Look up single in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Single may refer to:

In music:

• Single (music), a song release
• "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song)
• "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song)
• Single coil, an electromagnetic guitar pickup type

In sports:

• Single (baseball), the most common type of base hit
• Single (cricket), point in cricket
• Single (football), Canadian football point
• Single scull, a rowing boat propelled by a single rower with two oars

In other fields:

• "Single", a slang term for a one dollar bill.
• Single, a single-unit type of apartment dwelling also known as a studio
• "Single", in Dublin and other parts of Ireland, a single portion of chips, especially as part of the popular take-away meal fish and chips.
• Single (bet), a type of bet made on one selection
• Single (locomotive), a steam locomotive with a single pair of driving wheels
• Single-cylinder engine, an engine with one piston
• Single person, a person who is not married; usually refers today to someone who is neither married nor in a sexual relationship
• Single precision, a computer numbering format that occupies one storage location in computer memory at a given address

See also[link]

• Single-ended (disambiguation)
• Singles (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Natasha Bedingfield
Bedingfield at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of The Russian Winter
Background information
Birth name	Natasha Anne Bedingfield
Born	(1981-11-26) 26 November 1981 (age 30) Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Genres	Pop, R&B, pop rock, soul
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Phonogenic, Epic (US)
Associated acts	Simple Plan, Charice, Rascal Flatts, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Melissa Etheridge, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis
Website	www.natashabedingfield.com

Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield recorded rock and gospel songs for the Hillsong London Church, while Daniel went on to enjoy success with hits "Gotta Get Thru This" and "If You're Not the One".

Bedingfield released her first album, Unwritten, in 2004. The album contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music;^[1] it enjoyed international success with more than 2.3 million copies sold worldwide^[2] and she received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the title track "Unwritten".^[3] Bedingfield's second album, N.B. (2007), was less successful but yielded the UK top 10 singles "I Wanna Have Your Babies" and "Soulmate". N.B. was not released in North America, but six tracks from it were included with seven new ones and released in 2008 as her third studio album Pocketful of Sunshine, with the singles "Love Like This" and "Pocketful of Sunshine" earning success on the charts. In December 2010, Bedingfield released her third album in North America named Strip Me.

In 2012, VH1 ranked her #66 on the list of 100 Greatest Women in Music.^[4]

Early life[link]

Bedingfield was born in Sussex (later moving to the Lewisham, south London) to New Zealand-born Molly and John Bedingfield who worked in the international charity sector focused on inner-city projects in education, reconciliation, addiction rehab, and longterm community development, alongside local government initiatives and faith-based communities in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Natasha has three siblings: brothers Daniel, Joshua and a younger sister Nikola. Her interest in music was encouraged by her parents and she took guitar and piano lessons when she was younger.^{[5][not in citation given]} When Bedingfield was a teenager, she and her siblings, Daniel and Nikola, formed the dance/electronic group, The DNA Algorithm.^[6] The group provided Bedingfield with the opportunity to explore different musical genres and expand her songwriting abilities.^[7] She provided vocals for the group which primarily performed dance-pop music about independence and empowerment, themes that would later be found in her own solo compositions. At age 14, Natasha sang vocals on Origins Refined Intricacy (Steelyard Records).

Bedingfield attended a year at the University of Greenwich, where she studied psychology,^[5][8] then left to concentrate on singing and songwriting. At first she recorded demos in the garages of friends who had recording studios, which she presented to record companies.^{[9][not in citation given]} Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield composed and recorded songs for the Hillsong London Church. In 2004, her recordings appeared on the church's live album Shout God's Fame and the children's album Jesus Is My Superhero by Hillsong Music Australia.^[10]

Music career[link]

[edit] 2003–06: Signing to Phonogenic and Unwritten

Bedingfield performing in 2006

Bedingfield was introduced to Phonogenic founder and A&R Paul Lisberg by the artist's manager Gary Wilson.^[11] Lisberg was not convinced by the demo songs presented, which had so far failed to attract any label interest, later telling HitQuarters: "[They] were good but weren’t right for us ... They were a bit like Holly Valance and Shakira, which we felt was too lightweight. She would probably have had hits with them, but I don’t know if she ever would have established herself as a true artist."^[11] Instead, it was when, at a meeting together, Lisberg heard her singing ability and creative vocal ad-libbing first-hand that he became excited by Bedingfield's potential. Label interest was later confirmed when a trial studio session together with writers Steve Kipner and Andrew Frampton produced songs that were in keeping with Lisberg's vision for Phonogenic.^[11] Bedingfield signed a recording contract with BMG UK & Ireland, through its imprint Phonogenic Records, in July 2003.^[11][12]

