Keo Nozari | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Genres | Pop, electronic dance, pop rock |
| Occupation(s) | musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, DJ, actor, writer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, keyboards |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | KeSide Music, Armada Music, Centaur Music |
| Website | thekeo |
Keo Nozari is an American pop singer-songwriter, music producer, DJ, [1] screen actor, [2] and writer. [3]
Years of live performances in the early 2000s—including solo shows in New York City at former CBGBs and the Virgin Megastore [4] —culminated in Nozari releasing his debut album Late Nite VIP on October 18, 2005. [5] The album of his original material received both critical acclaim and commercial success. Billboard Magazine (in a review for the December 10, 2005 issue, pages 49–50) compared Nozari's singing style to "a young George Michael", [6] and cited Late Nite VIP's "electro-funk-fueled pop sound" as being on par with the work of writer-producer Stuart Price (Madonna's Confessions on a Dancefloor) and Janet Jackson's longtime collaborators, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis [6] from his hometown of Minneapolis. [6] Keo co-produced the album with Ellis Miah, whose production credits include Miley Cyrus [7] with some of the original tracks mixed by Jody den Broeder.
The first single off Late Nite VIP, "Close Enough" was licensed to Armin Van Buuren's Armada Music / Coldharbour Recordings. [8]
Second single "Question of Monogamy" featured a racy video—which included the openly gay [1] Nozari in a steamy shower with two other men—causing a controversy at MTV's LOGO channel. [4] But it went on to be a Number One video on the channel and named the network's "Ultimate Sexiest Video." [4]
The third single was a big commercial and chart success for Nozari. "Rewind" landed on the Billboard Dance Club Play Chart, hitting the Top 20 in October 2008, [4] peaking at Number 18 (Billboard Magazine issue Vol. 120, Issue 40 on October 4, 2008). [9] The song featured remixes by Jody den Broeder, The Wideboys and Nozari himself. [10]
As a DJ, Nozari became well-established in New York City. Known for his upbeat pop-dance style, his many residencies included Fire Island Pines, Splash, Club 57 and Rockit [1] and he's DJ'd many private parties for celebrities like Vanessa Williams. [1]
In 2010, Nozari announced work on the final stages of a brand new album Love Boutique which he documented on his namesake YouTube channel. [11] The album was released on March 15, 2011 [12] and received positive reviews. [13]
In 2012, Nozari released the holiday single “Christmas Came Early” accompanied by a campy music video where he sang naked in a bathtub filled with Christmas bulbs. [14] The song was covered in 2016 by Broadway star Daniel Reichard (who originated the role of songwriter Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys on Broadway) in his holiday show at New York City jazz club Birdland. [15]
Nozari also composed for television. In 2013, he wrote and produced an ABC Nightline Primetime Theme song with then music partner Ellis Miah. [16]
After focusing on DJing, Nozari returned in 2019 with his 3rd studio album Headspace. [17] [18] Called a “digital experience”, Nozari described the project: “Most pop songs talk about our relationships with others. But I wanted to dive into the relationship I have with myself… I wanted to create a point of optimism, a point of empowerment with this music for myself and for others in these very dark times. As a gay man and son of an Iranian immigrant, it’s been challenging enough for me to stay in a positive place in the current climate, and I know for many people it’s far, far worse... So, I sort of think of Headspace as a series of sign posts, that can hopefully help point the way to a better place inside us all.” [19]
Billboard.com praised Nozari for “exploring inspiring messages with the LGBTQ community in mind” and cited single “Belong” as “a dreamy slice of positivity.” [20] In July 2020, single “Wildside” hit the Top 100 in the UK on Apple/ iTunes charts on the Alternative Song Chart, peaking at #63. [21] This was also the first album Nozari served as sole producer, writer, singer and mixer. [19] The album was mastered by multi-Grammy winner Randy Merrill [19] [22] best known for his work with international pop artists including Harry Styles, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. [23] Nozari also directed and starred in three music videos for the project “Wildside”, [24] “Lines” [25] and “Belong”. [26]
