Louise Redknapp - Music Career - Solo Career With EMI

Solo Career With EMI

In late-1995, Louise signed a record deal with First Avenue management and EMI Records. Now professionally known simply as "Louise", her debut solo single was the orchestral ballad "Light of My Life" (which reached number eight on the UK charts). Her second solo release, "In Walked Love" (previously a hit from the self-titled 1992 album by the dance/pop group Exposé), fared less well and missed the UK Top Ten.

However, Louise's third single, "Naked", turned things around and became her then biggest hit to date, peaking at number five in the UK.

Louise's debut solo album, also entitled Naked, was subsequently released in 1996 on the back of the single's success. The album received lukewarm reviews, but nevertheless peaked at number seven in the UK album charts. It was later certified Platinum by the BPI for over 300,000 copies sold. Two further singles were released: "Undivided Love" (UK #5) and "One Kiss From Heaven" (UK #9).

In 1997, Louise returned with the single "Arms Around The World", which reached number four in the UK. Her second solo album, Woman in Me, peaked at number five in the UK and went on to be gain multi-platinum status. The album also made an impact across Europe, charting well in a number of countries. To support and celebrate the success of the album, Louise embarked on a UK wide 'sell-out' arena tour of over twenty dates, including Wembley Arena.

"Let's Go Round Again" (a cover of a song by The Average White Band) was the second single released from the album, which reached number ten.

At the start of 1998, Louise's career was at a high point: her second album had gone platinum, she was on the cover of magazines such as Smash Hits and GQ, and had been voted The Sexiest Woman In The World by the readers of FHM magazine.

In 1998, Louise married the footballer Jamie Redknapp, then focused on making what she described as her "most personal album to date", Elbow Beach. Released in 2000, Louise was more involved in the process of this album than her previous two, co-writing all 12 tracks and co-producing most of them.

The lead single from Elbow Beach, the R&B-styled "2 Faced" went straight into the charts at number three, and became Louise's highest charting single. Despite the initial hype and critical praise, total sales for Elbow Beach were weaker than the previous two productions, and the album peaked at number twelve. The same year, Louise was hired to 'sex up' the 2000 National Egg Awareness Campaign.

After Elbow Beach was released, she had one album left on her five-album deal with EMI (including Eternal's Always and Forever). In 2001, the label decided to release a greatest hits compilation, incorporating all of her top ten hit singles (including those she had performed with Eternal), called Changing Faces – The Best Of Louise. The collection featured three new tracks, including a cover of Five Star's 1987 hit "The Slightest Touch". The album peaked at number nine in the UK, and she embarked on the second solo tour of her career.

EMI later released a second greatest hits album entitled Finest Moments, with a slightly different tracklisting.