Jessica Hillda Mauboy's father is of Timorese-Indonesian origin while her mother is of Indigenous Australian, Native American and English descent.
At 14, she won the Telstra 'Road to Tamworth' competition, with the grand prize being a single recording contract with Sony BMG. She then recorded a country version of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". Years later, during Australian Idol, this contract became a source of controversy, with certain media reports stating that already having a recording contract was against the rules of Idol. Grundy Television said Mauboy's experiences in Tamworth had no bearing on her involvement in Australian Idol and that she no longer had a contract with Sony, allowing her to participate in the competition.
Jessica cites Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson as her musical influences; naming Carey's hits "My All", "Anytime You Need A Friend", "Butterfly" and "Hero" as personal favourites.
In the summer of 2006, Jessica auditioned for the fourth season of Australian Idol in Alice Springs. She sang the Whitney Houston hit "I Have Nothing" and her powerful rendition impressed all three judges Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and Kyle Sandilands. Marcia stated that Mauboy was one of the most naturally blessed singers she had ever come across. She made it through to the theatre rounds with a unanimous "yes" and performed at the Kimberley Moon Experience. She came first runner-up in the finale.
On 10 December 2006, it was announced that Mauboy had secured a recording contract with Sony BMG, with company spokesman Denis Handlin stating that her debut album would be released in mid-2007.
On 24 December 2007, Mauboy performed "When a Child Is Born" and Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" at the annual 'Carols by Candlelight' event in Melbourne.
Rather than rushing through a debut album as most Idol contestants do, it was decided that while Jessica recorded her first studio album, she would release a live album containing performances from her appearances as a contestant on Australian Idol, in order to keep her in the mind of the public.
On 24 February 2007, Mauboy released The Journey, a live album containing her Idol performances. The album debuted and peaked at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold for the sale of 35,000 copies.
On 26 September 2007, after much speculation, Mauboy was introduced to the public as the new member of The Young Divas - a group of four female contestants from Idol who cover old songs. Mauboy replaced one of the group's founding members, Ricki-Lee Coulter, who had featured on the group's debut album, but departed in June 2007 in order to concentrate on her solo career. The first Young Divas single to feature vocals from Mauboy, "Turn Me Loose", was released on 17 November 2007, and after debuting at number 21, the song peaked at number fifteen. The group's second studio album (and first with Mauboy) 'New Attitude' was released a week later on 24 November and debuted at #10. The album was quickly certified gold for sales of 35,000 copies.
On 28 March 2008, after six months of apparent inactivity, the Young Divas' record label, Sony BMG announced in The Daily Telegraph that due to the under performance of "Turn Me Loose", a second single would not be released from New Attitude. However, it was also stated that the group were not being dropped from the record label's line-up of artists and would continue to record music.
In early June 2008, Mauboy signed on to the Australian Government 'In2Oz' program, designed to promote closer ties with Indonesia. As a part of this program, she travelled to Indonesia for a week long trip performing around the country. She also performed on Indonesian Idol, singing "Crazy in Love" and "Sempurna" (Perfect) with former Indonesian Idol stars Mike, Judika and Lucky.
On 24 August 2008, following months of rumours, it was officially announced that after a year with the group, Mauboy had decided to quit the Young Divas in order to focus on her solo career. Founding member Paulini Curuenavuli had also decided to depart, leaving Kate DeAraugo and Emily Williams as the only remaining members of the group, though their manager David Champion stated that the Divas would undergo a third line-up change following the departures of Mauboy and Paulini, with a third album to be released later in the year.
Mauboy's debut solo single "Running Back", featuring American rapper Flo Rida, was released for download on 23 September 2008 and physical sales commenced on 11 October 2008. The single peaked at number 3, spent nineteen weeks on the singles chart and achieved double platinum status for sales of over 140,000 copies. It has also peaked at number 1 on the ARIA Urban Charts. The music video was filmed in the Docklands area of Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. Her debut studio album 'Been Waiting' was released on 22 November 2008 and debuted at number 16 peaking at number 11 on the ARIA Album Charts in its ninth week. It peaked at number 1 on the ARIA Urban Charts and was certified platinum for sales of over 70,000 copies. The album was released in Japan on April 22, 2009 and she will promote the album there later in the year. In March 2009, it was announced that Mauboy would release her debut album in the UK and would start promotion in June after signing a contract with the Ministry of Sound label. The deal made Mauboy only the second Australian Idol contestant ever to sign a UK record deal, after Ricki-Lee.
