Who remembers the Dido period? There was a time frame on the flip of the twenty first century once you couldn’t get right into a automobile, go to the mall or meet a good friend for dinner with out listening to the British singer-songwriter’s large, ubiquitous hits, like “Right here With Me”, “Thank You” and, after all, “Stan”, her epic 2000 collaboration with Eminem.
Whether or not you adored her haunting vocals and chilled beats or discovered her model of straightforward pop a bit of bland, you couldn’t deny it: Dido was a giant deal. She offered 40 million albums worldwide — 1999’s No Angel and its 2003 follow-up, Life For Hire, had been each large —and cowrote hit songs for different artists, most notably Britney Spears’ “I’m Not a Lady, Not But a Lady” in 2001.
Regardless of her large success, she all the time stored it low-key — a outstanding feat for somebody with a really showy actual identify, Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O’Malley Armstrong. Even on the peak of her fame, when she might have dated rock stars, partied up a storm and swished round in designer attire, Dido — the identify she has assumed since childhood — most well-liked to maintain her life as regular as potential. She was all the time more than likely to be discovered hanging out along with her brother Rollo — a DJ, producer and Faithless founding member — and their huge gang of mates in north London, making music, sporting denims and sneakers and watching her beloved soccer staff Arsenal.
25 years on from the height of her success, her songs are nonetheless performed on the radio and sampled by new artists— however Dido herself, now 53, continues to remain largely out of the highlight. Her third and fourth albums, 2008’s Protected Journey Residence and 2013’s Lady Who Acquired Away, weren’t failures, however they didn’t make an enormous splash; when she got here again once more in 2019 with one other album, Nonetheless On My Thoughts, alongside her first tour in 15 years, her exhibits attracted heat evaluations however quickly, she was gone from the general public eye as soon as extra.
Later this 12 months, in September 2025, she is scheduled to launch a particular anniversary vinyl version of No Angel, the album that made her a world star, and followers are hopeful that she may play some exhibits to advertise too since, as soon as once more, it’s been some time since they’ve been in a position to see her within the flesh.
Dido admits she by no means deliberate to have such lengthy breaks between albums and excursions. “I actually didn’t plan on stopping,” she advised the Telegraph in 2019, selling her comeback tour. “I’d been going exhausting at it for over six years and thought I’d take a bit of little bit of day without work. So I used to be simply on a break. For 15 years.”
Dido in 2019 Mauricio Santana/Getty Photographs
She additionally advised Stereogum in 2019: “That’s type of been the best way I’ve been with all the things in life. If I’m not feeling like I wish to put the music out, then I received’t put the music out. Or if I’m not feeling the necessity to stand up on stage, then I received’t stand up on stage.”
It’s a luxurious that somebody who’s offered so many thousands and thousands of albums can afford to decide on. But in addition, for Dido, it grew to become mandatory, as she centered on elevating her son Stanley — not, she insists, a reference to “Stan”, one in all her largest hits — who was born in 2011, with husband of 15 years Rohan Gavin, a profitable youngsters’s writer.
Dido has admitted that, in the course of the peak of her success, she generally felt lonely — in 2002, she broke off her engagement to lawyer Bob Web page, the person who impressed a lot of her love songs — so, when the prospect got here to throw herself into household life, she went for it.
Over time, Adele has constantly gushed about how her son, Angelo, modified her life. The singer quietly welcomed her first youngster with then-partner Simon Konecki in 2012 and hit pause on her profession to deal with being a mother or father. Adele and Konecki secretly tied the knot however in the end known as it quits in 2019 after […]
“I’ve been having a beautiful time, being with my household, seeing mates, seeing the world,” she advised The Telegraph. “However the music by no means stopped. I’m all the time singing, all the time writing songs. Music is how I make sense of the world. I simply stopped taking part in it to anybody however my household.”
