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Multi-platinum recording artist Taylor Dayne may call
her new album Satisfied, but the world-class performer
is anything but, as she prepares to release her first
studio album in almost 10 years on her own Intention Music
label, distributed by Warner Music Group's Adrenaline/ADA.
"The title is very tongue-in-cheek," she admits,
taking its name from her cover of U.K. blue-eyed soul
sensation Lewis Taylor's song of the same name. "There
are all kinds of love on this album: unrequited, damaged,
broken, hurtful, heart filled … It's all about asking
yourself, 'Are you sure this is where you want to be?
Are you happy with the choices you've made?'"
The New York-born artist's three albums for Arista Records,
Tell It To My Heart, Can't Fight Fate, and Soul Dancing,
produced twelve Top 20 singles, among them the chart-topping
"Love Will Lead You Back." "Tell It To
My Heart" sold more than 75 million albums and singles
worldwide, garnering three Grammy nominations along the
way. On her new album, Dayne co-wrote four of the songs,
including the first single, "Beautiful," with
Norwegian tunesmith Hitesh, as well as "Love Chain,"
"The Fall" and "Hymn."
"It was time to roll up my sleeves, get back into
the studio and show people I'm not done yet," she
laughs.
Other top-name producer/writers on Satisfied include
Mike Mangini (Baha Men, Digbable Planets, O-Town, Bruce
Hornsby, David Byrne), Peter Wade (Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna,
Natasha Bedingfield), and the New Radicals' Gregg Alexander
("You Get What You Give") & Rick Nowels
(Stevie Nicks, Madonna, k.d. lang, Nelly Furtado, Santana),
among others. There are also marvelously soulful covers
of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge,"
the Rolling Stones' "Fool to Cry" and Des'ree's
"Kissing You," from the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann's
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, reminiscent of her
hit version of Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of
Your Love."
"My job as an artist is to make sure that I make
the material I choose mine, by interpreting it my way,"
says Taylor.
The initial track, "Beautiful," was inspired
by a particular individual, she says, noting his name
can be detected in the lyrics. "It was someone I
was very infatuated with… and the song captured the glow
which resonates from that feeling."
Just don't call Satisfied a comeback because Taylor Dayne
has never really been away, even if the last five years
one of her chief roles has been as single mother to her
twin boy and girl.
The new album offers Dayne an opportunity to show off
the versatility of her amazing pipes, which have gotten
deeper, richer and more confident with age. She is equally
at home on soaring ballads like "Beautiful"
and the show-stopping "Hymn," both of which
she co-wrote, as she is with the Spector-meets-Heart rock
of "Crash," the come-hither sensuality of "Kissing
You," the dance-floor beat of "I'm Over My Head"
and the reggae rhythms of "She Don't Love You"
and "Dedicated."
"I've always had a very passionate and large voice,"
says Taylor, adding that she grew up on rock bands like
the Beatles, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Bad
Company. "But the moment I heard Al Green and Marvin
Gaye, it was all over."
She applies that sultry technique to her unique covers
of the Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge" and
the Stones' "Fool to Cry," taking both songs
back to their roots in soul and R&B.
"The songs on the album have come from everywhere,"
she says. "I went through tons of CD's with my A&R
team to choose material best suited for me. I knew the
songs had to come from a universal place, for it to resonate
with people. It's all about the song, which is something
I learned from Clive [Davis] when I first started. Finding
the right material is key, it should allow you to tell
your story, let your true voice come through and reach
people simultaneously."
With Satisfied, Taylor Dayne takes matters into her own
hands, following up her previous indie release, 1998's
personal Naked Without You, which produced the Top 10
Billboard Dance Music hits, "Whatever You Want"
and "Naked Without You."
It's the culmination of a period where she concentrated
on her acting, debuting in the film Love Affair with Warren
Beatty and Annette Bening, before going on to roles in
the hit TV series Rescue Me and Cold Case, as well as
the Tony Award-winning Elton John/Tim Rice Broadway musical
Aida. Her songs have also been included in the soundtracks
of the Robert DeNiro film Flawless (the #1 Billboard Hot
Dance Music smash "Planet Love") and the multi-platinum
Lizzy McGuire ("Supermodel"), among others.
"This is a very exciting time musically for me and
this record reflects that" she explains. It was great
to have the opportunity to create magic with some of the
producers and writers I have admired over the years. This
record has been a long time coming. We've put together
a great independent team that can rival any major. I'm
in great hands."
Of course, now that Satisfied has arrived, Dayne is raring
to get back out there and start performing these new songs
live for her devoted following.
"This is a rebirth for me," she says. "Call
it what you want, but I'm back. We've baked the bread.
Now it's time to eat it."
Taylor Dayne may not be Satisfied, but her fans certainly
will be with this welcome return.
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