Kim English
Encyclopedia
Kim English is an African American
electronica
, soul
, gospel
, and house music
singer, born in Chicago
, Illinois
, United States
.
Hot Dance Music/Club Play, Hot Dance Singles Sales
, Hot Dance Airplay
charts and the UK Singles Chart
, beginning in the mid 1990s and continuing into the 21st century. Though her first chart entry on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play came in 1995, and was a moderate hit ("I Know a Place," #32), her debut single was actually "Nitelife" in 1994, produced and written by Ten City
. Between 1999 and 2002 she scored six hits in a row that hit the top two, five of those went to number one: "Unspeakable Joy", "Missing You", "Bumpin' and Jumpin'", "Everyday" and "Treat Me Right". All of these hit singles (excluding "I Know a Place") are featured on her debut album Higher Things
, released in late 1998 on the New York City
based record label, Nervous Records NYC
. Both "Unspeakable Joy" and "Everyday" became her most successful radio hits to date. The album also featured a cover version
of Anita Baker
's song, "Been So Long
."
English began as a gospel
singer and many of her most popular songs contain references to God
, faith
and belief in yourself.
By 2007, English had earned her sixth, seventh and eighth US dance number-ones with "It Makes a Difference", "C'est La Vie" and "My Destiny". All three hits are from her second album titled, My Destiny
, which was released in late September 2006. So far, all of her hits have been released on Nervous Records. September 2009 saw the release of the single, "Nothing's Impossible."
African 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...
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...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, and house music
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...
singer, born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Music career
Through her career, English has experienced success on the USUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Hot Dance Music/Club Play, Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes...
, Hot Dance Airplay
Hot Dance Airplay
Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is featured weekly in Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it...
charts and the UK Singles Chart
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 ...
, beginning in the mid 1990s and continuing into the 21st century. Though her first chart entry on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play came in 1995, and was a moderate hit ("I Know a Place," #32), her debut single was actually "Nitelife" in 1994, produced and written by Ten City
Ten City
Ten City was a Chicago, Illinois-based R&B and house-music act that enjoyed a number of club hits and Urban radio hits in the late Eighties and early Nineties and was one of the first exponents of deep house...
. Between 1999 and 2002 she scored six hits in a row that hit the top two, five of those went to number one: "Unspeakable Joy", "Missing You", "Bumpin' and Jumpin'", "Everyday" and "Treat Me Right". All of these hit singles (excluding "I Know a Place") are featured on her debut album Higher Things
Higher Things
Higher Things is the debut album by singer-songwriter, Kim English. Includes the major Hot Dance Club Play chart hit singles, "Nite Life", "Learn 2 Luv", "Supernatural", "Unspeakable Joy", "Tomorrow" and "Missing You."-Track listings:...
, released in late 1998 on the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
based record label, Nervous Records NYC
Nervous Records (US)
Nervous Records is a New York City record label of underground house music and hip-hop, founded in 1991. Noted for early productions by notables including Armand Van Helden, Mood II Swing, Masters At Work and Josh Wink...
. Both "Unspeakable Joy" and "Everyday" became her most successful radio hits to date. The album also featured a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Anita Baker
Anita Baker
Anita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit....
's song, "Been So Long
Been So Long
Been So Long is a soul/funk musical with music and lyrics by Arthur Darvill and book by Ché Walker. The musical is based on the 1998 play of the same name....
."
English began as a gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer and many of her most popular songs contain references to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
and belief in yourself.
By 2007, English had earned her sixth, seventh and eighth US dance number-ones with "It Makes a Difference", "C'est La Vie" and "My Destiny". All three hits are from her second album titled, My Destiny
My Destiny (Kim English album)
My Destiny is the third album by singer-songwriter, Kim English. Includes the #1 Hot Dance Club Play hits, "Everyday", "Treat Me Right", "It Makes A Difference", "C'est La Vie" and the title track.-Track listings:...
, which was released in late September 2006. So far, all of her hits have been released on Nervous Records. September 2009 saw the release of the single, "Nothing's Impossible."
Albums
- Higher ThingsHigher ThingsHigher Things is the debut album by singer-songwriter, Kim English. Includes the major Hot Dance Club Play chart hit singles, "Nite Life", "Learn 2 Luv", "Supernatural", "Unspeakable Joy", "Tomorrow" and "Missing You."-Track listings:...
(1998) Nervous Records NYCNervous Records (US)Nervous Records is a New York City record label of underground house music and hip-hop, founded in 1991. Noted for early productions by notables including Armand Van Helden, Mood II Swing, Masters At Work and Josh Wink... - Re-EnergizedRe-EnergizedRe-Engergized is the second album release by singer-songwriter, Kim English. Consists of remixes of English's debut album.-Track listings:* 1. "Been So Long"* 2. "Unspeakable Joy"* 3. "Learn 2 Luv"...
(2000) Nervous Records NYC - My DestinyMy Destiny (Kim English album)My Destiny is the third album by singer-songwriter, Kim English. Includes the #1 Hot Dance Club Play hits, "Everyday", "Treat Me Right", "It Makes A Difference", "C'est La Vie" and the title track.-Track listings:...
(2006) Nervous Records NYC
Singles
| Year | Song | US Pop 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... |
US Club/Dance Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
US Dance Airplay Hot Dance Airplay Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is featured weekly in Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it... |
US Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
UK Singles Chart 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 ... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "Nitelife" | - | - | - | - | 35 |
| 1995 | "I Know a Place" | - | 32 | - | - | 52 |
| 1995 | "Time for Love" | - | - | - | - | 48 |
| 1996 | "Supernatural" | - | 5 | - | - | 50 |
| 1997 | "Learn 2 Luv" | - | 4 | - | - | - |
| 1998 | - | 35 | - | - | - | |
| 1999 | "Unspeakable Joy" | - | 1 | - | 19 | - |
| 2000 | "Higher Things" | - | 2 | - | 18 | - |
| 2000 | "Missing You" | - | 1 | - | 16 | - |
| 2001 | "Bumpin' & Jumpin'" | - | 1 | - | 32 | - |
| 2002 | "Everyday" | - | 1 | - | 10 | - |
| 2002 | "Treat Me Right" | - | 1 | - | 12 | - |
| 2006 | "It Makes A Difference" | - | 1 | 10 | 12 | - |
| 2006 | "C'est La Vie" | - | 1 | 10 | - | - |
| 2007 | "My Destiny" | - | 1 | 20 | - | - |
| 2009 | "Nothing's Impossible" | - | - | - | - | - |
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart