IN 2000, Anastacia released her debut recording, which exploded throughout Europe and placed her in the industry’s elite. Her 2002 release only served to add to this growing phenomenon and, over the course of the past four years, she has amassed in excess of 10 million in worldwide sales and has won countless international awards.
She has gained a reputation for being tough, brash and a bit of a fighter, not just through her music but also when she confirmed that she had breast cancer in January 2003. While warned by her doctors that she would be physically drained from her treatment, Anastacia stood prepared, as feisty as ever, to fight through whatever stood in her way.
Heavy On My Heart, Anastacia’s moving and powerful new single taken from her self-titled quadruple platinum album was released on April 11. She has campaigned determinedly for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation ever since her own battle with cancer and has helped raise awareness of the charity and the disease. Testament to that, she has announced that she will be donating all the profits raised from this single directly to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through the Anastacia Fund.
The track follows the massive top five successes of Left Outside Alone and Sick and Tired.
Penned by the lady herself, with a little help from B. Mann and produced by Glen Ballard, Heavy On My Heart is quite a passionate and genuinely heartfelt ballad. Although it creeps a little into the realms of cheesy, the track easily shows off her powerful and highly expressive voice.
Nominated for Best International Female Artist at this year’s Brit Awards, the runaway success of Anastacia (the album) was one of the big music stories of 2004. It was the fastest selling album in Europe and the sixth best selling UK album of the year, selling over 1.3 million copies. In Europe, the album sold over 3.5 million copies.
Her sold out, first ever European tour, Anastacia…Live At Last, was a massive hit and, as well as winning over audiences across Europe, it also received quite high critical acclaim. Due to phenomenal public demand, a second leg of the tour has been added and hits the UK in March. A further tour is planned for the summer.
This song is classic Anastacia… It’s all here – the long rumbling run-up, building up to a vocally thunderous lung-busting climax that would have Mariah Carey quaking in her boots. But be warned, anyone in need of some cheering up should avoid this song – it is not particularly light-hearted. All in all a belter, which fans of this star are certain to love.
3 Chemical Brothers Believe
4 Elvis Presley Way Down
5 The Features Blow It Out
6 Ian Broudie Smoke Rings
7 Ja Rule Caught Up
8 The Levellers Make U Happy
9 Nine Inch Nails The Hand That Feeds
10 The Tears Refugees