Her first album Unwritten was released in September 2004 and features collaborations with Steve Kipner, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lachey, James Reilly, Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins, Kara DioGuardi, Guy Chambers, Patrick Leonard and the rapper Bizarre. The album contained uptempo pop rock songs and influences from R&B music.^[1] Bedingfield's lyrics focused on independence, opportunism and female empowerment.^[5] Reviews of the album were generally positive^{[citation needed]} and it was described as a "well-made pop album for the new millennium" by Allmusic.^[1] The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number one and reached the top thirty in the United States.^[13] It sold well, reaching multi-platinum status in the United Kingdom^[14] and Gold status in the US^[15] The first single released from the album was "Single", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.^[16] The song's lyrics, and its accompanying music video, depict Bedingfield's single lifestyle.^[17] "These Words" was released as the album's second single. The song became Bedingfield's first UK number one and US top twenty single.^[18] "Unwritten" was released as the album's third single in 2004, the song reached number six on the UK Singles Chart and it also became the most played song on US radio in 2006.^[19] "I Bruise Easily" was released as the album's fourth single, it did not perform as well as its predecessors but was still a moderate success, reaching number twelve on the UK Singles Chart.

At the 2005 Brit Awards, Bedingfield was nominated for four awards, though did not win any of her nominated categories. She was also nominated for an award at the 2006 Brit Awards, and in 2007 she was nominated for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" at the 2007 Grammy Awards, though was again unsuccessful in winning in any of her nominated categories. Her Song Unwritten is the theme tune of MTV's the hills^[3][20]

[edit] 2007–08: N.B. and Pocketful of Sunshine

Bedingfield performing in Georgia in 2008

Bedingfield's second album N.B. was released in Europe in April 2007. In North America (the US and Canada), the album was released under the title "Pocketful of Sunshine" in January 2008. The album received mixed reviews by critics and peaked at number nine in the UK. "I Wanna Have Your Babies", the album's lead single, was about finding the right man to father her children and was criticised by fans and critics alike.^[21] The song was moderately successful, reaching number seven in the UK, number eight in Ireland and the top fifty in various other markets.^[22] "Soulmate" was released as the album's second single on 2 July 2007 and also peaked at number seven in the UK.^[23] To promote N.B., Bedingfield embarked on the FutureSex/LoveShow tour in May 2007, supporting Justin Timberlake.^{[24][not in citation given]}

The North American version of her second album featured six songs from N.B.. The album was released on 22 January 2008, after the lead single, "Love like This", was released in September 2007 and charted at #11 on the Billboard hot 100.^{[citation needed]} The title track was released as the second single in February 2008. The single peaked at #5 on the Billboard hot 100.^{[citation needed]} On 18 January 2008, Bedingfield's UK tour was cancelled for the second time, one month before it was supposed to start, so she could spend more time promoting her album in the U.S.^[25] In August 2008, Bedingfield and other singers including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Melissa Etheridge, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, and Mariah Carey recorded the charity single, "Just Stand Up" produced by Babyface and L. A. Reid, to support "Stand Up to Cancer". On 5 September, the singers performed it live on TV.^[26]

[edit] 2009–2011: Strip Me and Strip Me Away

Bedingfield at Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 2009

Bedingfield stated on her blog that she would start work on her new album in early 2009.^[27] She was confirmed to be writing for the new album while on holiday in New Zealand; she said "I'm here for a couple of weeks to do a bit of writing. It is such an inspiring place to write music. I love coming here as often as I can, usually once a year to fuel up on ideas for my next album".^[28] She also confirmed she was working with Brian Kennedy, who produced/co wrote Rihanna's hit single "Disturbia" and was writing songs with him while on tour^[29][30] with a view to having the album released by the end of 2009.^[31] Bedingfield also stated that Wyclef Jean, Sam Sparro and Mike Elizondo would be working on the record.^[32]

