Joelle James

Last updated

Joelle James
Born
Murrieta, California, United States [1] [2]
Other namesVanilla
Alma mater Berklee College of Music [3]
Musical career
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter-Producer
Labels
[5]

Joelle James is an American songwriter and singer. She is best known for writing the lyric melody of Ella Mai's 2018 single "Boo'd Up", which was nominated for Song of the Year, won Best R&B Song at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, and is the longest charting number one R&B/Hip-Hop record for a female artist on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts since its inception in 1992. [6] [7] [8] A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, James was discovered by Chris Brown in 2012. [4] Brown subsequently signed her to a label deal with CBE and Interscope Records. [9] James has also written songs for Tamar Braxton, Saweetie, Coi Leray, and Justine Skye among others. [4]

Contents

Songwriting and Production credits

Credits are courtesy of Discogs, Tidal, Apple Music, and AllMusic.

TitleYearArtistAlbum
"All the Way Home"2013 Tamar Braxton Love and War
"Bandit"2015 Justine Skye Emotionally Unavailable
"Don't Worry"
"I'm Yours" (Featuring Vic Mensa)
"Love O’Clock" (Featuring Phaedra)2016 Chocolate Droppa Kevin Hart: What Now? (The Mixtape Presents Chocolate Droppa)
"Boo'd Up" [3] 2017 Ella Mai Ready (EP) & Ella Mai
"Cliché" (Featuring Ari Lennox & Westside Boogie)2019 Wale Wow... That's Crazy
"Gold"2020 JoJo Good to Know
"Next Episode"Angelica VilaDeception SZN 1
"Don't Say Nothin"2022 Saweetie The Single Life
"Handle My Truth"

Guest appearances

List of guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
TitleYearOther performer(s)Album
"Leave The Club"2011 Chris Brown Boy In Detention (Mixtape)
"4 Seconds"2015 Chris Brown Before the Party
"Scream"2016 Chris Brown Kevin Hart: What Now? (The Mixtape Presents Chocolate Droppa)
"Good Person"2017 Bone Thugs-n-Harmony New Waves
"Messy"2020 Coi Leray Now Or Never EP

Film/TV Sync Placements

TitleYearPerformer(s)Album/Film
"Love O'Clock" (Written by Joelle James)2016Phaedra The Perfect Match
"Scream" (Written by Joelle James)Joelle James & Chris Brown Kevin Hart: What Now? (The Mixtape Presents Chocolate Droppa)
"No Place I'd Rather Be"2017Joelle James Heartbeats
'Beside You" (Written by Joelle James)2018Joelle James Traffik
"Ready But Not Ready" (Written by Joelle James)
"Dare You To Love Me" (Written by Joelle James)
"Bad For Me" (Written by Joelle James)
"Bleeding Machines"
"One Day At A Time" (Written by Joelle James)
"Love O'Clock" (Written by Joelle James)
"Heart Of A Woman" (Written by Joelle James)
"Make A Little Room" (Written by Joelle James)2020Joelle James 2 Minutes of Fame

Awards and nominations

YearCeremonyAwardResultRef
2018 Soul Train Awards The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter's Award ( Boo'd Up )Won [10]
2019 61st Annual Grammy Awards Grammy Award for Best R&B Song ( Boo'd Up )Won [11]
Grammy Award for Song of the Year ( Boo'd Up )Nominated [11]
ASCAP Pop Music Awards Most Performed Pop Songs ( Boo'd Up )Won [12]
2020 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards Winning R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Boo'd Up )Won [13]
2022 ASCAP Women Behind The Music Award Won [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alicia Keys</span> American singer (born 1981)

Alicia Augello Cook, known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs when she was the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at the age of 15. After disputes with the label, she signed with J Records to release her debut studio album, Songs in A Minor (2001). Met with critical acclaim and commercial success, the album sold over 12 million copies worldwide and won five awards at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. It contained the Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Fallin'." Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003) was met with continued success, selling eight million units worldwide and spawning the singles "You Don't Know My Name", "If I Ain't Got You", and "Diary". Its release earned an additional four Grammy Awards.

