Baiyu (singer)

Last updated

Baiyu
BaiyuChen 040813 07.jpg
Baiyu
Background information
Birth nameBaiyu Chen
Born Xiamen, China
Origin Princeton
Genres R&B, pop
OccupationsSinger-songwriter, actress
InstrumentsVocals
Years active2006–present
Website http://www.baiyuonline.com

Sara Baiyu Porritt, known professionally as Baiyu, is a Chinese-born American singer-songwriter and actress. In the early 1990s, her family moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland [1] [2] where she was then given the American name of "Sara". Baiyu has appeared in several independent films and was a VJ for the mtvU show "The Freshmen" from 2006 to 2008. [3] She completed high school in three years' time, and later graduated from Princeton University in 2008 with a degree in Sociology. [4]

Contents

Early life

Baiyu was surrounded by music at an early age and grew up in the presence of parents who were both musicians themselves. She resided in Xiamen, Fujian until the age of 8 and reunited with her parents in the United States after having lived with her grandparents for 2 years as her mother and father paved the way for their new life. [5] Baiyu attended Quince Orchard High School where she was a member of the Track and Field team as well as a dedicated member of the school choir. She took both the second semester of Junior year, as well as the second semester of Senior year off to pursue a career in music. [6]

College years

While attending Princeton, Baiyu traveled to New York City in between classes and schoolwork to develop her musical talents as well as to be a VJ and host for mtvU's show The Freshmen. She also used those years to hone her performance skills as a vocalist for the university's jazz ensemble headed up by Anthony Branker, and as a member and co-director of the school's hip hop dance company BAC. She sang at multiple functions and venues around campus and was often seen writing, referencing and recording music late into the night in the school's various common areas. She was a member of Colonial Club. [4]

Music career

2010–11: Career beginnings and B-Side & Fan Fair

Baiyu released her first EP "B-Side" in December 2010. Most of the songs from this project were completed during her 6-month stay in Kauai, Hawaii where she also completed the filming for an independent film, along with a music video for the single "Sweet Misery". While in the mountains of Kapaa, Baiyu also took this opportunity to record a remix version of Ryan Leslie's song "When We Dance", for which a video was also released [7] and subsequently featured on The Fader, [8] Bossip [9] and the likes.

In 2011, Baiyu decided to donate all profits from her follow-up EP, Fan Fair towards Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief. [10] [11] Fan Fair generated buzz and her single "Take a Number" featuring Fred the Godson received airplay on Hot 97 along with numerous college radio stations. [10] [12] Her music video for the second single "Together" premiered on MTV Networks' Logo TV in August 2011. [13] Subsequently, the video also got picked up by MTV UK, [14] MTV Latin America, [15] MTV Canada, [16] MTV España, [17] MTV Brasil, [18] and VH1 Latin America [19] among other television stations. She was since then been featured in Celebuzz, [20] GlobalGrind, [21] TheSource, [22] MTVIggy, [23] SoulTrain, [24] and various other blogs and magazines. [25] Fan Fair hit over 200,000 downloads via the Frostwire platform. [26]

2012–present: Hunter, CW The Next, and debut album

On June 13, 2012, Baiyu released the first piece of her "Hunter" project from her self launched label "Shredded Music". This is a 13-song album [27] that is accompanied by an animated short entitled "The Illuminators" for which she is basis of the animated heroine. The album features several up and coming, as well as established artists including Los of Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records; Rotimi, a singer-songwriter who is known for his role on the show "Boss" from the Starz Network; Barbadian soul singer Hal Linton; as well as Paul Kim of American Idol. [28]

For the launch of the music portion of "Hunter", Baiyu held a release event at the famed Custo Barcelona flagship store in SOHO. [29] [30] The music video for her first single from the album is a tune entitled "Invisible" featuring Rotimi, which garnered over 6 million views on WorldStarHipHop [31] and is on regular rotation on Canada's MuchMusic television station. [32] Upon release of the video, Vibe coined Baiyu as "an industry one-to-watch, Baiyu is on the verge of stardom." [33] Shortly after the release of the album, MTV Buzzworthy crowned Baiyu's track "Journey of Souls" one of its "Top 5 Must-Hear Pop Songs of the Week" paying her a "major compliment". [34] The album was produced primarily by KQuick of Grand Staff LLC, who is known for his work with artists such as Ryan Leslie, Chris Brown, Fabolous, and Mýa.

Baiyu became an official brand ambassador for Sprayground in July 2012, a line of backpacks and accessories that have become a closet staple for the likes of Chris Brown, 50 Cent, Justin Bieber, Ziggy Marley, and others. She is seen on Sprayground's homepage and in their Summer 2012 lookbook. [35] [36]

Having been chosen as one of the top four talents in New York City who are on the "verge of stardom", Baiyu was highlighted on the CW Network show "The Next" by executive producer Queen Latifah. Within the premise of the program, Baiyu was mentored by famed, Grammy-winning hip hop artist Nelly who spend 72 hours with Baiyu by immersing himself in her life and story in preparation for her New York performance at The Paramount. The show premiered on August 16, 2012. [37]

At the onset of 2013, Baiyu earned the prestige of being named as one of Yahoo News' "Top 10 Musicians to Watch for 2013". [38] Along with that title, she was also coined one of UNSound Magazine's "13 Artists to Watch in 2013". [39] As a public figure often in the limelight, Baiyu took a divergent approach in 2013 where she is staying behind a veil of mystic. Releasing a new single on the first of every month starting 1/1/13, she moved away from album covers that showcase her image and opted instead for artwork as a representation for her music. This is believed to be in an effort to encourage listeners to focus on her voice and message, instead of making assumptions based on her looks and heritage.

In July/August 2013, Baiyu collaborated with Eckō Unltd. Canada as the soundtrack and model for one of their largest campaigns, while in September of that year, she also teamed up with Complex (magazine) on their #oneofakindstyle campaign with Dr Pepper. It is rumored that on 12/1/13, after a year of single releases, Baiyu will be dropping a full-length album that is yet to be titled.

Her latest full-length album Ayahuasca takes her fans even deeper into a journey of introspection as she chronicles her experience with the sacred brew. [40]

Charity and Non Profit

From the start of Baiyu's career, she has been dedicated to non-profit work in an effort to give back to not only her local community but communities at large. Outside of donating the proceeds of Fan Fair to the Japanese Red Cross to aid in the tsunami relief efforts, Baiyu became a voice and beacon for DonorsChoose, working with its board of directors to raise funds for music programs in schools throughout various high poverty neighborhoods. [41] Baiyu has also dedicated her time to performances that benefit both kids – via the Sneakers for Scholars program and Camp Good Grief, as well as the homeless – via the Gala for the Homeless event. She is also a volunteer for New York Cares, and has been honored by Well Done! NYC as an outstanding individual who has "given back to various communities of New York City" as presented by the offices of Senator Chuck Schumer. [42]

Podcast and Recent career

In August 2019, Baiyu launched a podcast called Hear Us Roar [43] featuring inspired conversations with fearless Asian women about how ideas and passions can ignite transformative journeys. She currently leads Diversity and Inclusion for OMD USA. [44]

Filmography

Television Appearances: As Self

Film: Actress

Film: Producer

Discography

Full studio albums

YearAlbum
2013 Ayahuasca
  • Released: December 1, 2013
2012 Hunter
  • Released: June 13, 2012

Extended plays

YearAlbum
2011 Fan Fair
  • Released: April 15, 2011
2010 B-Side
  • Released: December 7, 2010

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink (singer)</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1979)

Alecia Beth Moore Hart, known professionally as Pink, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. During her teens, Pink was a member of the girl group Choice. Her first solo studio album, Can't Take Me Home (2000), was certified double-platinum in the United States. The R&B-influenced album spawned two Billboard Hot 100 top-ten songs: "There You Go" and "Most Girls". Pink gained further recognition with the collaborative single "Lady Marmalade" from the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, which topped many charts worldwide. Pink refocused her sound to pop rock with her second studio album, Missundaztood (2001). The album sold more than 13 million copies worldwide and yielded the international hit songs "Get the Party Started", "Don't Let Me Get Me", and "Just Like a Pill".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rihanna</span> Barbadian singer and actress (born 1988)

Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, actress, and songwriter. She is widely regarded as one of the most prominent singers of the 21st century. After signing with Def Jam in 2005, Rihanna soon gained recognition with the release of her first two studio albums, Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl Like Me (2006), both of which were influenced by Caribbean music and peaked within the top ten on the US Billboard 200 chart. Her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), incorporated elements of dance-pop and established her status as a major icon in the music industry. The chart-topping single "Umbrella" earned Rihanna her first Grammy Award and catapulted her to global stardom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassie Ventura</span> American singer, model, and actress (born 1986)

Casandra Elizabeth "Cassie" Ventura is an American singer, songwriter, model, actress, and dancer. Born in New London, Connecticut, she began her musical career after meeting record producer Ryan Leslie in late 2004, who signed her to his record label, NextSelection Lifestyle Group. Two years later, Ventura released her debut single "Me & U", which was discovered by rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs; Leslie agreed to partner his NextSelection imprint with Combs' Bad Boy Records for the commercial release of her debut album. As the song marked her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, it soon peaked at number three on the chart by July 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tokio Hotel</span> German music band

Tokio Hotel is a German music band, founded in 2001 by singer Bill Kaulitz, guitarist Tom Kaulitz, bassist Georg Listing, and drummer Gustav Schäfer. Starting from the foundation, the band's music genres were pop rock and alternative rock; since 2014, the band began to perform electropop and synth-pop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordin Sparks</span> American singer and actress (born 1989)

Jordin Sparks Thomas is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of American Idol at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debut studio album, released later that year, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold over two million copies worldwide. The album spawned the Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles "Tattoo" and "No Air"; the latter, a collaboration with Chris Brown, is currently the third highest-selling single by any American Idol contestant, selling over three million digital copies in the United States. The song earned Sparks her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramore</span> American rock band

Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of the group, while York, a high school friend of the original lineup, joined in 2007. The band is signed to Fueled by Ramen, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, both owned by Warner Music Group. Williams was separately signed to Atlantic as she was scouted when she was a teenager, and they were the only label to let her stay in the band instead of going solo, but Atlantic said the rest of the band had to sign to Fueled by Ramen. She is also the only member to appear on all six of Paramore's studio albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Simpson</span> American singer (born 1980)

Jessica Ann Simpson is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, Sweet Kisses (1999), sold two million copies in the United States and saw the commercial success of the single "I Wanna Love You Forever". Simpson adopted a more mature image for her second studio album, Irresistible (2001), and its title track became her second top 20 entry on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In This Skin (2003), Simpson's third studio album, sold three million copies in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danity Kane</span> American girl group

Danity Kane is an American girl group whose most recent line-up consisted of Aubrey O'Day, Dawn Richard, and Shannon Bex. The group originally had five members, but Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett left the group in 2008, and Aundrea Fimbres left in 2014. Formed on the third iteration of MTV's Making the Band reality television series in 2005, they signed to Bad Boy Records by Diddy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lil Mama</span> American rapper

Niatia Jessica Kirkland, better known by her stage name Lil Mama, is an American rapper and actress. She experienced top 10 Billboard placements at 17 with her debut album VYP (2008), which debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200. The album spawned her four major singles including her staple song and dance anthem "Lip Gloss", earning her two Teen Choice Awards and Monster Single of the Year nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards. Kirkland gained further attention in pop music after a collaboration with Avril Lavigne for the remix of her hit single "Girlfriend".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katy Perry</span> American singer (born 1984)

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter and television personality. She is known for her influence on modern pop music and her camp style, being dubbed the "Queen of Camp" by Vogue and Rolling Stone. At 16, Perry released a gospel record titled Katy Hudson (2001) under Red Hill Records, which was commercially unsuccessful. She moved to Los Angeles at 17 to venture into secular music, and later adopted the stage name "Katy Perry" from her mother's maiden name. She recorded an album while signed to Columbia Records, but was dropped before signing to Capitol Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teyana Taylor</span> American singer and actress

Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Shumpert is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model, dancer, choreographer, and music video director. In 2006, she choreographed the music video for Beyoncé's single "Ring the Alarm". In the following year, she signed a record deal with Pharrell Williams' Star Trak Entertainment, an imprint of Interscope Records to embark on a career as an recording artist. Taylor would then appear on MTV's My Super Sweet 16, prior to the 2008 release of her debut single "Google Me". Despite lukewarm commercial response, she later gained wider attention for her uncredited guest performances on the songs "Dark Fantasy" and "Hell of a Life" by Kanye West, from his highly-acclaimed album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). She asked to be released from her contract with Star Trak and signed to West's GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings two years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anjulie</span> Canadian musician (born 1983)

Anjulie Persaud, known by the mononym Anjulie, is a Canadian singer and songwriter who has released one self-titled album, and has collaborated with Diplo, Zedd, Boombox Cartel, Kelly Clarkson, Nicki Minaj, TheFatRat, and Benny Benassi, among others. Her music has been featured on HBO, ABC, NBC and MTV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicki Minaj</span> Trinidadian-born rapper and singer (born 1982)

Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-born rapper and singer based in the United States. Often referred to as the "Queen of Rap", she is known for her musical versatility, animated rap flow, alter egos, and influence in popular music. She first gained recognition after releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Black</span> American YouTuber and singer

Rebecca Renee Black is an American singer, songwriter, and YouTuber. She gained extensive media coverage when the music video for her 2011 debut single "Friday" went viral on YouTube and various social media sites. The song peaked at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 amidst being panned by audiences and music critics, many of whom considered it "among the worst songs ever made". In 2013, Black released a follow up single "Saturday" to similar commercial success and marginally improved reception.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marry the Night</span> 2011 single by Lady Gaga

"Marry the Night" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga for her second studio album, Born This Way (2011). The track was initially released for promotion on FarmVille, six days before the release of Born This Way. It was released as the fifth and initially final single from the album before "Bloody Mary" in 2022 on November 11, 2011, by Interscope Records. The song was written and produced by Gaga and Fernando Garibay, and was recorded on the tour bus during The Monster Ball Tour. Revealed in February 2011, "Marry the Night" was inspired by the energy of Gaga's previous songs like "Dance in the Dark" and her love for her hometown, New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyary Pamyu Pamyu</span> Japanese singer and model

Kiriko Hayama, known professionally as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, is a Japanese tarento, singer, and model. Her public image is associated with Japan's kawaii and decora culture, centered in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo. Kyary's music is produced by musician Yasutaka Nakata of electronic music duo Capsule.

<i>A Million Lights</i> 2012 studio album by Cheryl

A Million Lights is the third studio album by English singer Cheryl, released on 15 June 2012 through Fascination Records. Following her divorce from Ashley Cole, this is Cheryl's first album to be released under the mononym Cheryl, dropping her married surname. The album was recorded in 2011 and 2012. As the executive producer of the album, Cheryl enlisted a variety of producers such as Alex da Kid, Calvin Harris, will.i.am, Pantha, Agent X, HyGrade, Dada Life, Jim Beanz, Taio Cruz, Mathias Wollo, The Beamer Boyz, Billy Wes, Electric, Bibi Jones and Dave Munday. Sonically, A Million Lights is a pop, dance and R&B album that draws influence from other genres such as dubstep, house and electronic music in its production.

<i>Hunter</i> (Baiyu album) 2012 studio album by Baiyu

Hunter is a full length studio album by Chinese-American artist Baiyu released on June 13, 2012. The studio album component of "Hunter" is part of a larger project that is to be accompanied by a book of poetry as well as a comic book series and animated short entitled "The Illuminators" for which she is basis of the animated heroine. The album features several up and coming, as well as established artists including Los of Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records; Rotimi, a singer-songwriter who is known for his role on the show "Boss" from the Starz Network; Barbadian soul singer Hal Linton; as well as Paul Kim of American Idol.

<i>Fan Fair</i> (EP) 2011 EP by Baiyu

Fan Fair is a five song extended play by Chinese-American artist Baiyu released on April 15, 2011. In releasing the project, Baiyu also announced her decision to donate all profits from "Fan Fair" towards Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief via the Japanese Red Cross. "Fan Fair" began to generate buzz almost immediately upon release, and her single "Take a Number" featuring Fred the Godson received airplay on Hot 97 along with numerous college radio stations. Her music video for the second single "Together" premiered on MTV Networks' Logo TV in August 2011. Subsequently, the video also got picked up by MTV UK, MTV Latin America, MTV Canada, MTV España, MTV Brasil, and VH1 Latin America among other television stations. She was since then been featured in Celebuzz, GlobalGrind, TheSource, MTVIggy, SoulTrain.com, and various other blogs and magazines. "Fan Fair" hit over 200,000 downloads via the Frostwire platform. The album was produced in conjunction with KQuick of Grand Staff LLC, who is known for his work with artists such as Ryan Leslie, Chris Brown, Fabolous, and Mýa; and is Baiyu's introductory project in working with KQuick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotimi (actor)</span> American actor and singer (born 1988

Olurotimi Akinosho ; born November 30, 1988), known professionally as Rotimi, is a Nigerian-American actor and singer. He is known for his role as Darius Morrison on the Starz series Boss, and as Andre Coleman on Power.