Motherhood modified Dido. From the second she was pregnant with Stanley, all the things grew to become about him. “There’s nothing nicer than singing and having a bit of dancing good friend inside,” she advised the BBC in 2013. “Sure songs he actually wriggled round for, and sure songs he wouldn’t — it was fairly take a look at of what ought to go on the file.” Nevertheless, Dido additionally admitted that changing into a mother impacted her artistic output greater than she anticipated, as “child mind” took maintain. “My IQ positively dropped,” she added. “I do know it’s a cliché however your mind simply goes, type of pffftlbt.”
She elaborated on this subject to Stereogum in 2019. “I positively personally don’t suppose something I wrote within the first 12 months and a bit after that was that nice,” she stated. “I all the time write, however whether or not the songs see the sunshine of day is a complete different factor. Partly as a result of what I write about are small moments of battle. Each music has a bit of sunshine and a little bit of darkish in it, and that’s what conjures up me to write down is once I see the battle within the state of affairs. When you’ve a child, you simply don’t really feel that. Properly, I didn’t, I simply felt love.”
Dido in 2001 Toni Anne Barson Archive/WireImage
She added: “I used to be like, ‘OK. I don’t actually have something fascinating to say about it.’ In a method, it was good, I simply type of took a step away, after which a number of issues occurred, and some issues bought me writing once more, and all of a sudden seeing the world in that method once more, the place you might see the sunshine, and the darkish, and all the things.”
Though Dido has by no means stopped making music, for the previous 15 years it’s motherhood that has actually pushed her. “I similar to hanging out with him,” she advised the Commonplace in 2018. “I’ve carried out a variety of issues in my life. However being a mum is unquestionably the very best factor.”
She wasn’t anticipating to lean into being a stay-at-home mother — however, like many ladies, she was shocked by the fact of motherhood and what it meant for her profession. “Earlier than I had him, I’m like, ‘OK. Cool. We’ll put the album out. I’ll go on tour with a child.’” she recalled to Stereogum. “Then, I’m similar to, “No, that’s simply not gonna occur.” I believe I used to be simply residing in a dream world. I like anyone that’s carried out it, however I’m all the time in awe of individuals.”
Dido, the Nonetheless on My Thoughts singer, tells Us Weekly a bit of of what’s on her thoughts. Learn on to study 25 issues concerning the British songstress, together with her favourite hobbies, first live performance and a humorous superstar encounter that left her starstruck. 1. I really like strolling for miles round London — and any metropolis — […]
Now that Stanley is nicely into his teenagers, Dido will face an empty nest within the subsequent few years — which is perhaps why she’s beginning to slip again into the general public eye once more. In addition to the forthcoming No Angel reissue, she’s been sneakily engaged on a number of collaborations over the previous couple of years, too, together with working alongside next-generation pop star Grimes on Caroline Polachek’s album Want in 2023. The identical 12 months, Jason Derulo took a cue from Enimen and made “Thank You” an earworm once more by sampling it on his single, “When Love Sucks”, whereas DJs Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike launched their EDM tackle the ballad in 2024, too, even persuading Dido to re-record her vocals. “Thank You (Not So Dangerous)” grew to become her first music to put on the UK singles chart since “No Freedom” in 2013.
Dido prefers to reappear when no person’s watching — it takes the stress off. “Nobody was ready for it, nobody was anticipating it,” she advised The i Paper in 2019, when requested about her final comeback. “It was actually liberating.”
Every thing about Dido is fairly low-key. She not often wears make-up, telling The Strategist in 2019, “I’ve no persistence for brushes and a giant routine” and regardless of her large wealth she hates overspending on garments. “I’m obsessive about value tags,” she stated in a 2003 interview with Pink journal. “It has to make me look fairly damned superb if I’m going to lay our a fortune on it.”
Dido in 2001 Dave Hogan/Getty Photographs
In actual fact, Dido’s look has barely modified in twenty years: she’s terminally fresh-faced, blonde and informal and says she owns round 10 pairs of her favourite Zara skinny denims. Her everlasting Dido-ness signifies that each time her identify and music are on the market once more, anonymity turns into more durable to return by. “It’s bizarre, the general public consciousness,” she advised the BBC in 2013. “It simply snapped once more. I get that factor the place folks do a double-take as a result of they suppose I’m an previous mate, after which they’re mortified. As soon as, I used to be attempting on bikinis, which is probably the most traumatic factor ever, however as soon as each three years it’s a must to go in and discover a new one. The massive video screens within the store went lifeless after which they began taking part in my video. I used to be on each display within the store. It was like somebody had come alongside and brought all my garments off and run away with them.”
