BILLBOARD (October 7, 2000) pg.16
BEING A DIVA BECOMES ELEKTRA ARTIST TAMIA
Singer Enjoys 'A Nu Day' With Help From Missy Elliott, Shep Crawford
By Rashaun Hall
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Every label needs a diva. That perfect combination of beauty, attitude,
and sheer talent makes one not just a singer but an artist.
Elektra is hoping that Tamia will be its signature act. As the Ontario
native prepares for her Elektra debut, "A Nu Day," on Oct. 24, she
seems quite willing to step into the spotlight.
"It's been a long time coming for Elektra," says Michelle Murray,
Elektra's senior director of marketing. "Other labels have their
Mariahs and their Whitneys, so it was just time for us. We believe in
Tamia fully, and we see her not as a one- or two-album artist but as a
long-term career artist with us. Our goal is to take her to every
level."
The songstress, who was discovered by Quincy Jones, was also ready to
move on from her first label, Qwest/Warner Bros.
"It was just time for me to go," says Tamia. "I was 19 when I signed
with Qwest, and I'm 25 now, but I just had one album. I wanted to put
out more albums in a shorter amount of time. So, I moved to Elektra,
which was fairly easy since it was under the Warner umbrella."
Tamia was a welcome addition to the Elektra roster, according to
Elektra chairman/CEO Sylvia Rhone, who had been following the singer's
career.
"My first experience with Tamia was when Quincy Jones presented her at
our national sales meeting a few years ago," says Rhone. "Her
performance left an extraordinary impression. Tamia has grown even
more since then, achieving the kind of remarkable vocal depth that
makes her one of the premier vocalists of our era."
"A Nu Day" marks the dawning of a new sound for the singer. "With this
album, I wanted to show my growth," says Tamia. "I also chose material
that was a lot more difficult vocally and saying something. I've
changed as a woman since I was 19."
She continues, "I was a lot more vocal with this album. I grew up
singing other people's music, so when I did my first album I didn't
know what I wanted to sing about. Since then, I've grown into myself.
That independence is what I wanted to show."
Rhone, who also serves as an executive producer on the album, enlisted
the help of Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott for what was supposed to be
one song--the set's first single, "Can't Go For That," which went to
retail Aug. 22. "We had so much fun that she ended up doing four
more," says Tamia of Elliott. "She lets you do your own thing, and she
is all about the vibe."
The moving "Stranger In My House" showcases Tamia's vocal range. The
song, a beautiful ballad, was written by Shep Crawford.
"I love Shep's writing," says Tamia. "Especially for singers, he lets
you go there. It took me an hour to record. We went maybe four times,
I was just so into it. We called Sylvia right away after we recorded
it to let her listen to it over the phone. She was like, 'Oh, my God,
can you do that live?' Actually, I've performed it live a couple of
times, and I love it. You get a whole different feel when you see it
live, because it's a story. A lot of R&B right now is missing a
story."
Rhone hopes "A Nu Day" will capture a large audience with its youthful
tone. "Tamia is such a complete talent, we wanted to avoid any
preconceived notions and take an A&R approach that would encompass a
broader audience," says Rhone. "Missy was able to deliver songs that
reflected an edge as well as a much younger appeal."
Elektra expects big things from this album and is concentrating on the
project as its big fourth-quarter seller. "This is the most exciting
project for us in a very long time," says Murray.
The label has begun an aggressive promotional tour, which began on
Sept. 5, that will have Tamia visiting retail, radio, press, and local
video outlets. During her promotional tour, Tamia will also be
performing at NetNoir's fifth anniversary celebration in New York and
at the Detroit Female Wellness Tour, which is sponsored by Procter &
Gamble, Honey magazine, and BET.
Elektra has also set up a number of "Win it before you can buy it"
contests with radio, as well as a "Call to win" contest with the Box.
Tamia has several television appearances scheduled, including a
performance on the WB sitcom "For Your Love," as well as "Soul Train."
Tamia has also received exposure on the Internet. Elektra has launched
a site for the artist (tamiaonline.com) that features new music and
links to fan-related sites. E-cards featuring Tamia were also sent out
to fans registered in the Elektra database.
With all the marketing in place, Rhone shares the rest of the label's
high hopes. "I hope they become a reality," she says. "Tamia has a
tremendous opportunity to become the next pop/R&B female
superstar--backed up, of course, by her awesome talent, the lyrical
and production quality of the songs, and her incredible drive to be a
successful artist."
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