Amy Diamond
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Amy Diamond | |
|---|---|
 Performing live in Norrköping in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Amy Linnéa |
| Born | April 15, 1992 Norrköping, Sweden |
| Origin | Jönköping, Sweden |
| Genre(s) | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 2005 - present |
| Label(s) | Bonnier Amigo Music Group |
| Website | www.amydiamond.se |
Amy Diamond (born on April 15, 1992) is a Swedish pop singer. She is known for her debut single "What's in It for Me" which was released when she was 12 years old. The song was a 2005 hit in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. It was the most-played song in Poland that year; it remained in the top ten for four months. Diamond has released three albums and performed on television.[1][2]
To date, her biggest hits have been "What's in it for Me", "Welcome to the City","Champion", "Shooting Star", "Don't Cry Your Heart Out","It Can Only Get Better" and most recently "Thank You".
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Diamond was born April 15, 1992, in Norrköping, Sweden. She is the second child of an English father, Lee, and a Swedish mother, Chrisbeth. Soon after her birth, the family moved to England.[3] The family moved back to Sweden when she was four-and-a-half years old, this time to Jönköping, where she learned Swedish. Diamond still lives there with her two younger sisters, Lisa and Holly, and an older sister, Danielle.[4][5]
Diamond started figure skating at age six and won multiple gold medals. She practiced six times a week before embarking on her singing career.[1][6] She went to a dance and theater school called Blandgodis, and participated in theater and TV productions which gave her experience in public performing.[5] She also appeared in a small television role on the show De drabbade.
Diamond has loved singing since she was two years old.[4] One of her first public performances was at age seven on the talent show Småstjärnorna. She dressed as Belinda Carlisle and lip synced to "Heaven is a Place on Earth", finishing third in the competition.[7] In 2004, she participated in talent competitions such as Minimelodifestivalen in Jönköping and Swedish TV4's Super Troupers, winning most of them. On Mix Megapol Summer Idol Diamond won the main prize: to record a song in a real studio. During recording, she was offered a commercial recording contract.[8] Soon after, Diamond recorded her debut single "What's in It for Me". Markus Sepehrmanesh, one of the songwriters for her albums, said in an interview that she sang perfectly.[6] "What's in It for Me" was recorded in ninety minutes and the single was released the following February.[6]
[edit] Success as a singer
"What's in It for Me" was a commercial success, although some Swedish TV stations refused to show the music video, arguing that Diamond was too young for the song's theme about adult relationships.[3] Amy, though, didn't see the theme as an adult relationship - in her eyes it was relationships between friends. Nevertheless, the song received extensive radio airplay while she simultaneously went on tour with Elin Lanto.[9] "What's in It for Me" reached number one on the Swedish singles chart in March and eventually went platinum.[1]
Before long, Diamond appeared on Swedish TV4 and used her artist name for the first time. Although she sang to a pre-recorded backing track in the studio, on the program she sang her single and Alicia Keys' song "If I Ain't Got You" while accompanied by a live band. The band included a drummer, guitarist, bassist, background singer and a keyboard player, who also sang backgrounds.[10]
Due to the success of the single, a full album was commissioned, and This Is Me Now was released in May 2005. The album sold more than 150,000 copies, which was triple the requirement for gold record certification in Sweden at the time. The success led to television appearances, such as on the weekly chart show Trackslistan and on the children's competition show Vi i femman. By the end of 2005, she had appeared live on more than 20 television shows. A concert tour in Sweden was organized for her in the summer, and some of the shows were also televised.[11]
Although Diamond's fans are typically school children, the album cannot be described as children's music.[12] The style of This Is Me Now is mainly happy pop music with synthesizer backgrounds, but it includes the theme song "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie and a live recording of the song "If I Ain't Got You". The songs in the album were made by the producer team Tysper (Tommy Tysper), Mack (Marcus Sepehrmanesh) and Grizzly (Gustav Jonsson), who are all from Stockholm. They form the core of the production company TEN Production and have produced successful pop tracks before working with Diamond. Other Ten Production songs seeing popularity were performed by the A Teens and Helena Paparizou. Diamond's albums were published through Bonnier Amigo Music Group.[13][14]
Diamond is a talented live singer and sings without a playback tape in her public performances. Her debut album included a live version of Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You", which was described in a review as "sweet and impressive at the same time".[15] The judges characterized her singing voice as secure and balanced, and also said that she sang the song better than the original singer (Shakira) in Super Troupers, where she reached the final by singing Shakira's song "Underneath Your Clothes" at twelve years of age.[6] A review in Svenska Dagbladet described her voice as fine and secure, and her record label advertised it as "shining and characteristic".[1]
[edit] Outside Sweden
Diamond signed a distribution deal with Warner in July in order to to promote the album internationally. She never appeared with her band again, instead performing with a background track and dancers. The album became popular also in other Nordic countries and Poland during the following summer, and "What's In It for Me" was heard frequently on the radio, becoming the 19th most played song of 2005 in Finland.[16] More singles followed from the album: "Welcome to the City" and "Champion" were released in the summer. A special edition of the album was released for the Central European market. It contained two previously-unreleased songs which would later appear on Still Me Still Now.
