Confessions is the fourth studio album by American singer Usher. It was released on March 23, 2004, by Arista Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2004, with its production handled by his longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri, along with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Lil Jon, among others. Primarily an R&B album, Confessions showcases Usher as a crooner through a mixture of ballads and up-tempos, incorporating musical genres of dance-pop, hip hop and crunk. The album's themes generated controversy about Usher's personal relationships; however, the album's primary producer Jermaine Dupri claimed the album reflects Dupri's own personal story.
Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development deal with Warner Bros. Records, she was asked by veteran producer Quincy Jones to appear on his album Q's Jook Joint (1995), earning her Grammy Award nominations for their collaboration on "You Put a Move on My Heart" and "Slow Jams". Her self-titled debut album was released in 1998 and followed by a series of successful albums with Elektra Records, including A Nu Day (2000) and More (2004). Several songs from these albums became hit singles on the pop and R&B record charts, including "So Into You", "Stranger in My House", and "Imagination", as well as her collaborations "Into You", "Missing You", and "Spend My Life with You".
Deborah Cox is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in Toronto, she began performing on television commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows in her teenage years before becoming a professional backing vocalist for Celine Dion. In 1994, Cox relocated to the United States and was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis, releasing her self-titled debut album the following year. Her second studio album, One Wish (1998), was certified platinum in the United States. It was marked by the commercial success of the pop crossover single "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here", which would become her most successful entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number two and remaining there for eight consecutive weeks. Cox signed with J Records for her third studio album The Morning After (2002), which saw moderate commercial success.
Free Yourself is the debut studio album by American singer Fantasia, released by on November 23, 2004. After winning American Idol, Fantasia signed to J Records with 19 Entertainment and began recording her debut album, working with a variety of writers and producers, including Louis Biancaniello, Craig Brockman, Bryan-Michael Cox, Clive Davis, Jermaine Dupri, Missy Elliott, Sean Garrett, Jazze Pha, Darkchild, Harold Lilly, Ric Rude, Soulshock & Karlin, The Underdogs, Sam Watters and Nigel Wright.
Whitney: The Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by American singer Whitney Houston. It was released on May 5, 2000, by Arista Records. Anticipation over a greatest hits album from Houston arose as far as 1995, when Billboard first announced the album's release. However, it was continuously postponed as Houston focused on film projects, before deciding to record several new tracks for the belated collection in 1998. The effort was quickly expanded into her fourth studio album My Love Is Your Love, released in November 1998 to widespread success, which effectively postponed Whitney: The Greatest Hits again.
Chris Brown is the debut studio album by American singer Chris Brown, released on November 29, 2005, through Jive Records. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Scott Storch, Cool & Dre, Oak Felder, Bryan-Michael Cox and The Underdogs among others. The album also features guest appearances by Juelz Santana, Lil Wayne, Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupri.
"Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" is a song by Canadian recording artist Deborah Cox, released as the lead single from her second studio album, One Wish (1998). Written by Montell Jordan and its producer, Anthony "Shep" Crawford, the song was released on the same day as the album, on September 15, 1998, by Arista Records. It is Cox's most successful song, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and spending a then-record 14 weeks at number one on the Hot R&B Singles & Tracks chart. In 2017, Billboard ranked the song at number five on its "Greatest of All Time Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" chart.
A Rose Is Still a Rose is the thirty-fourth studio album by American recording artist Aretha Franklin. It was released on March 24, 1998, by Arista Records. Conceived after a longer hiatus and a complete departure from her previous studio album What You See Is What You Sweat (1991), the album includes influences of 1990s hip hop as well as modern-day contemporary R&B and soul music. Throughout the project, Franklin worked with many famed hip hop producers and rappers, such as Lauryn Hill, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Jermaine Dupri, and Daryl Simmons. With the latter acts producing most of the album, A Rose Is Still a Rose deviated from the adult contemporary sound of Franklin's older work.
Ciara: The Evolution is the second studio album by American singer Ciara, released on December 5, 2006, by LaFace Records. The album is separated into five sections, with each showcasing a different side of Ciara's artistry. The first features crunk&B and uptempo records, which mainly deal with feminine independence, while its successor, entitled The Evolution of Music features ballads dealing with the positives and struggles of love. The Evolution of Dance features dance tracks, The Evolution of Fashion deals with self-expression, while the last, entitled The Evolution of C, features tracks that discuss how Ciara has evolved as a person since the start of her career.
