With her quirky, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, universal pop melodies and trademark curly hair, British dance floor Barbarella Lolene is a hot topic.
Awkward Pop
Coining the term, “awkward pop,” Lolene describes her sound as “Joan Collins in Dynasty, Studio 54, white jump-suits, and disco balls.” Raised by a single mother and “independent by default,” Lolene is a native of Bristol, England, where she grew up mastering tap, jazz dance, and ballet before discovering, as a teen, that music was her true calling.
Lolene began writing songs and singing backing vocals for trip-hop artist Martina Topley-Bird and local drum and bass pioneer Roni Size. After completing school, she moved to London and fronted a short-lived girl group. With a knack for writing melodies and lyrics, she wrote all the group's material and signed to a development deal at BMG Records.
Armed with nothing but a suitcase and a demo CD, Lolene moved to Hollywood in search of her big break. She was quickly discovered by multiplatinum producer Jonathan “J.R.” Rotem, who signed her to his publishing label Beluga Heights/Sony ATV. She went to work as a songwriter, collaborating with such heavy-hitters as Christina Milian, for whom Lolene penned the single Diamonds featuring Kanye West.
Debut Album
Rich (Fake it Til You Make It) is the delicious first track and video from Lolene’s highly anticipated debut album The Electrick Hotel, set to be released on Capitol/EMI Records summer 2010.
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