Catherine Dennis (born 25 March 1968) is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. She was discovered as a teenager by music manager Simon Fuller, which led to her featuring on the hit dance single "C'mon and Get My Love" with D Mob in 1989.
In the early 1990s, Dennis saw international solo success with her debut album Move to This (1990), which included three US top-ten singles including "Just Another Dream" and "Touch Me (All Night Long)"; the latter peaked at number two and remains her signature song. It was followed by the albums Into the Skyline (1992) and Am I the Kinda Girl? (1996), her final release, which included a cover of the Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset" that reached number 11 in the UK.
Dennis pivoted to songwriting in the 2000s and became renowned for her work, scoring eight UK number ones and seven Billboard top ten singles. She has also gained three Grammy nominations (two wins), and been awarded six Ivor Novello Awards. Her co-credits include the multi-platinum singles "Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Kylie Minogue, "Toxic" by Britney Spears, and "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry. In 2006, she won the UK music industry's Woman of the Year Award.
Performing career
1989–1991: Move to This
Dennis achieved her first success as a vocalist with D Mob, when their single "C'mon and Get My Love" (which was credited as "introducing" Dennis) reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989. It is regarded as an underground classic in the dance music field, and a second collaboration with D Mob, "That's the Way of the World", was also a hit. It was followed by Dennis's debut album, Move to This. She enjoyed considerable success in Japan in the early 1990s. The three solo hits were: "Just Another Dream" (UK No. 13, US No. 9, Australia No. 14), which featured D Mob on backing vocals; During this period, she recorded a song called "Find the Key to Your Life" with David Morales, for the soundtrack to the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. Subsequent releases were only minor hits.
1992–1993: Into the Skyline
Dennis released her second album, Into the Skyline, in September 1992, written with a focus toward the US market. The album featured the singles "You Lied to Me", "Irresistible", "Moments of Love", "Falling", and "Why" – the latter was credited to D Mob with Dennis. The album got to No. 8 on the UK Albums Chart, whilst on the US Billboard Hot 100, "You Lied to Me" was a top 40 hit - her final American top 40 single as a performer She has collaborated with Mark Ronson on his album, The Business. As of 2015, Dennis became a vocal affiliate with Galantis by first performing, uncredited, on their debut album Pharmacy on the tracks "Runaway (U & I)" and "Louder, Harder, Better". She later co-wrote their song "Love on Me" from their second album The Aviary and sang on five songs from their 2019 album Church. In 2019, Dennis returned to performing. She celebrated her 30th anniversary in the music business with a performance at London's Mighty Hoopla Festival. In 2020 and 2021, Dennis wrote for Now United and collaborated with composer Will Gregory on the soundtrack for the BBC/Discovery Channel docuseries, Serengeti.
Songwriting career
Dennis has written a number of award-winning songs and international hit singles. Her first success was with "Bumper to Bumper", the B-side to the Spice Girls' hit "Wannabe".
Dennis continued this success by co-writing the Pop Idol theme (re-used for numerous international remakes of the show, including American Idol), and writing for Idol contestants, including Kelly Clarkson, Will Young, Gareth Gates, and Clay Aiken. Clarkson's single "Before Your Love" (a double A-side with "A Moment Like This") was Dennis's first US No. 1.
Dennis's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (recorded by Kylie Minogue) spent four weeks at number one in Britain, while also rekindling interest in Minogue in America, where it hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. With over three million copies sold worldwide, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" became the second highest selling single of 2001.
Dennis also co-wrote the international hit "Toxic" by Britney Spears, which went to number one in the UK and worldwide.
Dennis's biggest success came in 2008 with Katy Perry's smash hit "I Kissed a Girl" co-written alongside Perry, Max Martin and Dr Luke, which ranks among the best-selling digital singles in history.
Dennis co-wrote three tracks on the Galantis album Pharmacy, one of which, "Runaway (U & I)", reached No. 1 on the UK Dance Chart and No. 9 on the US Dance chart, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. Dennis has written with KT Tunstall, Black Honey, and Sigala. More recently, Dennis co-wrote three tracks on the new Galantis album out in 2024 and the Laura White single "Nobody".
Personal life
Dennis dated Noel Fitzpatrick, veterinary surgeon and host of The Supervet, for a year. The relationship ended in 2003. Dennis married in 2017 and divorced in 2025.
Awards and nominations
World Music Awards Music Awards
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| 1991
| Herself
| No. 1 New Pop Female Artist
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Billboard Music Awards
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| 1991
| Herself
| No. 1 New Pop Female Artist
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Brit Awards
!Ref.
|-
| 1992
| Herself
| British Female Solo Artist
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Grammy Awards
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| 2004
| "Come into My World"
| rowspan=2|Best Dance Recording
|rowspan=2
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| 2005
| "Toxic"
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Ivor Novello Awards
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| 2001
| "Never Had a Dream Come True"
| Best Song Musically & Lyrically
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| rowspan=4|2002