Sunday, March 18, 2007
posted by Chi-Chi at 3/18/2007 | Permalink
Buzz on Amerie
Amerie is set to released her follow-up to her mega-successful album 'Touch' this April. (She already has a song out called, "Take Control.") Speaking of which I think "1 Thing' overshadowed the rest of that album, I especially loved that Carl Thomas duet-"Can We Go?" Anyhow here's a new interview spotted over at AMERIEWEB.COM:
Growing up, what were your musical influences?
My mother loved classical, so Beethoven was played as well as pop music. Everything from Barbara Streisand, to Grease to soul music. I liked a lot of Madonna and all the other ‘80s bands - I listened to everything. There was a period where I listened to a lot of heavy metal!
Your sister is buff! Does she sing as well?
She’s my entertainment lawyer, so we’ll speak about everything from what we’re having for dinner to working out contracts. We live together in New Jersey.
Mixtapes are normally a rapper’s game. Why did you release one (Because I Love It: Vol 1)?
During the course of recording the album, I was just hyped on the whole creative process and I didn’t want to let go of that vibe. I was up for the challenge of creating a song over a hip hop beat. It was really just for fun.
On the mixtape intro, you mention certain ‘biting’ females. Anyone in particular?
No. It was from a Busta Rhymes intro, so I took it and discussed it from a female vocalist point of view. It was just for fun.
A lot of people thought you were referring to Beyoncé because she sometimes steal your flow.
I didn’t really understand why people would single her out. She’s on top of her game, so we’re always getting comparisons. I guess that’s why they said that.
You don’t see similarities in say, vocal arrangements?
Hmmmm (Pauses) well, when I heard... (Stops herself). I guess some people could hear similarities with some of her stuff, but I don’t really focus too much on it.
Is that why you’re not working with Rich Harrison now? (Harrison did Crazy In Love for Bee - Ed)
We may do a track together, but I’m not sure about that as yet. It didn’t have anything to do with him working with anyone else.
So, it wasn’t intentional?
No, not at all. We may still do something.
Read the rest of the article in the comments!
Growing up, what were your musical influences?
My mother loved classical, so Beethoven was played as well as pop music. Everything from Barbara Streisand, to Grease to soul music. I liked a lot of Madonna and all the other ‘80s bands - I listened to everything. There was a period where I listened to a lot of heavy metal!
Your sister is buff! Does she sing as well?
She’s my entertainment lawyer, so we’ll speak about everything from what we’re having for dinner to working out contracts. We live together in New Jersey.
Mixtapes are normally a rapper’s game. Why did you release one (Because I Love It: Vol 1)?
During the course of recording the album, I was just hyped on the whole creative process and I didn’t want to let go of that vibe. I was up for the challenge of creating a song over a hip hop beat. It was really just for fun.
On the mixtape intro, you mention certain ‘biting’ females. Anyone in particular?
No. It was from a Busta Rhymes intro, so I took it and discussed it from a female vocalist point of view. It was just for fun.
A lot of people thought you were referring to Beyoncé because she sometimes steal your flow.
I didn’t really understand why people would single her out. She’s on top of her game, so we’re always getting comparisons. I guess that’s why they said that.
You don’t see similarities in say, vocal arrangements?
Hmmmm (Pauses) well, when I heard... (Stops herself). I guess some people could hear similarities with some of her stuff, but I don’t really focus too much on it.
Is that why you’re not working with Rich Harrison now? (Harrison did Crazy In Love for Bee - Ed)
We may do a track together, but I’m not sure about that as yet. It didn’t have anything to do with him working with anyone else.
So, it wasn’t intentional?
No, not at all. We may still do something.
Read the rest of the article in the comments!
In the meantime check out Amerie's "Take Control" music video:
Labels: Amerie, New Music, Newsstand Snapshots
rest of the article...
Why did you change the album title from None Of The Above to Because I Love It?
There were certain things that I wanted to do on the last album, but I thought they might have been too ‘left’ for the fans. For this album, I didn’t want my sound to fit into any particular box, so I called it None Of The Above. But then when I did the mixtape, I felt that Because I Love It fitted in even more, because that was the whole vibe I was on for the whole album.
Is it true that Some Like It was originally going to be a single until you heard Fergie’s London Bridge?
Yeah, it is. I finished it a long time before Fergie’s song came out and I thought that it would make a cool first single. But then I heard Fergie’s and I didn’t want to do what everyone else was doing. Initially, I was thinking of selling the song to someone else, but I decided against it because I really love it.
Did you hear someone from MySpace called Tori Alamaze claimed she was originally offered Take Control?
Yeah, that story is really weird. I co-wrote that record with Cee-Lo and when that record came, Tori was the reference singer. When I was approached for the record I was like ‘Sure [I’ll record the song] but with some changes, like I’ll write a hook and a proper bridge and bring out my horn players.’” So I made changes. I thought it was really weird and pretty wack too. Really wack on her part.
What do you do in your spare time?
I like to read and play Sim! I just started this book called The World Is Flat but I haven’t really got much into it yet.
Do you think you’re seen as a sex symbol or girl next door?
I’m just me - I leave the categorising to everybody else!
Are you single and what type of guys do you like?
Se, I don’t usually get into that sort of thing. I don’t get into that world just because I like to keep balance and I like to have normal things. I don’t run crazy at night and have that kind of stuff going on. I think I live a very well balanced life and very well paced life and I like to keep it like that.
Would you ever be caught slippin’ like Britters, photographed without any knickers?
I can’t tell you what all that stuff’s about (laughs). That’s crazy. That would have to be one of those situations where my mother would get on me! I can’t remember the last time she did, that but I’m sure she would.
Take Control is out April 2 and the album April 23.
What’s been the best advice your mum gave you?
To stay true to myself.
What’s the worst telling off you’ve had?
Oh, I can’t remember! That was a really, really, really long time ago.