The following are reviews and articles about Tamia, her second album, "A Nu day", as well as the "Tamia" album, singles and featured tracks.

Tamia....New found success:

It took Tamia three years to finish her sophomore album, A Nu Day, but now that the disc and the single "Stranger in My House" are making waves on the charts and radio, she says it was worth the wait.

"I had gone through like five different presidents at the record company, and they each came in and had a different idea of who they thought I was," said Tamia, who left Quincy Jones' Qwest label and moved to Elektra. "[I was] constantly scrapping music and they were trying to figure out who they wanted me to be."

With A Nu Day, which came out in October, "I knew what I wanted to talk about, what I wanted to sing about, and I got to directly work with the producers and vibe with them," she said, adding that she had more creative control on this album than on her self-titled 1998 debut.

"Stranger in My House," penned by producer Shep Crawford and #9 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles & Tracks chart, is one of several cuts on the album that delve into heartbreak, even though Tamia's now happily married to NBA star Grant Hill.

"We all have to kiss a few frogs before we find that prince," she said. "I think we get into relationships and we see things, whether it's because of lust or love or whatever, we see things .. and sometimes they aren't really how they are, but we see them for what we want them to be."

On the other hand, she included "Can't No Man" and a cover of DeBarge's 1983 hit "Love Me in a Special Way" on the album at the request of Hill, who worried that the album would be too "issue-heavy," she said. Tamia added that people sometimes assume the heartbreak or the romantic difficulties she sings about reflect her real life.

"We'd be in church, and everyone's staring at us," she said, laughing. "[Grant's] like, 'It's just a song, it's just a song.' So I put a couple love songs on there so that he'd feel comfortable, he didn't get evil stares."

Tamia said that, while she will always be grateful to Jones for helping launch her career — she sang "You Put a Move on My Heart" on Jones' 1994 Q's Jook Joint — she's thankful to be out from under his shadow. "I love Quincy ... [but] people never really got to know who I was."

While she was recording A Nu Day, Tamia guested on Eric Benét's "Spend My Life," a song that's become a fan favorite. During a Valentine's Day show in New York City, a fan proposed to his girlfriend while Tamia was singing it.

"That's an honor for me," she said. "I know how nervous he was and how special that day will be for both of them, so I felt blessed that I could be a part of that. "It's nice to really connect with [fans] and not just be the girl that's on the videos," she added.

MTV

Album...A Nu day:

After listening to the first few tracks of R&B artist Tamia's sophomore release, A Nu Day, you might think she's bitten off more than she can chew. With souped-up versions of soap-opera clichés forming the basis for most of her songs, the album contains as much melodrama as actual substance, and it doesn't help matters that Tamia doesn't seem 100 percent committed to the part.

But patience is rewarded here: Tamia grows stronger and more spirited mid-album with the slow-grooving, intense "Stranger in My House," and maintains this excellence throughout the remainder of the songs. Her sensitive, sweet voice is engaging, and her style is less showy and more sincere than that of most contemporary R&B divas.

Tamia is at her best -- and most playful -- during her cover of Darryl Hall & John Oates' "I Can't Go for That." The final track is a remix of Tamia's version of the song, and includes a cameo by rap giant Snoop Dogg.

Erin Anderson - CDNOW Contributing Writer

Album...A Nu Day:

It is the dawn of "A Nu Day" in R&B. Tamia, most remembered for her head-turning debut ("You Put A Move On My Heart"), returns with a stunning new set, her first for Elektra. The 25-year-old Ontario native -- truly one of tomorrow's divas -- starts the 13-track "A Nu Day" with the upbeat "Can't Go For That." Produced by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, the track grooves with a slight touch of nostalgia thanks to its clever borrowing of Hall & Oates' "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)." Also included is "Can Go For That," a remix featuring 213 (aka Snoop Dogg, Warren G., and Nate Dogg). On the simply infectious "Go," Tamia kicks things into high gear. Fans of slow jams will find much to admire here. The gospel-influenced introduction to the DeBarge cover "Love Me In A Special Way" sets the stage for Tamia to put her own spin on the classic. The gut-wrenching "Stranger In My House" is a surefire crossover hit and should be the album's second (or third) single. Tamia, all grown up on her latest set, is definitely ready to seize the day.

