2004
Play is: Anais Lameche, Anna Sundstrand, Rosie Munter, and Janet Leon, four teenaged girls who are creating fresh sounds for today's youth. Though the group is based in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, the appeal of Play's music is universal.
With the release of Don't Stop The Music, Play comes into its own as a musical force to be reckoned with. The successor to 2003's Replay and the first Play album to feature new member Janet Leon, Don't Stop The Music combines Play's trademark lush vocal harmonies with infectious R&B-influenced grooves, multi-layered production magic, and new levels of musical confidence and sophistication.
Don't Stop The Music opens with "everGirl" (which will be available as a commercial CD single). An irresistible pop R&B anthem of self-esteem and self-discovery, "everGirl" serves as the official theme song for Nickelodeon's lifestyle brand of the same name--providing Play fans the world over a series of musical hooks to hang their dreams on:
"everDreams/everTrue/everCool/everYou/everPower/everProud/Just say it everLoud...." "everGirl"
The album's first radio track is "Every Little Step," featuring guest artist Aaron Carter. Play first worked with Aaron on the successful multi-act tour "TEENick Presents: Aaron's Party" during the summer of 2001.
The tracks for Don't Stop The Music were produced by: Bill Padley and Jem Godfrey (who worked on "Whole Again" and "The Tide Is High," both international smash hits for Atomic Kitten) for Wise Buddah Music London ("Girls Can Too" and "Hand In Hand"); Hitvision for Murlyn Music ("everGirl," "Hard Knock Life," and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"); Peter Kvint for Jailhouse Productions ("Don't Stop The Music," "Every Little Step" featuring Aaron Carter, and "Seven"); Ric Wake (Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey), Richie Jones (Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Anastacia), Billy Mann (writer/producer for Pink's "God Is A DJ" and cowriter of Jessica Simpson's smash, "With You") and Supa'flyas ("You Found Me") and Ric Wake and Richie Jones for W%26R Group ("Another Love Story").
Play is co-managed by Mathew Knowles--the founder of Music World Entertainment, President of Music World Entertainment/Sanctuary Urban Holding Company, and guiding light behind Play's labelmates in Destiny's Child--and Laila Bagge, the woman who discovered the members of Play in Sweden.
Play came together under the auspices of Laila and her husband, the songwriter/producer Anders "BAG" Bagge, who'd been responsible for hits by Jessica Simpson ("Irresistible" with Arnthor Birgisson), 98', Jennifer Lopez, Samantha Mumba, and the teenage Swedish singing sensation Amanda. It turned out Amanda's sister Anais--who speaks French, Swedish, Spanish and English--had her own highly-developed vocal abilities. Laila had a vision for a new girl group, a fresh young sound for the 21st century, and next recruited Anna--a relative of the legendary Swedish actress Greta Garbo--from the more than 1,000 students in a dance school run by Laila. With Anais and Anna in place, it was time to round out the sound of Play.
Auditions for Play drew more than 700 applicants, among them Rosie--who had already achieved Scandinavian stardom for her lead role in the film "Eve and Adam." The auditions consisted of singing, dancing, and interviews. And when the four girls of Play sang together, the chemistry was right, the sound was magical.
Play received an RIAA gold certification for the group's self-titled mini-album in June 2002. That disc hit #2 on the Billboard Heatseekers new album chart and became the #1 selling item at Limited Too shops chainwide for six weeks that summer. The group's first single, the spirited pop anthem, "Us Against The World," topped Nickelodeon's online fan-based program "Nick Picks" several times. Play scored an additional hit on Radio Disney with "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," a gorgeous remake of the Motown classic featuring Chris Trousdale of Dream Street. The group also dueted with Lil Fizz of the group B2K for "M.A.S.T.E.R., Part 2" a single from the soundtrack of The Master Of Disguise - Music From the Motion Picture. A Play home video, Playin' Around The World, was released on DVD and VHS in the first quarter of 2003.
In addition to a European tour opening for Destiny's Child, Play have logged many miles across North America. Stateside audiences first got a peek at Play in the summer of 2001 on the "TEENick Presents: Aaron's Party," a multi-act tour featuring Aaron Carter. Next, Play shared the bill with rising star Solange and Devin on the Young Pop Power Tour sponsored by L.E.I. Jeans/Davidoff Cool Water in March 2002. The summer of 2002 was also spent on tour: Play headlined Limited Too's Passion for Fashion show and then hit the road with the A-Teens and Baha Men. Play capped 2002 by performing "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" at New York's Herald Square during the 76th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The teens cruised the 2 * mile parade route on a float sponsored by Build-A-Bear Workshop.
Although the young women of Play blend their voices seamlessly, their personalities are quite distinct. Anna is "the cute one," who, prior to joining Play, appeared in the musical Annie. This petite teenager is famous for her upbeat, enthusiastic personality. She respects the music of Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake and enjoys swimming, horseback riding and surfing the Internet in her free time.
Anais is "the wild one" who isn't afraid of expressing her opinion. She comes from a musical family and cites her mother and sister as her biggest musical influences. Prior to joining Play, she performed the role of Rizzo in the musical Grease. "I really wanted to have a singing career rather than a theater career," she says. "All four of us feel the same way." Yet despite all her ambition and success, Anais remains a typical teenager who admits that she's never far from her cell phone.
There's Rosie, the teen christened "the funny one" by her fellow members of Play. Musically, she enjoys the rock licks of The Strokes and The Hives, who are also a Swedish import. Like Anais, Rosie is very attached to her cell phone.
In late 2003, Play welcomed new member Janet Leon to the group and began work on Don't Stop The Music.
Janet, a native of Goteborg, Sweden, was both a longtime friend of the group and a dedicated fan of Play's music. An extremely talented vocalist and performer in her own right, Janet had submitted a demo to Play founder/co-manager Laila Bagge a couple of years ago. When original Play member Faye Hamlin decided to leave the group in order to return to school, the remaining members--Anais Lameche, Anna Sundstrand, and Rosie Munter--felt that Janet Leon would be an ideal choice for the group's new line-up.
Each of the members of Play has her own feelings about the songs on Don't Stop The Music. "I have a really strong feeling for 'Hand In Hand,'" says Play's Anna. "It's all about trusting each other, which I think is really important." Anais finds her groove on "Girls Can Too," admitting that "I love the fact that it's so catchy and jumpy. Every time Rosie and I hear that song, we can't help ourselves! We're totally on the floor and dancing like maniacs!" New member Janet really likes "You Found Me" "...because it has a little touch of R&B and a nice beat. I think it's a cool song." Meanwhile, Rosie's favorite song on the album is, appropriately enough, "Don't Stop The Music." "I love what it stands for," she offers. "I always get so happy by listening to it."
And when Play's fans hear Don't Stop The Music, they'll feel the same way.
Source: http://playangels.org
