Amerie
Encyclopedia
Amerie Mi Marie Rogers (born January 12, 1980), known professionally as Amerie or Ameriie, is an American singer-songwriter
, record producer
, and actress. She debuted in 2002 with the album All I Have
, primarily co-written and produced by Rich Harrison
, and was well-received in the urban market. In 2005, Ameriie released her biggest hit to date, "1 Thing
", the lead single from her second album, Touch
, which garnered her crossover
recognition and earned two Grammy Award
nominations. Her third album, Because I Love It
, achieved moderate international success in 2007, although it was not released in North America, and she subsequently left her label Columbia Records
. Ameriie released her fourth studio album, In Love & War
, in 2009, her first album under Island Def Jam
.
father, Charles. A few months after she was born, the Rogers family moved to her mother's native Korea, where Ameriie lived for three years. Her father, Charles, was a chief warrant officer, so Ameriie traveled to and lived in many different places, including South Korea
, Alaska
, Texas
, Virginia
, and Germany. He now works for the U.S. Intelligence Division United States military
. She has a younger sister, Angela, who is now her lawyer
.
Amerie describes her parents as conservative, protective, traditional Christians. Growing up, she and her sister were forbidden to leave the house or use the phone on school days.
Amerie enrolled at Georgetown University
to study literature, and was in Navy ROTC: "I was in the Navy ROTC. My dad didn’t force me into it or anything. I joined so I could afford an education." She quit ROTC after her sophomore year, and graduated with a BA degree in English and Fine Arts
minor in design.
Ameriie's first language is Korean.
, she befriended a Washington, D.C. club promoter who eventually put her in touch with producer Rich Harrison
. Rich Harrison
--who had just worked on Mary J. Blige
's albums Mary and No More Drama
--began making/developing demos with Ameriie. This led to Ameriie's first record deal with Rise Entertainment in collaboration with Columbia Records
.
In the spring of 2002, Rise/Columbia released Ameriie's debut single, "Why Don't We Fall in Love
". The single reached number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100
and became a top ten hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
. Ameriie's debut album, All I Have
, was certified gold by the RIAA and has sold 657,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan
. The second and final single was "Talkin' to Me
", a top twenty entry on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Also in 2002, Ameriie covered the song "I'm Coming Out
" by Diana Ross
for the soundtrack to the film Maid in Manhattan
. In 2003, Ameriie won the Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist
and was also nominated for Best Female R&B/Soul Single ("Why Don't We Fall in Love") and Best Female R&B/Soul Album (All I Have). She received a BET Award nomination for Best Female R&B Artist and an Image Award nomination for Outstanding New Artist.
Ameriie was featured on LL Cool J
's "Paradise", which peaked at number fourteen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. She was also featured on DJ Kayslay's "Too Much for Me", on his 2003 album StreetSweeper Vol. 1. Ameriie appeared on Bow Wow's third album Unleashed
singing the hook on "To My Mama". She was also featured on the soundtrack to the Jessica Alba
dance film Honey
in the Rodney Jerkins
-produced track "When I Think of You".
In April 2005, Ameriie released her second album, Touch
. As with All I Have, the album was co-written and produced by mentor Rich Harrison, who contributed seven (new) tracks to the record; additional productions came from Lil Jon
, Bryce Wilson
, Red Spyda, and Dre & Vidal
. Unlike on her first album, Ameriie co-wrote every track but one, "Come with Me", which Harrison wrote. Ameriie also assumed more creative control over the visual imagery accompanying the album, such as videos and artwork—"I feel like when you do a record, you have a vision in your mind and you want to carry it across—and it doesn't end with the studio", she has said. Touch debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200
and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
, and it was certified gold by the RIAA in August that year; according to Nielsen SoundScan, it has sold 404,000 copies. It received two Grammy Award
nominations in 2006: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
for its lead single, "1 Thing
", and Best Contemporary R&B Album
.
Along with Touch, Ameriie's biggest hit came with "1 Thing", which was also featured on the soundtrack to Hitch
, a romantic comedy film starring Will Smith
and Eva Mendes
. Producer Rich Harrison sampled
the distinctive main drum
-and-guitar
loops of the song from a 1970 version of Oh! Calcutta!
' s theme song—retitled "Oh, Calcutta!"—by funk
group The Meters
. The song was later certified platinum for selling over 600,000 units in downloads and became Ameriie's first top ten hit in the U.S., where it peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100
and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
. "1 Thing" also earned several awards and nominations: two nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards
—Best Female Video
and Best Choreography
—and four nominations for the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
—Best R&B/Soul Single, Solo, R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video, and Best R&B/Soul or Rap Dance Cut. At the 2005 VIBE
Awards, Ameriie took home Club Banger of the Year for her hit. "1 Thing" also spawned into a variety of remix
es by rappers such as Eve
, Fabolous
, and Jay-Z
. In 2009, "1 Thing" was sixth on The Root's list of Top 10 Hip-Hop/R&B Songs of the 2000s.
In late 2005, Ameriie released Touch' s second single, "Touch", and was featured alongside Fat Joe
on "I Don't Care", the lead single of Ricky Martin
's album Life
. Though the latter one entered the top twenty in several European countries and Australia, Touch' s title track failed to reprise the success of "1 Thing": it did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 (it peaked at number ninety-five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart), and reached number nineteen on the UK Singles Chart
. "Talkin' About
", the third single, was released only for promo
; a planned video shoot was cancelled.
, was her first album not to feature writing and production from her long-time collaborator, friend, and producer Rich Harrison
. Other producers, such as Bryan-Michael Cox, The Buchanans, One Up, and Chris & Drop, were enlisted to work with Ameriie. She cited music of the 1980s
as a major influence on the album, saying "I love 80's music period! That's why I did Because I Love It, since it had mostly R&B, soul, and 80's new wave. When I said I wanted to do that in 2006, people were like, 'what?!' [...] but I love it." Because I Love It was scheduled to be released in the U.S. in 2007, and its then-impending release made the Blender
magazine list of "25 Reasons to Love '07", ranking nineteenth.
