China
| China | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Genres |
Pop/Rock, Pop/Dance, Electropop, Powerpop, New Wave |
| Years active | 2007-2010 (hiatus) |
| Labels |
Saturdays Wired |
Brittany China DeRosa as known by her stage name China (born 3rd July, 1990) is an Italian-American singer-songwriter, producer, director and campaigner. She released her debut single Dream Catch Her December 2007, where it debuted and peaked at #6 and went on to achieve the certification of silver. China has gone on to have thirteen top ten's, four of them being collaborations. She also has eight number ones, including Not Gonna Tell and Tune Me In Stereo. She has also released three studio albums, Virtuoso, Censor My Ambitions & Fortune Favours The Bold, and one live album Live and Uncensored. Her albums have sold 4,130,352 copies in the UK alone. Her singles have sold 4,404,289 copies. China went on to win URAPS Rate 12 and 13, she won Best Female, Best Pop/Dance, Best Album for Censor My Ambitions at Urapopstar Awards 16. And Best Female, Best Pop/Dance, Best Live, Best Promotion at Urapopstar Awards 17. She is most noted for her singles Tune Me In Stereo and Not Gonna Tell.
Biography[edit | edit source]
1990–2006: Early life[edit | edit source]
Brittany DeRosa was born on July 3, 1990, the eldest child of Italian American parents Melinda and Giordano DeRosa, in Los Angeles.
When China was five she showed interest in music learning to play the piano by ear at six. She remembers playing her fathers' music which included David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Queen.
Her mother commented on China's fascination with Marilyn Monroe; "We joked around calling her mini Marilyn, she just became really fascinated with Marilyn and she was only eight, she'd watch all her movies and play her music all the time. She said one day I'll be this generations Marilyn. We didn't have any problems with her wanting to be a singer, but we said that she should have a back-up. We didn't paint it all pretty we said that not everyone makes it, so you need something to fall back on if you don't succeed."
At 12 she decided to follow in her dads footsteps as a marine biologist, she has a bachelor's degree in Marine Science.
China was described as "gifted and talented" by her teachers, saying that she was a quick learner and her passion for marine biology really helped her graduate quickly. It was all about doing whatever she could, doing it to the best of her ability.
After China graduated she started working on her debut material.
2006-2007: Early life[edit | edit source]
DeRosa started working on her debut material in early 2006, working on various demos before searching for a record label.
She started recording with her stage name China as she got nicknamed China doll by her friends and family. In late 2007 she arrived in the UK, where she was offered a contract with Wired Records if she went top ten.
2007 onward: Virtuoso, Censor My Ambitions and Fortune Favours The Bold[edit | edit source]
Virtuoso 2008[edit | edit source]
Main Article: Virtuoso
In December 2007 China released her debut single Dream Catch Her, released on what has been claimed as the toughest date of the week i.e. Christmas Week, she managed to debut and peak at #6 going to achieve the certification of silver, before dropping out the Top 40 after 7 weeks.
In November 2007 she approached Wired Records, after her single went top ten she was automatically signed to Wired Records where she was signed for one album deal worth 500k. It has been reported that she signed a three album contract worth £1.5 million, but nothing has been confirmed.
Virtuoso was released 25th February 2008, following the release of her second single When You Walked Away. The album was dual disc, which included a DVD side, which featured videos and an interview.
Her debut included writing credits from Putanovska and CHERRi. Jake Neyssa & Dalisay also featured on tracks.
Virtuoso sold 816,011 copies and achieved the certification of Platinum, being in the top 40 for a total of....
Censor My Ambitions (2009)[edit | edit source]
Main Article: Censor My Ambitions
China's second album saw her take a completely different direction from her debut album Virtuoso. Censor My Ambitions saw China take the route Electropop as the genre, China states her influences as, The Saturdays, Lady GaGa, Britney Spears, Girls Aloud and Gwen Stefani.
