Dido "Life For Rent"

Life for Rent is the second studio album by British singer and songwriter Dido, released by Arista Records on 29 September 2003. The album was produced by Rollo Armstrong and American songwriter Rick Nowels. Work on the album began in mid-2002. It was certified 7× Platinum by the BPI; and sold over 12 million copies worldwide, making it the fourth best-selling album worldwide of 2003. The album became the seventh best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK, making Dido the only singer to have two albums in the Top 10 list.

Life for Rent's first track and lead single "White Flag" begins with a lone synth-chord reminiscent of Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U". In the song, the protagonist is unwilling to give up, even if they know it is over. It features "multi-layered" sound, delicate piano outro, and strings. In battle, a white flag signals surrender. By stating there will be "No white flag," she indicates she will not give up on the relationship. The second track "Stoned" has a dance vibe, bringing to mind David Bowie circa Outside (1995). The title track, "Life for Rent", has emotional gravity and graceful melody. The song opens with an acoustic guitar, keeping the guitar in and giving the tune a hip-hop beat. "Nothing I have is truly mine" she repeats at the conclusion. “Mary’s in India” is a reflective song about a friend who moves abroad, as the title suggests, and the void her departure creates in those she leaves behind. The fifth track "See You When You're 40" is a somber and melodic ballad with a touch of symphonic air, featuring "quasi" trip hop beat. 'And I've seen, tonight, what I'd been warned about / I'm gonna leave, tonight, before I change my mind,' she sings.

The sixth track "Don't Leave Home" sounds like she is picking herself up again although she speaks of shutting the blinds and closing the door, but she revealed that it's about drug addiction. The "narrator" of the song is the drug. Like a controlling lover, the drug takes over the user's life until he does not even want to leave home. "Who Makes You Feel" is a trip-pop, soulful and tender track. "Sand in My Shoes" talks about not having time, while the bridge get a bit dance-house. "Do You Have a Little Time" features lush strings and hip-hop back-beats. "This Land Is Mine" is a reflective piece that according to PopMatters, "could have Travis or Coldplay recording it with big grins on their faces. Simplistic and sparse, the song sounds just a bit like Olivia Newton-John in the early seventies, according to them. "See the Sun" sees Dido swoops in as savior for a broken heart, classified as a "mini-anthem that has all the right items in their proper places."

Life for Rent is the fastest selling album by a female artist, passing five million sales mark in just two weeks. It sold 102,500 on the first day, and 400,351 in the first week. According to the IFPI, it was the fourth best-selling album worldwide of 2003. Also, according to the BPI, Life for Rent was the best-selling album of 2003 in United Kingdom; and the seventh best-selling album between 2000 and 2009 in the country. The album spent ten weeks at the top of the UK albums chart. It remained on the chart for 54 weeks. Also, spent 18 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the European Top 100 Albums chart. In the United States, Life for Rent debuted and peaked at number four. By October 2003, the album had sold over a million and half copies. In Australia the album debuted at number one on the ARIA albums chart, being certified platinum (70,000) copies in its first week. It was one of the biggest selling albums of 2003 and went on to be certified six times platinum for sales of over 420,000. With this, Dido matched the huge success of her previous effort, No Angel. Dido's "Life for Rent Tour" was taken around the world in 2004. The album was nominated for "Best British Album" at the 2004 BRIT Awards along with Daniel Bedingfield's Gotta Get Thru This, Blur's Think Tank and The Coral's Magic and Medicine, but they were all beaten by The Darkness's Permission to Land. "White Flag" was awarded the 2004 Ivor Novello Award in the category "International Hit of the Year". Also, in same year, Life for Rent earned Dido's first Grammy nomination, at the 46th Grammy Awards, in the category "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the song "White Flag".