Blaque
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
| Website | www |
Blaque () is a female American music group known for charting singles from 1999 through 2004. Internationally, particularly outside the United States and Canada, they are recognized as Blaque Ivory. Their debut album, titled Blaque, achieved Platinum status with over one million copies sold. This record included the platinum-certified lead single "808", followed by the single "I Do", and the globally popular track "Bring It All to Me". In 1999, Billboard ranked Blaque as the fourth Best New Artist, while "Bring It All to Me" secured the 30th spot on the 2000 Year-End Chart.
Between 2002 and 2003, Blaque released three singles that did not achieve the same level of success: "Can't Get It Back", "Ugly", and "I'm Good"—the last of which was featured in the movie Honey. During the mid-to-late 2000s, the group worked on two albums that ultimately remained unreleased before disbanding in 2008. A reunion attempt in 2012 was tragically halted due to Natina Reed's accidental passing. Their planned third album, Torch, was eventually released in 2019 under Blaque/The Move Entertainment.
1994–1996: Formation and early years
In 1994, Shamari Fears established her initial girl group featuring rotating members, including her high school peer from Atlanta, Natina Reed. They connected with a producer who sought an urban country ensemble and named this four-member group Buutz. Reed departed after a year when her father, a reverend, expressed disapproval of her involvement in secular music. Subsequently, Fears teamed up with vocal coach and manager Cynnamyn Robinson, who replaced Reed and rebranded the group as Intrigue. Under Robinson's management, members received training in dance and acting alongside studio recording experience. In 1995, Brandi Williams joined at age twelve; however, Intrigue faced challenges securing a recording contract.
Following her parents’ divorce, Reed resumed her pursuit of secular music and met talent scout Ronald Lopes—brother of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. Lopes co-owned Blaque House production company and managed Reed, assigning her songwriting duties for his sister’s group TLC. To provide an outlet for Reed’s talents, Lopes formed a new girl group comprising Fears and Williams alongside Reed. This trio was named Blaque after Lopes’ company in 1996. Left Eye took on a mentorship role by organizing demo sessions and photo shoots. Within six months, Left Eye arranged an audition with Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola, resulting in Blaque signing with Columbia Records.
1997–2000: Debut album and rise to fame
Columbia Records expedited production of their debut album by coordinating sessions with multiple producers. Ultimately, Jean-Claude Olivier and Samuel Barnes of hip-hop duo Trackmasters served as executive producers alongside Left Eye and Cory Rooney. In 1997, Blaque made an appearance in Lil' Kim's "Not Tonight (Remix)" music video.
Their self-titled album reached number 23 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and climbed to number 53 on the Billboard 200, earning Platinum certification from RIAA. The lead single "808" peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and received Gold certification. The subsequent single "I Do" attained number 73 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart; its music video garnered an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Editing. The third single "Bring It All To Me", featuring JC Chasez, reached number five on the Hot 100 and dominated the Rhythmic charts for six consecutive weeks spanning late 1999 into early 2000.
During mid-1999, Blaque supported boy band 'N Sync on tour and later joined TLC during their FanMail Tour. In 2000, they appeared as cheerleaders in the film Bring It On and contributed "As If" to its soundtrack. Additionally, a remix of "Bring It All To Me" featuring rap verses by 50 Cent was included in the movie.
2001–2002: Blaque Out era
Despite their initial platinum success, Blaque’s sophomore album Blaque Out, scheduled for release in 2001, was shelved after Columbia Records dropped them for undisclosed reasons. The lead single "Can't Get It Back" had a music video planned but never premiered. Although the album leaked online, it saw an official digital release via iTunes in December 2011 following a short availability window in 2007. After Lopes tragically died in an automobile accident in April 2002, Blaque signed with Elektra Records and began work on a third studio project once Reed returned from maternity leave.
2005–2012: Attempts at reunion and loss of Reed
In 2005, Fears secured a deal with Darkchild Records while Williams pursued solo endeavors including a feature on Nelly’s hit "Grillz". Between 2005 and 2009, Blaque reunited intermittently to develop an album titled Private Show—initially called Beauty—but it never officially launched. Plans for a reality television series named Blaque In the House were also made but did not come to fruition. Four tracks were shared on YouTube prior to their disbandment.
On July 28, 2012, Blaque reunited at the Left Eye Music Festival near Atlanta performing their hit "808". They signed with manager Inga "Nandi" Willis to pursue new projects; however, tragedy struck when Reed died after being hit by a vehicle in October of that year, leading to the group's disbandment once more. Shortly thereafter, their song "Cut You Off" surfaced online without authorization.
2013–2019: Release of Torch and lineup developments
The anticipated third album Torch, which included collaborations with artists such as Missy Elliott, songwriter Linda Perry, and producer Rodney Jerkins, encountered multiple delays. Its lead single "Blackout" faced criticism for resembling 50 Cent's "In da Club". Initially slated for exclusive iTunes release in 2008 under Music World Entertainment managed by Mathew Knowles, the project was canceled. Knowles retains ownership rights over both Torch and Blaque Out. Ultimately, on May 31, 2019, Blaque independently issued Torch through Blaque/The Move Entertainment.
Other media appearances
Apart from their musical career, Reed, Fears, and Williams portrayed cheerleaders in the film Bring It On. Williams also made a cameo appearance as herself in the 2001 movie On the Line. Additionally, Blaque featured on Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes's international-exclusive track "Head to the Sky" from her solo album Supernova. In 2005, some of Fears's solo material leaked online.
Discography
Studio albums
- Blaque (1999)
- Blaque Out (2002)
- Torch (2019)
Tours
Headlining
- The Blaque Mall Tour (1999)
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 3 | Chicago | United States | River Oaks Center |
| May 5 | Boston | Square One Mall | |
| May 6 | New York City | Willowbrook Mall | |
| May 7 | Washington, D.C. | Landmark Mall | |
| May 13 | San Francisco | Bayfair Mall | |
| May 15 | Los Angeles | Westminster Mall |
Opening Act
- NSYNC in Concert (1999)
- TLC: FanMail Tour (1999)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Result | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Nominated | Best Editing In A Video For: "I Do" |
| Year | Result | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Nominated | Best Female Group For: "Blaque" |
Soul Train Lady Of Soul Awards
| Year | Result | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Nominated | Best R&B/Soul Or Rap New Artist For: "808" |
| 2000 | Nominated | R&B/Soul Album Of The Year, Group, Band Or Duo For: "Blaque" |
Billboard Video Awards
| Year | Result | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Won | Best New Artist-R&B For: "Bring It All To Me" |
Filmography
Films
- 1999: Soul Train (cameo)
- 1999: Motown Live (cameo)
- 2000: Bring It On
- 2000: All That (cameo)
- 2000: Disney's 2 Hour Tour (cameo)
- 2002: V.I.P. (cameo)
- 2003: Honey (cameo)
- 2020: Say Yes To The Dress: Atlanta (cameo)
External links
- Official Blaque on Facebook
- Official Blaque on Twitter
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hatnote templates targeting a nonexistent page
- American contemporary R&B groups
- Musical groups reformed in 2019
- Musical groups reformed in 2012
- Musical groups founded in 1996
- Musical groups disbanded in 2008
- American pop ensembles
- American R&B female groups
- Musical acts originating from Georgia (U.S. state)
- African-American female groups
- American musical trios
- American pop female groups
- Musical groups disestablished in 2008