Diamond was sent on a promotional tour throughout Central Europe in late 2005. Her record deal allowed the whole family to travel with her whenever the concerts were abroad.[4] Therefore, her family appeared on television in Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Diamond was nominated for several awards in 2005. At 13, she was the youngest person in history to receive the Nordic Music Award for the best Nordic hit "What's in It for Me".[17] Further, she is the youngest artist to receive two simultaneous NRJ Radio Awards and the youngest to be nominated for the Swedish Grammy Awards.[1] At the Grammy Awards, she won Best Swedish Female Artist, Song of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year. Diamond received a Nickelodeon award for Hit of the Year, and had nominations for the Swedish Rockbjörnen.[18]
[edit] Second album
Diamond started recording her second album in February 2006. Her producers sent her songs and she chose which ones she wanted included on the album. The album was recorded over four weekends at a pace of two to three songs per weekend.[19] The album Still Me Still Now was published in May and the first single "Don't Cry Your Heart Out" was released a couple of weeks prior to the general album distribution.[20]
Although not much was heard from her in the spring, the second album was highly anticipated. Two days before the announced release date, she was interviewed on the morning talk show Nyhetsmorgon on TV4. The host surprised Diamond by handing her a gold record for the album; it had already sold enough copies on pre-orders alone to be certified.[21] "Don't Cry Your Heart Out" was a radio hit in Sweden, but not elsewhere.
Still Me Still Now continued in the same style as the previous album, being mostly light-pop music. "Don't Cry Your Heart Out" was radio-friendly pop, but songs such as "Diamonds" and "No Regrets" were arranged in a style reminiscent of musicals.[22] Some reviews wondered about the song selections, but Diamond's voice was praised nevertheless.[citation needed] The selected songs were alleged by some to be unsuitable for Diamond and her audience, but on the other hand her potential was appreciated.[23][24]
In mid-2006, Diamond took part in the Diggiloo tour, where she performed, among other songs, Edith Piaf's "Je ne regrette rien". Although Still Me Still Now wasn't as big a success outside Sweden as This Is Me Now, it was still popular in her home country. She also held concerts beyond the Diggiloo tour; readers of the largest evening newspaper, Aftonbladet, voted her 2006 Summer Tour Queen. Diamond released two more singles in late 2006, Big Guns and It Can Only Get Better, and continued to appear on television, including appearances on prime-time shows such as Sommarkrysset, Gokväll, and Vinterkrysset. In January 2007, Amy Diamond started a fan club that publishes a quarterly fan magazine called Amy Diamond Fanzine. Lastly, in September 2007 she sang on Elvis - The Original Cast.[25]
[edit] Third Album
Throughout the second half of 2007, Diamond recorded her third album called "Music in Motion". The album contains tracks done by some renowned producers such as Max Martin and Alexander Kronlund, who have worked with for example Britney Spears.
Diamond's first single called "Is It Love?" from the new album was released on September 26, 2007. Additionally, she has performed her new song on some TV-shows like "Bobster", "Bingolotto" and has even won "Best Female Artist" at "Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards".
Diamond's new album Music in Motion was released on November 28, 2007 and her second single "Stay My Baby" (from the new album), written by Max Martin and Tommy Tysper, was released on November 23. In the beginning of December 2007, Diamond began autograph sessions in Sweden.
Diamond entered Melodifestivalen, the Swedish selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, in February 2008. Her song was called "Thank You",[26] and it earned her a 8th place in the final round.[27] The song was later included on the re-release of her album, entitled Music in Motion - Gold Edition.
[edit] Fourth Album
Amy is also currently working on a fourth album, title and release date are unknown but we do know that this album will also be released in the USA. And Amy Diamond will do a tour in the US to promote this new album and possibly her other ones as well.[source needed]
[edit] Life outside music
Diamond keeps her private life separate from her singing career. She wants her real surname to remain unknown to the public. She took on her stage name, Amy Diamond, when she released her first single "What's in It for Me". She has said that she chose Diamond because it's her birthstone.[28]
Despite her singing career, she goes to school and only rarely misses a day.[4] According to her, there are promotional jobs only every now and then and most are on weekends. If there are gigs on the weekdays, she does the schoolwork as homework. She has mentioned in interviews that for example math, PE and soing is her favorite subjects in school. She regards her education as important, as it will allow her to do something else if the music doesn't work out or if she doesn't want to sing anymore; she has said that she wants to sing as long as it is fun. She has mentioned hairdressing as her future dream hobby.[4] Despite her gigs, she has time to have holidays and she says the entertainment business hasn't been harsh on her. Her manager-father deals with the business side, and her parents support her in her career.[3]
In 2006, Diamond received requests to do print modeling and television work in addition to her musical career. She appeared in a mail-order catalogue for Ellos, and did promotional work for Statoil and the sport store chain Stadium.[29] In December, she appeared as an ice princess in the Swedish Christmas series Lassemajas detektivbyrå.[30] The show let her demonstrate her figure skating skills, which were left unused since her music career took off.
