Monica Denise Arnold is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, she began performing as a child and joined a traveling gospel choir by the age of ten. Monica signed with record producer Dallas Austin through his label Rowdy Records in 1993, and gained prominence following the release of her debut studio album, Miss Thang (1995). Her follow up releases were met with further commercial success; her second, The Boy Is Mine (1998) remains her best-selling album and spawned three Billboard Hot 100-number one singles: "The Boy Is Mine", "The First Night" and "Angel of Mine".
En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hold On", taken from their 1990 debut album Born to Sing. The group's 1992 follow-up album Funky Divas reached the top 10 in both the US and UK, and included their second US number two hit "My Lovin' " as well as the US top 10 hits "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" and "Free Your Mind".
Jon Peter Lewis is an American singer and songwriter, and was one of the finalists on the third season of the reality/talent-search television series American Idol. He was frequently referred to by the judges and Ryan Seacrest as JPL.
Breakaway is the second studio album by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson, released on November 30, 2004, by RCA Records. The album is the follow-up to her successful debut album, Thankful (2003). Breakaway sees Clarkson collaborating with various producers and songwriters for the first time, primarily Dr. Luke, Max Martin, John Shanks, Kara DioGuardi, Ben Moody, and David Hodges; the latter two are former members of American rock band Evanescence. Despite the established commercial success of Thankful, music critics still continued to typecast Clarkson as an American Idol winner and were also critical of her attempts of establishing a commercial appeal on her own. Wanting to stray from those, she was convinced by Davis to work with Dr. Luke and Martin in Stockholm, and with Moody and Hodges in Los Angeles, in pursuit of a pop rock direction. This also led her to part ways with her manager Simon Fuller and hire the management services of Jeff Kwatinetz before the album's release. Breakaway is primarily a pop rock record with elements of rock and soul music, marking a departure from the R&B-oriented sound of Thankful; its lyrics explore themes of heartbreak, love, and escapism.
"Breakaway" is a power ballad song recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song, written by Matthew Gerrard, Bridget Benenate, and Avril Lavigne, was originally intended for Lavigne's debut studio album, Let Go (2002). After being deemed unsuitable for the album, it was passed to Clarkson to be recorded as a soundtrack for the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). Clarkson, who was finishing her second studio album at that time, recorded "Breakaway" to tide her fans over until the first single from her new album was released. However, the song's success prompted its inclusion on Clarkson's second album, while the record label decided to name the album after the song. "Breakaway" was first released as the first single from The Princess Diaries 2 soundtrack on July 19, 2004. In May 2006, "Breakaway" was reissued as the fifth and final single from the album of the same name.
"Low" is a song by American singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson from her debut album, Thankful (2003). The song was written by Jimmy Harry and produced by Clif Magness. It was released as the album's second official single, on August 3, 2003, while it was also released as a double A-side single with "The Trouble with Love Is" in the United Kingdom. This release reached only number 35, but "Low" was more successful in Australia and Canada, reaching numbers 11 and two, respectively, while also peaking at number 58 in the United States. The song received favorable reviews from music critics who complimented her vocals and the song's lyrics. On March 5, 2013, Billboard ranked the song at number 90 in its list of "Top 100 American Idol Hits of All Time".
"A Moment Like This" is the debut single by American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was written by Jörgen Elofsson and John Reid from British house music project Nightcrawlers and produced by Stephen Ferrera and Steve Mac. It was released as a double A-side with "Before Your Love" as her coronation single after winning the first season of American Idol. The song was later included on her debut studio album, Thankful (2003). "A Moment Like This" was a huge hit in North America, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Singles Chart.
"Say Somethin'" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was written by Carey, Snoop Dogg, Chad Hugo, and Pharrell Williams, and produced by The Neptunes as the sixth and final single from Carey's tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). The song is one of few from Carey's catalog in which she does not share production credits. "Say Somethin'" features Dogg as a guest artist, and is influenced by R&B and hip-hop music genres. Lyrically, the song is a dialogue in between and male and female, that discuss sexual themes and acts of which they plan to engage in a restroom.
"If You Had My Love" is the debut single by American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez from her first studio album, On the 6 (1999). The song was written by Lopez, LaShawn Daniels, Cory Rooney, Fred Jerkins III, and its producer Rodney Jerkins, also serving as the album's lead single. A midtempo pop and R&B song, it features Latin music and hip hop influences, with lyrics revolving around the beginning of a new relationship, during which Lopez confronts her admirer with a number of ground rules.
