Ricki-Lee Premieres Comeback Single ‘Raining Diamonds’

by David

This is absolutely immense. Gurl, you need to put up a warning that basically says, “runny mascara and wind machine worthy” killer pop hooks ahead. I can’t handle this. To say that this is one of the best Australian pop singles I’ve heard all year would be quite an understatement.

Australian Idol diva extraordinaire Ricki-Lee Coulter is back with a fuller, more mature pop sound that speaks to where she is right now. ‘Raining Diamonds’ is a stylish, survivor dance ballad powered by pulsating club-ready beats that opens up like nothing she has done before.

Ms Coulter co-wrote the song with hit writer Billy Mann (who has penned gems for The Veronicas, Kelly Rowland and Robyn) and BoyBlue (who has worked with upcoming sensations like Ro Danishei). The formerly independent pop star is now relaunching her music career with the help of EMI, her first major label signing as a solo artist.

The last time we heard from the sexy, sometime-radio personality, she was letting us have it with two angsty, hard-edged electro pop singles: ‘Don’t Miss You’ and ‘Hear No, See No, Speak No’. It was evidently a dark place after her break up and while that inherently fuels great songwriting material, there was something inexplicably toxic about the tone there that didn’t flatter Ricki-Lee too well. Without very much notice, that whole album was shelved and the girl didn’t peep any new tunes for months.

Fast forward to October 2011 and it’s almost a whole other woman we’re hearing on this record. One of the reasons why I immediately responded to ‘Raining Diamonds’ was because of the way Ricki-Lee takes you through the verses. For a woman who has laid the foundations of her pop career as a serial belter, I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t think her voice could demonstrate so much depth and maturity in tender arrangements.

‘Raining Diamonds’ is life-giving to put it quite aptly. There are lyrics here that wouldn’t have impacted as effectively if she had recorded it three or four years ago. When you hear her sing, “I know that love is more than just surviving”, you know that’s the voice of experience telling you right there.

Listen to Ricki-Lee‘s splendid ‘Raining Diamonds’ here:


 
Footnotes:

Ricki-Lee‘s ‘Raining Diamonds’ impacts media and hits iTunes today. Purchase the single here. Her third studio album is expected to arrive at store fronts early 2012.