The one huge contradiction for Dido is that, though fame and a focus make her a bit of uncomfortable, she adores performing. “I really like singing, and I really like singing reside,” she advised the BBC. “It’s all the time higher than rehearsing or singing at house. It’s a shot of adrenalin that you simply simply can’t recreate anyplace else.”
Dido admits that, earlier within the profession, she realized that her pleasure about performing reside wasn’t essentially coming throughout on stage, as a result of she was so nervous. “I actually used to go on stage, sing the songs and f—okay off,” she advised The i Paper in 2019. “I bear in mind my supervisor saying to me after a 12 months of exhibits, ‘You would say your identify, possibly introduce the music earlier than you sing it?’”
Even now, after so lengthy within the enterprise, the butterflies take maintain. “There’s by no means been an evening on tour, whether or not with Faithless or myself, once I wasn’t nervous,” she advised the Commonplace. “However once I was seven, whereas I used to be at classical music faculty, I had the worst nerves exterior a live performance. And I bear in mind my mum saying so vividly: ‘Should you cease being nervous it means you don’t care any extra.’ Whether or not that’s true or not, it makes me really feel higher about being nervous.”
Late singer Sinéad O’Connor captivated audiences along with her voice — however not all the eye was optimistic. The Irish singer made a reputation for herself after releasing her cowl of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” in 1990. O’Connor, nonetheless, was seemingly all the time attempting to outrun her tumultuous upbringing. “Finest day of my life was the […]
Dido isn’t really shy — she’s simply extra of a pure homebody than many huge stars. “Travelling the world has been a blessing, however there’s nowhere fairly like London,” she advised The Guardian in 2019. “I’ve written songs on so many streets that I stroll down; they’re filled with reminiscences and magical moments. Sure, the Grand Canyon is beautiful, however there’s magnificence within the solar rising over the M4 on the drive house from Heathrow, too.” She additionally advised The Strategist in 2019: “I all the time journey with my very own tea. I discover tea around the globe actually disappointing. I’m fairly English that method.” In the identical interview, she admitted that life on the street isn’t precisely wild — she’s extra prone to be discovered chilling out along with her Kindle after a present than partying. “I simply love studying so I have to have this [her Kindle] on me always,” she stated. “Once you’re touring, it’s exhausting to relax after a present generally, so it’s nice to lose your self in a guide.
She actually simply loves hanging out along with her family and friends and staying grounded. “Music was a byproduct of hanging out, and simply eager to be with these folks, and these had been all my mates,” she advised Stereogum. “I simply felt like, ‘That’s what music is to me.’ I’ve been actually fortunate to have that, and if I’m gonna do that, that’s how I wanna do it.”
Her brother Rollo, himself a vastly profitable musician with Faithless, is all the time on the middle of the motion. “My relationship with Rollo has been elementary to my life,” she advised The Guardian in 2019. “I don’t understand how I’d have navigated the trade with out him. Whether or not within the peak of the craziness or when all of it simply stops, being a solo artist is troublesome. However I’ve by no means felt like one with him by my facet. Collectively we’re two halves of 1 mind.”
The 2 have grow to be even nearer since shedding their father, William Armstrong, in 2006. Dido was simply 35 on the time. “Shedding my dad taught me there’s no method to bypass the grieving course of,” she advised The Guardian. “I cried for a very long time when he died. There’s a temptation when somebody loses a mother or father to remain away, however I actually appreciated the texts, calls and unannounced visits from mates.”
Finally, friendship, household and making music are all the time intertwined for Dido, whether or not she’s performing to thousands and thousands or singing at house in north London, the realm she’s by no means left. “There’s nothing higher for me than the life I’ve bought now,” she advised the BBC. “I do music in fairly a quiet method. I get to be with my household, with this factor on the facet that’s distinctive and is superb.”
