A BROAD CHURCH

What on earth could have persuaded Charlotte Church to stop making classical music and try, instead, for a career in pop?

Okay, other than money.

Apparently, it was Joss Stone and Natasha Bedingfield:

According to The Sun quoting US magazine The Star she said: "Those guys (Stone and Bedingfield) are the reason I'm doing pop rock today.

"I like to be sexy, but there's a line between sexy and sensual. Most pop stars are like: 'I can't sing, so I'll bump and grind.'

"But when you think of stars like Joss Stone and Natasha Bedingfield, you think of sexy women who can really sing. That's what I want people to think of me."

Well, actually, when we think of them we think of irritants who have been over-promoted; Stone, in particular, was shrewdly marketed building a dog-on-hind-legs mini-career in jazz (not done well, but surprising it was done at all) before shifting into the mainstream. Oh, hang on - we can see where Church might be drawing inspiration from on that one.

But hang on a minute - Church was inspired by Stone and Bedders? Surely she's been mulling this pop move for a little longer than that?

Actually, yes: back in 2003, it was Dido and Shakespear's Sister who she was bllaming ("crediting") as her inspiration:

CHARLOTTE CHURCH is secretly plotting to turn her back on stuffy opera to have a serious go at becoming a pop star.

The singer, who shot to fame aged 12 as the “Voice Of An Angel” has asked writers for songs, “like those by DIDO and SHAKESPEAR’S SISTER.”

But then, maybe sounding like Dido in 2005 is as uncool as doing classical stuff. Or perhaps she just doesn't want people to remember how long it's taken her stylists to come up with this makeover.

music charlotte church dido joss stone