Rising to fame in late 2002, Cole was selected to become a member of girl group Girls Aloud on ITV's reality television programme Popstars The Rivals. Cole's first solo performance was on American rapper will.i.am's Heartbreaker in 2008. She was picked to appear as a dancer in the video after taking streetdancing classes during the filming of the ITV2 series The Passions of Girls Aloud, in which the members of the band achieve something they had always wanted to do, other than sing. She was later asked, by will.i.am, to sing additional vocals on the track.
In April 2009, Cole started working on solo material. Her debut album, 3 Words, was released in the UK on 26 October 2009. Cole was reunited with will.i.am for the album, in addition to collaborating with Fraser T. Smith, Syience, Danish production team Soulshock & Karlin, singer-songwriter Taio Cruz, Wayne Wilkins, and Steve Kipner. Recorded in Los Angeles and London, Cole mainly collaborated with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, the executive producer of 3 Words. It crosses from contemporary R&B, dance pop, house and a more general pop sound.
3 Words spent two weeks at number one. On 6 November 2009, BPI certified the album Platinum, denoting shipments of over 300,000 units. It later tripled this feat. The first single from the album, Fight for This Love, was written by Andre Merritt, Steve Kipner and Wayne Wilkins, and produced by Steve Kipner and Wayne Wilkins. According to Cole, it was released as the lead single because she "connected with the song so well". Following a performance on The X Factor live results show, Fight for This Love became the fourth best-selling single of 2009 in the UK. It charted at number one on both the Irish and UK Singles Chart. In 2010, Fight For This Love went to number one in Denmark, Norway and Hungary. The single was later certified platinum in the UK. Cole's second single 3 Words, which features will.i.am, went to number 4 in the UK and seven in Ireland. In 2010, the single was released in Australia and charted at number 5 and was certified platinum. The third single, Parachute, charted in the top five in both the UK and Ireland. The single was certified silver in the UK. From May to July 2010, Cole was the opening act for The Black Eyed Peas at the British shows (as well as some European dates) of The E.N.D. World Tour. Chris Johnson of the Daily Mail wrote, "she was supposed to be the support act. But as it turned out, Cheryl Cole ended up being the main event".
In March 2010, Cole stated that she had begun working on a follow up album to 3 Words, which she hoped to release "later on in the year". Cole's second solo album, titled Messy Little Raindrops, was released on 1 November 2010. The album's first single, Promise This, was released on 24 October 2010 and became her second number-one hit in the UK. The album was largely produced by Wayne Wilkins, but Cole also reunited with will.i.am, with collaboration from J. R. Rotem, Starsmith, Al Shux, and Free School for the first time. The album also features guest vocals from August Rigo, Dizzee Rascal, Travie McCoy, and will.i.am. The album's lead single, Promise This, went straight to number 1 in the UK, selling 157,000 in its first week. A week later, Messy Little Raindrops was released, charting at number 1 in the UK, 2 in Ireland and 7 in Europe.
Waiting for Lightning
Cheryl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryna pick up the pieces
Feeling lost and all alone
Looking for signs through the window
Just gotta break the silence
And dig my way out of this hole
'Cause I could waste all my life
Oh, I can decide that I can make fire
All I need is a spark
Don't wanna waste all my life
Drowning in all these question marks
Oh, I can decide that I can make fire
I'm done waiting for lightning in the dark
I found the light inside my heart
Ignite the flame and set it off
No stopping me
I know I'm done waiting for lightning in the dark
I found the light inside my heart
I burn the sky, I'll rip it off
No touching me
I know I'm done waiting for lightning
I'm not laying down, I'm not shutting up
I'm out, blazing like a rocket
I never knew I could burn a flame
Through the ice and the cold rain
I won't be scared about it
I'll just take a match to the tear stains
'Cause I could waste all my life
Waiting for lightning in the dark
Oh, I can decide that I can make fire
All I need is a spark
Don't wanna waste all my life
Drowning in all these question marks
Oh, I can decide that I can make fire
I'm done waiting for lightning in the dark
I found the light inside my heart
Ignite the flame and set it off
No stopping me
I know I'm done waiting for lightning in the dark
I found the light inside my heart
I burn the sky, I'll rip it off
No touching me
I know I'm done waiting for lightning
I was lonely as the last survivor
Lost along the edge, not anymore
Now I'm alive, not just surviving
Waiting for the lightning anymore
I'm done waiting for lightning in the dark
I found the light inside my heart
Ignite the flame and set it off
No stopping me
I know I'm done waiting for lightning in the dark
I found the light inside my heart
I burn the sky, I'll rip it off
No touching me
I know I'm done waiting for lightning
(Waiting for lightning, waiting for lightning, waiting for lightning)
Now I'm alive
Not just surviving
Waiting for the lightning anymore
The lyrics of Cheryl's song "Waiting for Lightning" describe the journey of the singer towards self-discovery and empowerment. The song starts with the singer feeling overwhelmed and lost in a sea of black. She is trying to pick up the pieces and find her way out of a hole that she had dug for herself. Throughout the song, she encourages herself to break the silence and take control of her life. She realizes that waiting for a sudden burst of inspiration, like waiting for lightning during a dark storm, might not be the best strategy to achieve her goals. Instead, she decides to create her own spark to ignite the flame inside her heart.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that the singer needs to take action, make a decision and stop waiting for something external to happen. She feels confident that she can make fire on her own, and she unleashes her inner strength and determination to achieve her dreams. The lyrics of the song portray how the singer is ready to face any challenge and overcome it. She is not afraid to be vulnerable and show her emotions, as she acknowledges that they are a part of her journey towards self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
In over my head, in a sea of black
Feeling overwhelmed and lost in a dark place
Tryna pick up the pieces
Attempting to recover from a difficult situation
Feeling lost and all alone
Experiencing loneliness and confusion
Looking for signs through the window
Seeking guidance and direction
Just gotta break the silence
Breaking through the problems and obstacles
And dig my way out of this hole
Working hard to improve the situation
'Cause I could waste all my life
Acknowledging the possibility of wasting time
Waiting for lightning in the dark
Waiting for a solution to appear suddenly
Oh, I can decide that I can make fire
Realizing that one can take control of the situation
All I need is a spark
Just a little inspiration can go a long way
Don't wanna waste all my life
Having the determination to not waste life
Drowning in all these question marks
Feeling overwhelmed by unanswered questions
I'm done waiting for lightning in the dark
Refusing to wait any longer for a solution
I found the light inside my heart
Discovering inner strength
Ignite the flame and set it off
Lighting the passion and determination inside oneself
No stopping me
Being unstoppable
I know I'm done waiting for lightning
Having full confidence in oneself
I burn the sky, I'll rip it off
Aiming for the impossible and achieving it
No touching me
Being unbeatable and beyond reach
I was lonely as the last survivor
Feeling isolated and alone
Lost along the edge, not anymore
No longer lost and uncertain
Now I'm alive, not just surviving
Thriving and living to the fullest
Waiting for the lightning anymore
No longer relying on external solutions
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: Fransisca Hall, Jesse Shatkin, Matt Morris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind