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Jamelia Niela Davis (born 11 January 1981), known professionally as Jamelia, is an English R&B singer, songwriter and sometimes model and actress. She is also a four-time MOBO Award-winning and four time BRIT Award-nominated artist. She made her breakthrough with the single "Money" in 2000 and had her biggest hit in 2003, with the single "Superstar".
Jamelia was born in Smethwick, West Midlands to a Jamaican mother and a Zimbabwean father and raised in the Winson Green area of Birmingham. She was signed to Parlophone at the age of fifteen, after impressing record executives with self-written a cappella songs. Jamelia attended the The City Technology College in Kingshurst.
Jamelia began her music career by creating homemade songs and albums that she recorded on her karaoke machine and listened to on a walkman. When she was out listening to the walkman, her friend heard the self-written a capella songs and was extremely impressed. Luckily, she knew someone working at EMI and the company were informed of Jamelia and her talents. Eventually, she was offered a record deal and began recording her debut album 'Drama' in 2000. The album had moderate success in the UK, peaking at #39 and spawning four singles. The first, released shortly before the album, entitled "I Do", entered the UK Top 40 at #36. In 2000, the second single taken from Drama, "Money", was released. It proved to be Jamelia's breakthrough into the music industry and also featured guest vocals from Beenie Man. It peaked at #5 in the UK and won a MOBO Award for 'Best Video' in 2000. The album later spawned the successful follow-up single, "Call Me", and the final single, "Boy Next Door", which peaked just outside the UK Top 40.
After a short hiatus following the birth of her daughter Teja in 2001, Jamelia made plans for a comeback following the success of her debut album. In 2003, she released the single "Bout", which featured guest rapping from US R&B star Rah Digga. 'Bout' had mild success and peaked at #37 in the UK Singles Chart. Shortly after in September 2003, her second album Thank You was released and had a low debut peak of number #65 in the UK. However, Jamelia's next single, 'Superstar', a version of Danish singer Christine Milton's song was released and became her most successful single to date - especially in mainland Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The single shot to #1 in Australia and was certified Platinum. In the UK, the single peaked at #3 and became the 26th best selling single of 2003 - Jamelia's first appearance on the UK Official Singles Chart of The Year. After the release of "Superstar", the album's third single "Thank You" was released and became Jamelia's highest-charting single in the UK to date, peaking at #2, and also holding the number one position in Australia. The song was recognised for its warm, spiritual nature as it featured lyrics about Jamelia's past abusive relationship and the good, not bad, that came from it. Her album was later re-released after the release of the title track. The new album featured two new tracks - both of which later became singles, the Chris Martin-penned "See It in a Boy's Eyes" and R&B hit "DJ". This version was much more successful than the previous, peaking at #4 in the UK and being certified as Platinum. 'Thank You' has been Jamelia's most successful album to date, selling 425, 000 copies and becoming the 35th best selling album of 2004.
In July 2004, the album's fourth release, 'See It in A Boy's Eyes', written by Coldplay's Chris Martin, was released. It proved just how successful Jamelia was at the time, becoming the fourth Top 40 and hit and third top five from 'Thank You' in a row - peaking at #5 on the UK Singles Chart. It also won a MOBO Award for 'Best Video'. In the Summer of 2004, she collaborated with Italian singer Tiziano Ferro on "Universal Prayer" for the 2004 Olympic Games soundtrack. It became her first number one single in both Italy and Spain and the song was added to the international editions of Thank You.
In Autumn 2004, Jamelia was asked to contribute to the Band Aid 20's number-one single "Do They Know It's Christmas?". She sang on the release with the established soul singer Beverley Knight. At the same time, she released the theme song for the film Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, "Stop", a cover of Sam Brown's 1988 song, which became her fifth top ten hit in the UK as a double A-side with the aforementioned "DJ". The success of the project led Jamelia to win three MOBO Awards and she went on to receive three BRIT Award nominations in 2005.
On 21 October 2005, Jamelia gave birth to her second daughter, Tiani Byfield. Tiani's father is Millwall striker Darren Byfield, to whom she is engaged.
Jamelia returned to the spotlight in September 2006 with new single 'Something About You' and third studio album 'Walk With Me'. Collaborations on the album include Afrika Bambaataa, who was featured on and produced "Do Me Right", and Sway DaSafo, who was featured on "Hustle". The lead single was the R&B/Rock fusion 'Something About You' and was released on the 11 September 2006. The song became Jamelia's seventh top ten single, peaking at #9 on the UK Singles Chart. This was followed shortly by the album, amid good reviews, and upon its release 'Walk With Me' enetered the UK Albums Chart at #20. The second single taken from the album was "Beware of the Dog" and was released on the 4 December 2006. It features a sample from Depeche Mode's 1989 "Personal Jesus", and became the second top ten single from the album in the UK, and has also been nominated for the Popjustice Single of The Year, facing acts such as Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse and Girls Aloud. The third and final single from 'Walk With Me', entitled "No More", contains a sample from The Stranglers' 1981 "Golden Brown". Despite reaching the A List on Radio 2's playlist chart, the single had a low peak of #43 in the UK - only her second single with Parlophone Records not to reach the Top 40. Based on current sales, 'Walk With Me' has been certified as Gold in the UK, selling just over 100, 000 copies.
On 25 November 2006, Jamelia collapsed while filming a TV appearance in Spain. She was rushed back to the UK where she was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia before undergoing micro surgery at St Mary's Hospital.
On 23 April, it was announced that Jamelia had left Parlophone records, due to being unhappy at the way in which the label were managing her career following poor sales of her recent single "No More".
Most recently, Jamelia was due to appear at the May Ball of the University Of Wales, Aberystwyth, but withdrew at short notice, citing throat problems.
Parlophone Records announced that they will be releasing Jamelia's greatest hits album on 24 September 2007 titled Superstar - The Hits. The album is expected to contain most of her releases, from Drama's debut 'I Do', to her most recent release "No More". Despite there being no official tracklisting as yet, it is presumed that as Jamelia left Parlophone earlier this year that there will be no new singles on the CD, but Parlophone have yet to confirm this. Jamelia quotes: "It seems the right time to put out a Greatest Hits and have all the best tracks I've recorded from the past ten years on one album". So far the album has received mixed reviews from fans, some stating it a good idea, whilst others feel she has not released enough material to compile a 'Greatest Hits' album.
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