Bedingfield confirmed that the album would be ready for fall 2010.^[33] In an interview with IN:DEMAND Producer, Ryan Tedder said "I'm gonna try and bring Natasha Bedingfield back here in the UK with some quirky, kinda weird stuff".^[34] On 18 March Natasha stated on her official site that she was in L.A. and she was putting the finishing touches on her album.^[35] "Touch", the lead single from the album, was made available as a digital download 18 May 2010. Bedingfield performed the song on the The Ellen Degeneres Show on 24 May 2010.^[36] "Touch" was officially sent to US radio stations on 29 June 2010.^[37][38] On 15 July Bedingfield announced via Twitter that the title of her new album would be Strip Me. The album was originally scheduled for release on 9 November 2010, but was released on 7 December.^[39] The second single, also titled "Strip Me", was sent to US radio on 30 August 2010 and it became available as a digital download on 21 September 2010.^[40] It was written by Bedingfield, Ryan Tedder and Wayne Wilkins.Bedingfield appeared on rapper Nicki Minaj's debut album Pink Friday on a track called "Last Chance", and on Rascal Flatts' new album Nothing Like This on a track called "Easy", released as the album's third single. On 31 December 2010 / 1 January 2011, Natasha appeared on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

In 2010, Natasha joined forces with Avon as a celebrity judge for Avon Voices,^[41] Avon’s first ever global, online singing talent search for women and songwriting competition for men and women.

On 6 April 2011, Natasha visited Radio Hamburg and confirmed that the song "Pocketful of Sunshine" (originally the second single from her US album "Pocketful of Sunshine") will be the first European single from the forthcoming European release of Strip Me. The European version of Strip Me will be called Strip Me Away. The lead single "Pocketful of Sunshine" was released on 13 May in Germany. The album "Strip Me Away" will be released in June.^[42]

Bedingfield was featured on Simple Plan's new single from their new album Get Your Heart On!, released on 21 June 2011. The song, "Jet Lag" was released on 26 April 2011 as the band's first single from their fourth album.^[43]

On 5 July, Bedingfield performed her song "Weightless" from her "Strip Me" album on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Filipina singer Charice confirmed that Bedingfield has written a song for her called "Lighthouse", which is included on her second studio album Infinity.^[44]

On 9 November 2011, Bedingfield wowed American audiences when she joined Rascal Flatts to perform "Easy," on the Country Music Awards show on ABC.

Bedingfield has released a Christmas song 'Shake Up Christmas',^[45] which has been confirmed to be on the 2011 Coca-Cola Christmas television advertisements.^[46]

[edit] 2012–present: Upcoming fourth studio album

As of April, 2012, Bedingfield announced that she's working on her fourth studio album, mentioning her plans to release the album worldwide,^[47] not just focusing on America.

Non-musical projects[link]

Bedingfield has donated time and money to organizations such as the Global Angels, an international children's charity founded by her mother, Molly Bedingfield.^[48][49] She became associated with the organization in 2006 and said she hoped to help "people around the world, particularly children, who live in conditions that would horrify us".^[50]

Bedingfield is now an ambassador for Global Angels and in November 2006 she visited India for three weeks in support of the charity. She visited an orphanage in Kolkata and a refugee camp for former child prostitutes in Mumbai to learn more about the situation and the conditions in these areas. Bedingfield later expressed her shock at what she had witnessed.^[51] Video diaries filmed during her trip were posted on her official website in early 2007.^{[52][not in citation given]} She is also an advocate for Stop the Traffik, a global coalition which works to end human trafficking^[48] and a member of the (RED) campaign.^[5] In a 2008 rockumentary, Call+Response, headed by Justin Dillon, Bedingfield performed acoustic versions of "Unwritten" and "Soulmate" in support of the film's cause: a movement against current slavery and human trafficking.^{[53][not in citation given]}

In 2004, Bedingfield showed interest in acting and made her début in the James Bond video game From Russia with Love in November 2005. She voiced the character Elizabeth Stark, the British Prime Minister's daughter who is kidnapped in the opening sequence.^[54] Bedingfield commented that she would like to do more acting, but only if the film "was good enough, and it was a role that [would] fit me."^[54] Bedingfield has yet to be offered any more acting work.

