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Amelle Berrabah

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Amelle Berrabah
Amelle Berrabah in 2006, performing in the Taller In More Ways Tour
Amelle Berrabah in 2006, performing in the Taller In More Ways Tour
Background information
Born (1984-04-22) 22 April 1984 (age 40)
OriginAldershot, Hampshire,
England, United Kingdom
GenresPop, R&B, dance-pop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active2003–present
LabelsIsland, RCA

Amelle Berrabah (born 22 April 1984) is a British singer, songwriter and member of pop girl group the Sugababes since replacing founding member Mutya Buena in the group in December 2005. She achieved a solo number one single in 2009 after collaborating with Tinchy Stryder on their single "Never Leave You", making her the first and to date only member of the Sugababes to achieve a number one single outside of the group.

Life and career

Berrabah was born in Aldershot, Hampshire to Berber Moroccan parents. She has four sisters, younger sisters Samiya and Laila, older sisters Zakiya and Nora and a brother Khaled.[1][2][3][4] Her family owned a kebab shop in Aldershot.[5] Berrabah's father died of cancer in 2002.[6] Berrabah attended Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford on the merit of a scholarship. It was then that she met her managers and formed the band Boo2, with her sister, Samiya and began looking for record contract opportunities.[7] She won Top of the Pops magazine’s Star Search in 2003 that gave her the chance to be the lead singer of a new band and had performed at Party in the Park as well.[1][7]

2005–2011: Sugababes

Berrabah performing in 2007

Following Mutya Buena's departure from Sugababes, Berrabah was roped in as a replacement by the group's management. Their manager had seen Boo2 perform at an American showcase a few years prior and Berrabah had impressed him. As soon as Buena left, he gave Berrabah a call about the opportunity and got her to record three songs to audition for remaining members Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range. They liked the demos and Berrabah was then announced as the newest member of the band.[1][7] The first single to feature Berrabah's vocals, "Red Dress", entered the UK Singles Chart at number four.[2] Taller in More Ways was re-released in early 2006 with re-recorded vocals by Berrabah. Because of the hastiness of the replacement, she could only re-record vocals for half the album.[7] She also contributed the song, "Now You're Gone" to the new tracklisting. They performed the 2007 Comic Relief single with fellow girlband, Girls Aloud, "Walk This Way",[8] which went to number one.[9] On 28 April 2007, Berrabah was arrested over allegations that she had assaulted a girl on the dancefloor in a club.[2][3] No charges were brought.[5]

Berrabah performing live in 2011 as part of the Sugababes

The first single from their album Change, the Dr. Luke produced "About You Now", topped the UK singles chart for four weeks. In October 2007, Change became the group's second UK Albums Chart number one, giving the group the top positions on the singles and albums charts simultaneously.[3] Berrabah was credited with co-writing five songs on the album. Berrabah was arrested again on 10 January 2008 on suspicion of causing criminal damage and a public order offence. The arrest was made in connection with an alleged attack on a car in her hometown of Aldershot on 9 January 2008.[3] The charges were quickly dropped when it was revealed that she was not even in town at the time.[5] Despite announcing a break after the Change tour, the group quickly began working on Catfights and Spotlights, which was released in late 2008 and became their lowest charting album at the time. After the commercial disappointment of Catfights and Spotlights, the group began working on a new album, Sweet 7, signing with Roc Nation and working with their in-house producers in the US.[10] Berrabah was also featured on "Never Leave You" by Tinchy Stryder in 2009, the single debuted at number one in the UK.[11] Prior to shooting the video for the second single, RedOne production "About a Girl", Berrabah was rumoured to have left the group. She had missed two engagements promoting the album. It was later revealed that in fact Buchanan had been removed due to disagreements with Berrabah and Range, and replaced by Jade Ewen. Berrabah and Range had earlier quit the band claiming that they could not work with Buchanan any more, their management then retained them and removed Buchanan instead.[12][13] Following these events, Berrabah checked into a European health clinic for a three-week stay, citing "severe nervous exhaustion".[14] Sweet 7 was released in early 2010 after multiple delays from late 2009. It charted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart.[15]

The Sugababes began recording a new studio album soon after,[16] leaving Island Records for a distribution deal with RCA Records in 2011.[17] The planned first single, "Freedom" was released for free in August after it failed to gain any traction in airplay. A few months after the release, Range explained that the Sugababes were taking a break while they pursued individual endeavours.[18]

2012–present: Debut solo album

Berrabah began working on solo material in 2011 with producer Pete Kirtley, who had previously produced her co-writing contribution, "Now You're Gone" from Taller in More Ways[19] and material by Boo2. A clip of the song "God Won't Save You Now" was posted to the Soundcloud account of Kirtley and fellow producer Sacha Collisson, who are collectively known as D-B-X.[20] The full song leaked a few weeks later. Berrabah was featured on the song "Ordinary Me" by rapper Mr. Bigz on the latter's mixtape The Bigz Bang Theory in late 2012.[21] In January 2012, Amelle confirmed she'd been working on a solo album.[22] On 6 March 2012, it was reported Berrabah had went to LA to record new material for the album.[23][24] In July 2012, Amelle revealed her debut solo single would be released on the first week of September[25], but was cancelled for unknown reasons.