Mauboy's second single, "Burn" was released on December 6, 2008 and debuted at number 30 but after 7 weeks of rising up the ARIA singles chart it hit the number 1 spot, making it Mauboy's first number one single. It spent over twenty weeks on the chart and achieved platinum status. Like her first single, it too peaked at number 1 on the ARIA Urban Charts. The single made its debut on the Japan Hot 100 at number ninety-two on April 25, 2009.
On January 26, 2009 at the annual Australia Day concert Mauboy announced that the title track of her album "Been Waiting" would be her next single. The song was meant to make its debut on radio on February 16, 2009 but was pushed forward due to Burn being removed from most radio playlists in light of the devastating bush fires in Victoria. The single was officially released on 14 March 2009 and Mauboy performed it live on Funniest Home Videos on Saturday 4 April. The single peaked at number 12 on the official ARIA charts and at #6 on the ARIA Urban Charts.
In the week of 25 May 2009, fourth single "Because" was the number-one most added track on Australian radio. The single was released on June 12 and debuted on the ARIA Charts at number nine.
Her fifth single, "Up/Down", is expected to be released in September 2009 to coincide with her appearances supporting Beyoncé Knowles and Flo Rida on their Australian tours.
Also in 2009, Mauboy signed with cosmetic company Bloom to create a range of designer nail-polishes and in June performed at the Sydney launch of video game The Sims 3.
Jessica Mauboy's hit debut album "Been Waiting" is set for a Re-Release, it will contain a CD and DVD. It Is set to be called "Been Waiting - Deluxe Edition" The Double Disc Deluxe edition has been confirmed to come out on the 21st of August, 2009.
Empty
Jessica Mauboy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you're home late again
Now you're acting strange
And you won't tell me where you've been
You can look me in the eyes
Imagine every alibi
Think you've got it made but boy
There's something you don't know
When you left your room
You shouldn't have forgot your phone
I just heard your messages
And this is where it ends
Been getting away with the [Incomprehensible] so long
Boy you're at the point you don't know right from wrong
You're never gonna change
You're feeling me, you're feeling me
You hear what I'm saying
You're feeling me, you're feeling me
All I know is
No I don't forgive ya, no tears left to cry
The door is shut, I give up, boy I'm empty
Gave you second chances at least a hundred times
You're not the one, I am done in fact you offend me
I'm sick and tired of hearing from my friends that you've been lying
No reasons to stay but to leave, yeah, I got plenty
There's nothing left here for you in this empty heart of mine
You took all the love from the start now it's empty
You're feeling me, you're feeling me
You're feeling me, you're feeling me
You didn't even realize the hole that you're digging
When you try to tell me that she doesn't mean a thing
Suddenly all I can see is what you think of me
And trying to point the finger at me
I can't cope
That you did what you did
'Cause of something I don't
You should be ashamed
You're feeling me, you're feeling me
Trying to shift the blame
You're feeling me, you're feeling me
But all I know is
No I don't forgive ya, no tears left to cry
Door is shut, I give up, boy I'm empty
Gave you second chances at least a hundred times
You're not the one, I am done, in fact you offend me
I'm sick and tired of hearing from my friends that you've been lying
No reasons to stay but to leave, yeah, I got plenty
There's nothing left here for you in this empty heart of mine
You took all the love from the start now it's empty
You're feeling me, you're feeling me
You're feeling me, you're feeling me
And no I don't forgive ya, no tears left to cry
The door is shut, I give up, boy I'm empty
Gave you second chances at least a hundred times
You're not the one, I am done, In fact you offend me
I'm sick and tired of hearing from my friends that you've been lying
No reasons to stay but to leave, yeah, I got plenty
There's nothing left here for you in this empty heart of mine
You took all the love from the start now it's empty
No, no, door is shut, I give up, boy I'm empty
And no you're not the one
I am done in fact you offend me
I'm sick and tired of hearing from my friends that you've been lying
No reasons to stay but to leave, yeah, I got plenty
There's nothing left here for you in this empty heart of mine
You took all the love from the start now it's empty
The song "Empty" by Jessica Mauboy is about a woman who has had enough of her partner's lies and deceitful behavior. The opening lines of the song suggest that her partner has just come home late again and is being evasive about where they have been. She then reveals that she has heard his messages and knows that he has been lying to her about something. The chorus repeats the line "no tears left to cry" indicating the woman's exhaustion from continually forgiving her partner and being hurt.
