Life for Rent is the second studio album by English singer Dido, released by Arista Records on 29 September 2003. The album was produced by her brother Rollo Armstrong and American songwriter Rick Nowels. Work on the album began in mid-2002.[2] It was certified 9× Platinum by the BPI,[3] and sold over 12 million copies worldwide, making it the fourth best-selling album worldwide of 2003.[4] The album became the seventh best-selling album of the 2000s in the United Kingdom, making Dido the only singer to have two albums in the top 10 list.
Life for Rent's first track and lead single "White Flag" begins with a lone synth-chord reminiscent of Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U".[8] In the song, the protagonist is unwilling to give up, even if they know it is over.[9] It features "multi-layered" sound, delicate piano outro, and strings.[9] In battle, a white flag signals surrender. By stating there will be "No white flag," she indicates she will not give up on the relationship. The second track "Stoned" has a dance vibe, bringing to mind David BowiecircaOutside (1995).[10] The title track, "Life for Rent", has emotional gravity and graceful melody.[8] The song opens with an acoustic guitar, keeping the guitar in and giving the tune a hip-hop beat. "Nothing I have is truly mine" she repeats at the conclusion.[10] "Mary’s in India" is a reflective song about a friend who moves abroad, as the title suggests, and the void her departure creates in those she leaves behind.[10] The fifth track "See You When You're 40" is a somber and melodic ballad with a touch of symphonic air, featuring "quasi" trip hop beat.[10] 'And I've seen, tonight, what I'd been warned about / I'm gonna leave, tonight, before I change my mind,' she sings.[10]
The sixth track "Don't Leave Home" sounds like she is picking herself up again although she speaks of shutting the blinds and closing the door,[10] but she revealed that it's about drug addiction. The "narrator" of the song is the drug. Like a controlling lover, the drug takes over the user's life until he does not even want to leave home. "Who Makes You Feel" is a trip-pop, soulful and tender track.[10] "Sand in My Shoes" talks about not having time, while the bridge get a bit dance-house.[10] "Do You Have a Little Time" features lush strings and hip-hop back-beats.[8] "This Land Is Mine" is a reflective piece that according to PopMatters, "could have Travis or Coldplay recording it with big grins on their faces. Simplistic and sparse, the song sounds just a bit like Olivia Newton-John in the early seventies, according to them.[10] "See the Sun" sees Dido swoop in as savior for a broken heart, classified as a "mini-anthem that has all the right items in their proper places."[8][10]
Singlesedit
"White Flag" was released as the lead single from the album on 7 July 2003 in the United States and on 1 September 2003 in the United Kingdom.[11][12] The song was well received by critics who reviewed the album. It became a major worldwide hit, reaching number one in Australia and Europe.[13] It peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, being held off the top spot by the Black Eyed Peas' "Where Is the Love?", and became her highest-charting single to date there.[14] On the UK year-end chart for 2003, the song ranked at number 12.[15] It peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her second top-20 single on the chart.[16] It reached number two on the US BillboardHot Adult Contemporary Tracks listing and stayed on the chart for 66 weeks.[16] The song references a past relationship with Bob Page. In an interview with British newspaper The Sun, Dido said "the song is an apology to Page for breaking his heart. 'It was a big decision not to get married...'".[17] The video featured the TV actor David Boreanaz. The song ranked on Blender's list "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" at number 317.[18] "Life for Rent" was released as the second single from the album on 1 December 2003.[19] It peaked within the top ten in the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart.[20][21] The music video featured Dido singing in several rooms, and was directed by Sophie Muller.[22]
"Don't Leave Home", written by Dido and her brother, was released as the third single via digital download on 10 April 2004, followed by a physical release two days later.[23][24] The main theme of the song is the use of drugs, where the drugs "sing" to the consumer: "When I've been here for just one day / You'll already miss me if I go away / So close the blinds and shut the door / You won't need other friends anymore".[25] The song debuted and peaked at number 25 in the UK.[26] The track "Stoned" was remixed by Deep Dish and issued as the B-side to the single; this remix had previously reached number one on the BillboardHot Dance/Club Songs chart in January 2004.[27] "Sand in My Shoes" was released as the fourth and final single from the album; in the US, it was serviced to radio on 23 August 2004, while in the UK, it was issued commercially on 13 September 2004.[28][29] The remixes became another US club hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.[27] "Sand in My Shoes" debuted and peaked at number 29 in the UK.[30]
