Cheyne met producer and writer Andy Van in a dance club. Van was the founder of the Vicious Vinyl record label and had remix credits for Tina Arena and CDB. Van had also won an ARIA award for his production work on "Coma" by Pendulum.
The duo started working together mainly as writers and producers in 1988. Their first single "Fly" featured Kellie Wolfgram as the vocalist. However, Cheyne sang on the group's breakthrough single "Don't Call Me Baby" because Andy Van liked her version initially used as the guide track for the intended singer. Van took the song to the MIDEM Conference leading to the band being signed by Virgin Records in the UK and Sony Music for the rest of the world.
"Don't Call Me Baby" proved to be a breakthrough record for Madison Avenue topping the Australian charts in 1999. It sold 200,000 singles in Australia, the best singles sales achieved by any Australian act in that country for 1999 and Madison Avenue were the first Australian dance act to top the Australian singles charts. The single was released internationally in 2000. In the UK, the song sold 400,00 copies and topped the singles chart, and was a hit throughout Europe. "Don't Call Me Baby" also topped the Billboard dance charts in the US. By this stage, Cheyne was widely established as the public face of the band, although Madison Avenue was originally intended to be a collective dance group like C&C Music Factory or Soul II Soul.
The single's accompanying album, Polyester Embassy, was released in 2000 and reached #4 on the Australian album charts. It spawned three further singles:
* "Who The Hell Are You" - a #1 hit in Australia and on the Billboard Dance Charts, it also reached #10 in the UK.
* "Everything You Need" - went to #6 and was certified gold in Australia, as well as breaking into the UK's Top 40.
* "Reminiscing" - a cover version of the 1978 hit by Australian rock band Little River Band, it was the 9th most popular single by an Australian artist in Australia in 2001 (reaching #9 in the Australian singles charts that year).
In 2001, Madison Avenue won the Best Dance Artist at the International Dance Awards in Miami. Destiny's Child, Madonna, *NSYNC and Britney Spears were also nominated for the award.
The group officially disbanded in 2003, with Cheyne going on to pursue a solo career.
Fly
Madison Avenue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chilling at the club on a friday night
Hangin with my friends, feelin alright
Dj's playin all my favorite tunes
The dance floor's lookin' really good
I'm gonna go and get my girls
You know we do it right, hey yeah
Set your spirit free
Let it take you up
The best you can be
Fly
((repeat))
Verse 2:
The sun is high and hot
We're looking sweet and looking fine
Cruising down the boulevard
With me and mine
Radio is pumping oh yeah turn it up
Now get ready here comes my favorite song
It makes you wanna....
CHORUS
The lyrics of "Fly" by Madison Avenue describe the feeling of being carefree and living in the moment during a night out and a casual cruise. The first verse talks about the singer having a good time at the club with their friends and being excited to hit the dance floor with their girls. The chorus encourages setting one's spirit free and being the best version of oneself. The second verse focuses on a sunny day where the singer is cruising with their friends, feeling confident and turning up the radio to enjoy their favorite song.
The song revolves around the theme of living in the moment and enjoying life to the fullest, without worrying about the future or the past. The catchy chorus encourages the listener to embrace this mindset and be the best version of themselves. The upbeat tempo and the disco-pop influenced sound contribute to the overall cheerful and carefree mood of the song.
Madison Avenue's "Fly" was released in 1999 and was one of their most successful hits, reaching number one on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart and number five on the UK Singles Chart. They won several awards for the song, including the Best Dance Release category at the ARIA Music Awards 2000. The song was remixed by several DJs and producers and became a popular track in clubs all over the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Chilling at the club on a friday night
I'm out at the club on Friday night relaxing
Hangin with my friends, feelin alright
Spending time with my friends and feeling good about it
Dj's playin all my favorite tunes
The DJ is playing all the songs I love
The dance floor's lookin' really good
The dance floor is really busy and fun
I'm gonna go and get my girls
I'm going to gather my female friends
You know we do it right, hey yeah
We know how to have a good time
Set your spirit free
Let your true self loose
Let it take you up
Let it help you achieve your dreams
The best you can be
Be the most amazing version of yourself
Fly
Achieve greatness and soar
The sun is high and hot
The sun is out and it's hot outside
We're looking sweet and looking fine
We look good and are feeling great
Cruising down the boulevard
Driving down a busy street
With me and mine
Together with my close ones
Radio is pumping oh yeah turn it up
The music on the radio is loud and lively
Now get ready here comes my favorite song
My favorite song is about to play
It makes you wanna....
It inspires you to take action
Contributed by Liam W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.