Songoftheday 8/2/23 - So many things I'm going through so much that I wanna do, It's starting to become so clear to me tomorrow ain't really guaranteed ..

 
from the album All I Have (2002)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #23 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 6
 
Today's song comes from R&B singer Amerie, who came from a military family, born in Massachussetts and raised all over the world. While in Washington attending Georgetown University, she met producer Rich Harrison, who had worked previously with Mary J. Blige. With demos he collaborated with her on, Amerie was signed to Columbia Records. In 2001, she appeared on rapper and labelmate Nas on his single "Rule" from his Stillmatic album, which went to #67 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart. 

Amerie released her debut album All I Have in the summer of 2002, preceded by the single "Why Don't We Fall In Love". Written and produced by Harrison, the song has Amerie professing her devotion to her partner, and time's a-wasting, so let's seal the deal. It's straightforward, and not any more descriptive than they want it to be. It's the lush and jazzy production from Harrison that shines here, framing Amerie's voice as it flits around the groove and melody like a butterfly. It's a good summertime listen, and radio and the buying public agreed, giving Amerie her first hit...


"Why Don't We Fall In Love" reached the top-40 on Billboard's Hot 100 in August of 2002, while making it to #9 on their R&B Singles list. On the radio, the song reached #10 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, #39 on the older-skewing Adult R&B station list, and #15 on the dance/R&B-oriented Rhythmic format. Internationally, the single peaked at #40 in the United Kingdom. The All I Have album, released in July of that year, came in at #9 on the Billboard 200 sales tally, and #2 on the R&B Albums list, going on to sell over a half-million copies. 

A second single from the album, "Talkin' To Me", was a funky mid-tempo jam from Harrison, but while it climbed to #18 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart, it stopped right under the halfway mark on the Hot 100 at #51.(It nicked  Adult R&B chart at #38 and the Rhythmic Radio Airplay list at #40 as well). 

Amerie will be back to the series. 

(6/10)

(Click below to see the rest of the post)

A special remix for the single included rapper Ludacris on it...



Here's Amerie performing the song on Showtime At The Apollo in 2002...


And finally, the singer reprising her debut on the Soul Train Music Awards in 2021..

Up tomorrow: A multi-hyphenate artist and a former City High girl count missteps.


 

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