Discography

See also: Sugababes discography

Singles

Year Single Chart positions Album
UK
[11] 		IRE
[11] 		EU
[26]
2009 "Never Leave You" (with Tinchy Stryder) 1 2 5 Catch 22

Other appearances

List of guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
Title Year Other performer(s) Album Ref.
"Til the End" 2010 Tinchy Stryder Third Strike [27]

Music videos

List of featured music videos, showing year released and director
Title Year Director(s) Ref.
"Never Leave You"
(with Tinchy Stryder) 		2009 Emil Nava [28]

References

  1. ^ a b c Aldershot’s Amelle is the new Sugababe, S&B media, 29 December 2005, retrieved 5 November 2009
  2. ^ a b c Swash, Rosie (30 April 2007), Sugababes star arrested on assault charge, Guardian News and Media Limited, retrieved 5 November 2009
  3. ^ a b c d Silverstein, Adam (11 January 2008), Sugababe Amelle Berrabah arrested, Guardian News and Media Limited, retrieved 5 November 2009
  4. ^ "Amelle Berrabah in the spotlight". Gulf News. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
  5. ^ a b c Salmon, Chris (17 March 2008), We're the biggest ..., Guardian News and Media Limited, retrieved 5 November 2009
  6. ^ Bowdler, Neil (30 March 2010), Sugababe Amelle talks of cancer loss, BBC, archived from the original on 2 April 2010, retrieved 3 April 2010 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b c d Williams, Andrew (6 March 2006), 60 SECONDS: Amelle Berrabah, retrieved 5 November 2009
  8. ^ Girl groups get red noses rolling, BBC, 31 January 2007, retrieved 5 November 2009
  9. ^ Sugababes vs Girls Aloud – Walk This Way, The Official UK Charts Company, retrieved 29 November 2009 [dead link]
  10. ^ "Music – News – Sugababes 'sign up to Jay-Z label' – Digital Spy". Digital Spy<!. 27 April 2009. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ a b c Tinchy Stryder and Amelle Berrabah – Never Leave You, αCharts.us, retrieved 28 January 2010
  12. ^ Dee, Johnny (22 September 2009), Sugababes: so do they still exist or not?, Guardian News and Media Limited, retrieved 5 November 2009
  13. ^ Michaels, Sean (22 September 2009), Sugababes' Keisha sacked from band, Guardian News and Media Limited, retrieved 5 November 2009
  14. ^ Jonze, Tim (16 October 2009), Sugababes' Amelle suffering from 'severe nervous exhaustion', Guardian News and Media Limited, archived from the original on 19 October 2009, retrieved 5 November 2009 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "Music – News – Lady GaGa reclaims UK album top spot". Digital Spy. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  16. ^ "Music – News – Sugababes begin work on new album". Digital Spy. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 24 April 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ "Sugababes Sign To Sony RCA". Media Essentials. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  18. ^ http://www.itn.co.uk/home/36182/Heidi+Range+27Sugababes+have+not+split27
  19. ^ "4Music – News – General – Has Sugababes' Amelle gone solo?". 4Music. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
  20. ^ http://soundcloud.com/d-b-x/dbx-ft-amelle-god-wont-save-u
  21. ^ https://twitter.com/MrBigzOfficial/status/276159982918057985
  22. ^ "Amelle Berrabah is working on solo record". Popjustice. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  23. ^ "Amelle Berrabah enjoys workout". The Sun. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  24. ^ "Amelle Berrabah shows off her washboard stomach in a crop top as she maintains her slim figure on a morning hike". Daily Mail. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  25. ^ "Amelle Berrabah talks debut album, Sugababes, Little Mix, Stooshe & Parade". Maximum Pop. July 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ "Amelle Berrabah > Album & Song Chart History > European Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  27. ^ "iTunes Preview > "Til the End" – Third Strike > Tinchy Stryder & Amelle". iTunes. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  28. ^ Tinchy Stryder feat Amelle’s Never Leave You by Emil Nava. www.promonews.tv. Wednesday, 22 July 2009. Retrieved Wednesday, 2 November 2011.

External links

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