She has made an appearance in the seventh season finale of the hit Canadian television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.^[55] Bedingfield also guest starred on Nickelodeon's mockumentary series The Naked Brothers Band's Christmas Special, alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Leon Thomas III. She has made guest appearances on the NBC series Lipstick Jungle.^[56] More recently, she guest starred on Nickelodeon's True Jackson, VP in November 2009. She sang the song "These Words".

In 2012, Bedingfield made an appearance in the fourth season of Web Therapy.^[57]

Personal life[link]

In 2006, the media incorrectly reported that Bedingfield was dating Nick Lachey and Maroon 5 lead singer, Adam Levine. Referring to the media reports, Bedingfield commented that "Adam is lovely but I didn't date him or Nick. As soon as you talk to a famous guy, you're immediately linked with him."^[58] Bedingfield is married to Matt Robinson,^[59] a businessman from California. The couple wed in Malibu on 21 March 2009.^[59]

She lists Audrey Hepburn, Debbie Harry and Brigitte Bardot as her "celebrity style icons".^[60]

Discography[link]

Worldwide releases

• Unwritten (2004)

North American releases

• Pocketful of Sunshine (2008)
• Strip Me (2010)

European releases

• N.B. (2007)
• Strip Me Away (2011)

Awards and nominations[link]

Bedingfield's debut album Unwritten contains primarily uptempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music.^[1] It enjoyed international success with over three million copies sold worldwide.^[61] In 2007, she received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the song "Unwritten", the third single from the album of the same name.^[3] Bedingfield's second album N.B. yielded the singles "Soulmate"; "Say It Again"; and "I Wanna Have Your Babies", written and produced by Natasha Bedingfield, Wayne Wilkins, Andrew Frampton, and Steve Kipner.^[62] Bedingfield has received four nominations from the BRIT Awards but has won none.^[63] As of July 2008, she has won five awards from eleven nominations.

BRIT Awards[link]

The BRIT Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. Bedingfield has received four nominations.^[63]

BT Digital Music Awards[link]

The BT Digital Music Awards honour music distributed digitally by methods such as mobile devices, online downloads, and blogging. Bedingfield has won one award.^[64]

Capital FM Awards[link]

The Capital FM Awards is an annual awards ceremony created by Capital 95.8, a London radio station owned by GCap Media. Bedingfield has won two awards from two nominations.^[65]

Glamour Awards[link]

The Glamour Awards is an annual awards ceremony hosted by Glamour, a women's magazine. Bedingfield has won one award.^[66]

Grammy Awards[link]

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Bedingfield has received one nomination.^[3][67]

MTV Europe Music Awards[link]

The MTV Europe Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1994 by MTV Europe. Bedingfield has received one nomination.^[68]

TMF Awards[link]

The TMF Awards is an annual television awards show broadcast live on The Music Factory. Bedingfield has received one award.^[69]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Natasha Bedingfield

	Book: Natasha Bedingfield
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• NatashaBedingfield.com – Natasha Bedingfield official website

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2012)

Mario Mims (born May 19, 1981), better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, is a southern rapper from the northern side of Memphis, Tennessee who was previously known as Lil Yo.

Music career[link]

Independent Albums[link]

Yo Gotti released a string of independent albums. From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000),Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003) and Back 2 da Basics (2006) Yo Gotti became very well known in Memphis after the release of his album Life. The song "Dirty South Soldiers" featuring Lil Jon propelled Gotti into the higher ranks of Memphis rappers. The album Back 2 da Basics had even more success. The singles "I Got 'Em", "Full Time", "Shawty", & "Gangsta Party" featuring 8Ball & MJG solidified his status as one of the top rappers from the city.

[edit] Live from the Kitchen (2009-2012)

Yo Gotti's first studio album is called Live From The Kitchen. The album's original first single was titled ""5 Star"" and it was released on May 20, 2009. The single peaked at 79 on the Hot 100, 19 on U.S R&B and 11 on U.S Rap. "Women Lie, Men Lie" was the second official single released December 11, 2009. The song peaked at 81 on 100, 22 on the U.S R&B and 12 on the U.S Rap. "Look In the Mirror" was the third single released 7 months after his second single on July 27, 2010. The song peaked at 97 on the U.S R&B chart "For the Hood" featured rapper Gucci Mane it was released on October 1, 2010 and charted at 86 on the U.S R&B chart. "We Can Get It On" was released May 10, 2011, and the single featured R&B singer Ciara. It peaked at 40 on the U.S R&B Chart. "Single" was released on August 5, 2011. This song is said to be the first "official" single off the album, all the others would be cut from the album. The second single will be a song with rapper Drake, entitled by "All About Mine", produced by Giarad Fleetwood.

