Gabriella Cilmi was born in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong. Of Italian and Albanian heritage, she moved to London with her family when she was fifteen, where she currently lives with her parents Paula and Joe (whose origins are in Calabria and Sicily, Italy) and her brother Joseph.
At an early age, Cilmi developed an interest in a wide range of pop music acts, including Nina Simone, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, The Sweet, T. Rex and Cat Stevens. She has also cited Suzi Quatro as a particular influence. Despite her natural aptitude and vocal talent, Cilmi was told that she lacked the discipline necessary to pursue a singing career. Idolising Janis Joplin, during this time she sang with a band (Foucault) covering songs by Led Zeppelin, Jet, Silverchair and others. Cilmi recorded original songs with writer/producers Barbara and Adrian Hannan of The SongStore.
In 2004, Cilmi captured the attention of Warner Music executive Michael Parisi while giving an impromptu rendition of the Rolling Stones' song "Jumpin' Jack Flash" at the Lygon Street Festa, a community festival in Melbourne. At the age of 13, Cilmi travelled to the US and UK with Adrian Hannan and was offered four major US deals. She eventually signed a contract with Island Records UK.
Cilmi's first album, Lessons to Be Learned, was written and recorded with hit production team Xenomania and was released in March 2008 in the UK. Cilmi has been compared to Amy Winehouse. The first single, "Sweet About Me", debuted on the UK Singles Chart that month and climbed to number six three months later, in June. It reached number seventeen on the Irish Singles Chart, and peaked at number one on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. The song was used in a worldwide advertising campaign for the deodorant Sure/Rexona. Cilmi's second UK single, "Save the Lies", was not as successful as "Sweet About Me", peaking at number thirty-three in the UK. In Australia, the second single from the album was "Don't Wanna Go to Bed Now", which reached number twenty-eight. The subsequent single, "Sanctuary", was issued in November 2008 and failed to chart.
The lead single of Gabriella Cilmi's Ten is "On a Mission". It was released on 5 February 2010 in Australia and on 7 March 2010 in Europe. As soon as the song was broadcast on Australian radios, it reached number-one most added track to Australian radio in its second week of release, getting played 296 times. The song reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart and number sixteen in Australia.
The new album Ten was planned for 22 March 2010 and Cilmi said it would feature "lots of uptempo funk and disco-inspired numbers designed to make people groove", referring to "On a Mission", "Hearts Don't Lie", and "Love Me Cos", as well as "some more sexy tracks" probably referring to "Superhot" and "Invisible Girl". The song "Boys" incorporates a type of yodel into it. The song "Let Me Know" is described as the "Lessons To Be Learned-ish" song of the album.
It also features a new version of "Sweet About Me", with some disco/electronic style to show her music has changed.
While producing the album, Cilmi worked with Greg Kurstin, The Invisible Men and Dallas Austin, as well as Xenomania. She made her debuts in producing songs with the track "Love Me Cos", she says the song she is most proud of due to the fact it was produced with her band. It features production from Xenomania, Dallas Austin and Greg Kurstin, and bears an electropop sound in contrast to her first album, which had more of a pop/rock style.
By October 2010, Cilmi had already begun work on her third studio album. She has been quoted as saying: "It's totally exciting because I am spending a bit more time with this record. I want to see what works. I really love Dolly Parton, roots music, Tricky and Enya, so anything could happen."
On 20 January 2012, Cilmi released an acoustic version of a song from her album, "Vicious Love". It is played in a clip video where she sings with her band and walks around an Italian restaurant with sunglasses. Two days after the broadcast, she says: "This is an 'Acoustic-ish' version of a tune that will be on the new record, one that I love very much". The song has blues influences, contrasting the disco-inspired pop sound of Ten. Cilmi claims she felt pressured into adopting a more sexual image, which prompted her to part ways with Island Records and her management team. She also told the Herald Sun that the lacklustre commercial reception of her second album, Ten, taught her not to compromise herself or her music: "It was an awakening for me to realise the position I am in to make the record that I want to make and just stand up for myself."
On 22 January 2012, Cilmi explained how the song "Vicious Love" was inspired. She states: "If you've ever experienced any type of 'Vicious Love' you will know that sometimes despite all the arrows pointing to a dead end there is just no way out, there is no way back. But then again don't all roads lead to dead ends? Guess we should just enjoy the ride..."
In March 2013, Cilmi first performed "Sweet About Me", as well as two new songs "Come Wander With Me" and "Sweeter in History", at the Moxafrica Festival. On 15 March, the clip from her new single "Sweeter in History", is shown on her YouTube page. It was shot in Italy, precisely in Cassino and Valvori, Lazio. In July 2013, Cilmi announced a new track called "The Sting", released on 2 September as the album's lead single. The artwork of the single was revealed on 15 July 2013, picturing Cilmi in black and white, in front of a flower field. Cilmi's third studio album, The Sting, will be released on 4 November 2013 on her own UK-based imprint Sweetness Tunes, in association with Absolute Marketing & Distribution."Symmetry" is set to be released on 11 November as the album's second single.
