Songoftheday 6/14/21 - Now as I look around what do I see, everybody wants to try to get to know me baby...

 

 

"Nobody Else" - Tyrese

from the album Tyrese (1998)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #36 (three weeks)

Weeks in the Top-40: 3

 

Today's song of the day comes from Tyrese Gibson, who grew up in Los Angeles, California. He recorded a jingle for Coca-Cola while still in school, and modeled for a few big clothing brands before being signed as a recording artist to RCA Records. Dropping his surname for his music, Tyrese released his debut single "Nobody Else" in the summer of 1998. Written by the singer and producer Joe Carter along with Lionel Job, Joe Sayles, and Kevin Scott, the mid-tempo jam rides a groove that definitely takes inspiration from Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope album, and while the lyrics are the usual lovesong tropes heard a lot this decade, Tyrese's just gruff enough voice sells it, and extra points for not contracting an outside rapper and handling the rap bridge himself. And BET and MTV were a sure thing for this strikingly handsome artist...

"Nobody Else" became Tyrese's first top-40 pop hit in September of 1998. The song also climbed to #12 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart. Internationally, the single was a minor hit in the UK at #59. His self-titled debut album, released in September as the hit was peaking, crested at #17 on the Billboard 200 sales chart in America, and #6 on the R&B Albums list, going on to sell over a million copies. He will be back on this series. 

(6/10)

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And here's Tyrese performing live at the Apollo...

Up tomorrow: Charleston-born singer/songwriter makes a vow.