Jenna Drey | |
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Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Parent |
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Musical career | |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Jenna Drey is a multi-time Billboard Charting dance music artist, as well as American female singer-songwriter. Her biggest dance hit was "By The Way," which charted on Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart for 16 consecutive weeks peaking at #4 on April 7, 2007 [2] [3] and stayed on Billboard until May 19th, 2007. [4] Her other Billboard charting songs included "Why Should I Believe You," and "Killin' Me." She was born in Los Angeles, California, and resides in Miami, Florida. She is a classically trained three-octave vocalist and pianist [5] who studied at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts, in theory and composition.
Drey's early career began as a songwriter. She won over eight multiple songwriting awards including the 2004 VH1 Songwriting Contest, the Gibson Guitar Dallas Songwriting Contest for "Stand in Line" and the grand prize in the 6th Great American Song Contest [6] for her song "Impossibility". Jenna continued onto becoming a Finalist with her song, "Killin' Me," [7] in the largest International Songwriting Competition in the world, known as the "ISC." Here writers compete from over 11,000 entries from 77 countries. "Killin' Me," eventually went on to become her first radio Billboard radio charting single. But these songwriting awards are what caught the attention of TAXI music CEO Michael Lakow [8] which led to "Just Like That" being produced by the legendary Nile Rodgers. [9] [10] This song was additionally adopted as the battle song for the 2004 World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox using the "Just Like That Sports Theme" which was included on the Album CD. The chorus of the song, revised to "Reverse the Curse, Just Like That", [11] played at the televised home games, reaching an audience of over 12.5 million baseball fans each week. This continued with Song of the Year Contest for a win in two categories for best dance song and pop song.
After teaming up with co-writer and producer Kevin Churko, [12] multiple Juno Award-winning producer-writer whose credits include Shania Twain, Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch and more, a number of her songs succeeded on the charts. In 2005, "Killin' Me (Where Did I Go Wrong)" rose to number 11 on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay [13] and number 6 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The follow-up, "Why Should I Believe You", peaked in Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay at number 24 and the Hot Dance Music/Club Play Top 10 in 2006. Even the renowned music critic for the Houston Chronicle, Joey Guerra, describes "Killin Me" [10] as a hypnotic tale of lost love.
Later that year, Drey was signed to top dance record label Robbins Entertainment, known for their smash Top 40 hits like Cascada "Everytime We Touch," September "Cry for You." Label President, Cory Robbins, signed her to release her next dance-pop single "By the Way". [14] It became her most successful single on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay [2] chart, peaking at number 4, maintaining a chart position for 16 weeks weeks. On the Dance Club Songs chart, it was her third consecutive top-twenty hit, reaching number 19. [15]
In fall 2008, Robbins Entertainment released her single "All Out Of Love" [16] [17] which was played by both Hot AC and Soft AC radio stations across the country. With a review feature from Chuck Taylor at Billboard Magazine on May 17, 2008, [18] the single found its way across a wide variety of stations in the U.S., including WKTU in New York City and KBIG Los Angeles, as well as making its way to the R&R Top 40 Indicator charts.
The founder of Monster Cable, Noel Lee, agreed to use Drey's dance hit "Why Should I Believe You" to film the first music video ever in WMV HD (720p) with 7.1 digital audio. It was filmed at Microsoft Studios in Washington, and the content was used in a nationwide, big chain store calibration video called "Monster / ISF HDTV Calibration Wizard DVD", [19] which was also narrated by Drey. [20]
In 2008, Drey performed in Beatstock [21] at Jones Beach in NY and the PCN Bank Arts Center with artists such as Basshunter, The Pussycat Dolls, Chris Willis, September, and more.
In 2011, Drey released "Can't Let Go" which received airplay on reporting dance leaning stations such as C89.5 Seattle, Music Choice, WNRG 107.9 and more which made top 100 most played Dance songs of the Year. In the summer 2012, she released "Summer Night in Seattle" [22] which became a long-standing summer theme song for the nation's longest running Billboard reporting Dance Station in the U.S., Seattle C89.5. She even beat out Jessie J when hosting the C89.5 Seattle "The Morning Showdown." [23]
Drey has had songs appear in TV and film, licensed for such shows as America's Next Top Model , the new DVD re-pressings for shows Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place , and a feature song, "Let's Go Ride It", in the motion picture Bachelor Party Vegas. [24] Her original song "Don't Wanna Cry Anymore" was a feature song in the motion picture '‘The Big Gay Musical’'. [25]
Jenna Drey has been the headliner performer in club venues and a particular favorite of Gay Pride events. Drey has been the headliner at some of the biggest Pride events in the U.S., including the Seattle [26] Washington, D.C. [27] Chicago, [28] [29] Providence, Houston, [30] Ft. Lauderdale, Phoenix, 2010 Flagstaff, [31] and Minneapolis.