Allmusic described the album as "enthuastic" and "unwavering", and praised Ameriie for being able to "lasso each song, whether it requires salt, sugar, heartache, delight, or any combination thereof".
"Take Control
", which was co-produced by Mike Caren
, Ameriie and Nicholson and co-written by Ameriie and Cee-Lo Green
, was the first single from the album and was released in the U.S. in late 2006. It failed to chart on the Hot 100, and peaked at sixty-six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album's North American release was pushed back several times, before being cancelled altogether after the failure of the second single, a remixed version of "That's What U R" featuring Fabolous
and Slim Thug
, to garner significant radio play. The single and album made greater impact in Europe: in the UK, "Take Control" became Ameriie's second top ten hit following "1 Thing", and Because I Love It entered at number seventeen on the UK Albums Chart
upon its release in May 2007, eventually receiving a silver certification from the BPI
for more than 60,000 copies issued. "Take Control" was nominated for Best Song at the MOBO Awards
. Second single "Gotta Work
" reached the top forty and was parlayed into an Asia-wide advertisement campaign for cable provider AXN
's tenth anniversary. A third single, "Crush", was pulled from release amid reports that Ameriie had left her label Columbia Records
.
In early 2007, it was reported that Korean pop sensation Seven
would collaborate with Ameriie on the album. She has stated several times in interviews that she has been very eager to work with Korean pop
/R&B singers, being a fan of K-pop
herself. It was later reported that a re-worked version of "Take Control" featuring Se7en would be featured on the Asian editions of the album Because I Love It.
Ameriie's first album under Island Def Jam, In Love & War
, was executively produced by LA Reid, manager LG Nicholson, and Ameriie herself, who described it as "a fusion of hip-hop, soul, and rock" with elements of '70s music
, and "a direct extension of my first album [All I Have]". It features production from The Buchanans, Warryn Campbell
, Bryan-Michael Cox, Sean Garrett
, Eric Hudson
, Jim Jonsin
, Jonas Jeberg, Karma
, Rico Love
, M-Phazes
, Teddy Riley, and TrackNova. The singles issued from the album were "Why R U
" (produced by Ameriie & The Buchanans), "Heard 'Em All
", "Pretty Brown" (featuring Trey Songz
) and "More Than Love
" (featuring Fabolous
); only the first two reached the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, at numbers fifty-five and eighty respectively. With little radio support, and hindered by distribution problems, In Love & War debuted at number forty-six on the Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
In July 2011, it was reported that Ameriie was in the studio working on her fifth studio album, Cymatika Vol. 1, to be released in 2012. The album title is based on the word cymatics
, the study of visible sound and vibration. The first single, "Firestarter (Private Dancer)", is to be released in upcoming months, but is subjected to change. In an interview with Billboard, Ameriie discussed two album tracks, "Sodom & G" and "Run for Cover": "['Run for Cover' is] kind of like a metaphor [for] self suppression. We're suppressing who we really are or our ideas. We're truly not living 100% authentically with ourselves and representing ourselves to the world as who we really are. There's another song I wrote called 'Sodom and G', like Sodom and Gomorrah
. The song on the surface is about a broken relationship. It's destroyed. I compare that to the fiery destruction the city of Sodom and Gomorrah [faced]." The production lineup consists of Riley Urick, The Buchanans, Julian Perretta
, and Andre Harris (of Dre & Vidal
), amongst others; Ameriie said that she may reunite with Rich Harrison for the project but that it would be "a matter of when and in what way." Cymatika will also include special guest appearances from Drunken Tiger's Tiger JK
and Tasha Reid
.
In an interview with Rap-Up.com, Ameriie revealed more details about the album, which she said was inspired by trance
, electronica
, house
, New Wave
, and dubstep
. She said that Cymatika would explore freedom, androgyny
, and the new world order, stating:
In the article, she also shared further details on a song titled "Intimidation", which is described as "stark warehouse, people being systematically programmed into doing certain things every day, living in the system" and "having a big, heavy beat, but it almost feels like machinery." She revealed another song called "Criminal" on her Twitter feed.
In an interview with Pacific Rim, Ameriie gives more details about her upcoming album and what to expect from it and who she would love to work with. She said that she will release Cymatika, Vol. 1 independently on her own label, Feeniix Rising Entertainment. She also described the album in three words; "epic, humanist
, & power."
Ameriie will appear on Jean-Roch's new album Music Saved My Life, singing the hook on "Fly Away" alongside rapper Fat Joe
.
In an interview "My-Play" she stated "“I’ve always loved creating music. When I was in high school, I used to record songs that I wrote by using two different tape recorders and two separate tapes. I would start by recording myself on the first tape, singing the song down from top to finish. Then, I would play it back, while singing the harmonies and recording them onto the second tape. I’d just keep repeating the process, going back and forth between tapes until I had a final version of the full song on one tape, with stacked harmonies, backgrounds and everything!” she also went on to say "I felt like I had so much music in me, I just had to get it out. In the vocal booth, I was incredibly antsy because I had so many melodies and harmonies—all these parts and different bits—that I just had to get out of my head and onto something tangible! The feeling of hearing something in your head and then actually laying it down is indescribable, it’s amazing.”
Critics often feel that Ameriie is underrated in her own right, in an article from R&B/Hip Hop blog "Earstyle" wrote "Ameriie may be one of the most underrated chicks in the game. Not only does she writes her own songs, but she assists in the production, the creative process, and plays instruments on her own tracks. Talk about talented.""
Rogers possesses a full lyric soprano, vocal range that spans three octaves. She's known for having an aggressive vocal delivery, incorporated with a soulful and emotive, distinct tone.