In 2008, The Jewellery Company Tussilagosmycken decided to launch a Diamond-Jewellery called Amy's Diamond. The jewellery is made out of silver and has a diamond in the middle , and Amy's autograph on the back. The Jewelery did get launch in May 2008.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
- This Is Me Now (2005) (#2 SWE)
- This Is Me Now International version (2005)
- Still Me Still Now (2006) (#2 SWE)
- Music in Motion (2007) (#8 SWE)
- Music in Motion Gold Edition (2008) (#3 SWE)
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWE | |||
| 2005 | "What's in It for Me" | 1 | This is Me Now |
| "Welcome to the City" | 3 | ||
| "Shooting Star" | — | ||
| 2006 | "Don't Cry Your Heart Out" | 2 | Still Me Still Now |
| "Big Guns" | 23 | ||
| "It Can Only Get Better" | 19 | ||
| 2007 | "Is It Love?" | 9 | Music in Motion |
| "Stay My Baby" | 4 | ||
| 2008 | "Thank You" | 8 | Music in Motion Gold Edition |
| Preceded by "Axel F" by Crazy Frog |
Norwegian VG-lista number-one single: What's In It For Me (first run) 31 August 2005 – 7 September 2005 |
Succeeded by "Just A Minute" by Venke Knutson |
| Preceded by "Just A Minute" by Venke Knutson |
Norwegian VG-lista number-one single: What's In It For Me (second run) 12 September 2005 – 21 September 2005 |
Succeeded by "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt |
[edit] Filmography
- De drabbade (2002)
- Lassemajas detektivbyrå (2006)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Artister och musik - Amy Diamond. Bonnier Amigo. Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
- ^ Amy Diamond - What's In It For Me. swedishcharts.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
- ^ a b c Nu ska Amy vinna världen. Aftonbladet. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ a b c d e Interview in Bettina S. talk show on March 6, 2006, Finnish FST.
- ^ a b Amy Diamond -Still Me Still Now. amydiamond.se. Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
- ^ a b c d News report on Swedish TV4. February 17, 2005.
- ^ Småstjärnorna, Swedish TV4 (2000).
- ^ Fan chat with Amy Diamond on February 4, 2007.
- ^ Elin Lanto & Amy Diamond åker på Signeringsturné!. amydiamond.se. Retrieved on 2007-06-14.
- ^ Television show Nyhetsmorgon, Swedish TV4, February 16, 2005.
- ^ Amy succé i TV. amydiamond.se. Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
- ^ ARBETARBLADET - På Gång/Nöje
- ^ Songwriters and producers. TEN songs/productions. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Tysper/Mack/Grizzly Discography. TEN songs/productions. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Amy Diamond This is me now. Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Green Day viime vuoden soitetuin. iltalehti.fi. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
- ^ Nordic Music Awards 2005 on Danish TV2.
- ^ Diamond - yngst på galan. expressen.se. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
- ^ Interview in Gomorron Sverige, 2006-06-19, SVT1
- ^ Inspelning av nya albumet. amydiamond.se. Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
- ^ Interview with Amy Diamond in Nyhetsmorgon May 22, 2006, Swedish TV4.
- ^ Amy Diamond, "Still Me Still Now". Burlee. Retrieved on 2007-06-17.
- ^ Amy Diamond Still Me Still Now. Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Amy Diamond. Arbetarbladet. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Elvis ersättare: Amy. Expressen. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
- ^ ESCtoday.com (15 January 2008). Carola and Andreas unite. Retrieved on 16 January 2008.
- ^ 15 år och redan på toppen av karriären. Piteå-Tidningen. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
- ^ 12-åriga Amy ett äkta stjärnskott. Östgöta Correspondenten. Retrieved on 2007-06-26.
- ^ Amy Diamond - Stadiums nya ansikte. www.resume.se. Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
- ^ Lassemajas detektivbyrå Dec 2006, Swedish SVT1.
[edit] External links
- 1st Official Site (Swedish)
- Amy Diamond at the Internet Movie Database
- Amy-Diamond.net - Fan site (English)
- Amy Diamond Online - Super Fan Site (Swedish + English)
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Diamond, Amy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Child singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 15, 1992 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Norrköping, Sweden |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