According to review aggregator Metacritic, the album has received generally positive reviews, scoring 69 out of 100 points based on 12 reviews.[31] Jason MacNeil, from PopMatters, gave a very positive review, finishing with: "this record seems to outweigh the previous album in terms of quality and depth".[10]Alexis Petridis wrote "It would be nice to report that Dido's second album is strong enough to reveal her detractors as snobs, who hate the notion that her music appeals to 'ordinary' people ... Sadly, it proves a little more complicated than that".[35]
Barry Walters of Rolling Stone declared "Like No Angel ... isn't groundbreaking, but it has its own kind of integrity.[40] "Life for Rent doesn't offer anything that drastically different from Dido's debut album [No Angel], ... she's unassuming and gentle, but her songs are so melodic and atmospheric they easily work their way into the subconscious" was the review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, from Allmusic.[32] Andrew Lynch, from entertainment.ie noted: "Life For Rent is no masterpiece, but it has the same kind of sweet, unassuming, girl-next-door charm that made its predecessor such a smash hit".[41] Derryck Strachan, BBC Music reviewer wrote " ... she treads a fine line between credibility and popularity ... But, she hasn't put a foot wrong with this album. On the positive side that means more well-crafted folk-pop tunes, on the negative side she hasn't moved forward", also said "Although Dido played a significant part in older brother Rollo's band, ... Faithless, it would be misleading to say that the groups success brought her fame".[1]
Commercial performanceedit
Life for Rent was the fastest selling album by a woman recording artist, passing five million sales mark in just two weeks. It sold 102,500 on the first day, and 400,351 in the first week.[42] According to the IFPI, it was the fourth best-selling album worldwide of 2003.[43] Also, according to the BPI, Life for Rent was the best-selling album of 2003 in United Kingdom;[15] and the seventh best-selling album between 2000 and 2009 in the country.[44] The album spent ten weeks at the top of the UK albums chart.[45] It remained on the chart for 54 weeks.[46][47] Also, spent 18 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the European Top 100 Albums chart.[48] In the United States, Life for Rent debuted and peaked at number four. By October 2003, the album had sold over a million and half copies.[48] In Australia the album debuted at number one on the ARIA albums chart, being certified platinum (70,000) copies in its first week. It was one of the biggest selling albums of 2003 and went on to be certified six times platinum for sales of over 420,000.[49] With this, Dido matched the huge success of her previous effort, No Angel. Dido's "Life for Rent Tour" was taken around the world in 2004.[48] The album was nominated for "Best British Album" at the 2004 BRIT Awards along with Daniel Bedingfield's Gotta Get Thru This, Blur's Think Tank and The Coral's Magic and Medicine, but they were all beaten by The Darkness's Permission to Land. "White Flag" was awarded the 2004 Ivor Novello Award in the category International Hit of the Year. Also, in the same year, Life for Rent earned Dido's first Grammy nomination, at the 46th Grammy Awards, in the category Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the song "White Flag".
^Lynskey, Dorian (30 September 2003). "Life for Rent Review". Blender. Retrieved 2 March 2010.[dead link]
^Farber, Jim (3 October 2003). "Life For Rent (2003) Dido". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
^ abPetridis, Alexis (26 September 2003). "Dido "Life For Rent"". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
^Easy listening with just enough unease to tease. [Nov 2003, p.125]
^Liss, Sarah (21 September 2003). "DIDO - LIFE FOR RENT". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
^Woodcraft, Molly (8 October 2003). "Dido, Life for Rent". The Observer. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
^In its own vapid, curiously sexless way, Life For Rent is actually fascinating stuff, so set against the usual rules of successful music that it starts to look oddly revolutionary. [Oct 2003, p.99]
^ abWalters, Barry (24 September 2003). "Dido: Life For Rent: Music Reviews: Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
^Lynch, Andrew (15 October 2003). "Dido "Life For Rent" Review". entertainment.ie. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
^British Hit Singles & Albums (Edition 17), published by Guinness World Records
^"Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2003 (physical and digital album formats included)" (PDF). IFPI. IFPI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
^"James Blunt Tops U.K. Decade Chart". Billboard. 28 December 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2003.