During an interview & biography from "My-Play", it reads, "Although the musical inspiration is broad, the arrangement of the material is signature Amerie: strong, aggressive vocals; beautiful melodies, and lush harmonies." & continued to say " With her trademark raw, raspy, heartfelt delivery, and her angelic falsetto, Amerie is one of music's most versatile, vocally honest artists".
Entertainment Weekly
said "This young singer may not have the gospel pitch of artists like Beyoncé and Alicia Keys
, but when it comes to revitalizing R&B & Pop, this much is certain: She's definitely got the right Touch".
USA Today
says "Amerie's light but supple soprano brings to mind the kind of adjectives you might hear in a commercial for citrus-scented shampoo: silky, tangy, lustrous. It's the kind of voice that a less-savvy singer might have wasted on sappy ballads, but on her sophomore CD, Amerie applies it to more groove-driven material.
Ardain Isma Jr. Special to CSMS Magazine stated, "Amerie is one of the most soulful singers to come out in recent years. She has the voice, the talent, the charisma and the charm that most R&B singers don’t have, most experts in the music industry agree. Amerie not only sings R&B, but she can also sing funk and rock as well. Amerie is also a songwriter as well as a singer."
Whilst reviewing In Love & War
, Hot Press writer, Patrick Freyne gave the album a rating of 3.5/5, writing "Amerie's got the standard range and power of the production line diva but there's also an appealingly raw, in need-of-some-Calpol-edge to her voice which gives everything that little bit more power"
Reviewing her single "Take Control
" the BBC
compares her voice on "1 Thing
" with her 2007 lead single "Take Control": "For starters, Amerie has ditched that over-high squeak from her biggest hit thus far and let rip with her hitherto hidden fiery tonsils."
London's newspaper the Evening Standard
marks that Amerie, has a "shrill but soulful voice".
The Guardian
highly praises Amerie's voice citing "it would be no exaggeration to call Amerie one of the greatest singers in pop music. Her vocal performances are extraordinary: she catches the fleeting thrills and momentary rushes of intensity that permeate otherwise mundane days, and stretches those feelings out across four-minute songs without ever letting up. Every word is delivered as if she is utterly consumed in the moment; the result is heady and intoxicating."
Jimmy Draper of New York Time Out describes her voice as "soulful, consistently controlled vocals."
Blender
magazine also commented on her "frantic, top-of-her-range vocals."
Stylus Magazine
writes "Unsurprisingly, the ‘60s-influenced tracks are far and away the more interesting. Much of that has to do with Amerie's vocal performances. "Hate 2 Love U" and "Gotta Work" are on-point rave-ups of James Brown and Stax, respectively, while "Paint Me Over" is vintage Dionne Warwick, complete with drawn-out phrasing. They walk the fine line between homage and imitation, but Amerie's singing is fervent and willing, commanding these songs more than interpreting them."
Vibe magazine says "The strikingly beautiful Korean-African American chanteuse doesn't have a flawless voice; like Mary J Blige, Amerie often strains to reach those higher notes, But also like Mary-and a few other today, Amerie sings from the gut."
Finally NME
comments that "The sneaking suspicion that every ridiculously aerobic move, or every double-tracked vocal breakdown could have been done better by Ms Knowles are dispelled by Amerie's third album. ‘Because I Love It’ is held together by a nymph-like voice that's whisky soaked one minute and light as candyfloss the next."
and Se7en
.
2005
2006
2007
2012
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and actress. She debuted in 2002 with the album All I Have
All I Have (album)
All I Have is the debut album of American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie, released July 30, 2002 on Columbia Records in the United States. It debuted and peaked at number 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in August 2002, remaining in the top twenty for two weeks only and dropping off the top one...
, primarily co-written and produced by Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison is a Grammy Award-winning record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C.. He is primarily an R&B/Hip-Hop producer...
, and was well-received in the urban market. In 2005, Ameriie released her biggest hit to date, "1 Thing
1 Thing
"1 Thing" is a song written by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie and Rich Harrison for Amerie's second studio album, Touch . The song is influenced by go-go rhythms and features a prominent sample of The Meters' 1970 funk recording of "Oh, Calcutta!", written by Stanley Walden...
", the lead single from her second album, Touch
Touch (Amerie album)
Touch is the second studio album by American R&B singer–songwriter Amerie, released in the United States on April 26, 2005 by Columbia Records and Sony Urban Music. It spawned two singles: the number-one R&B hit "1 Thing" and the Lil Jon-produced "Touch"...
, which garnered her crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
recognition and earned two Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations. Her third album, Because I Love It
Because I Love It
Because I Love It is the third studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie. Originally set for an autumn 2006 release, and originally to be called None of the Above, the album was released in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2007. The album was released in the U.S. on different dates to...
, achieved moderate international success in 2007, although it was not released in North America, and she subsequently left her label Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Ameriie released her fourth studio album, In Love & War
In Love & War
In Love & War is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie, released November 3, 2009 on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2008 to 2009 at Record Plant Studios in Hollywood, California and at other recording studios in Miami, Florida and...
, in 2009, her first album under Island Def Jam
The Island Def Jam Music Group
The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group, formerly The Island Def Jam Music Group, is an umbrella label formed in 1999 when Universal Music Group merged two of its daughter companies, Island Records and Def Jam Recordings, to create a label group. In 2011, Motown Records was split from the Universal...
.
Early life
Ameriie was born to Korean mother, artist Mi Suk, and African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
father, Charles. A few months after she was born, the Rogers family moved to her mother's native Korea, where Ameriie lived for three years. Her father, Charles, was a chief warrant officer, so Ameriie traveled to and lived in many different places, including South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and Germany. He now works for the U.S. Intelligence Division United States military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
. She has a younger sister, Angela, who is now her lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
.
Amerie describes her parents as conservative, protective, traditional Christians. Growing up, she and her sister were forbidden to leave the house or use the phone on school days.
Amerie enrolled at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
to study literature, and was in Navy ROTC: "I was in the Navy ROTC. My dad didn’t force me into it or anything. I joined so I could afford an education." She quit ROTC after her sophomore year, and graduated with a BA degree in English and Fine Arts
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
minor in design.
