Tiffany Affair

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Singing at a Nickelodeon Meeting for the "N" Network!!!!



This is us taking a break from rehearsals and just going crazy!!!



 



It happens every day in America. Girls head to elementary school and somewhere between math and recess they meet other students with similar hobbies. It’s less common that they’ll stay friends until high school graduation and almost inconceivable that they would stay tight, form a singing group, get signed to a major label and decide on urban pop domination as their mutual career path. Yet, this is exactly how life has played out for the three teenaged New Yorkers in the Tiffany Affair.



“At first, we were all competitive about singing and dancing and it was all about who was the best dancer or who could hit the highest note,” Ayanna, 18, admits. “We were all involved in musical theater, choir, dance groups, commercials and were always showing off. But as we got older, we realized we were actually stronger singing as a group and it was something we had fun doing together.”



“Our shared passion for music and being the center of attention helped us form a really strong bond,” Bianca, 18, says. “We began trying to write songs and doing choreography just for fun, but everyone would tell us how well our voices worked together, so we decided to form an official group.”



Ayanna, 18, adds that growing up in the era of Britney Spears, the Spice Girls, and Destiny’s Child encouraged them to go for it. “Watching singers and groups who weren’t that much older than us have hit songs and sell millions of records gave us hope. I knew we had good voices and that with practice we could be as good as them.”



Jer-z & Clay of Takeover Entertainment and Shawn Prez (Prezidential Entertainment) apparently agreed with the self-assessment when the threesome showed up at an open audition 3 years ago as they signed them up and immediately started working on polishing their sound which Ayanna describes as “a mix of the sophistication and vocal skills of Destiny’s Child and the fun and outgoingness of TLC” and songwriting skills. Influenced by Gwen Stefani, Boyz II Men, Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, and Christina Aguilera, they were paired hit-making producers including Jer-z & Clay (Notorious B.I.G., Diddy), and KayGee (Jaheim) and the result is Flavors, a fresh and fun assortment of R&B vocals, driving rhythmic productions, hip-hop beats, poppy choruses and soulful slow burners slated for a Spring 2007 release.



“We love our record because there is such a wide variety of stuff on there,” Gabrielle, 16, says. “There are songs guaranteed to get people up dancing and then there are slower-tempo songs about love and hard times. We’re constantly in the studio updating and creating so we have a lot to choose from. We’re addicted to recording because you can let out all your emotions in the booth. It’s a great release.”



This fondness for recording also explains why part of the group’s name was inspired by the first studio they worked in — an old factory where Tiffany jewelry was crafted on Tiffany Blvd.



The first track that has gotten fans to stand up and take notice is the club joint “Start A Fire,” which was produced by Stargate (the Norwegian team behind Ne-Yo’s chart-topper “So Sick”) and which features a guest rap by Jazzy Phae protg Jody Breeze. “Jody adds a dirty South flavor to our very New York song and I think it will go over well with guys,” Bianca says. “We are learning so much from working with other artists and big-time producers. Of course, if a song ain’t hot, no one will want to listen no matter whose name is on it so we always have to bring it.”



Then there’s the second single, “Over It,” which Bianca says is about overcoming heartbreak and holding onto the pain. “It’s saying, ‘we’re not dwelling on it. We’re past the crying stage and we’re not letting it get the best of us anymore,’” she says. “We’ve all had boyfriends didn’t appreciate what smart, beautiful women they had,” Gabrielle says. “So, we think other young ladies will relate to it, because many of them, like us, weren’t always strong enough to put their foot down and stand up for themselves. But they’ll be able to when they’re finally over it.”



“I like the fact that the song promotes strength in young girls, but also gets you moving,” says Ayanna. Adds Bianca: “We’ve recorded a lot of sweet, sad love songs, but this one is different because it has a lot of attitude.”



On the title track, “Flavors,” each member wrote their own verse about their ideal guy. “Let The Rain Keep Falling” is another mid-tempo relationship song. Bianca describes “Boy” as a “happy song with a pop feel.” Then there’s “Whatcha Gonna Do About It,” which Bianca says asks the following question: “If you give someone your love, will they take advantage of it or embrace it and love you back the way you deserve? We even have an angry song about boys. I guess we have boys on our minds like most teen girls. We’re singing about what we know — boy trouble, hanging out with friends, growing up, partying, dancing.”



Not that there’s time for much of any of those things lately. Between full-time school, homework, recording, four-hour dance rehearsals, and all the other details that need tending to in order to launch a band, the girls miss their fair share of teen traditions like school dances, mall stops, and parties. “Our schedule is crazy busy, so we can’t ever plan anything,” Gabrielle says. “It can be a bummer to have to miss a friend’s party because you have to spend another couple of hours working, but it would all be worth it if we get invited to the Grammy’s next year. I bet those parties would make us quickly forget the high school stuff we skipped.”



All three girls agree that missing out on milestones like prom will all be worth it when their hard work pays off. “It is hard work and can get really stressful, but in the end we are committed to the group and we aren’t going to get anywhere without the effort,” Bianca says. “This is the choice we made and this is the career we want to have. We can relax when we’re old and after we’ve sold millions of records.”



It also helps that they don’t have to go through it alone. “These girls are like my sisters,” Gabrielle says. “I know they will always have my back no matter what we go up against or experience in this business. Of course we have little fights sometimes; that’s normal, we’re girls. But the fights never last. We’re very good about communicating and giving each other space. And when it’s all good, there is no other group of girls I’d rather celebrate with.”



A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MEMBERS OF TIFFANY AFFAIR



AYANNA: As the senior member of the group, it’s understandable that her biggest pet peeve is when people write off Tiffany Affair as just another teen pop project. “We are so much more than three young girls singing silly songs only kids will like. Everyone we work with constantly reminds us that we are part of an adult world so they don’t cater to or baby us. This is our job and we take this very seriously.” The self-described tomboy who loves sports, especially basketball, also looks at the fame game with mature realism. “There are no promises that this will work out or that it will even be what I want to do my whole life.” Her Plan B? “I’m trying to get as many classes under my belt before the record is finished and we go on tour. The world always needs a good doctor.”



BIANCA: She got her start at age three by copying her always-humming mother and mimicking what she heard in Disney films like The Little Mermaid. While she also served time in church and school choirs, Bianca excelled even more quickly at dancing and spent six years with the National Dance Institute. Now this native New Yorker can’t wait to skip town for shows and fan meet-and-greets. “I have grown this desire to see how different other places and cultures are. I want to see what life is like in other parts of the world. I’m the group’s optimist. I think I will keep people’s spirits up during long drives. I am always ready to live life to the fullest and try new things.” But not without her prize possession — her Sponge Bob Squarepants pillow. “It reminds me of home and I think it will be nice to take a piece of home on the road. It’s huggable and I love to hug.”



GABRIELLE: Gab, as her friends call her, is the group’s resident girly girl with a soft “Aaliyah-type voice. I love clothes and fashion and makeup.” She loves school but would rather be shopping (In fact, she was on her way to the mall when she first caught “Start A Fire” on the radio.) and hopes to one day to unleash her inner fashionista as a designer. “Music and dancing are my first passions, but I would love to go into fashion design and create my own clothes and purses. Maybe in the end I won’t have to choose between fashion and music because lots of singers have clothing lines now. Gwen Stefani is one of my role models.”



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