Gold single “Real Love” with it fashion forward video with Oscar winning director David Fincher which remains one of MTV’s Most Nominated Music Videos further establishing Jody Watley as a music and style Icon Trailblazer.
The groundbreaking “Friends” ft. Legendary® Eric B. & Rakim (the first R&B/HipHop/Pop/Dance collaboration to crossover Top 10 on multiple charts) and the poignant ballad “Everything”
Stream the album now with other Jody Watley releases at the digital platform of your choice!
The second platinum solo album featured Top 10 Singles “Real Love”, the groundbreaking “Friends” featuring Eric B & Rakim along with the ballad “Everything.” The 4 and final single was the mid-tempo “Precious Love.”
The album featured photography by legendary fashion photographer Steven Meisel and a change in the visual style and look to a more fashion forward aesthetic also incorporating designer looks with street style. T
The now classic “Real Love “ video directed by David Fincher remains one of the most nominated in MTV Awards history with 6.
“Friends” featuring Eric B & Rakim is the first original song pairing a Pop / R&B artist with Rap/Hip Hop verses to crossover into the Top 10 on multiple charts.
1989
Real Love (J. Watley, A. Cymone) Jody Watley Music BMI, Ultrawave ASCAP
# 2 Hot 100
# 1 Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles
# 1 Hot Dance Club Play
Friends featuring Eric B and Rakim (J. Watley, A. Cymone, Rakim, Eric B) Jody Watley Music BMI, Ultrawave ASCAP
Learn new inside facts and perspectives on my second solo album, life and more in my conversation with Shameika “Check The Rhymes TV”
It’s my pleasure to support independent woman and black women making it happen outside the machine. Kudos to Shameika as well, posed and knowledgeable and being prepared. It’s astounding how many interviews I’ve done where the writer had done little homework. My first interview with her was when I was honoree on Black Music Honors “Crossover Music Icon.”
Happy Anniversary to my sophomore solo album released March 25, 1989 :: featured the Top 10 hits “Real Love, “Friends” (ft Eric B. & Rakim ground breaker) “Everything” “Precious Love”
The title “Larger Than Life” remains a metaphor to dream big, do things larger than you can imagine, be memorable – be fabulous .. larger than life darling!
Albumism: Happy 30th Anniversary to Jody Watley’s Second Solo Album “Larger Than Life” Originally Released March 27, 1989 – Read it Here on Albumism
Happy Music Anniversary to my second solo album “Larger Than Life” featuring Top 10 singles “Real Love” the groundbreaking collaboration with Eric B & Rakim “Friends” the ballad “Everything” as well as the beautiful “Precious Love” :: The album cover with photography by legendary fashion Steven Meisel and Art Direction by Lynn Robb and I, is also in 1000 Album Covers published by Taschen.
Super awesome my second album “Larger Than Life” featuring the groundbreaking collaboration “Friends” ft. Eric B & Rakim, “Real Love” and the ballad “Everything” is amongst these great albums! When people tell you it can’t be done – prove them wrong, focus on your goals, always have a vision, work hard, pray and believe in yourself. Click to read the full list. Black Music Honors 2017 Crossover Music Icon Honoree
#TBT On The Cover of the UK Music Magazine Blues and Soul in 1989.
Celebrating 25 years of my second album. Most fans think of my solo debut as the breakthrough and it was – as well as being trendsetting in style and video. However my second album is the one that was really quietly the most pioneering and to me overshadowed. My infusion of high fashion, commercial ad campaigns and layouts – uncommon for any black artist at the time, and only by one other Madonna. ‘Larger Than Life’ ushered in a raised bar for other female artists that would follow. The pioneering “Friends” featuring Eric B & Rakim; the first to feature Pop/R&B/Hip-Hop 16 bar verses and crossing over R&B, Pop, Dance, Hip Hop – as well as a genre crossing video featuring transgender, drag queens, underground club culture, B-Boys and Girls, voguing and Jean Paul-Gaultier couture blended into a mix of high end and street chic as well as my highest charting ballad ‘Everything.” There was no press release to stir controversy and bring attention about the casting of the video – for me it wasn’t about that. Everyone in the video was real, friends of friends – not models or professionals. Tyrone Procter helped cast it. Eric B and Rakim called some of their friends. What I wanted to represent the types of clubs I liked dancing at full of of types of people united by the music and stepping out in style to get down on the dance floor. It was a real club scene in the west village on a hot summer afternoon in NYC. It went over the heads of a lot of people..my label didn’t know what to make of it, and weren’t happy with it – but let me do what I envisioned and I’m thankful.
I also found success overseas in the Japan, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom among others as well. It was always a challenge because I wasn’t the typical ‘urban black artist’ and was always in a struggle to shine on my own terms, remaining true to myself, wanting to have standards, authenticity to my artistry. 25 years later this is still true in everything I do whether on the commercial radar or not. It’s true no matter what your job or career is – be the best you.
“Real Love” which remains one of MTV’s Most Nominated Video’s and “Most of All” are featured on the Top 28 David Fincher video’s : HERE
