Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Amber Rose With Hair Pics

In an interview with The Independent, Rowland admitted that with her first two records she struggled to find her sound. "I was in a stage with the first two records where I was searching and I was like, let me try a rock-dance approach, the label [and management] wanted me to try it and I did it... And then after that came a more urban approach with Ms. Kelly in 2007." She further described the songs on her previous albums as sounding very much the same, which led her to the realisation that she "needed refreshing". She told Entertainment Focus that meeting French DJ David Guetta "changed her perspective and helped to inspire the new sound". She then spent more time in Europe in 2009, something which she said had influenced her. "It's different being over here in Europe and just being able to look at different magazines and fashion shows and things like that. And just thinking about the look and working with different stylists as well. I wanted to make sure it was a look that was all me, you know?" She noted that seeing people's reactions to dance music made her feel "completely intoxicated!" In July 2010 said "I spent about a year of my life in Europe really listening to a whole bunch of European DJs and hearing dance music a lot on the radio and really loving it. "When Love Takes Over" was my first introduction to dance music [and] it was a whole other monster. It's really a culture and I love it," during an interview with Alex Catarinella of PAPER magazine. "I remember hearing Janet Jackson saying once 'With every album we grow, and we can't be afraid of it. Because we never know everything, and we learn something new every day.' " In October 2009 it was suggested that the success of the single had made Rowland consider signing a new record deal with EMI Music. Despite earlier claims, Rowland told Entertainment Weekly in 2010 that she didn't leave Columbia Records of her own accord. She was dropped because her previous album, Ms. Kelly, was not commercially successful. Then in May 2010, speculation of Rowland's new record ended when an official press release revealed that she had signed to Universal Motown Records. It was whilst recording within the studios with Guetta that Rowland caught the attention of the head of Universal Motown, Sylvia Rhone, which led to the new deal. On the decision to go with Rhone's label, Rowland said "they have really embraced me and have set me up to succeed. I decided, after careful thought, to sign with Universal Motown not only because of their track record of success, but also because they truly put their artists first". Here I Am has a distinctly different sound to Rowland's previous albums. Simply Deep (2002) followed a rock–dance sound, while Ms. Kelly (2007) featured an urban sound. However on her third album, there are a lot of up-tempo tracks. The album is tailored specifically towards individual markets, with the US version of the album featuring more traditional R&B and pop records, while the international version of the album features more of an "up-tempo dancey" sound. In March 2009, it was revealed that the singer was parting ways with Columbia Records. Speaking of her decision to leave, Rowland said, "as a solo artist, I felt the need to explore new directions, new challenges, and new freedoms outside my comfort zone and my friends and family at Columbia have been incredibly understanding about my evolution. I want to thank everyone at Columbia for the love and support they've shown and I will never forget how many good times we've had over the years." It was also announced in March that Guetta was releasing "When Love Takes Over", his collaboration with Rowland. The song went on to be a worldwide success for the duo. Jason Lipshutz of Billboard said "the success comes at an intriguing time in Rowland's career", having noted that she had landed a hosting job on Bravo's The Fashion Show and was in between labels. During her 2008 performances at T4 on the Beach in Weston-Super-Mare, United Kingdom, Rowland was exposed to British bands and live festival music. It inspired her to pursue a new sound for her then untitled third album. She then travelled the South of France for vacation in Summer 2008 where she was exposed to dance music. It was here that she met French disc jockey (DJ) David Guetta and heard the foundations of "When Love Takes Over", a song that would leave a lasting impression on the singer. After falling in love with the song, Rowland would take it back to London to write and record the vocals with Australian songwriters, The Nervo Twins. However Columbia Records were not impressed with the new sound and the record was left unfinished until it was rediscovered by Guetta, when compiling his One Love album. In the US an alternative single featuring Lil Wayne, titled "Motivation", precedes the album. It topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as well as peaking in the top-twenty of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Rowland's highest-charting single. Here I Am features guest performances from Lil Wayne, Nelly, Rico Love, Lil Playy, The WAV.s and Big Sean while production was handled by the likes of Rodney Jerkins, Guetta, Jim Jonsin, Hit-boy, RedOne and The Runners. Love wrote half of the songs on the album, while Rowland earns writing credits for three of the songs. Originally scheduled for release in 2010, the album was pushed back after a number of singles were released to mixed success. "Commander" (2010) produced by and featuring David Guetta topped international and US dance charts, becoming a top-ten hit in the UK and some of Europe. Three other singles: "Forever and a Day", "Grown Woman", and "Rose Colored Glasses" all had limited commercial success and are thus excluded from some versions of the album. An alternative version of the album featuring more dance and up-tempo tracks will be released primarily in Europe in November 2011. Here I Am is the third studio album by American recording artist Kelly Rowland, released through Universal Motown (Universal Music) on July 26, 2011. The ten-song set (fourteen on the deluxe edition) is Rowland's first album since parting ways with Matthew Knowles — as her manager — and leaving long time label Columbia Records. Here I Am is predominately a R&B and pop music album with subtle influences of dance music. It follows Rowland's assertion that "no one puts her in a box" and common themes include lyrics about womanhood and sexual intimacy.

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