Gabriella Cilmi

A Melbourne-born, U.K.-based singer/songwriter, Gabriella Cilmi possesses a smoky, whiskey-soaked voice that belies her age, and a feisty rock attitude that placed her on the inside fast track to pop stardom. Her break came when she performed the Rolling Stones' "Jumping Jack Flash" at a Melbourne street party and was spotted by a prominent local record producer. Only 13 years old, she was signed to Island Records and began working with the Xenomania production team headed by Brian Higgins and Miranda Cooper. An impressive debut single, "Sweet About Me," was released early in 2008, followed a few weeks later by her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned. ~ Steve Leggett