Fingerprints, Nozari’s fourth studio album, was released on July 22, 2022. [27] Nozari described the album’s inspiration: “A fingerprint is something left behind; something present now, remaining from the past; and also something unique to you.” [28] For him this meant exploring the impressions people had left on him; music from the past that inspired him (“showing my love of 70s disco & funk, 80s synth pop, and 90s R&B") [27] and his intention to leave listeners with a lasting musical impression on them. “And hopefully through listening to this album — something I created unique to me — I’ll, in turn, leave something behind that will touch and inspire. My fingerprint on you.” [27]
Contributors on the Fingerprints album included musicians from the show Hamilton on Broadway; Peppermint (of Rupaul’s Drag Race ) on the song “Treat Yourself”; and performer Mila Jam on “Summer Sex Magic.” [27] A music video directed by Nozari for “Summer Sex Magic” [29] received praise in an editorial by World of Wonder in their WOW Report first describing the song as “a little disco confection… perfect for enjoying a taste of summer, a taste of sex, or a taste of magic (preferably all three)” and noted the video’s many 1970s disco Easter eggs and references including Sonny & Cher, Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer's “No More Tears (Enough is Enough)” single cover, Farrah Fawcett’s iconic swimsuit poster, Burt Reynolds’ Cosmopolitan magazine centerfold, The Bee Gees, Sister Sledge, ABBA, and “a slew of other iconic queer moments and performers from the period.” [30]
Nozari parlayed his experience as a performer in his music videos and as a professional DJ into roles in TV and film. In addition to cameos in Broad City, Comedy Central's All-Star Non-Denominational Christmas Special, White Collar, and the 2015 Tina Fey / Amy Poehler movie Sisters, [2] he also starred in an episode of the CBS show The Good Wife as Christine Baranski's client "Mike Taylor." [2] [31] Additionally, he had a small part in the 2010 movie Sex and the City 2 . [1]
A frequent contributor to many magazines and publications, Nozari served as Editor-at-Large and then as Music Editor for New York City's NEXT Magazine, writing a weekly popular music column. [32] He currently contributes to The Huffington Post . [3]
Bananarama are a British pop group formed in London in 1980. The group, originally a trio, consisted of friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. Their success on both pop and dance charts saw them listed in the Guinness World Records for achieving the world's highest number of chart entries by an all-female group. Between 1982 and 2009, they had 32 singles reach the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart.
All American is the third solo album released in 2015 by Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter. The album was released on November 25, 2015, on his own record label, Kaotic, Inc. This is his first solo album since I'm Taking Off, which was released four years earlier.
"Could It Be Magic" is a song written by Adrienne Anderson and composed by American singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, inspired by Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C minor, Opus 28, Number 20.
Manic Drive is a Canadian Christian rock band, formed in 2004 by the brothers Michael and Shawn Cavallo. After receiving interest from a record label, they released Reason for Motion in May 2005. The band has released albums including Reset and Rewind (2007), Blue (2009), Epic (2011), VIP (2014), Into the Wild (2017) and Vol. 1 (2020).
"Girls in Their Summer Clothes" is a song by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, from his album Magic.
"Go Girl" is a song co-written and performed by American R&B singer Ciara. The song was released as the lead single, for her third studio album Fantasy Ride, however it was only included on the Japan version of the album. The track is a female empowerment anthem that preaches control, featuring semi-auto-tune vocals and a mid-tempo beat.
Jahmila Adderley, known professionally as Mila Jam, is an American transgender singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and LGBTQ activist.
Ellis Miah is an American songwriter, record producer, composer, vocalist and DJ of Bangladeshi and Caribbean descent. He has had over 17 records on various Billboard charts including the Billboard 200, Electronic Album, Club Play and Maxi Singles as part of the production teams the Orange Factory and Beat Hustlerz. As a songwriter, producer and remixer he has worked with artists including Miley Cyrus, Backstreet Boys, Annie Lennox, RuPaul, Big Freedia, Siedah Garrett, Todrick Hall, and Loleatta Holloway.
