TaQuita Thorns | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | August 24, 1986 Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Genres | Rock, Soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | On Orbit Records |
| Website | http://www.taquitathorns.com |
TaQuita Thorns (August 24, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter and MTV star from Detroit, Michigan. [1]
TaQuita's list of influences includes Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Cher, The Temptations, James Brown, Little Richard, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson. [2]
TaQuita began to write music and perform as a child. Her first experience performing was singing at a family gathering at age two. When she wrote songs she would also pair them with illustrations. She was recognized for her talent and allowed to sing over the school public address system in kindergarten. At 10-year-old she joined the Diamonds in the Rough, a girl group. TaQuita also enjoyed athletics and got involved in sports at Denby Tech High School. She ran cross-country, and joined the cheer team, JROTC and the marching band. [3]
In high school, TaQuita earned the position of lead vocalist in the school choir, and captain of the dance team. She performed on the "All City" dance team, which represented the top dancers at each of Detroit's high schools. TaQuita graduated from high school in 2004. [4]
While studying dance and music at Wayne State University, TaQuita auditioned for Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and was selected to be on MTV's Making the Band 3 . She moved to New York City where the filming took place. MTV later decided to feature TaQuita in a separate series, The TaQuita & Kaui Show. Between filming "Making the Band" and "Taquita & Kaui", TaQuita performed as a principal singer with the Velocity group at Detroit's Greektown Casino, where she opened for acts such as Busta Rhymes, India.Irie and Howie Mandel. [5]
"The TaQuita & Kaui Show" went on air in 2007. The show focused on TaQuita and Making the Band co-star, Kaui Beamer, while they auditioned for jobs in the Vegas entertainment industry. The show was staged in a tiny apartment at the Happi Inn, and various locations around Las Vegas. The cast included Rita, the manager of the Happi Inn, and other residents. [6] [7]
After the filming of "The TaQuita & Kaui Show", Thorns pursued a solo career as a professional singer and songwriter. On February 11, 2012, TaQuita performed her first show as a solo act at the Peacock Lounge in Sunnyvale, California. On April 13, 2012, she opened for San Jose-based rapper Kung Fu Vampire at his 8th Annual Masquerade Party at the Blank Club in San Jose. [8] TaQuita also performed live in Las Vegas in September at the PURE House Music Festival and, in December 2012, she appeared as a guest presenter at the OUTMusic Awards and featured performer at its official after party. [9]
TaQuita Thorns released two singles and music videos in anticipation of her first album titled, Rough & Fancy Vol. 1. In November 2012, TaQuita released the music video "Believe (Power of Love)". [10] [11] In March 2013, TaQuita released the music video "Nobody But You". [12]
TaQuita Thorns released her debut album, Rough & Fancy Vol. 1, on May 21, 2013. [13] She debuted several songs from the album at her Los Angeles Premiere at The Mint LA on May 5, 2013, where she was backed by many of the acclaimed musicians who play on the record. [14] Ms. Thorns and her 11-piece band also performed as the special guest at DIVA’Lation, a concert series for independent female artists, held on June 13, 2013, at The Joint in West Los Angeles. [15]
Alecia Beth Moore Hart, known professionally as Pink, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She was a member of the girl group Choice. In 1995, LaFace Records saw potential in Pink and offered her a solo recording contract.
Cree Summer Francks is an American-Canadian actress and singer.
Making the Band is an ABC/MTV reality television series that exists in separate iterations, each focusing on a specific music act. It spawned musical acts O-Town, Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang. Except for the first iteration of the series featuring O-Town, all seasons of Making the Band have been overseen by Diddy, acting as the man of the house who makes the final decision on who will be in the band.
Chromeo is a Canadian electro-funk duo from Montreal, formed in 2002 by musicians David "Dave 1" Macklovitch and Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel. Their sound draws from blue-eyed soul, dance music, rock, synth-pop, disco and funk.
Linda Perry is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. She was the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, and has since founded two record labels and composed and produced hit songs for several other artists. They include: "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera; "What You Waiting For?" by Gwen Stefani; and "Get the Party Started" by Pink. Perry has also contributed to albums by Adele, Alicia Keys, and Courtney Love, as well as signing and distributing James Blunt in the United States. Perry was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.
Taquita & Kaui is an American reality television series on MTV and MTV Canada. The series premiered on April 2, 2007. The series follows Taquita Thorns and Kaui Beamer, former contestants on Making the Band 3, as they work on jump starting their new lives together as roommates in Las Vegas. The theme song is Proud Mary in the Tina Turner style and each episode has different ending introductions, à la Muppet Show, such as the K on the marquee dropping down into Kaui's hands.
The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the burlesque troupe mainstream as a pop group. Antin negotiated a record deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records in 2003 turning the group into a music franchise comprising Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton, and Kimberly Wyatt. Their debut single, "Sway", was featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 film Shall We Dance?.
Blaire Reinhard is a singer, pianist, and songwriter from Morristown, New Jersey. She is the granddaughter of trumpet player and Tonight Show bandleader Doc Severinsen. On September 7, 2012, her single "No Nothing" with Curtis & Reinhard reached #92 on the iTunes US Pop Music Chart.