Year | Title | Chart | Peak position | Weeks on hart |
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2005 | Killin' Me (Where Did I Go Wrong) | Dance/Mix Show Airplay | 11 [32] | 11 [33] [34] |
2005 | Killin' Me (Where Did I Go Wrong) | Dance Club Songs | 6 [35] | 15 [36] |
2006 | Why Should I Believe You | Dance/Mix Show Airplay | 24 | 1 [37] |
2006 | Why Should I Believe You | Dance Club Songs | 10 [38] | 14 [39] |
2007 | By The Way | Dance/Mix Show Airplay | 4 | 16 |
2007 | By The Way | Dance Club Songs | 19 [40] | 14 [41] |
"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a song composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. The lyrics were written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance in late 1971. Denied writing credit by Fox and Gimbel, Lieberman released her version of the song in 1972, but it did not chart. The song has been covered by many other artists.
Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by Billboard magazine.
From October 26, 1974 until August 28, 1976, Billboard's Disco Action section published weekly single retail sales charts from various local regions along with Top Audience Response Records in their magazine. Billboard debuted its first national chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales in their issue dated March 16, 1985. This record type is most commonly used in disco and dance music genres where DJs use them to play in discos or dance clubs because of the exclusive extended remixes that are often only made available on this format, but Billboard's 12-inch Single Sales chart ranks releases by artists from all styles of music that release maxi-singles.
"I Still Believe" is a song written and composed by Antonina Armato and Giuseppe Cantarelli, and originally recorded by pop singer Brenda K. Starr for her eponymous second studio album, Brenda K. Starr (1987). It is a ballad in which the singer is confident she and her former boyfriend will be together again one day. It is Starr's biggest hit in the United States, reaching the top-twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 and being considered her signature song. "I Still Believe" was covered by American singer Mariah Carey, a former backup singer for Starr before she achieved success, for her #1's album in 1998 and released as a single in 1999. It was also recorded by Cantopop singer Sandy Lam in 1989.
"Walking in Memphis" is a song written and originally recorded by American singer-songwriter Marc Cohn, for whom it remains his signature song. It received a Song of the Year nomination at the 34th Annual Grammy Awards in 1992, the same year that the 32-year-old Cohn won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
The Rhythmic chart is an airplay chart published weekly by Billboard magazine.
"Teenage Dream" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her third studio album of the same name on July 23, 2010. This song was written by Perry, Bonnie McKee, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Benny Blanco. McKee describes "Teenage Dream" as a throwback song to the euphoric feelings of being in love as a teenager while Perry described the song as reminiscent of her youth. Musically, "Teenage Dream" is a mid-tempo pop song with a retro sound. It is styled in the genres of power pop and electropop, while taking influence from other genres such as disco and pop rock. Perry starts the song in a high-pitched voice while her vocals grow stronger as the song progresses. Lyrically, "Teenage Dream" discusses being with a lover who makes one feel young again.
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"Como Antes" is a single by Puerto Rican singer and songwriter Yandel from his fourth studio album Update. The track features Yandel's longtime duo companion Wisin, being their first song in five years. It was digitally released on September 8, 2017 under Sony Music Latin as the record's third single. A music video directed by Jessy Terrero premiered on September 7, 2017. The song was written by Yandel, Wisin, with producers Tainy, and Jumbo.
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"Dance to This" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan, featuring American singer Ariana Grande. Written by Sivan, Leland, Noonie Bao and its producer Oscar Holter, the song was released by EMI Music Australia on 13 June 2018 as the fourth single from Sivan's second studio album, Bloom (2018).
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"Nightmare" is a song by American singer Halsey. It was released as a single on May 17, 2019 and was sent to top 40 radio on May 21, 2019 through Capitol Records. The song was written by Halsey along with its producers Benny Blanco, Cashmere Cat, and Happy Perez. The music video, directed by Hannah Lux Davis, accompanied its release the same day. The song was added as a bonus track on the extended version of Halsey's fourth studio album If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power.
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