Res (singer)
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| Res | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Shareese Renée Ballard |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Genres | Indie pop, Soul, experimental rock |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | MCA Records |
| Website | http://the1res.com |
Shareese Renée Ballard, better known by her stage name Res (
/ˈriːs/), is a female singer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her musical style is a blend of indie pop, soul, and rock. She is currently involved in Talib Kweli's collaborative project Idle Warship.
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[edit] Solo career
Res released her debut album, How I Do, in 2001 along with its first single "Golden Boys." Despite heavy rotation on VH1, the song did not catch on in radio play. "Ice King" (Remixed by Nas) emerged as the second single later that year but also failed to breakthrough with radio audiences and no video was filmed. In early 2002, Res released the third single from How I Do, "They-Say Vision." The song and accompanying video were breakthrough hits and reached #1 on the Billboard Dance chart[1] and #37 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart. With the chart success of the single, the album entered the Billboard 200 for the first time.[2] A fourth single, "Sittin' Back," was also released but did not enjoy the same success as "They-Say Vision."
Meanwhile, in 2002, Res appeared on a track with Tony Allen, Ray Lema, Baaba Maal, Positive Black Soul and Archie Shepp for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot and Riot, a tribute to Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. Res also performed a cover of Jefferson Starship song, "Miracles" for the Jennifer Lopez movie Maid in Manhattan.
Res' career would hit a snag in 2003 when her record label, MCA Records, would be phased out by MCA Inc. and be absorbed by Geffen Records. Years later, Res was released from her contract at her request after the label refused to release any further work despite paying her contracted label salary. After parting ways with Geffen, Res was called upon to model for Marc Ecko's "Ecko Red" clothing line and appeared in print advertising.
In 2006, Res recorded "To Empower" for the soundtrack of the drama film Akeelah and the Bee. She would then join Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere tour providing supporting vocals while writing and recording material for her second album.
In 2009, Res released her second album Black.Girls.Rock! through digital media available on iTunes. The album features tracks originally recorded for her shelved Geffen album. Black.Girls.Rock! is described by Res as "more of a singer/songwriters album than my debut. Great, classic songs!" As of March 2011, the album is no longer available through iTunes, and no other method of distribution has been secured. Res herself has funded a limited production run of vinyl pressings for sale at Amoeba Music in Los Angeles as she begins a grassroots campaign for the album to be carried in independently-owned record stores.
Though currently unsigned, Res is currently working on a new album with producer Doc McKinney, who produced her debut album How I Do. The new album is tentatively titled Reset and is being recorded in a house studio in Toronto, Canada. To support the project, she is also making appearances as a public speaker on the topics of success in the music industry and vocal health for professional singers.
On February 14, 2011, Res released a "mixtape" of unreleased demos and remixed songs titled A Box of Chocolates after the iconic Forrest Gump quote. The digital-only album is mixed by DJ NI** Sky (Nicole Albino of Nina Sky) and features a blend of music from multiple genres of music. The album is intended as a Valentine's Day gift to her fans as they await a proper release of Black.Girls.Rock!.
[edit] Social networking presence
Res is very active in several forms of social media. She uses these sites to keep her followers informed of performances, public speaking appearances, and current progress on projects through her aliases "the1res" on Facebook, "@Res" Twitter and "theoneRES" on YouTube.
[edit] Idle Warship
In 2009, Res joined long-time collaborator and emcee Talib Kweli to form a hip-hop/electro duo known as Idle Warship. They have released a few teaser tracks online including a song named "Steady" that borrows from '80s classic "Sunglasses At Night" by Corey Hart. In June 2009, Idle Warship completed their first headlining tour through Europe. They performed to sold-out crowds in Switzerland, Norway, France and Germany. Idle Warship has produced a mixtape called Party Robots made available for download in October 2010 available from Res' official site. Idle Warship just finished their debut album Habits of the Heart, to be released November 1, 2011. The first single from this debut, "Laser Beams" is produced by DJ Khalil.
[edit] Discography
Studio Albums
- 2001: How I Do (MCA Records)[3]
- 2009: Black.Girls.Rock! (currently unavailable—only 1000 copies printed and offered on Res' official site)
- 2011: Habit of the Heart (Blacksmith Records/Fontana)
- 2012: ReFried Mac Ep (Javotti Media)
Compilations
- 2010: Party Robots Mixtape (Idle Warship)
- 2011: A Box of Chocolates (digital only, available on Res' official site)
[edit] See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
[edit] References
- ^ "They-Say Vision - RES". Billboard (magazine). http://www.billboard.com/#/song/res/they-say-vision-dance-remixes/3385224. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ "How I Do - Res". Billboard (magazine). http://www.billboard.com/#/album/res/how-i-do/484600. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie. "How I Do - RES". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/how-i-do-r539643. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