Censor My Ambitions sees writing credits from Phoenix Rising , Indigo Peak and Sandi York. Indigo Peak songs Tune Me In Stereo and Covergirl were both produced by them, making the rest of the album produced by China including Sandi York cover Welcome To Vegas.
Censor My Ambitions debuted at number one in the album charts, and has gone on to have three number ones, including Tune Me In Stereo, Cutting You (Out Of My Life), Paper Dolls and collaboration Belle Ball/Covergirl with Romo. The return single Publicised Spats & Love Rats debuted at #3 but peaked at #2.
Censor My Ambitions has gone on to spend four weeks at the top of the album charts, all on different occasions, the first week sales 79,062 units surpassed those of her debut album Virtuoso. Censor My Ambitions won best album at Urapopstar Awards 16, it has been in the Top 40 for 31 weeks, and has currently sold 1,151,909 copies, achieving the certification of Diamond.
Fortune Favours The Bold (2009-2010)[edit | edit source]
Main Article: Fortune Favours The Bold
China's third studio album showed a darker side to the singer, and focused more on the dark side of fame. The album showed China's diversity as she went from the pop art escape of the swinging sixties to the neon engulfed dance floors of the eighties.
Fortune Favours The Bold includes Indigo Peak written track Fire! Scream!, "Disco Stick" written by Alex Washington, "Unfair" Alesha and Shell Ruin, "Wasting My Time" Violetta DiNozzo, & co-written "Andy Warhol" with Indigo Peak.
Fortune Favours The Bold debuted at number one in the album charts, selling 160,091 copies in its first week, having the biggest opening week since Russ Hooch's Greatest Hits album back in March '07.
It's lead single Not Gonna Tell peaked and debuted at #1 in the singles chart, selling 142,447 copies in its first week, having the biggest opening week since Jake and Nikki's "Grease EP" back in Christmas '06 and currently stands as silver.
The album has had four singles Not Gonna Tell, Dead Famous, Fire! Scream! / Pornographic and Superficial, all these have gone to number one.
It has sold 1,825,439 copies after being in the charts for 28 weeks, being certified platinum.
Discography[edit | edit source]
Main Article: China Discography
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Awards[edit | edit source]
China went on to score three wins during the 16th installment as well as co-presenting the "Red Carpet Show". She has also scored six nominations at the 17th installment.
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- Other
- Best Female Video
"Publicised Spats & Love Rats" - Nominated - Popjustice £20 Music Prize
"Tune Me In Stereo" - Nominated
Other[edit | edit source]
Supporting[edit | edit source]
| Year | Title | Notes | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Charlie C | Greatest Hits Tour | UK |
| 2009 | Romo | Belle's Ball | UK |
| 2009 | Emily Henning | Seventeen Missing Kisses | UK |
Tours[edit | edit source]
| Year | Title | Notes | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Virtuoso Tour | Supported by Matt Jones/Twisted Disco | UK |
| 2009 | Strictly Censored Tour with Elice Claire | Supported by Helena Rossi, The Infinite | UK |
| 2010 | Fortune Favours The Bold Tour | Supported by loads | UK and the world |
Records[edit | edit source]
- China's Not Gonna Tell is #2 best selling single of all time.
- China's Fortune Favours The Bold is #7 best selling album of all time.
- China last six singles have all gone #1 matching the feat by Claire Kitten.
- China has had eight number one singles on par with Andrea Twain.
- China's "Sometimes I" spent 22 weeks on the singles chart, while, "Not Gonna Tell" stands at 28 weeks.
- China, is tied for second most airplay #1s with seven.
- China has had three consecutive #1 singles; China is the only act to have three consecutive #1s on two separate occasions.
- China holds the record for most weeks at #1 with her massive hit "Not Gonna Tell", which spent 8 consecutive weeks at #1 between Octobe 4, 2009 and November 22, 2009.
See Also[edit | edit source]
- Record Labels: Saturdays Records, Wired Records
