Gabriella Cilmi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gabriella Cilmi
Cilmi in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Gabriella Lucia Cilmi
Born	(1991-10-10) 10 October 1991 (age 33) Dandenong, Victoria, Australia
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Pop singer songwriter
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Island Mushroom Universal Republic Sweetness Tunes Kin Records Ferryhouse (GER)

Gabriella Lucia Cilmi (pronounced CHIL-mee; born October 10, 1991) is an Australian pop singer and songwriter. She is known for her unique, slightly raspy singing voice.

Gabriella released her first album, Lessons to Be Learned, in March 2008. It became quite popular around the world. In 2008, she won six ARIA Music Awards, which are big music awards in Australia. These included "Single of the Year" for her song "Sweet About Me" and "Best Female Artist."

Her second album, Ten, came out in March 2010. Her third album, The Sting, was released in November 2013. In November 2019, Gabriella released a shorter collection of songs called The Water EP. She said this EP was a preview of a new album she planned to release later. Gabriella has citizenship in both Australia and Italy. In February 2025, she returned to Australia to perform with the band The Corrs on their tour.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Gabriella Cilmi was born in Dandenong, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Her family has Italian and Albanian roots. She grew up speaking Italian dialects at home and learned standard Italian at school.

When she was 15, Gabriella moved to London with her family. From a young age, she loved many types of music, especially blues and rock. Some of her favorite artists included Nina Simone, Led Zeppelin, and Janis Joplin. Even though she had a natural talent for singing, some people told her she wasn't disciplined enough for a music career. She sang in a band called Foucault, covering songs by her favorite artists. She also recorded her own songs with producers Barbara and Adrian Hannan.

In 2004, when Gabriella was 13, a music executive named Michael Parisi noticed her. She was singing a Rolling Stones song, "Jumpin' Jack Flash," at a festival in Melbourne. After this, she traveled to the US and UK and was offered several record deals. She eventually signed with Island Records UK.

Music Career Highlights

First Album: Lessons to Be Learned (2008)

Cilmi performing at the 2008 Godiva Festival

Some of Gabriella's early songs, "Don't Tell Me" and "Sorry," were featured in the 2005 Australian film Hating Alison Ashley. She made her first TV appearance in the UK in December 2007, singing her song "Sweet About Me" on a show called Later... with Jools Holland. Her song "Sanctuary" was also in the film St Trinian's that same month.

Gabriella's first album, Lessons to Be Learned, was released in March 2008. The first single from the album, "Sweet About Me," became a huge hit. It reached number one on the Australian charts and was used in a worldwide advertisement for deodorant.

In 2008, Gabriella toured with the band Sugababes and opened for James Blunt in Australia. She also won six ARIA Music Awards in Australia, including "Best Female Artist" and "Single of the Year" for "Sweet About Me." In 2009, she was nominated for a BRIT Award and performed at the Australian Open men's final. She also performed at Sound Relief in March 2009, a concert to help victims of the Victorian bushfires.

Second Album: Ten (2010)

Cilmi performing at Furia Sound Festival in 2009

The main song from Gabriella's second album, Ten, was "On a Mission." It was released in early 2010 and quickly became popular on Australian radio.

The album Ten came out in March 2010. Gabriella said it had "lots of uptempo funk and disco-inspired numbers." This album had a more electronic pop sound, which was different from her first album's pop/rock style. She even helped produce one of the songs, "Love Me Coz," which she was very proud of.

Ten was not as commercially successful as her first album. Gabriella later said she learned a lot from this experience and realized it was important to make music she truly believed in. She also supported English singer Leona Lewis on her UK tour in 2010.

Later Music: The Sting and The Water EP

Cilmi recording in London, 2012

By late 2010, Gabriella started working on her third album. She wanted to explore different music styles, like folk and blues. She felt pressured to have a certain image earlier in her career, which led her to change record labels and management. She realized it was important to stand up for herself and make the music she wanted.

In 2012, she released an acoustic version of a new song called "Vicious Love," which had blues influences. In March 2013, she performed new songs like "Come Wander With Me" and "Sweeter in History." The video for "Sweeter in History" was filmed in Italy.

Gabriella's third album, The Sting, was released in November 2013. The main song from this album was also called "The Sting." This album was released on her own record label, Sweetness Tunes.

In 2015, Gabriella announced she would be performing with her brother Joseph under the name All Kings and Queens. They released a song called "Voodoo." In 2018, she released another song called "Push."

In June 2019, Gabriella shared on Instagram that she was working on new music. Her single "Ruins" was released in July 2019, followed by a music video. She also played her first solo concert since 2014.

Gabriella released her EP, The Water, in November 2019. She explained that for this EP, she wanted to go "back to basics" and focus on songs written before being recorded in a studio. In 2020, she started a series called Chillin' With Cilmi during the pandemic. She has plans to tour again and celebrated her streaming success in 2022. In February 2025, Gabriella toured Australia with Delta Goodrem and The Corrs.

Gabriella's Music Style

Gabriella Cilmi has a deep vocal range, often compared to singers like Anastacia and Amy Winehouse. She discovered that a back problem, called lordosis, actually affects how she uses her diaphragm when singing, giving her voice a unique, throaty sound.

Critics have praised her voice, calling it "powerful" and "unique." Gabriella describes her music as "quite vulnerable and compromised." Her first album, Lessons to Be Learned, mixed pop rock with jazz, blues, and soul influences. Her second album, Ten, was a tribute to disco and electronic dance pop.

As she got older, her voice became even raspier and deeper. This allowed her to develop her own special sound for her third album, The Sting. This album often explored themes of relationships that didn't work out. Her latest EP, The Water, features high-energy songs that blend soul, folk, swing, pop, and country music.

Albums

• Lessons to Be Learned (2008)
• Ten (2010)
• The Sting (2013)

Tours

Headlining Tours

• 2008: Lessons to Be Learnt Tour
• 2014: The Sting Tour
• 2019–2020: The Water Tour

Supporting Other Artists

• 2008: Supported Sugababes on their Change Tour (some dates)
• 2010: Supported Leona Lewis on The Labyrinth Tour (UK dates)
• 2025: Supported The Corrs on their Australian Tour

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Gabriella Cilmi para niños