Kesha Rose Sebert, formerly stylized as Ke$ha, is an American singer and songwriter. In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to Kemosabe Records. Her first major success came in early 2009 after she was featured on American rapper Flo Rida's number-one single "Right Round".
Can't Be Tamed is the third studio album by American singer Miley Cyrus. It was released on June 18, 2010, by Hollywood Records, and was her final album with the label; she signed with RCA Records in early 2013. Cyrus wrote and began recording the project in late 2009, while traveling internationally for her Wonder World Tour, and completed it in early 2010. Described by Cyrus as a "good [record] to blast in your car", Can't Be Tamed represents a musical departure from her earlier work, which she had grown to feel uninspired by. The efforts resulted in a primarily dance-pop record, which Cyrus' record label acknowledged differed from the original plans for the project. Its lyrical themes revolve largely around breaking free of constraints and expectations, which are largely mentioned in the context of romantic relationships. Most of the album was produced by Rock Mafia and John Shanks. Cyrus co-wrote eleven out of twelve songs on the album, with the only one not being written by her being a cover of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by American band Poison.
Amethyst Amelia Kelly, known professionally as Iggy Azalea, is an Australian rapper. At the age of 16, she moved from Australia to the United States in order to pursue a career in music. Azalea earned public recognition after releasing the music videos for her songs "Pussy" and "Two Times" on YouTube, both of which gained rapid popularity. Azalea shortly after released her debut mixtape, Ignorant Art (2011), and subsequently signed a recording contract with American rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle label.
"Starships" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj from her second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). It was released on February 14, 2012, by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Minaj, Nadir Khayat, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub, Bilal Hajji, and Wayne Hector, and it was produced by RedOne, Yacoub, and Falk.
"Try" is a song recorded by American singer Pink, which she released as the second single from her sixth album, The Truth About Love (2012). The song was originally written and composed by Busbee and Ben West, who recorded it in 2010 under the moniker GoNorthToGoSouth. Pink's version of the song was produced by Greg Kurstin, who also produced four other songs on the album.
The Truth About Love Tour was the sixth concert tour by American recording artist P!nk. Sponsored by CoverGirl, and showcasing music from her sixth studio album The Truth About Love (2012), the tour played over 140 shows in Australia, Europe and North America. Shows in Melbourne, Victoria were recorded and released on a concert DVD, The Truth About Love Tour: Live from Melbourne.
Victoria Loren Kelly is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She first gained recognition after posting videos on YouTube as a teenager, and made it through to Hollywood week on the ninth season of American Idol in 2010. Thereafter, she independently released her self-produced debut EP in 2012, Handmade Songs by Tori Kelly.
"Right There" is a song recorded by American singer Ariana Grande featuring rapper Big Sean. It was written by Grande, Harmony Samuels, H. "Carmen Reece" Culver, J. "Lonny" Bereal, James "J-Doe" Smith, Al Sherrod Lambert, Jeff Lorber and Sean. It features a prominent sample of the jazz instrumental song "Rain Dance" (1979) by The Jeff Lorber Fusion. The song is a throwback to R&B music of the 1990s, a sonority that predominates the production of Yours Truly and the first single "The Way", which Grande considered "Right There" as a sequel to, that uses heavy programmed snare drums, snaps and synthesizers as complement of its sound. In the lyrics, Grande expresses her passion to her love interest affirming that she will always be there for him, with Sean responding to her affirmation while using several double entendres in a more sexual perspective.
"Wrecking Ball" is a song recorded by American singer Miley Cyrus for her fourth studio album, Bangerz (2013). It was released on August 25, 2013, by RCA Records as the album's second single. The song was written by Mozella, Stephan Moccio, Sacha Skarbek, with Dr. Luke and Cirkut, who also served as the producers, credited as co-writers along with David Kim. "Wrecking Ball" is a pop ballad which lyrically discusses the deterioration of a relationship.
"You're on Fire" is a song by American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released on February 21, 2013 as an advance track from their album Nanobots, which was released March 5, 2013. On May 24, the band performed the song on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
"Fancy" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featuring British singer Charli XCX, taken from the former's debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). It was released on 17 February 2014 by Def Jam Recordings as the fourth single from the album. "Fancy" was described as an electro-hop, electropop, and pop rap song. It was written by Azalea and XCX, composed and produced by production team the Invisible Men, alongside additional producers The Arcade. It was leaked under the title "Leave It" in December 2013.
Australian rapper Iggy Azalea has been featured in twenty-one music videos, one film, among various appearances in other audiovisual productions. In 2011, Azalea uploaded on YouTube her debut music video for "Pu$$y," a song from her debut mixtape, Ignorant Art, where it subsequently went viral, helping to propel the rapper to prominence, after previously sharing home videos as an underground rapper. She released two more videos from the project in following months, "My World" and "The Last Song." In 2012, she aligned herself with Southern rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle imprint. He was then featured on "Murda Bizness," taken from her Glory EP, also appearing in the visuals, marking the beginning of multiple collaborations between the two. Around this time, Azalea made her debut appearance on American television at the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards alongside other Grand Hustle label-mates. Azalea announced she would be releasing a second mixtape titled TrapGold by premiering a video for the track "Bac 2 Tha Future ." She was a guest performer on VH1 Divas 2012.