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• 2012: Live from the Kitchen

Independent albums

• 2000: From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game
• 2001: Self-Explanatory
• 2003: Life
• 2006: Back 2 da Basics

Mixtapes

• 2006: Full Time Hustlin'
• 2006: I Told U So (Gangsta Grillz)
• 2008: Cocaine Muzik
• 2009: CM2
• 2009: Cocaine Muzik 3
• 2010: Cocaine Muzik 4.5 (Da Documentary)
• 2010: CM5 (White Friday)
• 2011: CM6 (Gangster Of The Year)
• 2011: January 10th (The Mixtape)

Collaboration mixtapes

• 2008: Definition of a G (with Gucci Mane)
• 2010: Cocaine Muzik 4 (with Zedzilla)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Yo Gotti Official Site
• Yo Gotti RCA Label Site
• Yo Gotti | Features Artist | Global Hit Music
• Behind the Scenes, Yo Gotti, "Women Lie, Men Lie" in Los Angeles, February 4, 2010 by Streetgangs.com
• Yo Gotti Interview, Jan 18, 2010
• Non-commercial Yo Gotti mixtapes

Fiona Apple
Apple performing in Seattle in 2006
Background information
Birth name	Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart
Born	(1977-09-13) September 13, 1977 (age 34) Manhattan, New York, United States
Origin	New York City, New York
Genres	Piano rock, baroque pop, alternative rock, experimental rock, jazz
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, piano, optigan
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Epic
Website	Fiona-Apple.com

Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success. At the age of nineteen she received a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the single "Criminal" from that album in 1998.

After Tidal, Apple released the critically acclaimed, though less commercially successful albums, When the Pawn... (1999) and Extraordinary Machine (2005). A perceived shelving of Extraordinary Machine was met with vocal protests from her fans, who campaigned against her record label in 2005. Apple's musical style contains elements of jazz and alternative rock.

Early life and family[link]

Born in New York City, Apple is the daughter of singer Diane McAfee and actor Brandon Maggart. Her older sister, Amber, sings cabaret under the stage name Maude Maggart. Her half brother Spencer is a director and directed the video for her single "Parting Gift." Her half brother Garett Maggart starred in the TV series The Sentinel. In addition, her maternal grandparents were Millicent Green, a dancer with the George White's Scandals, a series of 1920s musical revues similar to the Ziegfeld Follies, and Johnny McAfee, a multireedist and vocalist of the big band era; her grandparents met while touring with Johnny Hamp and his orchestra. Apple was raped at the age of twelve, a trauma she would later allude to in songs such as "Sullen Girl."^[1][2]

Career[link]

[edit] 1994–1998: Career beginnings and Tidal

Apple was introduced to the music industry in 1994, when she gave a demo tape containing the songs "Never Is a Promise," "Not One of Those Times," and "He Takes a Taxi" to her friend who was the babysitter of music publicist Kathryn Schenker.^[1] Schenker then passed the tape along to Sony Music executive Andy Slater.^[3] Apple's contralto voice, piano skills and lyrics captured his attention, and Slater signed her to a record deal.^[4][5]

In 1996, Apple's debut album, Tidal, was released by Work. The album sold 2.7 million copies and was certified three times platinum in the U.S.^[6][7] "Criminal," the third single, became a hit and the song reached the top forty on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song's controversial Mark Romanek-directed music video — in which a scantily clad Apple appeared in a 1970s-era tract house — played on MTV. Apple later said: "I decided if I was going to be exploited, then I would do the exploiting myself."^[8] Other singles from Tidal included "Shadowboxer," "Sleep to Dream," and "Never Is a Promise." In 1997, while accepting MTV Video Music Award for "Best New Artist" for her song Sleep to Dream, Apple said: "This world is bullshit, and you shouldn't model your life on what we think is cool, and what we're wearing and what we're saying."^[9] The New Yorker and NYRock characterized her MTV award show speech as ungrateful and "ridiculous."^[1][4] Apple was unapologetic. "I just had something on my mind and I just said it. And that's really the foreshadowing of my entire career and my entire life. When I have something to say, I'll say it," she said, responding to these criticisms in an article in Rolling Stone in January, 1998.^[10]

During this period, Apple also made recordings of The Beatles' "Across the Universe" and Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love" for the soundtrack of the film Pleasantville. She later canceled the last twenty-one dates on a tour in support of her album due to "personal family problems."^[11]

[edit] 1999–2002: When the Pawn... and hiatus

Apple's second album, When the Pawn..., was released in 1999. Its full title is a poem Apple wrote after reading letters that appeared in Spin regarding an article that had cast her in a negative light in an earlier issue.^[12] The title's length earned it a spot in the Guinness Book of Records for 2001. However, as of October, 2007, it is no longer the longest album title, as Soulwax released Most of the Remixes, a remix album whose title surpasses When the Pawn’s length by 100 characters.^[13] When the Pawn was cultivated during Apple's relationship with film director Paul Thomas Anderson. When the Pawn, which was produced by Jon Brion, used more expressive lyrics, experimented more with drum loops, and incorporated both the Chamberlin and drummer Matt Chamberlain.^[14] The album received a positive reception from publications such as The New York Times and Rolling Stone. It did not fare as well commercially as her debut, though it was an RIAA-certified platinum album^[6] and sold one million copies in the U.S.^[7] The album's lead single, "Fast as You Can," reached the top twenty on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and became Apple's first Top 40 hit in the UK. The videos for two follow-up singles, "Paper Bag" and "Limp" (directed by then-boyfriend Anderson), received very little play.

After performing for forty minutes in a set hampered by equipment issues to 3,000 fans at the New York City Roseland Ballroom, a frustrated Apple left the stage without returning. Her performance saw Apple appearing distraught at the sound quality, apologizing numerous times for the sound and crying.^[15] The incident was described by AOL as "music's most infamous on-stage meltdown."^[16] After completing a concert tour in support of her second album in 2000, Apple relocated to Los Angeles. During her hiatus, Apple contemplated retiring from her recording career. Apple sang with Johnny Cash on a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water" that ended up on his album American IV: The Man Comes Around and was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals." She also collaborated with Cash on Cat Stevens's "Father and Son," which was included in his 2003 collection Unearthed.

[edit] 2002–2010: Extraordinary Machine and second hiatus

Fans in support of Fiona Apple demonstrating outside the NYC headquarters of Sony BMG Music Entertainment in January 2005.

Apple's third album, Extraordinary Machine, was originally produced by Jon Brion. In spring 2002, Apple and Jon Brion, her longtime friend and producer on When the Pawn, met for their weekly lunch meeting. Brion reportedly "begged" Apple to make another album. Apple agreed, and Brion went to Apple's label, Epic Records, with strict stipulations (including no deadline), which the label eventually agreed to. Recording sessions began in 2002, at Ocean Way studios in Nashville, Tennessee, but later moved to the Paramour Mansion in Los Angeles. Work on the album continued until 2003, and in May of that year it was submitted to Sony executives. In 2004 and 2005, tracks were leaked on the Internet in MP3 format and played on U.S. and international radio. Subsequently, MP3s of the entire album went online. Although a Web site distributing the album was quickly taken offline, it soon reached P2P networks and was downloaded by fans.^[17][18] A fan-led campaign supported the album's official release.

Mike Elizondo, who had previously played bass on Pawn, was brought back as co-producer to complete the tracks he had begun with Brion and Apple. Spin later reported the following: "Fans erroneously thought that Apple's record label, Epic, had rejected the first version of Extraordinary Machine... in reality, according to Elizondo, Apple was unhappy with the results, and it was her decision to redo the record, not her label's."^[19] In August, 2005, the album was given an October release date.^[18] Production had been largely redone "from scratch" by Elizondo and was co-produced by Brian Kehew. Two of the eleven previous leaked tracks were relatively unchanged, and one new song was also included.^[20] Despite suggestions that the album had caused a rift between Brion and Apple, they regularly perform together at Largo, a club in Los Angeles, including a joint appearance with Elizondo on bass just before the news broke of an official release.^[21] Extraordinary Machine debuted at number seven and was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Pop Vocal Album". It was eventually certified gold^[6] and sold 462,000 copies in the U.S., though its singles ("Parting Gift," "O' Sailor," "Not About Love" and "Get Him Back") failed to enter any Billboard charts.^[22] Apple went on a live tour to promote the album in late 2005.

