Dream (American group)
| Company type | Girl group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
| Owner | Bad Boy Records (former) |
Dream was a female vocal group from the United States, established in 1998, originally featuring members Holly Blake-Arnstein, Diana Ortiz, Ashley Poole, and Melissa Schuman. They were signed under rapper Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records imprint and debuted with their first studio album It Was All a Dream in 2001. This album reached number six on the Billboard 200 chart and included the hit single "He Loves U Not", which climbed to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The follow-up single, "This Is Me", achieved moderate chart success.
Their sophomore album, Reality (2003), faced release obstacles due to conflicts with their label and was only distributed in a limited capacity following the release of its lead single "Crazy". This situation ultimately contributed to the group's dissolution. Dream briefly reunited in 2015 and independently launched the single "I Believe" in 2016 before disbanding once more.
1998–2000: Formation
In October 1998, talent scout Debbie Fontaine assembled four teenage girls from California—Holly Blake-Arnstein, Melissa Schuman, Ashley Poole, and Alex Chester—to form a girl group initially called First Warning, which was later renamed Dream.
After auditioning for Sean Combs, the group secured a contract with Bad Boy Records. Subsequently, they ended their collaboration with Fontaine, who later filed a lawsuit against Combs and members Blake-Arnstein, Schuman, and Poole; however, the case was dismissed. In January 1999, Diana Ortiz replaced Alex Chester as a member of the group.
2000–2001: It Was All a Dream
Dream’s debut single "He Loves U Not" was released in 2000 and achieved a peak position of number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video for this track reached number 2 on MTV’s TRL. Their first album, It Was All a Dream, was launched on January 23, 2001. The second single from the album, "This Is Me", did not replicate the commercial success of its predecessor but its video attained the top spot on TRL. A remix including rapper Kain and Sean Combs was featured on the compilation album Totally Hits 2001. Plans for additional singles were canceled by Bad Boy Records partly due to repercussions from the September 11 attacks.
To support their debut release, Dream participated in the 2001 TRL tour and served as opening acts for Destiny's Child, Eve, NSYNC, and Nelly. They also appeared on MTV Cribs and had dolls produced by Play Along Toys. Their television appearances included spots on TRL, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, and Good Morning America.
2002–2003: Lineup change and disbandment
Melissa Schuman departed from Dream in April 2002 to focus on an acting career. Following an audition process led by Sean Combs alongside remaining members, Kasey Sheridan was added to the lineup in Fall 2002.
The group recorded new tracks for their second album and issued the single "Crazy" featuring rapper Loon during summer 2003, adopting a more provocative image. Holly Blake-Arnstein later revealed dissatisfaction with this stylistic shift that management had imposed. "Crazy" reached number 39 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40. Although their second album, Reality, was completed, it experienced multiple postponements by their record label and saw only a digital release through the French Virgin Megastore. Eventually, Bad Boy Records dropped Dream from their roster, resulting in an unpublicized disbandment.
2003–2012: Activities Following the Group's Split
After the group's dissolution, Ashley Poole and Melissa Schuman each embarked on individual singing endeavors, whereas Holly Blake-Arnstein became a member of the California-based ensemble Whirl Magnet.
On May 9, 2008, Clockwork Entertainment issued two compilation collections titled Daddy's Little Girl and Dream Never Land. These albums contained pre-debut demo tracks, including contributions from early group member Alex Chester. Subsequently, Reality was made available on iTunes on May 13, 2008. A third compilation album, Dream Back To You, was released in 2009.
Clockwork Entertainment also attempted to relaunch Dream by introducing new members Jordan McCoy, Danielle Keaton, Lindsay Taylor, and Imaj Thomas. This revamped lineup initiated a soft launch primarily through YouTube but never fully materialized due to multiple member exits.
Concurrently, Melissa Schuman, Ashley Poole, and Diana Ortiz formed the group Lady Phoenix. Although a reality television series documenting their recruitment process was planned, it did not come to fruition, leading to the group's disbandment in 2012.
2015–2016: Reunion and Release of "I Believe"
On May 11, 2015, original members of Dream shared an a cappella rendition of their 2000 single "He Loves U Not". They officially announced their reunion on May 29 by launching new Twitter and Facebook accounts. On December 17 of the same year, they issued a studio version of "O Holy Night".
On August 2, 2016, Dream unveiled "I Believe," marking their first single release in thirteen years.
During 2016, Dream served as the opening act for 98 Degrees on the My2K Tour and performed at the Mixtape Festival alongside New Kids On The Block. On August 25, former member Kasey Sheridan joined them on stage at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, performing the track "Crazy".
On October 5, 2016, Ashley Poole declared that Dream had once again disbanded.
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Position | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| US (Billboard 200) | |||
| It Was All a Dream |
|
6 |
|
| Reality |
|
— | — |
Compilation albums
| Compilation Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| Dream Never Land |
|
| Daddy's Little Girl |
|
| Dream Back to You |
|
Singles
| Release Year | Single Title | Peak Chart Positions | Certifications (Sales Milestones) |
Associated Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US (Billboard Hot 100) |
US Pop Airplay | AUS | CAN | GER | IRE | NED | NZ | SWE | UK | ||||
| 2000 | "He Loves U Not" | 3 | 30 | 12 | 91 | 40 | 40 | 6 | 26 | 17 |
|
It Was All a Dream | ||||||||||
| 2001 | "This Is Me" | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | — | — |
— |
It Was All a Dream | ||||||||||
| "This Is Me (Remix)" (feat. Kain) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— |
Non-album single | |||||||||||
| 2003 | "Crazy" | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— |
Reality | ||||||||||
| 2016 | "I Believe" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— |
Non-album single | ||||||||||
Promotional singles
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "In My Dreams" | It Was All a Dream |
| "I Don't Like Anyone" | ||
| 2003 | "That's OK" (featuring Fabolous) |
Reality |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Billboard Music Awards | Top New Artist | The group | Nominee |
| Teen Choice Awards | Breakout Artist – Choice Music | Nominee | ||
| Pop Group – Choice Music | Nominee | |||
| Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards | Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year – Group, Band or Duo | It Was All a Dream | Nominee | |
| Best New Artist R&B/Soul or Rap – Group, Band or Duo | "He Loves U Not" | Nominee | ||
| 2002 | ASCAP Pop Music Awards | Most Performed Song | "He Loves U Not" | Winner |
| BMI Pop Awards | Award-Winning Song | "He Loves U Not" | Winner |
Further reading
- MTV Feature: Girl Groups – Challenges in Maintaining Unity (September 20, 2002)
- MTV Feature: Dream: The Ultimate Team (February 2001)
External links
- Articles with short description
- Dream (American group)
- American pop music groups
- American pop girl groups
- Musical groups from Los Angeles
- Musical groups established in 1998
- Musical groups disestablished in 2003
- Bad Boy Records artists
- Musical groups reestablished in 2015
- Musical groups disestablished in 2016
- American contemporary R&B musical groups
- Teen pop groups