Ameriie's first language is Korean.
2002–05: All I Have and Touch
While studying at GeorgetownGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, she befriended a Washington, D.C. club promoter who eventually put her in touch with producer Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison is a Grammy Award-winning record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C.. He is primarily an R&B/Hip-Hop producer...
. Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison is a Grammy Award-winning record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C.. He is primarily an R&B/Hip-Hop producer...
--who had just worked on Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
's albums Mary and No More Drama
No More Drama
No More Drama is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. The album was released on August 28, 2001 by MCA Records in North America. The album was certified 3x Platinum. According to Billboard magazine, No More Drama has sold over 3,200,000 in the United States alone to...
--began making/developing demos with Ameriie. This led to Ameriie's first record deal with Rise Entertainment in collaboration with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
In the spring of 2002, Rise/Columbia released Ameriie's debut single, "Why Don't We Fall in Love
Why Don't We Fall in Love
"Why Don't We Fall in Love" is song written and produced by Rich Harrison for American R&B singer Amerie's debut album, All I Have . Released as the album's lead single in the United Kingdom in October 2002 and in the United States in July 2003, the song reached number twenty-three on the Billboard...
". The single reached number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and became a top ten hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
. Ameriie's debut album, All I Have
All I Have (album)
All I Have is the debut album of American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie, released July 30, 2002 on Columbia Records in the United States. It debuted and peaked at number 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in August 2002, remaining in the top twenty for two weeks only and dropping off the top one...
, was certified gold by the RIAA and has sold 657,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
. The second and final single was "Talkin' to Me
Talkin' To Me
"Talkin' to Me" is a song by American R&B singer Amerie from her debut album, All I Have . Written and produced by Rich Harrison, it was released in 2003 as the album's second and final single solely in the United States, thus not being able to make the charts elsewhere...
", a top twenty entry on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Also in 2002, Ameriie covered the song "I'm Coming Out
I'm Coming Out
"I'm Coming Out" is a hit single released by Motown singer Diana Ross in 1980, written and produced by Chic members Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers for her album diana .-Background:...
" by Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
for the soundtrack to the film Maid in Manhattan
Maid in Manhattan
Maid in Manhattan is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Wayne Wang about a hotel maid and a high profile politician who fall in love starring Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, and Natasha Richardson. It is based on a story by John Hughes who is credited using a pseudonym. The original music score...
. In 2003, Ameriie won the Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist
Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist
The Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist has been given out every year since the first annual Soul Train Music Awards in 1987.-External links:**...
and was also nominated for Best Female R&B/Soul Single ("Why Don't We Fall in Love") and Best Female R&B/Soul Album (All I Have). She received a BET Award nomination for Best Female R&B Artist and an Image Award nomination for Outstanding New Artist.
Ameriie was featured on LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
's "Paradise", which peaked at number fourteen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. She was also featured on DJ Kayslay's "Too Much for Me", on his 2003 album StreetSweeper Vol. 1. Ameriie appeared on Bow Wow's third album Unleashed
Unleashed (Bow Wow album)
-Chart performance:...
singing the hook on "To My Mama". She was also featured on the soundtrack to the Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
dance film Honey
Honey (2003 film)
Honey is a 2003 motion picture released by Universal Pictures. Featuring music produced by Rodney Jerkins, the film stars Jessica Alba, Mekhi Phifer, Lil' Romeo, Joy Bryant, David Moscow and features performances by Tweet, Jadakiss and Ginuwine. It also features a cameo by Missy Elliott...
in the Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
-produced track "When I Think of You".
In April 2005, Ameriie released her second album, Touch
Touch (Amerie album)
Touch is the second studio album by American R&B singer–songwriter Amerie, released in the United States on April 26, 2005 by Columbia Records and Sony Urban Music. It spawned two singles: the number-one R&B hit "1 Thing" and the Lil Jon-produced "Touch"...
. As with All I Have, the album was co-written and produced by mentor Rich Harrison, who contributed seven (new) tracks to the record; additional productions came from Lil Jon
Lil Jon
Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
, Bryce Wilson
Bryce Wilson
Bryce Wilson also formerly known as Bryce Luvah, is a record label executive/producer, actor, musician, and former emcee. He was formerly half of late 1990s contemporary R&B duo Groove Theory, and emcee/keyboardist for early 1990s dance music/electro funk/old school hip hop group Mantronix.-...
, Red Spyda, and Dre & Vidal
Dre & Vidal
Dre & Vidal is a Multi-Grammy Award Winning songwriting and production duo consisting of Andre Harris and Vidal Davis, who are best known as the main producers for Jill Scott and Glenn Lewis...
. Unlike on her first album, Ameriie co-wrote every track but one, "Come with Me", which Harrison wrote. Ameriie also assumed more creative control over the visual imagery accompanying the album, such as videos and artwork—"I feel like when you do a record, you have a vision in your mind and you want to carry it across—and it doesn't end with the studio", she has said. Touch debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
, and it was certified gold by the RIAA in August that year; according to Nielsen SoundScan, it has sold 404,000 copies. It received two Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations in 2006: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs...
for its lead single, "1 Thing
1 Thing
"1 Thing" is a song written by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie and Rich Harrison for Amerie's second studio album, Touch . The song is influenced by go-go rhythms and features a prominent sample of The Meters' 1970 funk recording of "Oh, Calcutta!", written by Stanley Walden...
", and Best Contemporary R&B Album
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary R&B music genre...
.
Along with Touch, Ameriie's biggest hit came with "1 Thing", which was also featured on the soundtrack to Hitch
Hitch (film)
Hitch is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant and starring Will Smith. The film, which was written by Kevin Bisch, co-stars Eva Mendes, Kevin James, and Amber Valletta. Smith plays a professional matchmaker who makes a living teaching men how to woo women...