What If You Knew
Gabriella Cilmi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something's been playing on my mind
I'm gonna tell you the truth even if it hurts
Now that we're dancing on the floor
Feeling like I can't pretend no more
I don't wanna lose the thing we had before
I pretend that you were mine
What if you knew
Your best friend is in love with you, aha?
Would you go or would you stay?
If I just knew how to say
Your best friend is in love with you
How could you ask for my advice
About those other girls you like?
Don't you know
I know you better than they do?
Even though I made you smile
Maybe I'm just in denial
What if you knew
Your best friend is in love with you, aha?
Would you go or would you stay?
If I just knew how to say
Your best friend is in love with you
Sometimes destiny
Ain't what it's supposed to be
You blink and it's gone
If the opportunity gets the best of me
I guess I'll have to move on
What if you knew
Your best friend is in love with you, aha?
Would you go or would you stay?
If I just knew how to say
Your best friend is in love with you
Your best friend is in love with you
Your best friend is in love with you
The lyrics to Gabriella Cilmi's song "What If You Knew" speak of the struggle and emotional turmoil of unrequited love. The song begins with the singer acknowledging that something is troubling her and decides to be honest with her friend, even if it hurts. The second stanza talks about how vulnerable she feels at the moment and doesn't want to lose what they had before as friends. As the chorus kicks in, the singer questions what would happen if her best friend knew that she was in love with him. She wonders if he would stay or go, and if she had the courage to tell him. The next verse hints at the complexity of their relationship, where the singer knows the best friend so intimately that he seeks her advice on other girls he likes.
The bridge of the song suggests that sometimes fate doesn't have it right, and we have to move on from missed opportunities. The singer ends the song by saying once again that her best friend is in love with him, and we're left to wonder how he feels about her. In summary, "What If You Knew" is a raw and honest portrayal of the struggle between telling someone we love them and risking losing the friendship we cherish so deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the night I'm gonna try
Gabriella is determined to tell her best friend that she loves him tonight.
Something's been playing on my mind
Gabriella has been thinking about confessing her feelings to her best friend for a while now.
I'm gonna tell you the truth even if it hurts
Gabriella is willing to take the risk of potentially hurting her friendship with her best friend in order to tell him how she truly feels about him.
Now that we're dancing on the floor
Gabriella and her best friend are currently dancing together at a party or event.
Feeling like I can't pretend no more
Gabriella is tired of pretending that she doesn't have feelings for her best friend.
I don't wanna lose the thing we had before
Gabriella doesn't want her confession to ruin their friendship if her best friend doesn't feel the same way.
Like a movie in my mind
Gabriella is imagining a scenario in her head where she tells her best friend how she feels and things work out perfectly.
I pretend that you were mine
Gabriella is daydreaming about what it would be like to be in a relationship with her best friend.
How could you ask for my advice
Gabriella's best friend is currently seeking her advice about other girls he's interested in.
About those other girls you like?
Gabriella's best friend is interested in other girls besides her.
Don't you know
Gabriella is frustrated that her best friend doesn't realize that she knows him better than anyone else.
I know you better than they do?
Gabriella believes that she has a deeper understanding of her best friend's personality and preferences than anyone else.
Even though I made you smile
Gabriella is aware that she has made her best friend happy before, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he returns her romantic feelings.
Maybe I'm just in denial
Gabriella is considering the possibility that she may be deluding herself into thinking that her best friend could ever feel the same way about her.
Sometimes destiny
Gabriella is acknowledging the fact that sometimes things don't work out the way they're supposed to.
Ain't what it's supposed to be
Gabriella recognizes that what she wants (a romantic relationship with her best friend) may not be what fate has in store for her.
You blink and it's gone
Gabriella feels like her opportunity to tell her best friend how she feels might slip away if she doesn't act on it soon.
If the opportunity gets the best of me
Gabriella feels like she might regret not telling her best friend how she feels later in life, so she's thinking about doing it now even though it might be risky.
I guess I'll have to move on
Gabriella is prepared to accept that her best friend might not feel the same way about her and move on if necessary.
Your best friend is in love with you
Gabriella is confessing to her best friend that she has romantic feelings for him and hopes that he feels the same way.
Contributed by Alex Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
cantforgetyou
super track. Great production. I love her new 'dance' style.
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j'adore cette chanson assez rythmée
Le premonizioni del Cuore
Hot voice 🌹🤙🏻🐣❤
x_Yuna_x
daaaaaam shes right!!!!
hottyeyez
Nice!
Michael John
Yep. Know what that feels like.
Carmy Angry
🤩🤩
Holly Bowen
story. of. my. life.
Carmy Angry
Cool