Destination Moon is the fourth album by Canadian R&B singer Deborah Cox. It was released by Decca Records on June 4, 2007 in the United States. A tribute album to jazz singer Dinah Washington, Cox noted it "a concept album that I've had in mind for years". Many of Washington's songs are reinterpreted on the album including the title track "Destination Moon". Most of the album was recorded live with a forty-piece orchestra and was produced and arranged by Rob Mounsey. The week after its release, Destination Moon peaked at number three on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums.
One Wish is the second album by Canadian singer-songwriter Deborah Cox. It was released by Arista Records on September 15, 1998, in the United States. As with her self-titled debut album, One Wish was once again executive-produced by Clive Davis, but features more uptempo, contemporary R&B, and a slew of new producers and personnel, including Montell Jordan, Anthony "Shep" Crawford, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, DJ Quik, Stevie J and David Foster. It also contains dance and club music. Diane Warren, Daryl Simmons and Lascelles Stephens also returned with contributions to the album.
Deborah Cox is the self-titled debut album by Canadian singer Deborah Cox. It was released by Arista Records on September 12, 1995, in the United States by Arista Records and was executive produced by Clive Davis. Musically, Deborah Cox is a blend of dance-pop, hip hop soul and R&B and features productions from producers such as Tim & Bob, Babyface, Daryl Simmons and Dallas Austin. A commercial and critical success, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for sales of over 500,000 units, and earned Cox a Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording at the 1996 Juno Awards.
"Stranger in My House" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Tamia. It was written by Shae Jones and frequent collaborator Shep Crawford and produced by the latter. Initially helmed for fellow R&B singer Toni Braxton, it was left unused and later recorded by Tamia for her second studio album, A Nu Day (2000). Inspired by the surprise ending of the supernatural thriller film The Sixth Sense (1999), the strings-led, dramatic R&B ballad is about a woman who is confused with her partner's recent change in behavior and goes into denial about it.
Canadian singer and songwriter Deborah Cox has released ten albums, and more than three dozen singles. She began her career in 1994 as a protégé of music executive Clive Davis, who signed her with Arista Records. Her self-titled debut album, a blend of R&B, soul and hip hop soul, was released in September 1995 and peaked at number 25 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. A steady seller, it was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 units, and earned Cox a Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording at the 1996 Juno Awards. Lead single "Sentimental" became a top thirty success on the US Billboard Hot 100, while second single "Who Do U Love" fared even better on the charts, peaking at number 17 on the Hot 100, while becoming her first number-one hit on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs.
Still Standing is the sixth studio album by American R&B singer Monica. It was released on March 19, 2010, by J Records. Recording for the album began in 2007, in which the singer intended to take a more traditional approach to the genre and take away any "gimmicks". As executive producer of the album, Monica enlisted a variety of producers including involvement by Missy Elliott, Bryan-Michael Cox, Stargate, The Runners and Jermaine Dupri. Production on Still Standing was chronicled by Monica's BET reality series of the same name which aired between October 2009 and January 2010.
"Sentimental" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Deborah Cox. It was written by Cox, Colin Wolfe, and Dallas Austin for her self-titled debut studio album (1995), while production was helmed by Austin. Released as the album's lead single by Arista Records, it became a top-40 success in Canada and the United Kingdom while peaking at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.
The Promise is the fifth studio album by Canadian R&B singer Deborah Cox. It was released on November 11, 2008, worldwide and marked her debut with Image Entertainment and Deco Recording Group. While her 2007 album Destination Moon was a jazz tribute, this one marks her return to R&B music six years after The Morning After (2002). The album received a generally good critical reception.
"Who Do U Love" is a song performed by Canadian singer Deborah Cox. It was written and produced by Larry "Rock" Campbell and Vassal Benford for her self-titled debut studio album (1995). Arista Records issued the song as the second album's single in January 1996. "Who Do U Love" peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was Cox's first number-one hit on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart. Internationally, the single reached number two in New Zealand, number 11 in Australia, number 15 in Canada, and number 31 in the United Kingdom. The song is certified platinum in New Zealand and gold in Australia.
"Mr. Lonely" is a song by Canadian singer Deborah Cox. It was written by Ahmad Russell, Christopher Jennings, Eric Johnson, Eric Jones, Takia Jennings, and Terry Johnson for her third studio album The Morning After (2002), with production helmed by Jennings and Johnson along with William Lockwood. The song, along with several remix versions, was released as the album's second single in fall 2002 and reached number one the US Billboard Dance Club Songs.
"Up & Down " is a song by Canadian singer Deborah Cox. It was written by Cox, Alex Richbourg, James Wright, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis for her third studio album The Morning After (2002), with production helmed by Jam, Lewis, Wright and Godson. The song, along with a slightly remixed version featuring additional vocals from rapper Jadakiss, was released as the album's lead single in 2002, reaching number 23 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.