Who remembers the Dido period? There was a time frame on the flip of the twenty first century once you couldn’t get right into a automobile, go to the mall or meet a good friend for dinner with out listening to the British singer-songwriter’s large, ubiquitous hits, like “Right here With Me”, “Thank You” and, after all, “Stan”, her epic 2000 collaboration with Eminem.
Whether or not you adored her haunting vocals and chilled beats or discovered her model of straightforward pop a bit of bland, you couldn’t deny it: Dido was a giant deal. She offered 40 million albums worldwide — 1999’s No Angel and its 2003 follow-up, Life For Hire, had been each large —and cowrote hit songs for different artists, most notably Britney Spears’ “I’m Not a Lady, Not But a Lady” in 2001.
Regardless of her large success, she all the time stored it low-key — a outstanding feat for somebody with a really showy actual identify, Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O’Malley Armstrong. Even on the peak of her fame, when she might have dated rock stars, partied up a storm and swished round in designer attire, Dido — the identify she has assumed since childhood — most well-liked to maintain her life as regular as potential. She was all the time more than likely to be discovered hanging out along with her brother Rollo — a DJ, producer and Faithless founding member — and their huge gang of mates in north London, making music, sporting denims and sneakers and watching her beloved soccer staff Arsenal.
25 years on from the height of her success, her songs are nonetheless performed on the radio and sampled by new artists— however Dido herself, now 53, continues to remain largely out of the highlight. Her third and fourth albums, 2008’s Protected Journey Residence and 2013’s Lady Who Acquired Away, weren’t failures, however they didn’t make an enormous splash; when she got here again once more in 2019 with one other album, Nonetheless On My Thoughts, alongside her first tour in 15 years, her exhibits attracted heat evaluations however quickly, she was gone from the general public eye as soon as extra.
Later this 12 months, in September 2025, she is scheduled to launch a particular anniversary vinyl version of No Angel, the album that made her a world star, and followers are hopeful that she may play some exhibits to advertise too since, as soon as once more, it’s been some time since they’ve been in a position to see her within the flesh.
Dido admits she by no means deliberate to have such lengthy breaks between albums and excursions. “I actually didn’t plan on stopping,” she advised the Telegraph in 2019, selling her comeback tour. “I’d been going exhausting at it for over six years and thought I’d take a bit of little bit of day without work. So I used to be simply on a break. For 15 years.”
Dido in 2019 Mauricio Santana/Getty Photographs
She additionally advised Stereogum in 2019: “That’s type of been the best way I’ve been with all the things in life. If I’m not feeling like I wish to put the music out, then I received’t put the music out. Or if I’m not feeling the necessity to stand up on stage, then I received’t stand up on stage.”
It’s a luxurious that somebody who’s offered so many thousands and thousands of albums can afford to decide on. But in addition, for Dido, it grew to become mandatory, as she centered on elevating her son Stanley — not, she insists, a reference to “Stan”, one in all her largest hits — who was born in 2011, with husband of 15 years Rohan Gavin, a profitable youngsters’s writer.
Dido has admitted that, in the course of the peak of her success, she generally felt lonely — in 2002, she broke off her engagement to lawyer Bob Web page, the person who impressed a lot of her love songs — so, when the prospect got here to throw herself into household life, she went for it.
Over time, Adele has constantly gushed about how her son, Angelo, modified her life. The singer quietly welcomed her first youngster with then-partner Simon Konecki in 2012 and hit pause on her profession to deal with being a mother or father. Adele and Konecki secretly tied the knot however in the end known as it quits in 2019 after […]
“I’ve been having a beautiful time, being with my household, seeing mates, seeing the world,” she advised The Telegraph. “However the music by no means stopped. I’m all the time singing, all the time writing songs. Music is how I make sense of the world. I simply stopped taking part in it to anybody however my household.”