Apple on tour with Nickel Creek in 2007

In June, 2006, Apple appeared on the joke track "Come Over and Get It (Up in 'Dem Guts)" by comedian Zach Galifianakis. Galifianakis previously appeared in the music video for Apple's "Not About Love."^[23] Apple recorded a cover of "Sally's Song" for the 2006 special edition release of the soundtrack for the Tim Burton film The Nightmare Before Christmas. In May, 2006, Apple paid tribute to Elvis Costello on VH1's concert series Decades Rock Live, by performing Costello's hit "I Want You." Her version was subsequently released as a digital single.^{[24][dead link]} Apple toured the East Coast during August, 2007, with Nickel Creek.^[25][26] In 2008, Apple recorded a duet titled "Still I" with Christophe Deluy. In 2009, Apple covered "Why Try to Change Me Now" and "I Walk A Little Faster" for The Best Is Yet to Come - The Songs of Cy Coleman. In January, 2010, Fiona Apple and Jon Brion performed together at "Love and Haiti, Too: A Music Benefit," a charity concert for the people hurt by the Haiti earthquake. Fiona sang a cover of "(S)he's Funny That Way," composed by Neil Moret, lyrics by Richard Whiting, which is often associated with the singer Billie Holiday. In June, 2010, Fiona released a song titled "So Sleepy," produced by Jon Brion and written by children involved with the non-profit organization 826LA. The song will be included on a compilation album released by the organization titled Chickens in Love. Apple collaborated with Margaret Cho on her album Cho Dependent, which was released on August 24, 2010.^[27]

[edit] 2011-present: The Idler Wheel...

The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do,^[28][29] Apple's fourth studio album will be released on June 19, 2012 in the US. The international release date has yet to be finalized.^[30] In late 2010, Billboard published an article stating that Apple was planning on releasing a new album in spring 2011, with musician Michelle Branch claiming to have heard some of the new tracks.^[31] Drummer Charley Drayton also told Modern Drummer magazine that he was co-producing the record.^[32] However, the album was not released in the spring and Billboard reported later that year that there was no record.^[33] On November 23, 2011, a music blog quoted an exchange between Apple and a member of the audience at the Largo Coronet in Los Angeles who requested she perform new material. She reportedly replied "I can't remember [how to play] any of my new songs because they've been done for a fucking year."^[34] In January 2012, after its new record label head, LA Reid hinted at new music from Apple, Epic Records announced that the album would be released later in the year.^[35] Apple announced performances at the South by Southwest Festival and a spring 2012 tour soon after.^[36]

Personal life[link]

Fiona has been dating writer and actor Jonathan Ames since 2007.^[37] As of March 2012, they remained together.^[38] In the mid-1990s, Apple dated magician David Blaine.^[39] Afterward, Apple was romantically linked to director Paul Thomas Anderson.^[40] Anderson directed several music videos for Apple's second album.^[41]

Public speculation about Apple having an eating disorder arose in 1997, upon the release of the music video for "Criminal," in which Apple appeared to be extremely thin. The New Yorker wrote that she "looked like an underfed Calvin Klein model."^[42] During the 1998 Rolling Stone interview, Apple admitted that she "had an eating disorder," and speculated that it stemmed from her rape as an adolescent. "I definitely did have an eating disorder . . . What was really frustrating for me was that everyone thought I was anorexic, and I wasn't. I was just really depressed and self-loathing . . . . For me it wasn't about getting thin, it was about getting rid of the bait attached to my body."