As the song continues, she expresses her frustration with her partner's ongoing behavior and lack of remorse. The second verse reveals that her partner tried to blame her for his mistakes, which she cannot accept. The song ends with the woman declaring that she is done with the relationship.
The lyrics convey a sense of emotional exhaustion and betrayal. Jessica Mauboy's powerful vocals add to the intensity of the song and accentuate the woman's feelings of being used and taken for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
You just walked in through the door
The subject has just arrived home
And you're home late again
The subject has a history of coming home late
Now you're acting strange
The subject is displaying unusual behavior
And you won't tell me where you've been
The subject is refusing to disclose their whereabouts
You can look me in the eyes
The subject is making eye contact
Imagine every alibi
The subject is coming up with excuses in their head
Think you've got it made but boy
The subject thinks they have gotten away with something
There's something you don't know
The subject is unaware that their deception has been uncovered
When you left your room
The subject left their room
You shouldn't have forgot your phone
The subject left their phone behind
I just heard your messages
The singer has listened to the subject's voicemails or messages
And this is where it ends
The artist has reached a breaking point in the relationship
Been getting away with the [Incomprehensible] so long
The subject has been deceiving the singer for a considerable period of time
Boy you're at the point you don't know right from wrong
The subject has lost sight of their moral compass
You're never gonna change
The singer has lost hope in the subject changing their ways
You're feeling me, you're feeling me
The artist is expressing that the subject understands their message
You hear what I'm saying
The artist is confident that the subject is listening and processing their words
All I know is
The singer is certain of their decision
No I don't forgive ya, no tears left to cry
The singer is not able to forgive the subject anymore
The door is shut, I give up, boy I'm empty
The artist is ending the relationship and feels drained
Gave you second chances at least a hundred times
The artist has given the subject numerous opportunities to change their behavior
You're not the one, I am done in fact you offend me
The artist is confident that the subject is not the right person for them and their actions have caused offense
I'm sick and tired of hearing from my friends that you've been lying
The singer's friends have informed them of the subject's dishonesty, and the singer is sick of hearing about it
No reasons to stay but to leave, yeah, I got plenty
The artist sees no reason to continue the relationship and has many reasons to end it
There's nothing left here for you in this empty heart of mine
The singer's heart feels empty, and there are no feelings left for the subject
You took all the love from the start now it's empty
The subject has drained all the love from the relationship, leaving the singer with nothing
You didn't even realize the hole that you're digging
The subject is unaware that their actions are causing damage to the relationship
When you try to tell me that she doesn't mean a thing
The subject is attempting to deny or justify their actions with another person
Suddenly all I can see is what you think of me
The artist is realizing the subject's true feelings towards them
And trying to point the finger at me
The subject is attempting to shift blame onto the singer
I can't cope
The singer is struggling to deal with the situation
That you did what you did
The artist is acknowledging the subject's actions
'Cause of something I don't
The artist is uncertain of the reason for the subject's behavior
You should be ashamed
The artist feels that the subject should feel guilty or embarrassed
Trying to shift the blame
The subject is attempting to avoid taking responsibility
No, no, door is shut, I give up, boy I'm empty
The artist is reiterating their decision to end the relationship and feels spent emotionally
And no you're not the one
The singer is confident that the subject is not the right person for them
I am done in fact you offend me
The singer is finished with the relationship and the subject's actions have caused offense
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JESSICA HILDA MAUBOY, ADAM REILY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind