Amerie Mi Marie Nicholson ( Rogers; born January 12, 1980) is an American singer. Born in
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Fitchburg is a city in northern Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The third-largest city in the county, its population was 41,946 at the 2020 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private e ...
, she gained an appreciation of the classical arts from her mother Mi Suk Rogers and of music from her father Charles Rogers, and she also studied dance from an early age and performed in talent contests. After her high school graduation, her family settled down in Virginia while she began to attend
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
, from which she later graduated with a degree in English and Fine Arts. While living in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, she met producer
Rich Harrison
Richard Christopher Harrison (born 1979) is an American record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C., specializing in R&B and hip hop music.
The winner of a Grammy Award, Harrison is well known for producing songs such as "Get Right" ...
, who worked with such performers as
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
, and began developing demos with her. This led to a deal with Rise Entertainment and, in turn, major-label
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
.
Early life
Rogers was born in
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Fitchburg is a city in northern Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The third-largest city in the county, its population was 41,946 at the 2020 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private e ...
, to a Korean mother named Mi Suk and an
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
father, Charles Rogers. A few months after she was born, the Rogers family moved to
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, where Amerie lived for three years. Her father was a chief warrant officer in the U.S. military,
so the family lived in many different places, including Alaska, Texas, Virginia and Germany. She has a younger sister, Angela Rogers, who is now her lawyer.
Amerie has described 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. The singer enrolled at
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
to study literature, and was in
Navy ROTC
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.
Origins
A pilot Naval Reserve unit was established in September 192 ...
: "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 B.A. in English and a Fine Arts minor in design.
While studying at Georgetown, Amerie befriended a Washington, D.C. club promoter who eventually put her in touch with producer
Rich Harrison
Richard Christopher Harrison (born 1979) is an American record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C., specializing in R&B and hip hop music.
The winner of a Grammy Award, Harrison is well known for producing songs such as "Get Right" ...
. During an interview with Maxim Magazine, Amerie said she agreed to meet up with Rich at a public location because she did not know Rich. The chosen location was a McDonald's parking lot, where Rich played his tracks and Amerie sang along. Instantly they knew it was something special.
Harrison, who had just worked on Mary J. Blige's albums ''
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
'' and ''
No More Drama
''No More Drama'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige, released on August 28, 2001, by MCA Records.
Following the critical and commercial success of her fourth studio album, ''Mary'' (1999), ''No More Drama'' was similarly w ...
'', began recording and developing demos with Amerie. This led to her first record deal with Columbia Records. According to Amerie, she and Harrison immediately hit it off. In a 2002 Interview with Hip Online, she said: "For some reason we had a very special chemistry. When we would work together something great would happen."
Career
2001–2003: ''All I Have''
Amerie recorded the chorus for the 2001 single "
Rule
Rule or ruling may refer to:
Education
* Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), a university in Cambodia
Human activity
* The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power
* Business rule, a rule perta ...
", performed by
Nas
Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones.
Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to:
Aviation
* Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea
* National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia
** Nas Air ( ...
. The single peaked at number 67 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart in the United States. She recorded a song with Detroit rapper
Royce da 5'9"
Ryan Daniel Montgomery, known professionally as Royce da 5'9" (or simply Royce 5'9"), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Montgomery is currently one half of the rap duo Bad Meets Evil with fellow Detroit rapper Eminem, and ...
, titled "Life", the third and final single from his album ''
Rock City (Version 2.0)''. In 2002, her debut single, "
Why Don't We Fall in Love
"Why Don't We Fall in Love" is a song written and produced by Rich Harrison for American contemporary R&B, R&B singer Amerie's debut album, ''All I Have (album), All I Have'' (2002). Released as the album's lead single in the United Kingdom in Octo ...
", was released and peaked at number 23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming a top ten hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Dance Club Play charts. The song was an urban top 20 hit in Australia and reached the top 40 in the UK.
Amerie's debut album, ''
All I Have'' (produced and co-written in its entirety by Rich Harrison), was released in 2002 to generally positive reviews. It peaked at number nine on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 selling 89,000 copies in its first week of release;
the album has since been certified gold by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
and had sold 657,000 copies by 2009, according to
Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
.
To promote the album, Amerie went on tour with
Usher
Usher may refer to:
Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place:
* Usher (occupation)
** Church usher
** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony
** Fiel ...
and
Nas
Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones.
Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to:
Aviation
* Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea
* National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia
** Nas Air ( ...
—on the former's Evolution 8701 Tour—and with rapper
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...