Billboard

Album... A Nu Day:

In this age of producer-driven pop and R&B, singers have had to take a back seat to the beat. Worse yet, layered background vocals often get the primary hooks in many songs these days, with the lead singer serving only as flavoring for the main dish. Now if you happen to be 16, let's say, and have never been massively promoted, being made the cherry on top of somebody else's sundae is OK. But if you're in your early 20s already, as the talented Tamia is, it's time to start carving out an artistic identity all your own. Here, on the Canadian R&B diva's second disc (and first for Elektra), that doesn't really happen; she does, however, show herself to have had way too much experience as a spurned lover. Otherwise, her strong, Whitney-esque vocals are placed in the service of underwritten and overproduced songs, with goofy percussion licks often taking precedence over anything she can wrap her voice around.

In a few instances, the production supports her. On the smartly arranged "Long Distance Love," Missy Elliott creates a simple backing, and Tamia makes the song fly. And when she tells off her cheatin' man on (surprise!) "Dear John," she also gets to build the tune to an arresting climax. But if you need any evidence as to how much importance her singing is given here, one tune actually fades out right on top of her most exciting vocal moment.

With all that in mind, this CD could still score big. It sounds enough like what Brandy and her ilk have had hits with recently. But now that Macy Gray has upped the personality demands on current-day R&B singers, this sort of by-the-numbers song and lyric writing doesn't cut it anymore. With a voice like hers, Tamia deserves better.

Bob Remstein - Wall Of Sound

Single...Can't Go For That:

Quincy Jones protegee Tamia returns on a new label and with a new sound. Previously on Jones' Qwest Records, Tamia initially had a sweet, young image with a voice that matched. She had several single releases from the time of her debut on the Jones set in 1995 to her solo album debut in 1998. But it wasn't until she performed a duet with Eric Benet on "Spend My Life With You" from his sophomore project that the masses really began to take notice. Now on Elektra Records and produced by hip-hop mistress Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, Tamia releases her new single and her new image: sexy, sultry, and all grown up. "Can't Go For That" is an adaptation of Daryl Hall & John Oates' 1981 No. 1 R&B/pop hit "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)". Slowed down and funked up with a strong female point of view in the lyric, "Can't Go For That" retains the chorus of the original but adds a melody that is more adaptable to today's R&B style. The album version features Tamia's rich vocals, with just a touch of her higher range to add some spice (but thankfully, not the irritatingly high-pitched notes of some other divas out there). One misstep: a high-energy club remix by Jonathan Peters that incorporates a vocal track that's been manipulated to the point of being piercing. Tamia's voice is so much more pleasant in the lower range; stick to the album version of "Can't Go For That", and the world is a happy place.

Billboard Magazine

Single...You Put A Move On My Heart:

...The set veers off into the glamorous pop/soul never-never land that Q has perfected, again relying mostly upon remakes of his old productions for himself and others, with time out to play starmaker for a seductive new female singer, Tamia, on "You Put a Move on My Heart." The flaw in this project is built-in; most remakes lack the fresh inspiration of the originals, and few of these tracks approach their predecessors, let alone eclipse them.

Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

Album...Tamia, Tamia:

Although it suffers from some uneven materrial, Tamia's eponymous debut album is an appealingly stylish collection of contemporary urban soul. Usually, her seductive vocie can make the mediocre songs enticing... It's moments like these that indicate Tamia has true potential.

Leo Stanley, All Music Guide

Like a true songbird, Tamia weaves delicately and precisely through the rest of the album's material....Tamia's shining vocal skills prove that she won't get pushed around by anyone on today's music playground.

Vibe Magazine

Since Tamia made her singing debut with "You Put A Move On My Heart" on Quincy Jones' "Q's Jook Joint" in 1995, she has left fans yearning to hear more. On her full-length debut, the Jones protegee excels at ballad and midtempo tracks such as "So Into You," "Falling For You," and "Rain On Me." Other highlights include "Gotta Move On," her remake of George Michael's "Careless Whisper," and "This Time It's Love." Tamia is less impressive on the lead single, "Imagination," which lacks the vocal punch of "You Put A Move On My Heart." While Jermaine Dupri penned "Imagination," his guest rap isn't suited to Tamia's style.

Billboard Online

Single...Spend My Life(With Eric Benet):

While the overall does have its setback in the form of the rather lackluster, "Spend My Life with You," a duet with the tremendously gifted vocalist, Tamia, it is, otherwise, a fine record throughout. A record like this is only a sign of things to come.

Jaime Ikeda, All Music Guide

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