Feels So Good (Atomic Kitten album)

Feels So Good is the second studio album by girl group Atomic Kitten and the first full original album featuring Jenny Frost. The style of the album is both comparable and different from the first album as it has upbeat dance songs, but consists mainly of pop ballads and midtempos. As with debut album Right Now, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark members and Atomic Kitten founders, Andy McCluskey and Stuart Kershaw – who parted ways with the group during recording – made multiple songwriting contributions.

Feels So Good
Studio album by
Atomic Kitten
Released9 September 2002
RecordedSeptember 2001 – April 2002
Studio
Various
    • Metropolis Studios
    • Wise Buddha Music Studios
    • The Motor Museum Studio
Genre
Length51:40
LabelVirgin
ProducerHugh Goldsmith (exec.)
Atomic Kitten chronology
Right Now
(2000)		 Feels So Good
(2002)		 Atomic Kitten
(2003)
Singles from Feels So Good
  1. "It's OK!"
    Released: 20 May 2002
  2. "The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)"
    Released: 26 August 2002
  3. "The Last Goodbye"/"Be with You"
    Released: 25 November 2002
  4. "Love Doesn't Have to Hurt"
    Released: 31 March 2003

The album received mixed reviews, but fared well on the charts, reaching number one and selling 80,000 in its first week with the single "The Tide Is High" having been number one the week before, selling 145,000 copies.[1] Atomic Kitten became only the second girl band to have the number-one single and album at the same time after the Spice Girls. Following the release of the single "The Last Goodbye"/"Be with You", the album climbed back to the top ten in for two weeks. The album was certified double platinum (862,000 sales)[2] and the album was certified Platinum by the IFPI for selling more than one million copies in Europe.[3] The album was further promoted with the simultaneous release of the book Atomic Kitten: So Good, So Far by Ian McLeish, in which the girl group gave an insight look into their early career.

Background

Following the success of their debut album Right Now, Atomic Kitten returned to the studio in the fall of 2001 to begin work on their second album. Once again, the group teamed up with OMD members and Atomic Kitten founders, Andy McCluskey and Stuart Kershaw, who wrote the majority of tracks on Right Now. The first recordings from the album were the songs "Walking on the Water", "The Moment You Leave Me", and "No One Loves You (Like I Love You)", all of which were featured on the album. The songwriting and production agreement with McCluskey and Kershaw was an increasing source of tension within the group, and the pair departed during the recording of the album. McCluskey spoke of dissension between himself and the record company, whose "formula" demanded "'Whole Again', 'Whole Again' and more fucking 'Whole Again'"; he was essentially dismissed and legally prohibited from contacting the band,[4] before exiting the "very dirty" business of "manufactured pop".

After releasing a cover version of "Eternal Flame" on the previous album, Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles was asked to write a track for the album called "Love Doesn't Have to Hurt". The girls teamed up with Rob Davis for the songwriting and production of several songs and as a result, Kylie Minogue with whom he frequently collaborated, donated the song "Feels So Good" to the album. Out of gratitude and because they felt it was a great title, the group decided to name the album after that song. Minogue's vocals from the original demo remain on the final song.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
BBC6/10[6]
Entertainment.ie[7]
The Guardian[8]
NME3/10[9]

AllMusic editor Andy Kellman found that Feels so Good was "nearly as solid as Right Now, with more playful chemistry evident between the three members. Though the three biggest hits – "It's OK!," "The Last Goodbye," and a cover of Blondie's cover of "The Tide Is High" – are well-executed, easygoing pop songs, the group is at its best when it takes on the role of a modern disco act (as heard on "Feels So Good," "Love Won't Wait," and "Softer the Touch")."[5] BBC writer Alun Williams called Feels so Good "one of the better CD's within the pop genre." He found that "there are a few gems amongst the numerous tracks," but also remarked that "the albums' production is at best unadventurous and at worst repetitive and very unoriginal."[6]

Caroline Sullivan, writing for The Guardian, felt that "the album is mush of a mushness, weighted in favour of system-built uptempo tunes such as the title track, written for them by an apparently listless Kylie Minogue. At least these are marginally better than the ballads, sour little semi-acoustic snippets that sound like Westlife on oestrogen. What this album is crying out for is a kick in the tush from an avenging Kelly Osbourne."[8] British music website Peter Robinson from NME called Feels So Good "a dated collection of by-numbers pop, rarely any more imaginative than their cover of Billie Piper's cover of Blondie's cover of "The Tide Is High." It gets worse: they even forced Kylie to soil her tiny hands, writing the title track."[9] Entertainment.ie wrote that Feels So Good's "peculiarly watered-down brand of R'n'B is like the worst kind of fast food: uniform, tasteless, and forgotten the moment it's been consumed."[7]