<i>The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill</i> 1998 studio album by Lauryn Hill

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is the only solo studio album by American singer and rapper Lauryn Hill. It was released on August 25, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is a neo soul and R&B album with some songs based in hip hop soul and reggae. Its lyrics touch upon Hill's pregnancy and the turmoil within her former group the Fugees, along with themes of love and God. The album's title was inspired by the film and autobiographical novel The Education of Sonny Carson, and Carter G. Woodson's The Mis-Education of the Negro.

R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. It was also used in sister publication R&R, which listed the chart as Urban National Airplay. The chart is not the R&B/hip-hop subset of the Hot 100 Airplay chart, but rather uses a separate panel of R&B stations in urban and urban adult contemporary markets. It was the primary airplay component chart of the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart until the issue dated October 20, 2012, when Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs was revamped to include digital sales, streaming, and airplay from all radio formats. The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart encompasses two separate airplay charts, both of which are based on radio spins rather than audience impressions: Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop and Adult R&B Airplay, which measure airplay on urban contemporary and urban adult contemporary stations respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muni Long</span> American singer

Priscilla Renea Hamilton, known professionally as Muni Long, is an American singer and songwriter from Gifford, Florida. Under her birth name, she signed with Capitol Records to release her debut studio album Jukebox (2009), which was met with positive critical reception despite failing to chart. She then spent the following decade co-writing songs for other artists, including the hit singles "Promise This" for Cheryl, "California King Bed" for Rihanna, "Worth It" for Fifth Harmony, "Love So Soft" for Kelly Clarkson, "Imagine" for Ariana Grande, "Who Says" for Selena Gomez & the Scene, and the global hit "Timber" for Pitbull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jazmine Sullivan discography</span>

American singer and songwriter Jazmine Sullivan has released four studio albums and 15 singles. Sullivan signed a record deal with J Records in 2008, and released her debut album Fearless in 2008. The album was immediately certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America while debuting at number one. Fearless has spent 12 weeks atop the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums since its US release. The album's first single, "Need U Bad", also reached number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her first number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The second single, "Bust Your Windows", was released in September 2008 and reached the charts in the US and the UK. It also became her second top forty in the US. "Lions, Tigers & Bears" was released as the third single off the album in late 2008 and became her third top ten in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the US. In 2009, it was confirmed Jazmine would open for American singer Ne-Yo's tour. In February that same year, she released the fourth and final single, "Dream Big".

Mark Pitts is an American record producer, manager, and President of RCA Records and CEO of ByStorm Entertainment. He has managed a number of artists and produced musical tracks for performers including Notorious B.I.G, Faith Evans, Miguel, J. Cole, Jawan Harris, Kardinal Offishall, Ciara, Chris Brown, Usher, TLC, Anthony Hamilton, CeeLo Green and Ro James. Pitts executive produced the Netflix film, Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell, co-produced Notorious (2009), and Blue (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ella Mai</span> British R&B singer (born 1994)

Ella Mai Howell is a British R&B singer. Her musical career began at London's British and Irish Modern Music Institute in 2014, during which time she auditioned as part of a trio on the 11th season of The X Factor. In 2015, she released her debut four-track solo extended play (EP), Troubled in October of that year. The EP and her performances on social media were discovered by American record producer DJ Mustard, who then signed Mai to his record label 10 Summers Records, an imprint of Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahalia (singer)</span> British singer, songwriter and actress

Mahalia Burkmar, known mononymously as Mahalia, is a British singer, songwriter and actress. Mahalia has released several EPs and three albums, Diary of Me (2016), Love and Compromise (2019) and IRL (2023). She also acted in the film Brotherhood (2016). She had her breakthrough in 2017 with her performance of "Sober" for the YouTube channel Colors. In 2018, she was ranked number one on YouTube's Ones to Watch list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boo'd Up</span> 2018 single by Ella Mai

"Boo'd Up" is the debut commercial single by English singer Ella Mai from her third extended play, Ready. Serving as the lead single for the EP, the song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. It was a minor hit in her native UK, peaking at 52 whilst peaking within the top 50 in Australia and Canada. A remix featuring Nicki Minaj and Quavo peaked at number 8 in New Zealand. The song was written by Mai, Joelle James, Dijon "Mustard" McFarlane and Larrance Dopson of 1500 or Nothin', and produced by the latter two. It was nominated for Song of the Year and won Best R&B Song at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.

