording and told him that he wanted to sign Battaglia to Curb Records.
Her debut single "Paradise" was released in 2001 and hit #11 in the UK. The single was followed by "I Think I Love You
I Think I Love You
"I Think I Love You" is a 1970 single by The Partridge Family, featuring David Cassidy, composed by songwriter Tony Romeo. The song was released at the same time as the debut of the network television sitcom The Partridge Family. During the show's first season the song was featured on the show...
". In 2003, she teamed up with a Japanese photographer and released a photo book entitled, Kaci: I'm a Singer. This photo book was filled with pictures of Battaglia while in her hometown in Florida. The book was released in 2007 exclusively in Japan, along with a re-release of Paradise.
Composition
The majority of the music found on Paradise is popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, however certain songs, such as "I Think I Love You
I Think I Love You
"I Think I Love You" is a 1970 single by The Partridge Family, featuring David Cassidy, composed by songwriter Tony Romeo. The song was released at the same time as the debut of the network television sitcom The Partridge Family. During the show's first season the song was featured on the show...
" have more of a club influenced beat, while "Paradise" and "Tu Amor" show influences by Spanish music. Many critics have noted the lack of originality in the music, comparing her to many other artist at the time, like Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
and Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, noting similarities with Spears' debut album, ...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album of American recording artist Britney Spears, released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. In June 1997, while Spears was in a negotiation with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense, her mother asked family friend and entertainment...
. The album's lyrical content mainly deals with love and relationships, from the perspective of a teenage Battaglia. Like most teen pop album's released in the 90' and early 2000s, the lyrics deal mainly with themes such as love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
, break-up, desire
Desire (emotion)
Desire is a sense of longing for a person or object or hoping for an outcome. Desire is the fire that sets action aflame. The same sense is expressed by emotions such as "craving" or "hankering". When a person desires something or someone, their sense of longing is excited by the enjoyment or the...
and joy
Joy
Joy may refer to:* Happiness, an emotion* Joy , people with the given name or surname Joy-Music:Bands & performers* Joy * Joy Albums* Joy ; also the title track from that album...
.
Paradise is the first track on the album, and was also released as the album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
. It is an uptempo pop song, with a Hispanic tint to it, with the use of a Spanish Guitar. It is a cover after the 1982 song by Fausto Papetti
Fausto Papetti
Fausto Papetti was an Italian alto saxophone player.He was born at Viggiù in Lombardy.His performance of the song "Love's Theme" was featured on the breakbeat compilation "Ultimate Breaks and Beats".Papetti became well known for all the 1960s and 1970s, and all his new album reaches the top of...
. Kiss Me Crazy is the second track on the album, and is more modern day than the previous track, with more of a club oriented beat. Butterflies Don't Lie is the album's third song, and is a ballad that lyrically speaks of Battaglia's feelings for someone, while she imagines they feel the same way, even though they don't. Tu Amor is the fourth track on the album, it features more of a Hispanic feel. Everlasting is the fifth song on Paradise, and is an uptempo dance/ballad that speaks of an everlasting love for someone. I Think I Love You
I Think I Love You
"I Think I Love You" is a 1970 single by The Partridge Family, featuring David Cassidy, composed by songwriter Tony Romeo. The song was released at the same time as the debut of the network television sitcom The Partridge Family. During the show's first season the song was featured on the show...
is the sixth track, and also the album's second and final single. It has become Battaglia's only top 10 hit in the UK.
Just an Old Boyfriend is the seventh song, and is a midtempo pop song about Battaglia's break-up with someone, and how she is completely over him. Beggin' Me is the eighth song on the album, and is the most uptempo song on the album, featuring prominent dance and rock elements. All Over You is the next song on the album, and has more of an adult-like feel to it, and is similar to the album's previous track. You Got Me is the tenth song on the album, and has been called the most open song on the album. I'm Gonna Break Your Heart This Time is the eleventh song on Paradise and is more uptempo than its predecessor. Intervention Divine is the final track on the album, and was also released as the album's second promotional single, after "Tu Amor".
Critical
The album has received several positive reviews, mainly commenting on Battaglia's vocal abilities and the lyrical content of the album. Some critics, however, have stated that Battaglia's debut effort was simply a cliche start, and compared her to the majority of pop artist with hits out at the moment. Despite some negative reviews, overall reception of Paradise was positive, with some critics even stating that Battaglia enlightened them on the feelings and emotions of teenagers with the album's lyrical content.Commercial
Due to the album only being released in the UK, it failed to have much impact anywhere else. Paradise debuted on the official UK Album's Chart at number 47, selling nearly 10,000 copies in its first week of release. Despite hanging on to the chart for awhile, it failed to have the success held by the album's singles. To date, the album has sold nearly 100,000 copies in the UK alone.Promotion
Paradise was promoted mainly through the use of live performances, as well as the release of two promotional songs. The first of these songs, titled Tu Amor was released in late September 2001, and peaked at number 24 on the official UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The second, Intervention Divine, was released at the beginning of January, just a few days before the album's second official single. The song had little success in the UK or on international charts.