^"ALL THE NUMBER 1 ALBUMS". The Official UK Charts Company. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
^"The Official Charts Company - Dido - Life For Rent". The Official UK Charts. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
^British Hit Singles & Albums (Edition 18), published by Guinness World Records
^ abc"Dido Plans North American Tour". Billboard. 2004. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
^Australian Recording Industry Association (2004). "ARIA Charts — Accreditations". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
^ abLife for Rent (booklet). Dido. Arista. 2003.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^"Australiancharts.com – Dido – Life for Rent". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
^"Austriancharts.at – Dido – Life for Rent" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
^"Ultratop.be – Dido – Life for Rent" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
^"Ultratop.be – Dido – Life for Rent" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
^"Dido Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
^"Danishcharts.dk – Dido – Life for Rent". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
^"Dutchcharts.nl – Dido – Life for Rent" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
^Sexton, Paul (2 February 2004). "Sample-Heavy Single Scores U.K. No. 1". Billboard magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
^"Classifica Annuale 2003 (dal 30.12.2002 al 28.12.2003) – Album & Compilation" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
^"Top Selling Albums of 2003". The Official New Zealand Music Charts.
^"Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts 2004" (in German). GfK Entertainment.
^lightmedia.hu. "Összesített album- és válogatáslemez-lista - eladási darabszám alapján - 2004" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ.
^"Classifica annuale 2004 (dal 29.12.2003 al 02.01.2005) – Album & Compilation" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
^"Top Selling Albums of 20004". The Official New Zealand Music Charts.
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^"Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2004". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
^"End of Year Album Chart Top 100 - 2004". Official Charts Company.
^"Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End 2004". Billboard.
^"Jaaroverzichten 2005 – Mid price" (in Dutch). Ultratop.
^"Rapports Annuels 2005 – Mid price" (in French). Ultratop.
^"ARIA Top 100 Albums of the 00's". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
^"The Noughties' Official UK Albums Chart Top 100". Music Week: 19. 30 January 2010.
^"Ireland's Top 50 biggest female artist albums". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
^"Austrian album certifications – Dido – Life For Rent" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
^"Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2007". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
^"Brazilian album certifications – Dido – Life For Rent" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
^"Canadian album certifications – Dido – Life For Rent". Music Canada. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
^Vlasák, Vladimír (22 December 2003). "Králi roku jsou Bílá, Nohavica a Kabát: NEJPRODÁVANĚJŠÍ ALBA" (in Czech). iDNES.cz. Archived from the original on 12 March 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
^"Danish album certifications – Dido – Life For Rent". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
^"DIDO COM CONCERTO EM LISBOA" [Dido will perform a concert in Lisbon] (in Portuguese). Correio da Manhã. 14 March 2004. Retrieved 14 December 2020. Dido é uma das mais populares cantoras da nova geração, tendo o seu último disco, 'Life For Rent', vendido mais de 30 mil unidades em Portugal. [Dido is one of the most popular singers of the new generation, having her latest album, 'Life For Rent', sold more than 30,000 copies in Portugal.]
^"Portuguese album certifications – Dido – Life For Rent" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Archived from the original on 20 November 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
^"Russian album certifications – Dido – Life For Rent" (in Russian). National Federation of Phonogram Producers (NFPF). Retrieved 21 May 2019.
^"Spanish album certifications" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 29 August 2022. Select Álbumes under "Categoría", select 2004 under "Año". Select 20 under "Semana". Click on "BUSCAR LISTA".
^"Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2003" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
^"The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Life For Rent')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
^Copsey, Rob (12 November 2018). "Dido announces new album Still On My Mind and first UK and Ireland tour in 15 years". Official Charts Company.
^Cohen, Jonathan (22 August 2008). "Dido Brings It All 'Home' On New Album". Billboard magazine.
^Barker, Emily (23 September 2014). "That's Not What We Call Music: 19 Unfathomably Popular Albums Of The 00s". NME. Retrieved 25 February 2017. Let us be frank: Dido's debut, 'No Angel', wasn't much cop either. But it was superior to follow-up 'Life For Rent', which sold over 12 million copies worldwide and was the seventh best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK.