Life in Mono (album)

Life in Mono is the third studio album by English singer Emma Bunton. It was released on 4 December 2006 through 19 Recordings. A stylistic continuation of her previous record, Free Me, the record deepens Bunton's exploration of 1960s-inspired pop, with a more pronounced nod to the polished sound of French pop from the era. Bunton co-wrote most of the material, with the majority of the album produced by Simon Franglen. Yak Bondy, Gary Clark, and Eric Pressly also contributed.

The album received mixed reviews, with critics applauding Bunton's vocals and its 1960s-inspired sound, though many considered the songs bland, repetitive, or lacking memorable hooks. Commercially, Life in Mono fell short of the success of her first two solo albums, A Girl Like Me (2001) and Free Me (2004), becoming her first album to miss the UK top 10, debuting and peaking at number 65 on the UK Albums Chart and reaching number 69 on the Scottish Albums Chart.

Life in Mono spawned two singles. The first, a cover of Petula Clark's "Downtown," was released on 13 November 2006 as the official 2006 BBC Children in Need charity single and reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up, "All I Need to Know," peaked at number 60. With Bunton expecting her first child in August 2007, promotion for the album was cut short. Life in Mono would remain her last studio album until the release of My Happy Place in 2019.