Track listing
Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."It's OK!"
Stargate3:16
2."Love Won't Wait"
3:29
3."The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)"
3:25
4."Feels So Good"
  • Anderson
3:30
5."Walking on the Water"
  • McCluskey
  • Kershaw
  • Lukas Burton[a]
4:00
6."The Moment You Leave Me"
  • McCluskey
  • Kershaw
3:28
7."The Last Goodbye"
  • Stargate
3:07
8."Love Doesn't Have to Hurt"
  • Padley
  • Godfrey
  • Grant[b]
3:30
9."Softer the Touch"Simon Tauber
3:53
10."The Way That You Are"
  • Bell
  • Hamilton
  • Tim Orford
  • Martin O'Shea
3:17
11."Baby Don't U Hurt Me"
  • Nichols
  • Chapman
2:44
12."So Hot"
  • Nichols
  • Chapman
  • Frost
  • Nichols
  • Chapman
3:22
13."Maybe I'm Right"
  • Davis
  • McClarnon
  • Davis
3:31
14."No One Loves You (Like I Love You)"
  • McCluskey
  • Kershaw
  • McCluskey
  • Kershaw
  • Sebastian Morawietz[c]
4:00
Argentinian edition[10] / Special edition CD1[11]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."It's OK!"Storleer Eriksen, Rustan, Hermansen3:16
2."Love Won't Wait"Davis, Von Soos3:29
3."The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)"Holt, Evans, Barrett, Padley, Godfrey3:25
4."Feels So Good"Minogue, Anderson3:30
5."Walking on the Water"McCluskey, Kershaw4:00
6."Be with You"Carmen, Foster, Wilson, Lynne3:39
7."The Moment You Leave Me"McCluskey, Kershaw, McClarnon3:28
8."The Last Goodbye"Lind, Bjorklund, Storleer Eriksen, Rustan, Hermansen, Poku3:07
9."Love Doesn't Have to Hurt"Steinberg, Kelly, Hoffs3:28
10."Softer the Touch"Tauber3:53
11."The Way That You Are"Hamilton, Bell3:17
12."Baby Don't U Hurt Me"Nichols, Chapman, Frost2:44
13."So Hot"Nichols, Chapman, Frost3:22
14."Maybe I'm Right"Davis, McClarnon3:31
15."No One Loves You (Like I Love You)"McCluskey, Kershaw4:00
16."Whole Again" (previously unreleased mix)McCluskey, Kershaw, Padley, Godfrey3:06
Special edition bonus AVCD[11]
No.TitleLength
1."It's OK!" (Video)3:16
2."The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)" (Video)3:25
3."Be with You" (Video)3:40
4."The Last Goodbye" (Video)3:07
5."Whole Again" (Video)3:16
6."Eternal Flame" (Video)3:16
7."The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)" (Groove Brother Edit) 
8."It's OK!" (M*A*S*H* Radio Mix) 
9."The Last Goodbye" (Soda Club Mix) 
10."Be with You" (extended mix)4:35
11."Whole Again" (Whirlwind Mix) 
12."Eternal Flame" (album version)3:35
Notes and sample credits
  • ^[a] denotes additional producer
  • ^[b] denotes vocal producer
  • ^[c] denotes co-producer

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[35] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[36] Gold 15,000*
Germany (BVMI)[37] Gold 150,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[38] Gold 40,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[39] Platinum 15,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[40] Gold 20,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[2] 3× Platinum 900,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[3] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. The Official Chart Company Archived 12 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine The Tide is High page. Retrieved: 14 September 2006
  2. "British album certifications – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good". British Phonographic Industry.
  3. "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2002". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
  4. McCormick, Neil (14 May 2013). "OMD's Andy McCluskey: Kerry Katona had Marilyn Monroe syndrome". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  5. Feels So Good at AllMusic
  6. "Suffolk Music – Reviews – Atomic Kitten – Feels So good". BBC. 30 September 2002. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  7. Archived 24 September 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Caroline Sullivan (13 September 2002). "CD: Atomic Kitten, Feels So Good | Music". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  9. Robinson, Pete. "Atomic Kitten : Feels So Good - NME". NME. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  10. "Feels So Good". 24 January 2003 – via Amazon.
  11. "Feels So Good". 11 November 2002 – via Amazon.
  12. "Australiancharts.com – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  13. "Austriancharts.at – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  14. "Ultratop.be – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  15. "Danishcharts.dk – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  17. "Atomic Kitten Blasts Onto European Chart". billboard.biz. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  18. "Lescharts.com – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  20. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – {{{year}}}. {{{week}}}. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  21. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Atomic Kitten". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  22. "Charts.nz – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  23. "Norwegiancharts.com – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  24. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
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  27. "Atomic Kitten | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  28. "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2002". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  29. "Ö3 Austria Top 40 - Album Charts 2002". Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  30. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2002". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  31. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts (2002)". Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  32. "2002 UK Albums Chart". ChartsPlus. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  33. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2003". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  34. "2003 UK Year-End Chart" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  35. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2003 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  36. "Austrian album certifications – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  37. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Atomic Kitten; 'Feels So Good')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  38. "Dutch album certifications – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Feels So Good in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  39. "New Zealand album certifications – Atomic Kitten – Feels So Good". Recorded Music NZ.
  40. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Atomic Kitten; 'Feels So Good')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
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