New single, "When It Hurts" breaking inside Top 40 Urban this week - video directed by Bille Woodruff will premiere in the weeks ahead
5th career album in eight years marks new beginning after four albums on Magic Johnson Music label: My Thoughts (2000, with #1 "Separated), Ecstasy (2002), Private Room (2003), and Director (2006)
"It's a song about the basics of love… in any relationship there's going to be someone getting hurt. So, in the song I say to the woman that when it hurts will we still be the same two lovers? If you hurt me how can I get over it or how will you? The nature of the song is asking, can we get past the pain and still be with each other?"
- Avant, on his new single, "When It Hurts"
(New York, NY) Platinum-selling #1 R&B artist Avant takes his work seriously, which is why - in the midst of the most politically-charged year in recent memory, even as his debut single on Capitol Records, "When It Hurts" began to bullet its way inside the Top 40 on the BDS and Mediabase Urban charts - he accepted a mission to bring his exciting live show halfway across the globe to perform for U.S. troops at a number of military bases in Iraq.
Back home from the life-changing experience overseas (which was successfully carried out by AKA Productions), he is now dedicating the weeks and months ahead to the October 28th release of AVANT, his self-titled Capitol debut album. The album's first single, "When It Hurts" was produced by Anonymous (aka Eric Dawkins) and Antonio Dixon (known for his work with Fantasia). Other standout tracks include "Attention" (a collaboration with old friend Snoop Dogg), and an understated, languid rendition of Christopher Cross's multiple Grammy winning "Sailing" from 1980, one of Avant's favorite songs while growing up.
The video for "When It Hurts" was shot two weeks ago by veteran director Bille Woodruff, whose most recent credits include "Feeling You" (3LW & Jermaine Dupri), "Just Came Here To Chill" (Isley Brothers), "Take Me As I Am" (Mary J. Blige), and "Where You At" (Joe), to name a few. Premiere date for the video will be announced shortly. Meanwhile, "When It Hurts" can be heard in its entirety at http://www.myspace.com/avant, his MySpace site, where it has logged over 122,000 plays since it was released on July 14th. The website has become an Internet phenom over the past two years, amassing over 15.3 million total plays, and more than 10.7 million profile views, with over 221,000 friends signed on.
In addition to Anonymous and Dixon, AVANT - two and a half years in the making - gathers the talents of some of today's hottest and most innovative producers. Among them are Trackmasters (who have worked with LL Cool J), the Architects (Missy Elliott), and Smurf aka Collipark (Soulja Boy). Avant's fifth career album also finds him branching out into studio production, complementing his track record as an established lyricist. "I feel like I know how to bring a hit of my own across," he says, discussing the relationship between composing and producing. "In some ways I think what separates me from the pack is the writing aspect. When you're able to write your own material you don't have to always be out there searching for a hit. I feel like I'm more in tune and in touch with my fans because I know what it is that they want from me. So I can just give all the glory to God for making me a creator."
Ohio native Avant burst on the scene eight years ago when, at age 22, he became the first artist signed to NBA legend Magic Johnson's Magic Johnson Music (Universal). His breakout debut album My Thoughts (May 2000) melded old school and new school romantic moods, and showed off influences ranging from the Isley Brothers to R. Kelly. The album's opening cut, "Separated," turned into a career-defining #1 R&B smash; it was followed by the Top 5 remake of "My First Love" (in which Avant dueted with Ketara Wyatt on the René and Angela ballad of 1983). The album was certified RIAA platinum and went on to sell more than 4 million worldwide.
Avant mined RIAA gold with his second album, Ecstasy (March 2002), which jumped out with another Top 10 R&B hit, "Makin' Good Love," followed by the sexy "Don't Say No, Just Say Yes." Private Room (December 2003) reached the RIAA gold plateau again, on the strength of another pair of R&B/pop crossovers, "Read Your Mind" (his first collaboration with Snoop Dogg) and "Don't Take Your Love Away."
Avant's most recent album (and his final entry under the MJM imprint) was 2006's Director, containing the Top 10 single, "4 Minutes." It also included the standout tracks "Lie About Us" (which paired Avant with the Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger) and "You Know What" (featuring Lil Wayne).
"I've never really had some sort of game plan when it comes to making my records," Avant sums up regarding his new album. "This time I really wanted to just get into the studio and make great music. Sometimes you can get trapped in a box. Put just in one certain area. That's not what I wanted. I love music and want to be able to do great music. Maybe some people might see that as a 'game plan,' but to me it's what I do."
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