Motherhood modified Dido. From the second she was pregnant with Stanley, all the things grew to become about him. “There’s nothing nicer than singing and having a bit of dancing good friend inside,” she advised the BBC in 2013. “Sure songs he actually wriggled round for, and sure songs he wouldn’t — it was fairly take a look at of what ought to go on the file.” Nevertheless, Dido additionally admitted that changing into a mother impacted her artistic output greater than she anticipated, as “child mind” took maintain. “My IQ positively dropped,” she added. “I do know it’s a cliché however your mind simply goes, type of pffftlbt.”
She elaborated on this subject to Stereogum in 2019. “I positively personally don’t suppose something I wrote within the first 12 months and a bit after that was that nice,” she stated. “I all the time write, however whether or not the songs see the sunshine of day is a complete different factor. Partly as a result of what I write about are small moments of battle. Each music has a bit of sunshine and a little bit of darkish in it, and that’s what conjures up me to write down is once I see the battle within the state of affairs. When you’ve a child, you simply don’t really feel that. Properly, I didn’t, I simply felt love.”
Dido in 2001 Toni Anne Barson Archive/WireImage
She added: “I used to be like, ‘OK. I don’t actually have something fascinating to say about it.’ In a method, it was good, I simply type of took a step away, after which a number of issues occurred, and some issues bought me writing once more, and all of a sudden seeing the world in that method once more, the place you might see the sunshine, and the darkish, and all the things.”
Though Dido has by no means stopped making music, for the previous 15 years it’s motherhood that has actually pushed her. “I similar to hanging out with him,” she advised the Commonplace in 2018. “I’ve carried out a variety of issues in my life. However being a mum is unquestionably the very best factor.”
She wasn’t anticipating to lean into being a stay-at-home mother — however, like many ladies, she was shocked by the fact of motherhood and what it meant for her profession. “Earlier than I had him, I’m like, ‘OK. Cool. We’ll put the album out. I’ll go on tour with a child.’” she recalled to Stereogum. “Then, I’m similar to, “No, that’s simply not gonna occur.” I believe I used to be simply residing in a dream world. I like anyone that’s carried out it, however I’m all the time in awe of individuals.”
Dido, the Nonetheless on My Thoughts singer, tells Us Weekly a bit of of what’s on her thoughts. Learn on to study 25 issues concerning the British songstress, together with her favourite hobbies, first live performance and a humorous superstar encounter that left her starstruck. 1. I really like strolling for miles round London — and any metropolis — […]
Now that Stanley is nicely into his teenagers, Dido will face an empty nest within the subsequent few years — which is perhaps why she’s beginning to slip again into the general public eye once more. In addition to the forthcoming No Angel reissue, she’s been sneakily engaged on a number of collaborations over the previous couple of years, too, together with working alongside next-generation pop star Grimes on Caroline Polachek’s album Want in 2023. The identical 12 months, Jason Derulo took a cue from Enimen and made “Thank You” an earworm once more by sampling it on his single, “When Love Sucks”, whereas DJs Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike launched their EDM tackle the ballad in 2024, too, even persuading Dido to re-record her vocals. “Thank You (Not So Dangerous)” grew to become her first music to put on the UK singles chart since “No Freedom” in 2013.
Dido prefers to reappear when no person’s watching — it takes the stress off. “Nobody was ready for it, nobody was anticipating it,” she advised The i Paper in 2019, when requested about her final comeback. “It was actually liberating.”
Every thing about Dido is fairly low-key. She not often wears make-up, telling The Strategist in 2019, “I’ve no persistence for brushes and a giant routine” and regardless of her large wealth she hates overspending on garments. “I’m obsessive about value tags,” she stated in a 2003 interview with Pink journal. “It has to make me look fairly damned superb if I’m going to lay our a fortune on it.”
Dido in 2001 Dave Hogan/Getty Photographs
In actual fact, Dido’s look has barely modified in twenty years: she’s terminally fresh-faced, blonde and informal and says she owns round 10 pairs of her favourite Zara skinny denims. Her everlasting Dido-ness signifies that each time her identify and music are on the market once more, anonymity turns into more durable to return by. “It’s bizarre, the general public consciousness,” she advised the BBC in 2013. “It simply snapped once more. I get that factor the place folks do a double-take as a result of they suppose I’m an previous mate, after which they’re mortified. As soon as, I used to be attempting on bikinis, which is probably the most traumatic factor ever, however as soon as each three years it’s a must to go in and discover a new one. The massive video screens within the store went lifeless after which they began taking part in my video. I used to be on each display within the store. It was like somebody had come alongside and brought all my garments off and run away with them.”