. The second and final single from ''All I Have'' was "
Talkin' to Me", a top 20 entry on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, although it peaked outside the top 40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
In 2003, Amerie won the
Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist This page lists the winners and nominees for the Soul Train Music Award
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and ...
and was also nominated for Best R&B/Soul Album (''All I Have'') and Best R&B Soul Single – Female ("Why Don't We Fall in Love"). She received a
BET Award
The BET Awards is an American award show that was established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which are presented annu ...
nomination for Best Female R&B Artist and an
Image Award
The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
nomination for Outstanding New Artist. Amerie lent her vocals to the
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...
song "
Paradise
In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...
", which reached number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and became the singer's second top 40 Hot 100 entry. She was featured on
DJ Kayslay
Keith Grayson (August 14, 1966 – April 17, 2022), professionally known as DJ Kay Slay, was an American disc jockey (DJ) from New York City. He is referred to by ''The New York Times'' as "Hip Hop's One-Man Ministry of Insults". He released fou ...
's "Too Much for Me", on his 2003 album ''
The Streetsweeper Vol. 1'', which peaked at number 53 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Amerie appeared on
Bow Wow's third album, ''
Unleashed
Unleashed may refer to:
Art and entertainment Film and television
* ''Unleashed'' (2001 film), a film featuring Jeff Anderson
* ''Unleashed'' (2005 film), a 2005 martial arts film starring Jet Li
* ''Unleashed'' (2016 film), a film starring ...
'', singing the hook on the song "To My Mama". She was also featured on the
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists.
Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...
-produced track "When I Think of You" from the soundtrack to the
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba ( ; born April 28, 1981) is an American actress and businesswoman. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in '' Camp Nowhere'' and '' The Secret World of Alex Mack'' (1994), and rose to prominence at age 19 ...
dance film ''
Honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
''.
2004–2005: ''Touch''
Amerie gained additional recognition from her first acting role, in the 2004 film ''
First Daughter'' (directed by
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Forest Whitaker, various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award ...
), in which she starred alongside
Katie Holmes
Kate Noelle Holmes (born December 18, 1978) is an American actress. She first achieved fame as Joey Potter on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'' (1998–2003).
Holmes made her feature film debut in 1997 with a supporting role in Ang Lee ...
. Also in 2004, she began working on her second album, ''
Touch
In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch (haptic perception), as well as temperature (thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It is ...
''. As with ''All I Have'', the album was co-written and produced by friend Rich Harrison, who contributed seven new tracks to the record; additional production came from
Lil Jon
Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre cru ...
,
Bryce Wilson
Bryce Wilson (born October 7, 1972) is an American record producer/entrepreneur and actor. He was formerly half of late 1990s duo Groove Theory, and former artist on the early 1990s dance music/ electro hip-hop band Mantronix.
Mantronix MC ...
,
Red Spyda
Andy "Red Spyda" Thelusma is an American hip hop producer who has worked on many songs for artists including 50 Cent, D-Block, Mobb Deep, Amerie, D12, and G-Unit. Other notable works by Red Spyda have included his contributions to the in-game ...
, and
Dre & Vidal
Dre & Vidal is a 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. Alumni of DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch of Jazz production team, Dre & Vidal were also ...
. Unlike her first album, Amerie co-wrote every track but one, "Come with Me", which Harrison wrote. She 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.
In 2005, Amerie released the album's lead single, "
1 Thing
"1 Thing" is a song by American singer Amerie from her second studio album, ''Touch'' (2005). Written by Amerie and Rich Harrison and produced by the latter, the song is influenced by go-go rhythms and features a prominent sample of the Meters ...
". The dance-pop song, which sampled
The Meters's 1970s funk recording "
Oh, Calcutta!", became Amerie's biggest hit to date. In the United States, it reached number eight on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
The RIAA certified the single gold.
The song was a top five hit in the UK, where it became one of the year's best-selling singles, and attained top ten and top twenty positions across Continental Europe.
''Touch'' was released in 2005 and peaked at number five on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 124,000 copies in its first week.
The album was certified gold by the RIAA, having sold 406,000 copies in the United States as of 2009.
The album's title track, "
Touch
In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch (haptic perception), as well as temperature (thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It is ...
", was released as the second single and peaked at number 95 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the United States, although it was a top 20 entry in the UK. A third single, "
Talkin' About", was released in America only; an official music video was planned but eventually scrapped. Later in 2005, Amerie was featured alongside
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...
on "
I Don't Care", the lead single from
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
's album ''
Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...
