Multiple award winning, RIAA platinum singer and songwriter Amerie has completed her premiere album for Def Jam Recordings (her fourth career album), entitled IN LOVE & WAR, scheduled to arrive in the physical and digital marketplace in August.
Anticipation for Amerie's new album reached a fever pitch when "Why R U" debuted May 11th on her MySpace website, http://www.myspace.com/ameriemimarie. New York City Hot 97 radio dj Funk Master Flex caught the buzz when he played "Why R U" for 15 minutes straight. The track officially goes to all radio formats on June 15th as the first single from IN LOVE & WAR. The video for "Why R U," which premieres June 8th on BET, was directed by Ray Kay (whose credits include fellow Def Jam artist The-Dream's "Shawty Is a 10" featuring Fabolous, Lady Gaga's "Poker Face," and more).
"Why R U" was produced by the Buchanans, who were among the roster of producers that worked with Amerie on her last two albums, Touch (2005) and Because I Love It (2007), as well as on album tracks with Jay-Z (The Black Album), Beyonc (Dangerously in Love), Black Rob, and Lupe Fiasco. In addition to the Buchanans, other producers who worked on the Atlanta,LA, and Miami sessions for IN LOVE & WAR include Teddy Riley ("Tell Me You Love Me"), Sean Garrett & Eric Hudson ("Heard 'Em All"), and Jim Johnson & Rico Love ("Swagback"), Brian Michael Cox ("Red Eye").
Born to Korean and African-American parents, Amerie grew up in U.S. military sites around the world before finding her roots in Washington , DC , where she earned a degree in English and Fine Arts from Georgetown . Early demos led the way to Columbia Records debut album All I Have. The album hit RIAA gold on the strength of the R&B/pop crossover hit "Why Don't We Fall in Love," which won Amerie the Soul Train Music Awards' Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist award.
Amerie continued her string on the RIAA gold Touch (2005). The album contained one of the top songs of the year, the #1 R&B smash "1 Thing," which won the VIBE Award for Club Banger Of the Year. The song's rise to the top was helped along by its inclusion in the soundtrack of the Will Smith-Eva Mendes film, Hitch. "1 Thing" became a platinum-selling digital download and mastertone, and was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Grammy; Touch was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album.
