Babyface Signs With Capitol, New Album Features Ella Mai, Ari Lennox, More
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Legendary hitmaker and 12-time Grammy winner Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds has signed with Capitol Records, the company announced Tuesday. His first project for the label will be “Girls’ Night Out,” which is described as “a sonic journey through love, heartbreak and all of the emotions in between” and features a number of top young female R&B singers, including Ella Mai, Queen Naija, Ari Lennox, Kehlani, Doechii and others. (Pictured left to right: Ray Alba, Senior Vice President, Marketing, CMG; Rika Tischendorf, Babyface Entertainment; Babyface; Michelle Jubelirer, Chair & CEO, CMG; Chris Turner, Senior Director, A&R, CMG.)
Produced by Babyface and co-produced by Rika Tischendorf, the album is scheduled for an October 29 release; Babyface and Ella Mai performed its first single, “Keeps On Fallin,’” on the BET Awards Sunday night.
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“I am extremely honored and humbled to be signing to a legacy label like Capitol. They have welcomed me with open arms and treat me like family. And, in the end, that is what it’s all about – doing what you love with people who have the same love for music as you do,” said Babyface. “I am very excited about the upcoming album and everyone on it. The process for it reminded me of when I did Waiting to Exhale and I’m excited for the world to hear.”
Michelle Jubelirer, Chair & CEO, Capitol Music Group, said, “Babyface’s return to the studio is long overdue, and I couldn’t be happier that he’s chosen Capitol as the home for such a wonderful new album. To hear his one-of-a-kind voice paired with some of music’s most impressive female artists is a joy that we can’t wait to share.”
A hitmaker for nearly 40 years and co-founder of LaFace Records, Babyface has produced and written 125 Top 10 hits, 42 No. 1 R&B hits and 16 No. 1 pop hits. Along with his 12 Grammy Awards, he is the only individual in Grammy history to be named Producer of the Year four times. He has written hits for Bobby Brown, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Faith Evans, Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Sheena Easton, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Eric Clapton, Whitney Houston, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Karyn White, the Whispers, Pebbles, Johnny Gill, Tevin Campbell, and many others.
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