References

  1. Tom Laventure. "Baiyu releases new EP". Archived from the original on April 21, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  2. Baiyu Bio Archived December 26, 2019, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  3. Baiyu Chen – IMDb
  4. 1 2 Wistar Wilson (March 9, 2006). "Sara Chen '08". Archived from the original on June 3, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2006.
  5. "Baiyu releases new EP | Asian American Press". Archived from the original on April 21, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  6. "Dailyprincetonian.Com". Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  7. "Ryan Leslie – When We Dance ft. Baiyu". Youtube. January 20, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  8. Video: Ryan Leslie f. Baiyu, "When We Dance" « The FADER
  9. "baiyu_bossip_press.jpg". baiyuonline.com. 2011. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  10. 1 2 iTunes – Music – Baiyu
  11. Yodee. "BAIYU RELEASES NEW SINGLE "TOGETHER" AND ALL PROFITS WILL GO DIRECTLY TO JAPAN". Archived from the original on April 13, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  12. 2/21/2011 Record Breakers Chart | Rapnetwork Record Breakers
  13. "Baiyu – "Together"". Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  14. "Together Video | Baiyu | MTV UK". Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  15. Together | Baiyu | Videos de música | MTVLA
  16. http://www.mtv.ca/music/video_browse_play.jhtml?vid=673145&aid=3961587%5B%5D
  17. Baiyu | Biografias de Artistas, Videoclips, Noticias, Fotos | MTV España
  18. Baiyu | Together | 06/08/2011 | Vídeos | MTV Brasil Archived March 18, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  19. Baiyu | Biografías de artistas, videos de música, noticias, fotos | VH1 LA
  20. "The Meet & Greet: Baiyu". May 7, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  21. kynyus (April 6, 2011). "Baiyu "I'm Like Eclectic R&B Pop"". Global Grind. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  22. "Baiyu feat. Fred The Godson – 'Take A Number'". January 10, 2011. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  23. MTV IGGY | The Future of Music – Discover the Best New Music from Around the World Archived June 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  24. "Sound Check: Baiyu – B Side". February 1, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  25. "Press".
  26. "Baiyu: Fan Fair – an amazing pop/hip-hop album featured on FrostWire". December 11, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  27. HUNTER | Baiyu
  28. BAIYU | Official Website » a night to never forget: hunter at custo
  29. "Baiyu Celebrates the Release of Hunter at Custo Barcelona". June 19, 2012. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  30. "Baiyu Celebrates The Release of Hunter at Custo Barcelona in NYC, Plus Download The Disc Now". June 18, 2012. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  31. Video: Baiyu Feat. Rotimi – Invisible [Unsigned Hype]
  32. Baiyu | Pictures & Songs | Baiyu 2013 Videos on MuchMusic.com
  33. "New Videos: Streamz, Baiyu & Shaliek Rivers". May 15, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  34. Brad Stern (June 19, 2012). "Cheryl, Eva Simons, Dawn Richard + More: Top 5 Must-Hear Pop Songs Of The Week". MTV. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  35. Sprayground Backpacks, Bags, and Accessories – Home Spring 2013
  36. Celebs
  37. Gabriel (July 27, 2012). "Fly News: Singer Baiyu Will Be On CW's 'The Next' w/ Nelly As Her Mentor" . Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  38. "Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Kenalsworld llc generates list". Archived from the original on February 11, 2013.
  39. Tyson4kgc (January 26, 2013). "13 SO UNSOUND Artists to Watch in 2013". UNSOUND Magazine. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  40. "New Album: AYAHUASCA". baiyuonline.com. November 30, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  41. "Baiyu's Giving Page".
  42. "Well Done! NYC Award Benefit". Archived from the original on March 2, 2013.
  43. "Hear Us Roar: The Podcast". September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  44. "Sara Porritt". September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.