Jamelia is a British pop and R&B singer from Handsworth, Birmingham. Born Jamelia Davis in 1981, she begins her recording career as a teenager after signing to Parlophone at 15, following performances of self-written a cappella songs that attract record executives.

Early releases

Her first album, Drama, is released in 2000. Its most successful single is “Money”, which features guest vocals from Beenie Man and reaches the UK top 5. Around this period, she receives five MOBO Award nominations and wins one.

Break and return

Jamelia temporarily steps away from the music industry to have a daughter, Teja, in March 2001. While raising her child, she prepares a return to recording. In 2003 she releases her second album, Thank You, which reaches the UK top 5 and sells more than half a million copies.

The album includes “Superstar”, a cover of Christine Milton’s song, which becomes her fifth top 40 hit and brings her international success in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. It reaches number 1 in Australia and is certified platinum there. The follow-up single “Thank You” reaches number 2 in the UK, and “See It in a Boy’s Eyes”, co-written with Chris Martin of Coldplay, also enters the UK top 5.

Later work

In 2003 she wins three MOBO Awards, taking all the categories for which she is nominated. She is also nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. In 2004 she contributes to Band Aid 20’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, singing alongside Will Young. She also records “Stop”, a cover of Sam Brown’s song, as the theme for the second Bridget Jones film; it also goes top 10.

Her third album, Walk With Me, includes the singles “Something About You” and “Beware of the Dog”, the latter sampling Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus”.