''. The single entered the top 20 in several European countries and Australia.
The success of "1 Thing" and ''Touch'' led to two Grammy Award nominations for Amerie in 2006: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (for "1 Thing"), and
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 ...
(for ''Touch''). "1 Thing" earned nominations at the
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
—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 Y ...
and
Best Choreography
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography is a craft award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and choreographer of the music video. From 1984 to 2007, the full name of the award was Best Choreography in a Video. The biggest winner ...
—and
Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the ...
— for 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, Amerie won Club Banger of the Year for her hit. "1 Thing" was adapted into a variety of
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
es by rappers such as
Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
,
Fabolous
John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition while still a senior in high school, when he performed live on American music executive ...
, and
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
. In 2009, "1 Thing" was sixth on ''
The Root
"The Root" is a song by American recording artist D'Angelo. It is the eighth track on his second studio album, ''Voodoo'', which was released on January 25, 2000, by Virgin Records. "The Root" was recorded and produced by D'Angelo at New York's ...
''s list of Top 10 Hip-Hop/R&B Songs of the 2000s.
2006–2007: ''Because I Love It''
In 2006, Amerie returned to the studio to work on her third album, ''
Because I Love It
''Because I Love It'' is the third studio album by American singer Amerie. It was released on May 11, 2007, by Columbia Records. In the United States, the album was released exclusively through retailers such as Walmart and FYE, before its phys ...
'', with producers such as
The Buchanans, One Up, and Mike Caren. The album was her first not to feature writing and production from producer Rich Harrison. She cited music of the 1980s as a major influence on the album, saying "I love 80s music period! That's why I did ''Because I Love It'', since it had mostly R&B, soul, and 80s new wave. When I said I wanted to do that in 2006, people were like, 'what?!'
..but I love it."
''Because I Love Its first single, "Take Control", (co-produced by Mike Caren and co-written by
Cee-Lo Green
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...
), became a top 10 hit in the UK in 2007. ''Because I Love It'' was released in 2007 in Europe, Asia, and Australasia and reached the top 20 in the UK, where the album's second single, "
Gotta Work", peaked at number 21. The album has been certified silver by the
BPI. During 2007, the impending U.S. release of ''Because I Love It'' made ''
Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen appliance, kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsion, emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender ...
'' magazine's list of "25 Reasons to Love '07". The official release date was delayed several times and the singles "Take Control" and "Gotta Work" were given little promotion (with the former peaking at number 66 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart). Amerie spoke of her difficulties with Columbia Records in a late 2007 interview, stating that the label was not promoting ''Because I Love It'' adequately.
2008–2010: ''In Love & War''
![KoreAm 2009-09 Cover](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/KoreAm_2009-09_Cover.jpg)
In 2008, Amerie announced she had signed a label/production deal through the
Island Def Jam Music Group
The Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) was an American recording music unit, formed on New Year's Eve 1998 by the Universal Music Group. It consists of labels devised and consisted under the basic operations of Island Records and Def Jam Recordin ...
, which allowed her to release her music under her own label, Feenix Rising. Later that year, Columbia Records released the compilation album ''Playlist: The Very Best of Amerie''; in 2009, the label released a second compilation album, ''
Best 15 Things'', in Japan only.
Amerie described her fourth album, ''
In Love & War'', as "a fusion of hip-hop, soul, and rock" with elements of music of the 1970s, and "a direct extension of my first album
'All I Have''. The album's lead single, "
Why R U
"Why R U" is a song by American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer Amerie. The song was recorded for her fourth studio album, ''In Love & War (Amerie album), In Love & War'', and serves as the lead single from the album. The song contains excerpts of Ul ...
", reached number 55 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the U.S. "
Heard 'Em All
"Heard 'em All" is a single by American singer Amerie from her fourth studio album, '' In Love & War'', released in September 2009. In the US, the song served as the second single from the album, following "Why R U". The official radio edit of the ...
", which featured rapper Lil Wayne, peaked at number 81 on the same chart; it did, however, enter the top 10 on the
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
n pop charts. With little radio support—the third single, "Pretty Brown" (featuring
Trey Songz
Tremaine Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), known professionally as Trey Songz, is an American R&B singer and rapper. His debut album, '' I Gotta Make It'', was released in 2005 through Atlantic Records. His follow-up album, ''Trey Day'', ...
), was released only two weeks before the album—and hindered by distribution problems, ''In Love & War'' peaked at number 46 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and at number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
In 2010, Amerie announced that she had changed the spelling of her stage name to Ameriie, explaining: "I operate on vibes and intuition, and I believe everything is energy; the vibration of the double I is right for me. Slightly different spelling, completely same pronunciation!" Later that year, she premiered a new song titled "Outside Your Body".