, a romantic comedy film starring Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes is an American actress.She began acting in the late 1990s, and after a series of minor roles and performances in several smaller films such as Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror and Urban Legends: Final Cut , she broke into the mainstream, appearing in leading roles in Hollywood...
. Producer Rich Harrison sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
the distinctive main drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
-and-guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
loops of the song from a 1970 version of Oh! Calcutta!
Oh! Calcutta!
Oh! Calcutta! is an avant-garde theatrical revue, created by British drama critic Kenneth Tynan. The show, consisting of sketches on sex-related topics, debuted Off-Broadway in 1969 and then in London in 1970. It ran in London for over 3,900 performances, and in New York initially for 1,314...
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
group The Meters
The Meters
The Meters are an American funk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Meters performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977...
. The song was later certified platinum for selling over 600,000 units in downloads and became Ameriie's first top ten hit in the U.S., where it peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
. "1 Thing" also earned several awards and nominations: two nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
—Best Female Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work...
and Best Choreography
MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Choreography in a Video....
—and four nominations for the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
—Best R&B/Soul Single, Solo, R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video, and Best R&B/Soul or Rap Dance Cut. At the 2005 VIBE
VIBE
Vibe is a music and entertainment magazine founded by producer Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip-hop music artists, actors and other entertainers...
Awards, Ameriie took home Club Banger of the Year for her hit. "1 Thing" also spawned into a variety of remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es by rappers such as Eve
Eve (rapper)
Eve Jihan Jeffers , is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actress. Her first three albums have reached a total of over 8 million albums sold worldwide. She has also achieved success in fashion as she started a clothing line titled "Fetish." She won a Grammy Award in 2002 for the...
, Fabolous
Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...
, and Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
. In 2009, "1 Thing" was sixth on The Root's list of Top 10 Hip-Hop/R&B Songs of the 2000s.
In late 2005, Ameriie released Touch
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
on "I Don't Care", the lead single of Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
's album Life
Life (Ricky Martin album)
Life is the eighth album by Ricky Martin. It was released on October 10, 2005 in Europe, October 11, 2005 in the US and October 19, 2005 in Japan.-Background and development:...
. Though the latter one entered the top twenty in several European countries and Australia, Touch
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. "Talkin' About
Talkin' About
"Talkin' About" is a song written by Amerie and Rich Harrison, and produced by Harrison for Amerie's second album, Touch . According to Amerie, it is one of her "really personal" songs and may be her favorite track on the album. Released as a promotional single, "Talkin' About peaked at number two...
", the third single, was released only for promo
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...
; a planned video shoot was cancelled.
2006–07: Because I Love It
Ameriie's third album, Because I Love ItBecause I Love It
Because I Love It is the third studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie. Originally set for an autumn 2006 release, and originally to be called None of the Above, the album was released in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2007. The album was released in the U.S. on different dates to...
, was her first album not to feature writing and production from her long-time collaborator, friend, and producer Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison is a Grammy Award-winning record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C.. He is primarily an R&B/Hip-Hop producer...
. Other producers, such as Bryan-Michael Cox, The Buchanans, One Up, and Chris & Drop, were enlisted to work with Ameriie. She cited music of the 1980s
1980s in music
For music from a year in the 1980s, go to 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89For a history of music in all times, see Timeline of musical events....
as a major influence on the album, saying "I love 80's music period! That's why I did Because I Love It, since it had mostly R&B, soul, and 80's new wave. When I said I wanted to do that in 2006, people were like, 'what?!' [...] but I love it." Because I Love It was scheduled to be released in the U.S. in 2007, and its then-impending release made the Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine list of "25 Reasons to Love '07", ranking nineteenth.
Allmusic described the album as "enthuastic" and "unwavering", and praised Ameriie for being able to "lasso each song, whether it requires salt, sugar, heartache, delight, or any combination thereof".
"Take Control
Take Control
"Take Control" is a song by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie from her third studio album, Because I Love It . Written by Cee-Lo Green, Mike Caren, and Amerie and released as the album's lead single in late 2006, the Caren-produced track contains excerpts from Brazilian musician Tom Zé's 1970...
", which was co-produced by Mike Caren
Mike Caren
Mike Caren is an American Record Producer, Executive Vice President of A&R for Atlantic Records and Co-President of Elektra Records. After completing jobs with SRC/Loud Records and Ruthless Records, he started his career at Atlantic in 1995 at the age of seventeen as Manager of Rap Marketing for...
, Ameriie and Nicholson and co-written by Ameriie and Cee-Lo Green
Cee-Lo
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway , better known by his stage name Cee Lo Green, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor...
, was the first single from the album and was released in the U.S. in late 2006. It failed to chart on the Hot 100, and peaked at sixty-six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album's North American release was pushed back several times, before being cancelled altogether after the failure of the second single, a remixed version of "That's What U R" featuring Fabolous
Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...
and Slim Thug
Slim Thug
Stayve Jerome Thomas , better known as Slim Thug, Boss Hogg or Thug Boss, is an American rapper. He gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the popular single from rapper Mike Jones, "Still Tippin'"....
, to garner significant radio play. The single and album made greater impact in Europe: in the UK, "Take Control" became Ameriie's second top ten hit following "1 Thing", and Because I Love It entered at number seventeen on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
upon its release in May 2007, eventually receiving a silver certification from the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for more than 60,000 copies issued. "Take Control" was nominated for Best Song at the MOBO Awards
MOBO Awards
The Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
. Second single "Gotta Work
Gotta Work
"Gotta Work" is a song by American R&B singer–songwriter Amerie, and is the second international single from her third studio album, Because I Love It . It samples Sam & Dave's 1966 song "Hold On, I'm Comin'", written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter and originally recorded by Reuben Wilson...
" reached the top forty and was parlayed into an Asia-wide advertisement campaign for cable provider AXN
AXN
AXN is a Pay television, cable and satellite television channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which was first launched on May 22, 1997. The network is now spread across several regions in the world, including Japan, Europe, other parts of Asia and Latin America...
