Anggun's highest selling album
The album contains 16 songs which are taken from the French version and re-recorded in English. Lyrics were translated and re-written by songwriter Nikki Matheson. Snow on the Sahara was marketed in 33 countries around the world in 1998. In Japan and Indonesia, the album was released in late 1997 under the title Anggun as a special version.For some reason, "Memory of Your Shores" is omitted from the US version, although it has been cited as fans' favorite. Anggun also did a cover version of David Bowie's hit, "Life on Mars", which was also released as a US promotional single.
This album remains Anggun's highest selling album and Anggun also made history as the first Asian artist to enter the Billboard Charts in the United States; Snow on the Sahara went to #23 on the Billboard
Heatseekers Charts and the single peaked at #16 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. The album went on to sell 92,000 copies in the United States and has reportedly has sold over 1 million copies around the world, also marking Anggun as the highest selling Asian artist outside Asia.
The single "Snow on the Sahara" also remains Anggun's signature song; for fans outside France, Italy and Indonesia - who are more familiar with "Etre Une Femme/In Your Mind" or "Cesse La Pluie/Saviour". It is Anggun's highest charting song (#1 in Italy) and was one of the biggest hits
in 1997 and 1998. In Indonesia, "Snow on the Sahara" remains Anggun's most played song, even receiving frequent airplay on some radio stations in Indonesia in 2005.With its enchanting ethnic beats and influences of adult contemporary, pop and rock sounds, Snow on the Sahara has also been described as "one of the greatest albums ever made" by fans, although it was not recognised by the critics. However, Allmusic
gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying that Anggun "illustrates enough full-formed talent on the disc to make it a promising debut".