2011–present: ''BILI'', ''Cymatika'' trilogy and independent releases
In 2011, it was reported that Amerie was in the studio working on her fifth studio album, titled ''Cymatika Vol. 1''. The album's title is based on the word ''
cymatics
Cymatics (from grc, κῦμα, translit=kyma, translation=wave) is a subset of modal vibrational phenomena. The term was coined by Hans Jenny (1904-1972), a Swiss follower of the philosophical school known as anthroposophy. Typically the surf ...
'', the study of visible sound and vibration. The production lineup consisted of Riley Urick, The Buchanans, and Andre Harris (of
Dre & Vidal
Dre & Vidal is a 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. Alumni of DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch of Jazz production team, Dre & Vidal were also ...
), among others; Amerie 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 Vol. 1'' was also to include special guest appearances from Drunken Tiger's
Tiger JK
Seo Jung-kwon, Hangul: 서정권, Hanja: 徐廷權, also known as Tiger JK (born July 29, 1974) is a Korean-American rapper, record producer and entrepreneur best known as a founding member of Korean hip hop group Drunken Tiger. He has also foun ...
and
Tasha Reid
Natasha Shanta Reid (born May 31, 1981), better known by her Korean name Yoon Mi-rae (), often stylized as ''Yoonmirae'', is an American-born South Korean-based solo rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer, who is also a member of Korean hip ho ...
. According to Amerie, ''Cymatika'' would explore freedom, androgyny, and the New world order, and was influenced by trance music, electronica, house music, and New wave music. Second and third volumes of ''Cymatika'' were planned.
In 2012, Amerie announced a forthcoming "mini-LP" titled ''The Prelude''. In 2013, she stated that she had been working on a new project, ''Because I Love It Vol. II'', a follow-up to her 2007 album. She said this album, ''BILI'', stemmed from songs that did not fit sonically or thematically onto ''Cymatika''—"songs that are heavy in percussion, but have a very aggressive, soulful element to them. They don't exist in any one time, or sound of the moment". ''BILI'' and ''Cymatika'' were both slated for release in 2015. A single, "What I Want" (which samples "
Apache
The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
" by Incredible Bongo Band), was released from ''BILI'' in 2014.
Later in 2014, she premiered the track "Mustang" and announced a UK tour for 2015. In 2015, Amerie collaborated with producer Rich Harrison on a new single, "Out Loud".
In 2016, Amerie appeared on the radio show
The Breakfast Club, 105.1 and announced an EP titled ''
Drive
Drive or The Drive may refer to:
Motoring
* Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle
* Road trip, a journey on roads
Roadways
Roadways called "drives" may include:
* Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive"
...
'', a second untitled EP due later in the year, and that she was still at work on her album ''Cymatika'' (which was to be part of a trilogy). ''Drive'' was initially released on the streaming service
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
and accumulated more than 100,000 streams within its first three days of release. It was named one of the best R&B albums of 2016 by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''. In 2017, she released the single "REDRUM", which was to be part of an upcoming album titled ''MA3''.
In 2018, Amerie simultaneously released two albums, ''
4AM Mulholland
''4AM Mulholland'' is the second extended play (EP) by American R&B singer Amerie, released on October 19, 2018, through Feeniix Rising Entertainment. It was released along with its sister EP, ''After 4AM''. The LPs have been called a "two-sided c ...
'' and ''
After 4AM
''After 4AM'' is the third extended play (EP) by American R&B singer Amerie, released on October 19, 2018, through Feeniix Rising Entertainment. It was released along with its sister EP, ''4AM Mulholland''. The LPs have been called a "two-sided co ...
''; this was her first full-length album release since 2009 and her second independent (following ''Drive''). She toured the album in 2019.
Artistry
Since the start of her career, Amerie has been heavily involved within the creative process of her music, receiving not only writing credits but production and instrumentation credits as well. Amerie is a
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
.
In an interview with Myplay.com, she described her early process of recording music: "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 on 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!".
Amerie listed diverse musical influences in a 2014 interview, including the musical ''
Grease'', Motown era soul music, late 1960s rock and roll, Heavy metal music, 1980s pop music and new wave music, music of Germany,
Korean traditional music
Korea refers to music from the Korean peninsula ranging from prehistoric times to the division of Korea into South and North in 1945. It includes court music, folk music, poetic songs, and religious music used in shamanistic and Buddhist traditi ...