The one huge contradiction for Dido is that, though fame and a focus make her a bit of uncomfortable, she adores performing. “I really like singing, and I really like singing reside,” she advised the BBC. “It’s all the time higher than rehearsing or singing at house. It’s a shot of adrenalin that you simply simply can’t recreate anyplace else.”
Dido admits that, earlier within the profession, she realized that her pleasure about performing reside wasn’t essentially coming throughout on stage, as a result of she was so nervous. “I actually used to go on stage, sing the songs and f—okay off,” she advised The i Paper in 2019. “I bear in mind my supervisor saying to me after a 12 months of exhibits, ‘You would say your identify, possibly introduce the music earlier than you sing it?’”
Even now, after so lengthy within the enterprise, the butterflies take maintain. “There’s by no means been an evening on tour, whether or not with Faithless or myself, once I wasn’t nervous,” she advised the Commonplace. “However once I was seven, whereas I used to be at classical music faculty, I had the worst nerves exterior a live performance. And I bear in mind my mum saying so vividly: ‘Should you cease being nervous it means you don’t care any extra.’ Whether or not that’s true or not, it makes me really feel higher about being nervous.”
Late singer Sinéad O’Connor captivated audiences along with her voice — however not all the eye was optimistic. The Irish singer made a reputation for herself after releasing her cowl of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” in 1990. O’Connor, nonetheless, was seemingly all the time attempting to outrun her tumultuous upbringing. “Finest day of my life was the […]
Dido isn’t really shy — she’s simply extra of a pure homebody than many huge stars. “Travelling the world has been a blessing, however there’s nowhere fairly like London,” she advised The Guardian in 2019. “I’ve written songs on so many streets that I stroll down; they’re filled with reminiscences and magical moments. Sure, the Grand Canyon is beautiful, however there’s magnificence within the solar rising over the M4 on the drive house from Heathrow, too.” She additionally advised The Strategist in 2019: “I all the time journey with my very own tea. I discover tea around the globe actually disappointing. I’m fairly English that method.” In the identical interview, she admitted that life on the street isn’t precisely wild — she’s extra prone to be discovered chilling out along with her Kindle after a present than partying. “I simply love studying so I have to have this [her Kindle] on me always,” she stated. “Once you’re touring, it’s exhausting to relax after a present generally, so it’s nice to lose your self in a guide.
She actually simply loves hanging out along with her family and friends and staying grounded. “Music was a byproduct of hanging out, and simply eager to be with these folks, and these had been all my mates,” she advised Stereogum. “I simply felt like, ‘That’s what music is to me.’ I’ve been actually fortunate to have that, and if I’m gonna do that, that’s how I wanna do it.”
Her brother Rollo, himself a vastly profitable musician with Faithless, is all the time on the middle of the motion. “My relationship with Rollo has been elementary to my life,” she advised The Guardian in 2019. “I don’t understand how I’d have navigated the trade with out him. Whether or not within the peak of the craziness or when all of it simply stops, being a solo artist is troublesome. However I’ve by no means felt like one with him by my facet. Collectively we’re two halves of 1 mind.”
The 2 have grow to be even nearer since shedding their father, William Armstrong, in 2006. Dido was simply 35 on the time. “Shedding my dad taught me there’s no method to bypass the grieving course of,” she advised The Guardian. “I cried for a very long time when he died. There’s a temptation when somebody loses a mother or father to remain away, however I actually appreciated the texts, calls and unannounced visits from mates.”
Finally, friendship, household and making music are all the time intertwined for Dido, whether or not she’s performing to thousands and thousands or singing at house in north London, the realm she’s by no means left. “There’s nothing higher for me than the life I’ve bought now,” she advised the BBC. “I do music in fairly a quiet method. I get to be with my household, with this factor on the facet that’s distinctive and is superb.”
