Review of “So Tell Me What You Want” by Nicki Chapman – Breaking Pop’s Ceiling

In her early 20s, Nicki Chapman started as a television assistant at a record label. Her responsibilities included promoting bands on popular 1980s shows like Top of the Pops and Surprise Surprise. Although she loved music and excelled at her job, she faced the harsh reality of a male-dominated industry. At one point, a colleague told her bluntly that she would never succeed because she didn’t laugh at his jokes.

However, as Chapman joyfully recounts in her memoir, that prediction was far from accurate. Born in the quiet seaside town of Herne Bay in Kent, she quickly made a name for herself in London. She worked with top UK pop talents such as Take That, Annie Lennox, the Spice Girls, and Amy Winehouse. She went on to become a TV star as a judge on Simon Fuller’s Popstars and Pop Idol, where her fellow judges often played the villains, but Chapman was seen as compassionate and nurturing. She later hosted the soothing TV show Escape to the Country.

The Spice Girls used Chapman’s red gingham bikini to tie up the male lead in their Say You’ll Be There video.

Chapman’s path to mainstream success was like a rollercoaster, full of high and low points. Her memoir, So Tell Me What You Want, includes plenty of amusing stories. For example, Bobby Brown went missing in search of the perfect burger before his Top of the Pops performance, and she got stuck in a service lift with Tiffany, famous for I Think We’re Alone Now. Chapman also mentions that the Spice Girls used her red gingham bikini in their Say You’ll Be There music video. Less humorously, she recalls opening some fan mail for Kim Wilde only to find a sachet of semen inside.

Some experiences were downright dark. Chapman writes about being trapped in a male colleague’s flat after a failed date attempt. She even had clauses in her contract to avoid being alone with certain producers after uncomfortable encounters. One chilling episode involves her being pinned against the wall by the throat by a manager, described almost in passing.

At times, Chapman’s focus seems to wander. The book includes a lot of details about the furnishings in her new house but skips over potentially interesting episodes, such as Hear’Say’s life after winning Popstars. Writing the book in the present tense, like a diary, also makes it harder to engage with certain key moments. Discussions about the mental health of young stars like Robbie Williams and Billie Piper seem out of sync with the timeframe, as these conversations have only recently become mainstream.

Oddly, the narrative ends just as Will Young wins Pop Idol in 2002. There’s no behind-the-scenes look at what followed, such as Young and Gareth Gates selling millions of records or Young coming out in a homophobic tabloid era. This leaves readers in a state of suspense, much like a contestant without a record deal. However, Chapman’s achievements are undeniable. Her tenacity, especially in the early days when battling male entitlement, is striking. One memorable story involves her boss blaming her for a mistake over the phone, to which she boldly responds by telling him to “fuck off.” And as for the man who once said she’d never make it? He later asked her for a job. Her response? “Did I employ him? Did I hell!”

So Tell Me What You Want: My Story of Making It in the Mad, Bad and Fab Pop Music Industry by Nicki Chapman is published by Little, Brown (£22).

Source: The Guardian