Stepping out of her comfort zone led Vanessa Amorosi to produce some of her best work, as heard in her dazzling new album, writes Nathan Heron.

Out of sight, out of mind? Not so with Vanessa Amorosi.

It’s been a while since the height of her notoriety on home soil, but who could forget her enormous hits ‘Absolutely Everybody’ and ‘Shine’?

Indeed, Vanessa was the first Australian female to reach Number 1 on the national charts with her debut album The Power. Now with the release of her highly anticipated sophomore offering, Somewhere In The Real World, this versatile Aussie songstress is set to wow audiences with a newfound rock edge.

It’s no mean feat that, at the young age of 18, Vanessa found success in an industry she believes was “very fake” at the time. Yet, it was her fierce tenacity that ultimately helped her overcome adversity, in turn contributing to the confident woman and artist that she is today.

“I’m a lot more comfortable in this industry and also with myself,” she tells AXN. “I have a lot more fun doing my job. I did struggle with it a lot as a kid.”

She adds: “I had to literally blow open doors because I wasn’t what the industry was back then. I wasn’t Britney Spears in little skirts and miming. I always felt like I had to work twice as hard to prove myself worthy of being an entertainer”.

Vanessa toured extensively until 2002, after which she voluntarily withdrew from the public eye to focus on song writing and producing. But, inevitably, her desire to once again take to the stage became too much to ignore. 

Time away from the spotlight certainly allowed for a wealth of creative inspiration. Consequently, Vanessa’s journey thus far is well-chronicled on Somewhere In The Real World - with “scars” from her experiences dictating the wide scope in lyrical content and musical vibes.

The sound ranges from upbeat pop rock to acoustic melodies.

The album’s first two singles, ‘Kiss Your Mamma’ and ‘Perfect’, have already dominated airwaves – a credit, she insists, to a recording experience in the US that “scared” the best work out of her.

“I needed to have new faces, a new scene and to struggle a little bit,” she says. “I didn’t go over there [the US] boasting that I’d had past success. I just went over there as another person who wanted to be a singer and who was a song writer.

“It changed my outlook on the fact of how rare it is to have a career in music.” AXN

Somewhere In The Real World is out now through Universal Music.

vanessaamorosi.com