Free Me (album)
In 2001, Bunton released her solo debut album "A Girl Like Me" through Virgin Records. It spent over 12 weeks inside the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number four and earning a gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It also produced her only solo chart-topper "What Took You So Long?", as well as the top-five singles "What I Am" and "Take My Breath Away", and the top-20 entry "We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight". When it came to her second album, her record company "came to me and said, 'Let's do a demo thing for the second album.' And I thought, 'Hold on a minute.' Not a lot of people know this, but I actually walked away from it. We put so much into it, and when they don't give you that support anymore, it's quite heartbreaking", says Bunton. "I said, 'Thank you very much for the demo idea, but I want to take this where I know people are going to be right behind me and work as hard as I do.'" The album was inspired by 1960s sounds, such as bossa nova, Motown and French pop. The album was largely produced by Mike Peden and Yak Bondy, who have produced tracks for acts such as S Club 7 and Lucie Silvas. Other contributions on the album are courtesy of Cathy Dennis, Henry Binns, and Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi. The album was released via 19 Recordings, which is a division of 19 Management, the company owned by Simon Fuller. Bunton says of the inspiration behind the album: "I've been listening to Motown since I was about five, and just loving it, being very passionate about the fact how it was all done live, and I thought, 'Hold on, I always talk about the fact I love '60s and Motown', so I thought I'd take elements of it, bits of it, and put it into my album, so that's exactly what I did." However, Bunton's songs on this album mainly started life as a simple scribble. She says, "I have a little book beside my bed, where I put all my ideas for songs and stuff. It's kind of weird, 'cuz usually when I'm having a dream, I'll wake up, and I'll write something down, then I'll look at it again and think, 'God, what was I dreaming about?'" The album's lead single, "Free Me", was released in May 2003. The song immediately picked up airplay, peaking at number five on the UK Singles Chart. "Maybe" was released as the second single in October 2003, and also gained extensive airplay throughout the United Kingdom, peaking at number six. In January 2004, "I'll Be There" was released as the third single from the album. Like its two predecessors, it performed well on the charts, peaking at number seven on the UK chart. Later in the year, in May, "Crickets Sing for Anamaria", was released as the fourth single. The song peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, both "Free Me" and "Maybe" were dance club regulars, reaching numbers four and six on the "Billboard" Hot Dance Club Play chart, respectively. The album was acclaimed by critics for its catchy and fun use of sounds from the Motown and the 1960s era. BBC Music says the album is "light and frothy, like a good cappuccino, but this time it's with the sugar taken out". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave a positive review saying, "This music is stylish without being flashy, thanks in large part to the charmingly tuneful, sturdy songs (all but one bearing a writing credit from Emma). While Bunton may still have a small, sweet voice, she's developed a stronger presence on record, giving this album not just a face, but a fetching persona that's hard to resist". According to Lynsey Hanley from newspaper "The Daily Telegraph", Bunton's new musical direction was "a brave move, given that high-sheen, saucy R&B is currently the main mode of expression for female pop performers, but Emma's lilting vocals and only faintly suggestive image suit this album's less aggressive style". "The album's got charm, grace and it's fun", said "Q" magazine. "Marie Claire" magazine said it "mixes up bossa nova with James Bond soundtrack" and that "Emma resembles a seductive Brigitte Bardot". Credits adapted from the liner notes of "Free Me".
Singles
The album peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart and spawned three top-10 singles: "Free Me", "Maybe" and "I'll Be There".