"Talk About Our Love" is a song recorded by American singer Brandy for her fourth studio album Afrodisiac (2004). It was written by Kanye West, who also appears as a featured artist on it, and Harold Lilly, while production was handled by the former. Due to the song's use of a sample of Mandrill's 1978 song "Gilly Hines", band members Claude Cave II, and Carlos, Louis, and Ricardo Wilson are also credited as writers. Lyrically, "Talk About Our Love" is about a relationship lacking support from family and friends.
"Work It Out" is the debut solo single by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on June 11, 2002, by Columbia Records as the lead single from the soundtrack album to the film Austin Powers in Goldmember, in which Beyoncé stars as Foxxy Cleopatra. It was later included on international editions of Beyoncé's debut studio album, Dangerously in Love (2003). Beyoncé co-wrote the song with its producers, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. "Work It Out" is an R&B song which incorporates elements of 1960s and 1970s funk and post-disco.
Paris Ana'is Bennett is an American singer who finished in fifth place on the fifth season of the reality television talent show, American Idol.
Ephraim Elliott Yamin is an American singer known for his hit single "Wait for You" and for placing third on the fifth season of American Idol.
Taylor Hicks is the eponymous major label debut album by the American Idol fifth-season winner of the same name. The album was released on December 12, 2006 in the United States by Arista Records in association with 19 Recordings Limited, nearly seven months after Hicks won the reality-talent competition in May. Hicks coined the phrase "modern whomp" to describe the album's sound—an amalgam of soul, blues, funk, and Cajun influences with a contemporary twist. The first single from the album was the ballad "Just to Feel That Way".
"Over It" is a song recorded by American singer Katharine McPhee from her eponymous debut studio album Katharine McPhee (2007). It was released as the lead single from the record on January 15, 2007, through RCA. Billy Steinberg and Josh Alexander produced "Over It", and co-wrote it with Ruth-Anne Cunningham. It is a pop breakup song with lyrics about young love.
Katharine McPhee is the debut studio album by American singer Katharine McPhee. It was released on January 30, 2007, by RCA Records in association with 19 Recordings Limited in North America. It was released on August 23, 2007 in Thailand and on February 20, 2008 in Japan. Produced after McPhee had fiished second on the fifth season of American Idol, it features contributions from musicians such as Babyface, The Underdogs, and Kara DioGuardi. McPhee also collaborated with Nate “Danja” Hills who produced half of the album's twelve songs, three of which she co-wrote.
Elliott Yamin is the debut studio album by American singer Elliott Yamin. It was released on March 20, 2007 through Hickory Records, while distribution was overseen by Sony BMG-owned RED Distribution. Yamin, an American Idol finalist, collaborated with Sony/ATV Music Publishing to write, produce, and market the record. Collaborators include Josh Abraham, Busbee, DJ Lethal, Michael Mangini, and Stargate. The album includes 11 tracks, although several bonus tracks are offered at different retailers.
Blake Colin Lewis is an American musician, singer and actor who was the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. His major label debut album A.D.D. was released on December 4, 2007, through 19 Recordings and Arista Records. On October 30, 2007, his first single "Break Anotha" was released. The album landed on number ten on the U.S. Billboard 200 as its highest peak position with 97,500 copies sold in its debut, and has sold over 350,000 copies. After the release of his second single "How Many Words", which peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs, Lewis was dropped by Arista Records. Lewis eventually signed with Tommy Boy Records.
"Wait for You" is a song by former American Idol contestant Elliott Yamin. It is the first official single from his self-titled album Elliott Yamin.
Fight for Love is the studio second album by American singer Elliott Yamin. It was first released on May 5, 2009, by the independent label Hickory Records and distributed through Sony BMG-owned RED Distribution. Yamin recorded 35 songs from which to choose the final track list and worked with various producers including Jermaine Dupri, Dave Tozer, Eman, Harvey Mason, Jr., Steve Russell and Stargate. He described Fight for Love as more contemporary R&B pop than his debut with three or four more "radio-friendly" singles. Yamin co-wrote the majority of songs for the album, including "Someday," a song about his feelings of loss following the death of his mother to which he dedicated Fight for Love.