, R&B, and hip hop music. She cited film score as an inspiration, describing them as "that very surround-sound, immersive experience".
While she almost exclusively releases English-language songs, Amerie has recorded with Korean artists such as
4minute
4Minute (, often stylized as 4MINUTE) was a South Korean girl group formed in 2009 by Cube Entertainment. The members of the group were Son Ji-hyun, Nam Ji-hyun, Heo Ga-yoon, Jeon Ji-yoon, Hyuna, Kim Hyuna and Kwon So-hyun. The group was known ...
on "
Heard 'em All
"Heard 'em All" is a single by American singer Amerie from her fourth studio album, '' In Love & War'', released in September 2009. In the US, the song served as the second single from the album, following "Why R U". The official radio edit of the ...
", a performance of which aired on
KBS and
Mnet
M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
.
Other projects
In 2003, Amerie was the presenter of the
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
teen/youth lifestyle series ''
The Center
The Center () is the fifth tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, after International Commerce Centre, Two International Finance Centre (88 storeys), Central Plaza and Bank of China Tower. With a height of , it comprises 73 storeys. The center is ...
'', which she also helped to develop. In 2004, Amerie earned her first acting role, portraying the role of Mia Thompson, a college student who rooms with the president's daughter, in the film ''
First Daughter'', alongside
Katie Holmes
Kate Noelle Holmes (born December 18, 1978) is an American actress. She first achieved fame as Joey Potter on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'' (1998–2003).
Holmes made her feature film debut in 1997 with a supporting role in Ang Lee ...
.
In 2014, Amerie launched a YouTube video blog titled "Books Beauty Ameriie" and said that she was writing two novels, one
young adult
A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...
and one
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
.
In 2017, Amerie published an anthology book via
Bloomsbury Publishing
Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. It is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index. Bloomsbury's head office is located in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a U ...
titled ''Because You Love to Hate Me'' and a sci-fi trilogy novel series.
In 2019, Amerie started her own Book Club, "Amerie's Book Club" where she highlights diverse and unique perspectives and voices.
In 2019, Amerie performed on tour with other artist such as
Ashanti,
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and actress. She was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia and spent most of her youth working with producer Anthony Dent as a songwriter and background vocalist for ...
, and
Monica
Monica may refer to:
People
*Monica (actress) (born 1987), Indian film actress
*Monica (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name)
*Monica (singer) (born 1980), American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, ...
for the Femme It Forward movement.
Personal life
In 2004, Amerie began dating her manager,
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
executive Lenny Nicholson. On February 27, 2010, it was officially announced that Amerie and Nicholson were engaged, and the couple married on June 25, 2011, in an oceanfront ceremony in
Anguilla
Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territo ...
. She now goes by Amerie Nicholson or Amerie Rogers Nicholson. On May 15, 2018, the couple welcomed their first child, a son.
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
All I Have'' (2002)
* ''
Touch
In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch (haptic perception), as well as temperature (thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It is ...
'' (2005)
* ''
Because I Love It
''Because I Love It'' is the third studio album by American singer Amerie. It was released on May 11, 2007, by Columbia Records. In the United States, the album was released exclusively through retailers such as Walmart and FYE, before its phys ...
'' (2007)
* ''
In Love & War'' (2009)
Filmography
Bibliography
;Books
* ''Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy'' (contributing writer and editor) (2017)
* ''Behind the Song'' (contributing writer) (2017)
* ''A Phoenix First Must Burn'' (contributing writer) (2020)
* ''Cool. Awkward. Black.'' (contributing writer) (TBA, 2023)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
Amerieat
Island Def Jam Music Group
The Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) was an American recording music unit, formed on New Year's Eve 1998 by the Universal Music Group. It consists of labels devised and consisted under the basic operations of Island Records and Def Jam Recordin ...
*
*
{{Authority control
1980 births
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
21st-century American women writers
Actresses from Washington, D.C.
African-American actresses
African-American female dancers
African-American women singer-songwriters
American actresses of Korean descent
American bloggers
American contemporary R&B singers
American women pop singers
American women singer-songwriters
American film actresses
American musicians of Korean descent
American people of South Korean descent
American sopranos
American television actresses
American women bloggers
Columbia Records artists
Dancers from Washington, D.C.
Georgetown College (Georgetown University) alumni
Living people
Video bloggers
Women video bloggers
21st-century African-American women
21st-century African-American writers
20th-century African-American people
20th-century African-American women
Singer-songwriters from Washington, D.C.