"Day 'n' Nite" is the debut single by American rapper Kid Cudi. The song was written and produced by Cudi alongside his longtime collaborator and friend, Brooklyn-based producer Dot da Genius. It was issued as Cudi's commercial debut single on February 5, 2008, but had initially been released on Cudi's MySpace page and later featured on several music blogs in November 2007.
The Summer Set is an American pop rock band from Scottsdale, Arizona. The band consists of lead vocalist Brian Logan Dales, guitarist John Gomez, bass guitarist Stephen Gomez, and drummer Jess Bowen. The Summer Set was signed to The Militia Group in 2008, Razor & Tie from 2009 to 2011, and to Fearless Records from 2012 to 2017. The Summer Set released four full-length studio albums: Love Like This (2009), Everything's Fine (2011), Legendary (2013), and Stories for Monday (2016). The band toured with numerous musical acts, including the Cab, We Are the In Crowd, Mayday Parade, Sleeping with Sirens, All Time Low, the Downtown Fiction, and Action Item. The band was on hiatus from October 2017 to August 2021.
"Love Sex Magic" is a song by American singer Ciara from her third studio album, Fantasy Ride (2009). Featuring fellow American recording artist Justin Timberlake, the song was written by Timberlake and his production team The Y's and Mike Elizondo. The Y's and Elizondo also produced the track. The song was released as the lead single from Fantasy Ride internationally and was the second single from the album released in the United States, on March 3, 2009.
Love Boutique is the second studio album by Billboard Top 20 charting American recording artist, DJ and producer Keo Nozari, released on March 15, 2011. The album was recorded between 2008 and 2011 both by Nozari himself and with Nozari's longtime collaborator Ellis Miah which Nozari documented on his namesake YouTube channel.
Late Nite VIP is the debut studio album by Billboard Top 20 charting American recording artist, DJ and producer Keo Nozari.
Pentatonix are an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, consisting of vocalists Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Matt Sallee, and Kevin Olusola. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements with vocal harmonies, scat singing, riffing, vocal percussion, and beatboxing, they produce cover versions of modern pop works or Christmas songs, sometimes in the form of medleys, along with original material. Pentatonix was formed in 2011 and subsequently won the third season of NBC's The Sing-Off, receiving $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony Music. When Sony's Epic Records dropped the group after The Sing-Off, the group formed its YouTube channel, distributing its music through Madison Gate Records, a label owned by Sony Pictures.
Skitszo is the debut studio album by American singer-rapper Colette Carr, which was released as a whole on July 9, 2013 through Interscope. The album consists of four digital EPs, each featuring four songs, released two months apart. The full album includes all the songs from the EPs, plus four new ones.
Magic! is a Canadian reggae fusion band from Toronto. Based in Los Angeles, the band comprises lead vocalist, guitarist/producer Nasri Atweh, guitarist/keyboardist Mark "Pelli" Pellizzer, and bassist Ben Spivak. Active since 2012, the band is signed with Latium, Sony, and RCA Records, releasing their debut studio album Don't Kill the Magic in 2014, their second studio album Primary Colours in 2016, and their third studio album Expectations in 2018. They are best known for their hit single "Rude", which charted at No. 1 in several countries worldwide, including the US and UK.
Stephen Samuel Wrabel (born January 7, 1989), known mononymously as Wrabel, is an American singer, songwriter and musician based in Los Angeles.
Rauno Roosnurm, known professionally as Mord Fustang, is an Estonian DJ and music producer. He is regarded as a pioneer in the complextro genre.
I Dont Know How But They Found Me, often shortened to IDKHow, is an American indie pop solo project based in Salt Lake City, Utah, fronted by singer-songwriter Dallon Weekes. It was originally formed as a duo in 2016 consisting of Weekes and drummer Ryan Seaman, former members of The Brobecks, until the latter's departure in 2023.
This Christmas: Winter Is Coming is the first winter extended play and the third overall by South Korean singer Taeyeon. The extended play is marketed as a special Christmas album release. It was released by SM Entertainment on December 12, 2017.
{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)