New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ E1 Music) - R&B singer and songwriter
Vivian Green is set to release her long-awaited new album, "
Beautiful" on Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 on E1 Music. The title track, "
Beautiful" was No 1 most added at Urban AC radio last week with over 32 stations adding the record (beating out
Mariah Carey and Chrisette Michelle). The track is just outside the Urban AC top 20 and climbing fast.
In contrast to her first two albums, which were recorded in a variety of studios with multiple producers, Vivian approached the recording of "Beautiful" in a more intimate, organic manner. With the exception of "Save Me," which she cut with Jason Farmer (Keyshia Cole, Rihanna, Wyclef Jean) in the producer's seat, Vivian recorded the entire album with Grammy-nominated producer Anthony Bell, a longtime friend and collaborator who made key production contributions to her first two albums, and whose extensive resume also includes work with Jazmine Sullivan, Jewel, Musiq, Raheem DeVaughn and Jill Scott.
"It's the most fun I've ever had making a record," Vivian says of "Beautiful"'s birth cycle. "We worked in Anthony's studio, which is in his home, and it was a very relaxed, creative environment. If I wanted to sit down at the piano and start writing a song from scratch, like I did with 'Somewhere,' I could. The whole experience was very natural and comfortable, and I hope that you can hear that in the music."
Co-writing with Vivian on four of "Beautiful"'s songs was her younger brother Solomon Green, a budding rapper whom she'd been urging to branch out into songwriting. "I always felt he should diversify," she explains. "One day I brought him to the studio to write with me, and it was like, wow. It was awesome and rewarding to watch my baby brother blossom that way, and I'm really proud of him."
Green released her debut album, "A Love Story," in 2002. The album was certified Gold and featured the hits "Emotional Rollercoaster" and "Fanatic." She followed it up with her sophomore album, in 2005, "Vivian," which featured the hit singles, "Gotta Go, Gotta Leave (Tired)" and "I Like it But I Don't Need It." Green sold close to 800,000 between the two releases. Ms. Green also has a well-earned reputation as a riveting live performer, and has shared stages with such artists as Maxwell, Teena Marie, Betty Wright, Chaka Khan, Q-Tip, Anthony Hamilton, and Common.
Vivian portrayed Billie Holiday in the Cole Porter biopic "Delovely," and appeared in the ABC series "American Dreams" as Brenda Holloway, and performed Holloway's classic Motown song "Every Little Bit Hurts."
She also wrote "Dear God" for Boyz II Men for their platinum-selling album "Evolution" and wrote the music for David E. Talbert's popular all-star stage play "Love in the Nick of Tyme," which debuted in 2007.