"Focus" is a song by American singer H.E.R. released on September 8, 2016. It was included on her self-titled album released in 2017. A remix with Chris Brown, hosted by DJ Envy, was released on May 1, 2018, with Brown and H.E.R. exchanging verses.

"Ring" is a song recorded by American rapper Cardi B for her debut studio album Invasion of Privacy (2018). It featuring vocals from American singer Kehlani. It was written by the two said artists, Desmond Dennis, Jordan Thorpe, DeMario Bridges and Nija Charles, along with its producers Needlz and Scribz Riley. It debuted at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 the week following the album's release, marking Kehlani's highest-charting song so far. It was serviced to rhythmic and urban contemporary radio on August 28, 2018, as the album's fifth and final single.

<i>Ready</i> (Ella Mai EP) 2017 EP by Ella Mai

Ready is the third EP by English singer and songwriter Ella Mai. The extended play is the third of the trilogy leading up to her debut album. It was released by 10 Summers and produced by DJ Mustard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trip (Ella Mai song)</span> 2018 R&B song by Ella Mai

"Trip" is a song by English singer Ella Mai from her eponymous debut studio album. The song peaked at number 47 in the UK and number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The song was written by Mai, Varren Wade, Quinton, and Dijon MacFarlane. The single became her first number one on Billboard's Rhythmic chart in its 22 December 2018 issue.

<i>Ella Mai</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Ella Mai

Ella Mai is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Ella Mai, released on 12 October 2018 through 10 Summers and Interscope Records. It includes the singles "Boo'd Up" and "Trip". It is executive-produced by DJ Mustard, and features guest appearances from Chris Brown, John Legend, and H.E.R.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H.E.R. discography</span>

American R&B singer H.E.R. has released one studio album, two compilation albums, five extended plays, twenty-three singles and thirteen promotional singles.

<i>Heart on My Sleeve</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Ella Mai

Heart on My Sleeve is the second studio album by English singer and songwriter Ella Mai, released on 6 May 2022 through 10 Summers and Interscope Records. The album was executive-produced by Mustard and Meko Yohannes, and features guest appearances from Latto, Roddy Ricch, and Lucky Daye. It serves as the follow-up to Mai's 2018 self-titled debut album.

References

  1. "TODAY SINGER/SONGWRITER JOELLE JAMES JOINS #ASCAPREALSOUNDS "DECONSTRUCTED" LIVE STREAMING EVENT". Guitar Girl Magazine. May 26, 2020. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  2. Hall, John (February 15, 2007). "Murrieta 'American Idol' contestant cut from pool". The San Diego Union-Tribune . Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Lewis, Randy (February 7, 2019). "SoCal R&B songwriter Joelle James is 'Boo'd Up' for her song's two big Grammy nominations". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "Joelle James". Roc Nation. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  5. Kawashima, Dale (July 6, 2018). "Joelle James Interview - Co-Writing The Hit "Boo'd Up"". www.songwriteruniverse.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  6. Anderson, Trevor (June 21, 2018). "Ella Mai's 'Boo'd Up' Hits No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  7. Anderson, Trevor (September 27, 2018). "Ella Mai's 'Boo'd Up' Ties For Most Weeks at No. 1 by a Woman On R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  8. Gore, Sydney (May 23, 2018). "How Joelle James wrote "Boo'd Up," the surprise hit of the summer". The Fader. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  9. Kimpel, Dan (September 21, 2018). "Songwriter Profile: Joelle James - Conjuring Classic Soul with "Boo'd Up"". Music Connection. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  10. Blakemore, Peyton. "Bruno Mars, Ella Mai and Daniel Caesar Win Big At 2018 Soul Train Awards". Fox Sports Radio. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Joelle James". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  12. "2019 ASCAP Pop Music Awards". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. May 16, 2016. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  13. "2020 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. July 15, 2020. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  14. "Grammy Award-Winning Artist and Songwriter Joelle James, Femme It Forward CEO/Founder Heather Lowery and Entertainment Attorney Carron Joan Mitchell, Esq. to Be Honored at ASCAP Women Behind the Music 2022". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. October 24, 2022. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.