's tenth anniversary. A third single, "Crush", was pulled from release amid reports that Ameriie had left her label Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
In early 2007, it was reported that Korean pop sensation Seven
Seven (South Korean singer)
Choi Dong-wook , better known by his stage name Se7en, is a South Korean singer from YG Entertainment. He has released songs in South Korea, Japan, China and the United States.-2003: Debut:...
would collaborate with Ameriie on the album. She has stated several times in interviews that she has been very eager to work with Korean pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/R&B singers, being a fan of K-pop
K-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
herself. It was later reported that a re-worked version of "Take Control" featuring Se7en would be featured on the Asian editions of the album Because I Love It.
2008–10: In Love & War
In 2008, following her departure from Columbia Records, Ameriie signed a label/production deal with her imprint Feeniix Rising Entertainment, through the Island Def Jam Music Group.Ameriie's first album under Island Def Jam, In Love & War
In Love & War
In Love & War is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie, released November 3, 2009 on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2008 to 2009 at Record Plant Studios in Hollywood, California and at other recording studios in Miami, Florida and...
, was executively produced by LA Reid, manager LG Nicholson, and Ameriie herself, who described it as "a fusion of hip-hop, soul, and rock" with elements of '70s music
1970s in music
For music from a year in the 1970s, go to 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 1970s....
, and "a direct extension of my first album [All I Have]". It features production from The Buchanans, Warryn Campbell
Warryn Campbell
Warryn Campbell is an American record producer. He specializes in gospel music and R&B.-Career:His work includes production and songwriting credits for Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Xzibit, Yolanda Adams, Dayna Caddell, Mos Def, Missy Elliott, Kierra Sheard, Brandy, Dave Hollister, Men of Standard,...
, Bryan-Michael Cox, Sean Garrett
Sean Garrett
Garrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...
, Eric Hudson
Eric Hudson
Eric Hudson is a South Orange, New Jersey native and Grammy award-winning music producer. Born to father Curt Hudson, songwriter/producer . He went to Columbia High School in South Orange, NJ and graduated in 2004.-2006:Omarion - 21* 01. "Entourage"* 03. "Electric"* 11. "Been With a Star"John...
, Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
, Jonas Jeberg, Karma
Carvin & Ivan (Karma Productions)
Carvin & Ivan is a multi-platinum production duo out of Philadelphia consisting of Grammy nominated producer/songwriters Ivan "Orthodox" Barias and Carvin "Ransum" Haggins...
, Rico Love
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Love wrote and produced hit records such as Usher’s "There Goes My Baby" and "Hey Daddy ”, Nelly's "Just a Dream" and "Gone", Beyoncé Knowles' "Sweet Dreams"...
, M-Phazes
M-Phazes
M-Phazes is an Australian Hip Hop producer and artist based in Melbourne, Victoria. Born on the Gold Coast he relocated to Melbourne to further his musical career...
, Teddy Riley, and TrackNova. The singles issued from the album were "Why R U
Why R U
"Why R U" is a song performed by American R&B singer Amerie. The song was recorded for her fourth studio album, In Love & War, and serves as the lead single from the album...
" (produced by Ameriie & The Buchanans), "Heard 'Em All
Heard 'Em All
"Heard 'em All" is a single by American R&B recording artist Amerie from her fourth studio album, In Love & War, released in September 2009. In U.S., the song served as the second single from the album, following "Why R U". The official radio edit of the song features rapper Lil Wayne, with both...
", "Pretty Brown" (featuring Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
) and "More Than Love
More than Love
"More than Love" was the fourth single from Wet Wet Wet's fourth studio album, High on the Happy Side. It was released on March 9, 1992.Title lyric: It takes more than love to get it on.-Track listings:CD 1:#"More than Love"...
" (featuring Fabolous
Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...
); only the first two reached the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, at numbers fifty-five and eighty respectively. With little radio support, and hindered by distribution problems, In Love & War debuted at number forty-six on the Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
2011–present: Cymatika Vol. 1
In June 2011, Ameriie married her close friend and music partner Lennie Nicholson in Anguilla.In July 2011, it was reported that Ameriie was in the studio working on her fifth studio album, Cymatika Vol. 1, to be released in 2012. The album title is based on the word cymatics
Cymatics
Cymatics is the study of visible sound and vibration, a subset of modal phenomena. Typically the surface of a plate, diaphragm, or membrane is vibrated, and regions of maximum and minimum displacement are made visible in a thin coating of particles, paste, or liquid...
, the study of visible sound and vibration. The first single, "Firestarter (Private Dancer)", is to be released in upcoming months, but is subjected to change. In an interview with Billboard, Ameriie discussed two album tracks, "Sodom & G" and "Run for Cover": "['Run for Cover' is] kind of like a metaphor [for] self suppression. We're suppressing who we really are or our ideas. We're truly not living 100% authentically with ourselves and representing ourselves to the world as who we really are. There's another song I wrote called 'Sodom and G', like Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah were cities mentioned in the Book of Genesis and later expounded upon throughout the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and Deuterocanonical sources....
. The song on the surface is about a broken relationship. It's destroyed. I compare that to the fiery destruction the city of Sodom and Gomorrah [faced]." The production lineup consists of Riley Urick, The Buchanans, Julian Perretta
Julian Perretta
Julian Remo Perretta is an English singer-songwriter, best known for his song, "Wonder Why".-Personal life:Perretta was born in London to an Italian father and Irish mother. Perretta left school at 16 after gaining a scholarship for Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, which he left after a...
, and Andre Harris (of Dre & Vidal
Dre & Vidal
Dre & Vidal is a Multi-Grammy Award Winning songwriting and production duo consisting of Andre Harris and Vidal Davis, who are best known as the main producers for Jill Scott and Glenn Lewis...
