Chanel Cole

Chanel Cole (born Chanel Cole Whalley on 13 November 1977 in Hamilton, New Zealand) is a musician from Bega, New South Wales. Her fame grew largely from her appearance as a finalist in the second series of Australian Idol (2004). She was eliminated from the competition on 25 October having reached fifth place, despite her stubborn refusal to be moulded or play for votes. Her quirky song choices and unique, jazz-influenced vocal style was a far cry from the traditionally inauthentic and melismic Idol contestant. This distinction, along with her individuality, quick comebacks and off-beat sense of humour, won her a loyal, cult following of fans, who for the most part did not fit into the program's target audience of female teenagers. Cole's eccentric hair accessories, which often included feathers, flowers and other ornaments , also added to her notoriety.

Future Projects

Chanel has recorded a couple of tracks with her jazz musician friend, Aaron Choulai. However, the future of the collaboration and whether it will see the light of day is unknown. The release date of Cole's upcoming solo album, which will feature the five compositions performed at Colestock 2005, is also unknown. Cole has said the album will in a style of "vaudevillian pop", a mixture of the genres of blues, jazz, showtunes and chamber pop with a hint of dissonance, with very organic, acoustic instruments.

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