Delta Goodrem Delta

Delta Goodrem was already one of Australia's biggest pop stars by the mid-2000s, thanks to the actor and singer’s 2003 debut album, Innocent Eyes, setting sales records and its 2004 follow-up, Mistaken Identity, pushing a heavier pop sound while she was being treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. With 2007’s Delta, Goodrem made a bid for American stardom, enlisting producers like John Shanks (Michelle Branch, Kelly Clarkson) and Stuart Crichton (Pet Shop Boys, Sugababes) while embracing a lighter sound that still showed off her acrobatic voice. Goodrem's Celine Dion-like instrument is on full display on tracks like “Woman”, a piano-led ballad that firmly places the one-time teen sensation among pop’s grown-up set, and “I Can’t Break It to My Heart”, which depicts post-breakup grief in extreme close-up. Meanwhile, “Brave Face” is a precipice-of-love song that finds Goodrem using the full whisper-to-belt range of her voice. She also gets to let loose on the gently funky “You Will Only Break My Heart” and the synth-pop plaint “Bare Hands”. Delta is a triumphant statement, re-establishing Goodrem as one of Australia’s leading pop icons while introducing her to worldwide audiences who hadn't yet encountered her charm.