), amongst others; Ameriie said that she may reunite with Rich Harrison for the project but that it would be "a matter of when and in what way." Cymatika will also include special guest appearances from Drunken Tiger's Tiger JK
Tiger JK
Seo Jung-kwon better known by his stage name Tiger JK is a Korean American rapper, producer, songwriter, enterprenuer, and founding member of Drunken Tiger. He is the founder and former CEO of Jungle Entertainment an imprint distributed by CJ E&M...
and Tasha Reid
Tasha Reid
Tasha Reid , better known by her Korean name Yoon Mi-rae , is an R&B singer and rapper.- Early life :Reid was born to a South Korean mother, and an African American father...
.
In an interview with Rap-Up.com, Ameriie revealed more details about the album, which she said was inspired by trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
, and dubstep
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
. She said that Cymatika would explore freedom, androgyny
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
, and the new world order, stating:
"A lot of the topics are about us as human beings—who we really are on that level, not a physical level. One thing I was experimenting with from a vocal aspect was androgyny and approaching the vocal in an androgynous fashion. To me it represents the dropping away of the veil of what’s physical and on a spiritual level, we’re not really men or women or age, we’re ageless eternal spirits without gender, without sex, so the androgyny symbolizes that—and of course it’s fun. A lot of the songs don’t really sound like me. The theme of [the album] is what it means to be human. I have songs about not being intimidated by society and what people think you should be, not wanting to be chic, kinda wanting to have your own identity and not feel like you have to follow the crowd. I also talk about self-suppression and how sometimes we suppress the feelings that we have or the ideas that we have. The things that inspired me on this album were everything from fire to the color red to any indigenous people, like with the chanting on 'Sodom & G'. Also machines and machinery to ideas of new world order to who we are as spiritual beings."
In the article, she also shared further details on a song titled "Intimidation", which is described as "stark warehouse, people being systematically programmed into doing certain things every day, living in the system" and "having a big, heavy beat, but it almost feels like machinery." She revealed another song called "Criminal" on her Twitter feed.
In an interview with Pacific Rim, Ameriie gives more details about her upcoming album and what to expect from it and who she would love to work with. She said that she will release Cymatika, Vol. 1 independently on her own label, Feeniix Rising Entertainment. She also described the album in three words; "epic, humanist
Humanist
Humanist may refer to:* A proponent or practitioner of humanism, which has several distinct senses, which are listed at Humanism and at Humanism * Humanist sans-serif, a classification of the sans-serif typeface...
, & power."
Ameriie will appear on Jean-Roch's new album Music Saved My Life, singing the hook on "Fly Away" alongside rapper Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
.
Music and voice
Since the start of her career, Ameriie has been heavily involved within the creative process of her music, receiving not only writing credits but producing credits as well, Ameriie has also vocally produced, played instruments and arranged on her own music.In an interview "My-Play" she stated "“I’ve always loved creating music. When I was in high school, I used to record songs that I wrote by using two different tape recorders and two separate tapes. I would start by recording myself on the first tape, singing the song down from top to finish. Then, I would play it back, while singing the harmonies and recording them onto the second tape. I’d just keep repeating the process, going back and forth between tapes until I had a final version of the full song on one tape, with stacked harmonies, backgrounds and everything!” she also went on to say "I felt like I had so much music in me, I just had to get it out. In the vocal booth, I was incredibly antsy because I had so many melodies and harmonies—all these parts and different bits—that I just had to get out of my head and onto something tangible! The feeling of hearing something in your head and then actually laying it down is indescribable, it’s amazing.”
Critics often feel that Ameriie is underrated in her own right, in an article from R&B/Hip Hop blog "Earstyle" wrote "Ameriie may be one of the most underrated chicks in the game. Not only does she writes her own songs, but she assists in the production, the creative process, and plays instruments on her own tracks. Talk about talented.""
Rogers possesses a full lyric soprano, vocal range that spans three octaves. She's known for having an aggressive vocal delivery, incorporated with a soulful and emotive, distinct tone.
During an interview & biography from "My-Play", it reads, "Although the musical inspiration is broad, the arrangement of the material is signature Amerie: strong, aggressive vocals; beautiful melodies, and lush harmonies." & continued to say " With her trademark raw, raspy, heartfelt delivery, and her angelic falsetto, Amerie is one of music's most versatile, vocally honest artists".
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said "This young singer may not have the gospel pitch of artists like Beyoncé and Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
, but when it comes to revitalizing R&B & Pop, this much is certain: She's definitely got the right Touch".
USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
says "Amerie's light but supple soprano brings to mind the kind of adjectives you might hear in a commercial for citrus-scented shampoo: silky, tangy, lustrous. It's the kind of voice that a less-savvy singer might have wasted on sappy ballads, but on her sophomore CD, Amerie applies it to more groove-driven material.
Ardain Isma Jr. Special to CSMS Magazine stated, "Amerie is one of the most soulful singers to come out in recent years. She has the voice, the talent, the charisma and the charm that most R&B singers don’t have, most experts in the music industry agree. Amerie not only sings R&B, but she can also sing funk and rock as well. Amerie is also a songwriter as well as a singer."
Whilst reviewing In Love & War
In Love & War
In Love & War is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie, released November 3, 2009 on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2008 to 2009 at Record Plant Studios in Hollywood, California and at other recording studios in Miami, Florida and...
, Hot Press writer, Patrick Freyne gave the album a rating of 3.5/5, writing "Amerie's got the standard range and power of the production line diva but there's also an appealingly raw, in need-of-some-Calpol-edge to her voice which gives everything that little bit more power"
Reviewing her single "Take Control
Take Control
"Take Control" is a song by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie from her third studio album, Because I Love It . Written by Cee-Lo Green, Mike Caren, and Amerie and released as the album's lead single in late 2006, the Caren-produced track contains excerpts from Brazilian musician Tom Zé's 1970...