After the release of I Think I Love You
I Think I Love You
"I Think I Love You" is a 1970 single by The Partridge Family, featuring David Cassidy, composed by songwriter Tony Romeo. The song was released at the same time as the debut of the network television sitcom The Partridge Family. During the show's first season the song was featured on the show...
in 2002, Battaglia began touring as the opening for pop/R&B boy band O-Town (band)
O-Town (band)
O-Town is an American boy band formed from the first season of the MTV-produced reality television series Making The Band in 2000. The original members of the band were Jacob Underwood, Ashley Parker Angel, Erik-Michael Estrada, Trevor Penick, and Dan Miller. After releasing two albums near the end...
, in support of their debut album of the same name. The tour lasted for a few months, however Battaglia only opened for them during a few shows during their stops in the UK and a few locations in the US. During a stop on the tour in Florida, Battaglia made an appearance on popular radio show WFLZ 93.3's The Big One on August 25, where she gave an in studio performance. During ESPN's Super Bowl Halftime Show in January 2002, the music video for her single, Paradise was played for the audience on the big screen, which provided major promotion. Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
also founded a small mall tour for Battaglia, and the tour reached over 10 states in only 2 months. On January 1, 2003 Battaglia performed her single I'm Not Anybody's Girl at the Capital One Bowl Halftime Show, to critical acclaim.
Track listing
Paradise Track listing- Paradise
- Kiss Me Crazy
- Butterflies Don't Lie
- Tu Amor
- Everlasting
- I Think I Love YouI Think I Love You"I Think I Love You" is a 1970 single by The Partridge Family, featuring David Cassidy, composed by songwriter Tony Romeo. The song was released at the same time as the debut of the network television sitcom The Partridge Family. During the show's first season the song was featured on the show...
- Just An Old Boyfriend
- Beggin' Me
- All Over You
- You Got Me
- I'm Gonna Break Your Heart This Time
- Intervention Divine
I'm Not Anybody's Girl Track listing
- Paradise
- Kiss Me Crazy
- Butterflies Don't Lie
- Tu Amor
- Everlasting
- I Think I Love You
- Just an Old Boyfriend
- Beggin' Me
- All Over You
- You Got Me
- I'm Not Anybody's Girl
- I'm Gonna Break Your Heart This Time
- Intervention Divine
- Un Paraiso [Spanish Version]
Re-release and I'm Not Anybody's Girl
Due to the lackluster performance of the album, Battaglia and her record company decided to re-release the album the following year, and include bonus tracks. The finished product, titled I'm Not Anybody's Girl was released on July 16, 2002. The re-release featured all of the songs from Paradise, and the track listing remained barely edited, except the title track for the re-release is featured as the eleventh track on the album, with I'm Gonna Break Your Heart This Time and Intervention Divine being moved to the twelfth and thirteenth tracks respectively. A Spanish version of Tu Amor was added to the album as well, appearing as the fourteenth and final track on the album. The original version is still featured on the album.Despite attempts to promote the album, it failed to chart on the official UK charts, and barely managed to bring any extra sales to Paradise. However, the album's lead single, I'm Not Anybody's Girl did have some success on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, peaking at number 55. This would be her last single to chart in that country, before Kaci broke out in the US.
The re-release of the album served as Kaci's debut album in countries other than the UK. After the single of the same name had some success on the US Pop stations, the album was expected to be a hit for Battaglia. However, the album failed to chart on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The album had similar outcomes worldwide, failing to chart on any charts.
Singles
Paradise released as the album's lead single on May 17, 2001. The single's music video features Battaglia on the beach, while singing about her love interest who is also there. There are scenes in the video featuring Kaci dancing with back-up dancers under the pier. The single has became a major hit for Battaglia, peaking at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, and spending 29 un-consecutive weeks on the chart. Tu Amor was released as the first promotional single on September 23, 2001, accompanied with a music video. Despite only being a promotional single, it has became her second Top 40 hit in the UK, peaking at number 24. Intervention Divine was another promotional single, released on January 2, 2002. Unlike the previous promotional release, it did not receive a music video. Due to its release being so close to the album's second official single, I Think I Love YouI Think I Love You
"I Think I Love You" is a 1970 single by The Partridge Family, featuring David Cassidy, composed by songwriter Tony Romeo. The song was released at the same time as the debut of the network television sitcom The Partridge Family. During the show's first season the song was featured on the show...
, Intervention Divine failed to make an impact on any of the charts in the UK. I Think I Love You
I Think I Love You
"I Think I Love You" is a 1970 single by The Partridge Family, featuring David Cassidy, composed by songwriter Tony Romeo. The song was released at the same time as the debut of the network television sitcom The Partridge Family. During the show's first season the song was featured on the show...
was released as the official second and final single off of the album, and has become her biggest hit to date in the UK, peaking at number 10 on the official UK singles chart. A video was also released, and features Battaglia singing while holding a picture of her love interest on her bed.