Apple is a vegan. "I'm not really up in the activist world right now [though] . . . I'm not really thinking about it. I'm a vegan, but I don't care if you're eating turkey in front of me. I'm not a preaching vegan."^[43]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Extended plays[link]

Singles[link]

Other contributions[link]

• "Across the Universe" (Lennon–McCartney) - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture Pleasantville (1998, Sony), lead vocalist
• "Please Send Me Someone to Love" (Percy Mayfield) - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture Pleasantville (1998, Sony), lead vocalist
• Magnolia (1999, New Line Cinema) - "additional instruments and odd pieces of musical business by jon brion and fiona apple" as stated in the film's credits
• "Bridge over Troubled Water" (Paul Simon) - duet with Johnny Cash from American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)
• "Father and Son" (Cat Stevens) - duet with Johnny Cash from Unearthed (2003)
• "Frosty the Snowman" - from Christmas Calling (2003)
• "It's Only A Paper Moon" with Maude Maggart - available as a bonus track on some editions of Maggart's 2005 album With Sweet Despair
• "I Want You" (Elvis Costello) - live version from VH1's Live for Decades Rock Live!, released as an iTunes single (2006)
• "Sally's Song" (Catherine O'Hara) - from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Special Edition Soundtrack (2006)
• "Why Try to Change Me Now" (Cy Coleman) - recorded for the Then Was Then and Now Is Now: A Tribute to Cy Coleman CD/LP / "The Best Is Yet To Come: The Songs Of Cy Coleman" CD/LP
• "Angel Eyes" - a snippet of the song is available at Largo Film
• "Still I" - a duet with Christophe Deluy, hear a snippet of the song available on Christophe Deluy's blog
• "I Walk a Little Faster" (Cy Coleman) - recorded for The Best Is Yet to Come CD/LP
• "Loveless" (David Garza) - track available from Garza's Dream Delay
• "So Sleepy" included on a compilation album released by the organization 826LA, titled Chickens in Love
• "Hey Big Dog" (Margaret Cho) from Cho Dependent (2010)
• "Everyday" (Buddy Holly) with Jon Brion from Rave On Buddy Holly (June 2011)
• "Paper Bag" featured in 2011 film "Bridesmaids"

Music videos[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fiona Apple

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Fiona Apple

• Official website
• Fiona Apple on Myspace
• Fiona Apple on Facebook

Laura Jansen
Jansen live in Vondelpark Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 22nd Aug 2010
Background information
Born	(1977-03-04) 4 March 1977 (age 35)[1]
Origin	The Netherlands
Genres	Indie pop / pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Universal Records (the Netherlands), None (U.S.)
Website	www.laurajansenmusic.nl MySpace

Laura Jansen (born 4 March 1977, Breda, the Netherlands) is a Dutch-American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. Jansen established herself as a regular at the Los Angeles live music venue the Hotel Cafe before gaining fame in her native country, the Netherlands. The daughter of an American mother and Dutch father, she holds dual citizenship in the United States and the Netherlands.^[2]

Her music has been featured on the television shows Newport Harbor and The Real World: Cancun.^[3]

She previously toured with Joshua Radin for six weeks as part of his band in 2008.^[2] In 2009, she toured with William Fitzsimmons as a part of his band and also as his support act. She is currently on tour supporting Joshua Radin.

At the moment her live band consists of the Dutch musicians JanPeter Hoekstra (guitars, vocals), Wouter Rentema (drums, percussion, vocals), and Jan Teertstra (bass, vocals).

Discography[link]

In the Netherlands, her debut album Bells is available on Universal Records.^[4] Released on 4 September 2009, the album peaked at number 6 in the Dutch Album Top 100.^[5] In May 2010 Jansen received a golden record for selling 25.000 copies of Bells.^[6]

In the U.S., she has two self released EP albums, "Trauma," (released 26 February 2007) and "Single Girls" (released 26 June 2009).^[7][8]

Jansen has released three songs from her album Bells as singles. "Single Girls" peaked at number 70 on the Dutch Single Top 100. The second single was "Use Somebody", originally by Kings Of Leon. The song peaked at number 8 on the Dutch Single Top 100. The third single from this album, "Wicked World", which was also the theme song for the Dutch comedy series Floor Faber, peaked at number 31 on the Dutch Single Top 100.^[5] Her second single "Use Somebody", is remixed by Armin van Buuren and is played frequently in the shows.

Jansen is also featured on David Hopkins' album There Are Debts, which also features Damien Rice.^[9] She also appears in the music video for Sara Bareilles' song "Uncharted (song)".^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Laura Jansen on Myspace Retrieved on 20 September 2009
• Laura Jansen's MSN Star Lounge Blog (in Dutch) Retrieved on 20 September 2009
• Laura Jansen's Facebook Retrieved on 20 September 2009
• Single Girls Music Video YouTube
• NRC article on Laura Jansen (in Dutch)