Lessons to Be Learned

Lessons to Be Learned is the debut album by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi. It was released in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2008 by Island Records and in Australia on 10 May 2008 by Mushroom Records. Co-written and produced by the team Xenomania, the album takes its title from a line in the song "Sweet About Me", which became a worldwide hit.

Lessons to Be Learned
Studio album by Gabriella Cilmi
Released	31 March 2008 (2008-03-31)
Recorded	2005–2008; Kent, England
Length	37:46 (standard edition)
Label	Island
Producer	Brian Higgins Xenomania
Gabriella Cilmi chronology
Lessons to Be Learned (2008) Ronnie Scott's Live Session (2008)
Alternative cover
US cover and European deluxe edition cover
Singles from Lessons to Be Learned
"Sanctuary" Released: 12 December 2007 "Sweet About Me" Released: 10 March 2008 "Don't Wanna Go to Bed Now" Released: 21 July 2008 "Save the Lies" Released: 18 August 2008 "Warm This Winter" Released: 15 December 2008

Background

Speaking in July 2008 to Pete Lewis of the magazine Blues & Soul, Cilmi explained the meaning behind the album title:

I guess the title 'Lessons To Be Learned' has always been a line that jumped out from the single 'Sweet About Me'. Plus it kinda sums up the whole experience for me, because I've been recording this album for three years - I started when I was 13! So, during its making, I had to learn so many things! I moved from Melbourne to London last year. So I had to learn how to communicate with adults and just get my opinion across really fast, as well as learn just basic everyday things like how to catch tubes!^[1]

Several different versions of the album have been released with varying track lists, without there being one edition including all released tracks. On some early printings, "Messy" was not included. Tracks such as "Round and Round", "Sorry" and "Warm This Winter" were included as bonus tracks on only some editions of the album. A track titled "Sad Sad World" appeared only on a promotional UK version of the album.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
BBC Music	(mixed)[3]
Daily Music Guide	[4]
PopMatters	3/10[5]
The Times	[6]

Lessons to Be Learned received generally mixed reviews from critics. Sharon Mawer from AllMusic called it "a good debut album" and praised Cilmi's "confidence" and range of styles, however did not feel the album was original, saying "it had all been heard before, many times in a crowded market". Mawer also compared her vocals and styles to artists including Anastacia, Joss Stone, Kylie Minogue, and Duffy.^[2] Daily Music Guide gave the album a generally mixed-to-negative review, calling "Sweet About Me" "slightly irritating" and also noted "if you expected ["Sweet About Me"] to give you a preview of what her debut album might sound like, you would be wrong". "Save the Lies" and "Sit in the Blues" were considered highlights of the album, while "Awkward Game" and "Einstein" were criticised for having "too much gloss".^[4]

Mike Joseph from PopMatters considered Cilmi an Amy Winehouse clone, yet without "a fraction of the wit or lived-in soulfulness that Back to Black (or even Winehouse's debut, Frank) possessed." Joseph also said he found himself "praying Lessons to Be Learned will end quickly". He highlighted "Safer" and "Sit in the Blues", but compared Cilmi negatively to fellow artists such as Winehouse, Adele and Duffy.^[5]

Track listing

Standard edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Save the Lies"	Gabriella Cilmi Miranda Cooper Brian Higgins Tim Powell Bob Bradley Saint Etienne	3:38
2.	"Sweet About Me"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Tim Larcombe	3:23
3.	"Sanctuary"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	3:28
4.	"Einstein"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Larcombe	3:39
5.	"Got No Place to Go"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Powell Nick Coler	3:23
6.	"Don't Wanna Go to Bed Now"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Powell Coler Shawn Lee	3:09
7.	"Messy" (not included on early printings)	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	3:54
8.	"Awkward Game"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Powell Lee	3:28
9.	"Safer"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Coler Lee	3:24
10.	"Cigarettes and Lies"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	2:51
11.	"Terrifying"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	2:37
12.	"Sit in the Blues"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Larcombe Mike Christer	3:23

Australian bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Sorry"	Cilmi Adrian Hannan Barbara Hannan	3:29

UK and Brazilian bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Echo Beach"	Mark Gane	3:27

Australian special edition bonus disc

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Sanctuary" (live acoustic)	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	3:32
2.	"Sweet About Me" (live from the Alice Sessions)	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Larcombe	3:40
3.	"Cigarettes and Lies" (live acoustic)	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	3:06
4.	"Awkward Game" (live acoustic)	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Powell Lee	3:45
5.	"Cry Me a River" (live from the Alice Sessions)	Justin Timberlake Timothy Mosley Scott Storch	3:38
6.	"Got No Place to Go" (live acoustic)	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Powell Coler	3:10
7.	"Save the Lies" (live acoustic)	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Powell Bradley Saint Etienne	3:35
8.	"Terrifying" (live acoustic)	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	3:46
9.	"Safer" (live acoustic)	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Coler Lee	3:44

European deluxe edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Sweet About Me" (acoustic)	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Larcombe	3:42
14.	"Cry Me a River" (acoustic)	Timberlake Mosley Storch	3:41
15.	"Round and Round"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	3:39
16.	"Echo Beach"	Gane	3:21

UK deluxe edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Sweet About Me" (acoustic)	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Larcombe	3:42
14.	"Cry Me a River" (acoustic)	Timberlake, Mosley, Storch	3:41
15.	"Round and Round"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	3:39
16.	"Warm This Winter"	Hank Hunter Mark Barkan	2:31
17.	"Echo Beach"	Gane	3:21

US edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Got No Place to Go"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Powell Coler	3:21
2.	"Sweet About Me"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Larcombe	3:22
3.	"Sanctuary"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	3:27
4.	"Einstein"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Larcombe	3:38
5.	"Save the Lies"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Powell Bradley Saint Etienne	3:38
6.	"Round and Round"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	3:39
7.	"Awkward Game"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Powell Lee	3:28
8.	"Cigarettes and Lies"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	2:51
9.	"Terrifying"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins	2:37
10.	"Safer"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Coler Lee	3:24
11.	"Sit in the Blues"	Cilmi Cooper Higgins Larcombe Christer	3:23

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Lessons to Be Learned Chart (2008–2009) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] 2 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[8] 6 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[9] 26 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[10] 31 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[11] 29 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[12] 9 European Top 100 Albums[13] 16 French Albums (SNEP)[14] 17 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] 10 Irish Albums (IRMA)[16] 70 Italian Albums (FIMI)[17] 40 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[18] 6 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[19] 15 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 7 UK Albums (OCC)[21] 8 US Billboard Top Heatseekers[22] 17

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Lessons to Be Learned Chart (2008) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[23] 13 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[24] 65 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[25] 43 French Albums (SNEP)[26] 134 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[27] 97 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 28 UK Albums (OCC)[29] 68

Certifications

Certifications for Lessons to Be Learned

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[30]	Platinum	70,000^
Germany (BVMI)[31]	Gold	100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[32]	Gold	30,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[33]	Gold	15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[29]	Gold	100,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for Lessons to Be Learned

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalogue
United Kingdom	31 March 2008[34]	Island	CD, digital download	1763307
Australia	10 May 2008[35]	Mushroom		5144275002
New Zealand	12 May 2008	Warner Bros.		5144275002
Europe	20 June 2008	Island		060251773945
Brazil	10 September 2008	Universal	CD	602517739468
Australia (deluxe edition)	11 October 2008[36]	Mushroom		5186504315
Poland	28 October 2008	Universal		1785089
United States	17 March 2009	Universal Republic		B0012720-02