In 2013, Concord Samuels had a hand in govt and co-executive producing two albums, together with Fantasia’s Aspect Results of You and Ariana Grande’s Yours Actually.
Fantasia’s fourth album, which turned 10 final month, was launched that April and included the singles “Lose to Win” and the Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott-featured “With out Me.”
Grande’s debut album arrived practically 5 months later, in August 2013, with “The Method” that includes Mac Miller because the newly-announced lead single. She beforehand touted “Put Your Hearts Up” as the primary single till it was changed with the previous monitor.
Samuels produced “The Method” and co-wrote it with Sevyn Streeter, Al Sherrod Lambert, Malcolm McCormick and Jordin Sparks.
Sparks, winner of American Idol season six, was signed to Jive Data in partnership with 19 Recordings. Throughout her time with the label, she launched two albums: her self-titled debut in 2007 and Battlefield in 2009.
She was engaged on her third album in 2010, which was set to incorporate “The Method.” In a 2013 interview with That Grape Juice, Sparks confirmed that she wrote “The Method” about her and her then-boyfriend Jason Derulo.
“It was gonna go on my document and in some way her individuals heard it, she liked it, she lower it [and] she did an incredible job and it retains on rising [up the charts],” Sparks advised the correspondent about flexing her muscle as a songwriter.
Not solely was “The Method” meant to be included on Sparks’ third album, however the sound of Grande’s Yours Truly album was the path that Sparks was initially meant to take.
“Whereas I used to be doing that album for [Fantasia], I used to be engaged on these data for Ariana Grande, however they weren’t Ariana Grande data; they have been Jordin Sparks data,” Samuels solely tells Rated R&B when requested how working with Fantasia ready him for his work with Grande.
Samuels provides, “Jordin Sparks is the originator of these data and the blueprint behind who Ari is now. My imaginative and prescient was for Jordin to be that particular person.”
On the time, Jordin Sparks was signed to the RCA Data roster, following the defunct of Jive Data the place she was initially signed. J Data, LaFace, and Arista have been additionally absorbed on the similar time. The inner modifications made it difficult for Sparks and different artists to obtain the identical stage of help they have been used to.
Samuels reveals it was extra to the story. “Sadly, RCA didn’t see the worth in what I used to be producing for Jordin, and so they proceeded to go in a unique path,” he notes.
In December 2013, Sparks spoke with HuffPost Dwell and expressed her frustration with RCA Data delaying her third album.
“They’ve finished so many wonderful issues for me, so I don’t this to come back off like I hate them as a result of I don’t,” Sparks advised correspondent Ricky Camilleri. “It’s simply I’m a little bit bit pissed off as a result of I actually wish to put this music out for my followers and it’s actually good.”
Sparks even hinted that she had an album full; nonetheless, RCA allegedly didn’t have her allotted within the funds to launch one which 12 months suggesting she was busy selling Sparkle, the place she made her function movie debut alongside Whitney Houston.
Nonetheless, and not using a third album, Sparks parted methods with RCA Data and inked a brand new deal in 2014 with Salaam Remi’s imprint Louder Than Life together with Sony Music. Her long-awaited album, Proper Right here Proper Now, arrived a 12 months later and featured the two Chainz-assisted lead single “Double Faucet.”
In the meantime, “The Method,” which samples “A Little Little bit of Love” by Brenda Russell, reached No. 9 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 chart in June 2013. Since then, the music has been licensed 3x multi-platinum with over three million equal models bought.
Regardless of how issues turned out, Samuels appreciates Grande for believing in him and their artistic partnership for Yours Actually.
“Kudos to Ari. She did numerous work on that [album],” Samuels affirms. “She didn’t simply lower these data; she put Mac Miller on these data. She referred to as Massive Sean. She had these relationships. We labored extraordinarily arduous collectively. She deserves all of the success.”
Revisit Ariana Grande’s Yours Actually and Jordin Sparks’ Proper Right here Proper Now beneath.
