 | Thisbiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Allure" group – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Allure | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Long Island,New York, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
Allure is an AmericanNew York-basedR&Bgirl group that formed in the 1990s as aquartet. Now a trio, they are best known for their hit single "All Cried Out" with112, which reached No. 4 on theBillboard Hot 100. The group's original line-up comprised Alia Davis, Lalisha Sanders, Akissa Mendez and Linnie Belcher, Belcher left the group in 2001.[1]
Formed inLong Island, New York, the group originally consisted of Alia Davis, Akissa Mendez, Lalisha McClean and Linnie Belcher. Alia, Akissa, and Lalisha were attending theFiorello H. LaGuardia High School inNew York City when they decided to become a girl group. They added Linnie Belcher, who was attending theJulia Richman High School at the time. For the next two years, the girls rehearsed and found management connections which brought them to the attention of Poke (from production team Track Masters). Poke worked with the girls and signed them to Track Masters under the name 'Allure' and helped them sign withMariah Carey's labelCrave Records in 1997.[2]
Their debut single "Head Over Heels" (featuringNas) was released in February, becoming a hit and peaking at #35 on theBillboard Hot 100 and #20 on the US Rhythmic Top 40. It was soon followed by the single "No Question" featuringLL Cool J which gained some airplay, ahead of the release of their self-titled debut albumAllure on May 6, 1997. Their next single, a cover of "All Cried Out" featuring112 was released in August, and became their biggest hit to date, peaking at #4 on theBillboard Hot 100 and #9 on the R&B chart. With the success of the single, their album was certified gold by theRIAA, and a fourth single ("Last Chance", which was co-written by Carey) followed.[3]
In 1998, they appeared on the soundtrack album with50 Cent for the song “Let it be” for the movie ‘‘Woo’’.
In 1999, they released the single "You're the Only One For Me" from the hit 1999 filmRunaway Bride.
After the dissolution of Crave Records, Allure signed withMCA Records in 2000, issuing the single "Enjoy Yourself" which peaked at #50 on the Billboard R&B chart. Their sophomore albumSunny Days followed on November 13, 2001, and opened at #68 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart. A second single "Kool Wit Me" was pushed to radio, yet did not receive much support from the label.[4] Soon after, member Hem-Lee (aka Linnie Belcher) left the group and the group remained as a trio.
In 2002, they appeared in theTom Jones'Mr. Jones album, in the song "The Letter." The album was produced byWyclef Jean,Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis and Jones himself.
In 2004, they signed withNBA playerRon Artest's newly formed label, Tru Warier Records, distributed byLightyear Entertainment. Their third albumChapter III, in reference to their lineup change and being their third album, was released on November 23, 2004. It went unnoticed by the general public, although it did receive considerable press due to Ron Artest's suspension from theNBA that year. Two singles were released, 2004's "Uh Oh" featuringreggae artistElephant Man, and 2005's "I Think I'm In Love" featuringrapperJoe Budden. The album was subsequently released in the UK the following year, including a new track ("You Are The Man") and a remix of the single "Hate 2 Luv U".[5]
In 2008, Allure formed their own label, A.L.A. Recordings, and released their first EP,Patiently Waiting on November 1, 2008.[6] Their fourth album,Time's Up, followed on February 10, 2010.[2] The next year, Allure signed withMC Shan's label Bridge Works,[7] which has digital distribution with Interscope Records. In 2014, the group released a new single "Butterflies" featuringMC Shan.[8][9]
In 2018, the group announced work on a new album. The first single from the project, "I Do" was announced with a talent search for a female rapper to be included on the song.[10] The single, now titled "Like I Do" and featuring rapper Dejha B was released in November.[11] The song was written by Shanell Red Irving and Jonathan “JJ” Jennings and produced by Brook Brovaz.[12] The music video premiered on November 12.[13]
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | |||
| 1997 | Allure
| 108 | 23 |
|
| 2001 | Sunny Days
| – | 68 | |
| 2004 | Chapter III
| – | – | |
| 2010 | Time's Up
| – | – | |
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Patiently Waiting
|
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | AUS [14] | UK Singles Chart[15] | |||
| 1997 | "Head Over Heels"(featuringNas) | 35 | 17 | — | 18 | Allure |
| "No Question"(featuringLL Cool J) | — | — | — | — | ||
| "All Cried Out"(featuring112) | 4 | 9 | 11 | 12 | ||
| 1998 | "Last Chance" | — | — | — | — | |
| 1999 | "You're the Only One for Me" | — | — | — | — | Runaway Bride: Music from the Motion Picture |
| 1999 | "When the Shades Go Down" | — | — | — | — | The Best Man: Music from the Motion Picture |
| 2001 | "Enjoy Yourself" | — | 50 | — | — | Sunny Days |
| 2004 | "Hate 2 Luv U" | — | — | — | — | Chapter III |
| "Uh Oh"(featuringElephant Man) | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014 | "Butterflies" (featuringMC Shan) | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| 2018 | "Like I Do" (featuring Dejha B) | — | — | — | — | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