" the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
compares her voice on "1 Thing
1 Thing
"1 Thing" is a song written by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie and Rich Harrison for Amerie's second studio album, Touch . The song is influenced by go-go rhythms and features a prominent sample of The Meters' 1970 funk recording of "Oh, Calcutta!", written by Stanley Walden...
" with her 2007 lead single "Take Control": "For starters, Amerie has ditched that over-high squeak from her biggest hit thus far and let rip with her hitherto hidden fiery tonsils."
London's newspaper the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
marks that Amerie, has a "shrill but soulful voice".
The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
highly praises Amerie's voice citing "it would be no exaggeration to call Amerie one of the greatest singers in pop music. Her vocal performances are extraordinary: she catches the fleeting thrills and momentary rushes of intensity that permeate otherwise mundane days, and stretches those feelings out across four-minute songs without ever letting up. Every word is delivered as if she is utterly consumed in the moment; the result is heady and intoxicating."
Jimmy Draper of New York Time Out describes her voice as "soulful, consistently controlled vocals."
Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine also commented on her "frantic, top-of-her-range vocals."
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
writes "Unsurprisingly, the ‘60s-influenced tracks are far and away the more interesting. Much of that has to do with Amerie's vocal performances. "Hate 2 Love U" and "Gotta Work" are on-point rave-ups of James Brown and Stax, respectively, while "Paint Me Over" is vintage Dionne Warwick, complete with drawn-out phrasing. They walk the fine line between homage and imitation, but Amerie's singing is fervent and willing, commanding these songs more than interpreting them."
Vibe magazine says "The strikingly beautiful Korean-African American chanteuse doesn't have a flawless voice; like Mary J Blige, Amerie often strains to reach those higher notes, But also like Mary-and a few other today, Amerie sings from the gut."
Finally NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
comments that "The sneaking suspicion that every ridiculously aerobic move, or every double-tracked vocal breakdown could have been done better by Ms Knowles are dispelled by Amerie's third album. ‘Because I Love It’ is held together by a nymph-like voice that's whisky soaked one minute and light as candyfloss the next."
Musical style
Roger's music is generally contemporary R&B, but she also incorporates pop, funk, hip hop, soul, go-go, rock and new wave into her albums. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Amerie has recorded a few English songs with some Korean artists such as 4minute4minute
4Minute is a popular South Korean girl group founded by Cube Entertainment in 2009. The group consists of Nam Jihyun , Heo Gayoon, Jeon Jiyoon, Kim Hyuna and Kwon SoHyun. The girls released their first single on June 15, 2009 and made their debut stage last June 18, 2009 on Mnet M! Countdown...
and Se7en
Se7en
Seven is a 1995 American thriller film, which also contains horror and neo-noir elements, directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It was distributed by New Line Cinema and stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, R...
.
Discography
- All I HaveAll I Have (album)All I Have is the debut album of American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie, released July 30, 2002 on Columbia Records in the United States. It debuted and peaked at number 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in August 2002, remaining in the top twenty for two weeks only and dropping off the top one...
(2002) - TouchTouch (Amerie album)Touch is the second studio album by American R&B singer–songwriter Amerie, released in the United States on April 26, 2005 by Columbia Records and Sony Urban Music. It spawned two singles: the number-one R&B hit "1 Thing" and the Lil Jon-produced "Touch"...
(2005) - Because I Love ItBecause I Love ItBecause I Love It is the third studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie. Originally set for an autumn 2006 release, and originally to be called None of the Above, the album was released in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2007. The album was released in the U.S. on different dates to...
(2007) - In Love & WarIn Love & WarIn Love & War is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie, released November 3, 2009 on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2008 to 2009 at Record Plant Studios in Hollywood, California and at other recording studios in Miami, Florida and...
(2009) - Cymatika Vol. 1 (2012)
Awards and nominations
2003- BET AwardsBET AwardsThe BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
: Best Female R&B Artist (nominated) - Soul Train Music AwardsSoul Train Music AwardsThe Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
: Best Female R&B/Soul Single "Why Don't We Fall in Love" (nominated) - Soul Train Music Awards: "Best R&B/Soul or Rap New ArtistSoul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New ArtistThe Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist has been given out every year since the first annual Soul Train Music Awards in 1987.-External links:**...
" ("Why Don't We Fall in Love") (winner) - Soul Train Awards: Best Female R&B/Soul Album, All I Have (nominated)
- Image Awards: Outstanding New Artist (nominated)
2005
- Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: "Entertainer of the Year" (winner)
- VIBEVIBEVibe is a music and entertainment magazine founded by producer Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip-hop music artists, actors and other entertainers...
Awards: "Club Banger of the Year" ("1 Thing") (winner) - BET Awards: Video of the Year "1 Thing" (nominated)
- BET Awards: Best Female R&B Artist (nominated)
- Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year "1 Thing" (nominated)
- Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: Best R&B/Soul or Rap Dance Cut "1 Thing" (nominated)
- Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: Best R&B/Soul Single "1 Thing" (nominated)
- Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video "1 Thing" (nominated)
- MOBO AwardsMOBO AwardsThe Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
: Best Song "1 Thing" (nominated) - MTV Video Music AwardsMTV Video Music AwardsAn MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
: Best Female Video "1 Thing" (nominated) - MTV Video Music AwardsMTV Video Music AwardsAn MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
: Best Choreography "1 Thing" (nominated)
2006
- ASCAPAmerican Society of Composers, Authors, and PublishersThe American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization that protects its members' musical copyrights by monitoring public performances of their music, whether via a broadcast or live performance, and compensating them...
Rhythm & Soul Music Awards: "Top Soundtrack Song of the Year" ("1 Thing") (winner) - Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance "1 Thing" (nominated)
- Grammy Awards: Best Contemporary R&B Album, Touch (nominated)
2007
- MOBO AwardsMOBO AwardsThe Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
: Best Song ("Take Control") (nominated)
2012
- TBA
External links
- Amerie Official Website
- Ameriie at TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- Amerie at Island Def Jam Music Group