Musical Style and Influences
Coulter's music has ranged from R&B and pop, to electro, rock and dance. Guy Blackman of The Age noted that Coulter's self-titled debut album, Ricki-Lee (2005), "is an infectious collection of R&B-tinged pop tunes that takes a step beyond the usual Idol fodder". Matthew Chisling of Allmusic also noted that the album includes elements of rock, and compared the material to artists such as S Club 7 and Nicole Scherzinger. Her second album, Brand New Day (2007), features upbeat dance songs, with elements of disco, reggae, 40s swing music, 70s jazz pop and motown. The lyrics for the album's third single "Can't Sing a Different Song" are "'kind of bragging' about how happy she and her husband" at the time, Babbington, are. In 2009, Coulter released the singles "Don't Miss You" and "Hear No, See No, Speak No", which showcased a new electro pop and rock sound. Coulter admitted that "Don't Miss You" was about ending her relationship with Babbington, saying "it was my first break-up and he was my first boyfriend so I can't lie". Aside from recording music, Coulter has co-written much of her own material. She co-wrote four songs on her debut album, ten songs on her second album, and twelve songs on her third album.
Coulter has said that she grew up listening to artists such as Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, citing the latter as an influence. She has also named Michael Jackson and Beyoncé Knowles as influences, she told Cosmopolitan magazine, " so driven, she pushes herself to the limits and she's achieved so much but she's always looking for what that next thing is and how she can improve from what she's done in the past. She's really setting the benchmark for female artists and I think she kind of is the Michael Jackson of this generation". Critics have compared Coulter's single "Do It Like That" (2012) and its accompanying music video to Knowles' work. Coulter has expressed admiration for other female artists such as Pink, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.
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