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Revision as of 19:25, 23 April 2012

Porcelain Black
Porcelain Black at the Falguni and Shane Peacock Spring 2012 fashion show.[1]
Porcelain Black at the Falguni and Shane Peacock Spring 2012 fashion show.[1]
Background information
Birth nameAlaina Marie Beaton
Also known asPorcelain and the Tramps
Born (1985-10-01) October 1, 1985 (age 39)[2]
Sterling Heights, Michigan, United States
GenresPop rock, electronic rock
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, actress, model
InstrumentVocals
Years active2006–present
LabelsVirgin, 2101, Universal Republic
Websitewww.porcelainblack.net

Alaina Marie Soileau, born Alaina Marie Beaton, (born October 1, 1985), better known by her stage name Porcelain Black, is an American pop-rock singer-songwriter. She started her music career at 18 under the stage name Porcelain and the Tramps with Virgin Records. However, Black and Virgin could not agree on the music that she recorded and she spent 3 years trying to get out of the contract. She signed with RedOne's Universal Republic imprint late in 2009 and began working on her debut.

"This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like", Black's first single, features Lil Wayne, and was a modest hit on Billboard's Dance Club chart. A music video for the song, directed by Sanaa Hamri, was filmed in March 2011. The video garnered over 5 million views on video-hosting website, Youtube. Her second single, "Naughty Naughty", peaked at number 6, making it her most successful single to date.

Early life

Black grew up in Sterling Heights, Michigan.[3][4] Her father was a hairstylist. He owned a hair salon and brought her along to fashion shows and photoshoots.[5] Her parents separated when she was 6 years old. After her mother remarried, they settled in Rochester where she attended high school.[4] Having lived in less affluent areas prior to the move, Black found that she did not fit in with her privileged classmates,[4] becoming an outcast. She discovered that her biological father had cancer when she was 15, which affected her so much that she was expelled from school in three months for fighting. Two months later, she was expelled from another school.[5][6] He died when she was 16. Black had taken part in national competitive dancing, taking jazz, hip-hop, tap and ballet lessons, since young and at one point was training to perform on Broadway. She also considered becoming a backup dancer.[3] After being expelled from her last school, Black ran away from home. She started begging, doing drugs and drinking while crashing at friends' houses at night. After going on tour with Armor for Sleep, she returned to Detroit and stopped taking drugs.[5]

Music career

Porcelain and the Tramps: 2006-2009

While on a roadtrip in New York, Black was approached by her first manager who told her to look for him in Los Angeles when she turned 18. Eighteen months later, Black moved to Los Angeles, found her manager and was signed to Virgin Records two weeks later.[5] Recording under the pseudonym Porcelain and the Tramps, Black worked with Tommy Henriksen and John Lowery in London while at Virgin.[4] However, she and the label could not agree on the music she made. Virgin wanted Black to record pop music in the vein of Avril Lavigne, despite already knowing what kind of music she made when signing her.[4] She also faced skepticism from her collaborators who questioned her desire to mix industrial rock sounds with dance pop. Black began posting the songs she recorded on Myspace, gaining upwards of 10 million views in a matter of months.[5] Black co-wrote and sang backup vocals for the song "Lunacy Fringe" by The Used.[7] She was approached by Courtney Love on MySpace to provide backing vocals for a solo album she was working on. She also featured on a song by the Street Drum Corps's "Action!". "How Do You Love Someone?", co-penned by Black around the time she left Virgin was cut by Ashley Tisdale for her second album, Guilty Pleasure.[4] Black was initially reluctant to give the song away, but relented and later got to record the song for her own album with production from RedOne.

Debut album: 2009–present

Through a mutual A&R friend, producer RedOne heard about Black and was interested in meeting her. RedOne asked to meet Black in his studio in November 2009, which led to them writing her debut single "This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like" the next day.[4] RedOne helped Black get out of her contract with Virgin Records and signed her to his Universal Republic imprint, 2101 Records. RedOne also introduced her to a new manager, Derrick "EI" Lawrence, who also manages Lil Wayne. Wayne invited her to join him on his I Am Music Tour after meeting her.[6] She changed her name to Porcelain Black because it caused confusion to people who thought Porcelain and the Tramps was a band.[3] Her stage name came from her childhood nickname, Porcelain, which was due to an extensive collection of porcelain dolls given to her by her aunt. Her aunt thought that the dolls resembled her in appearance, with strawberry blond hair and pale skin.[3] She adopted Black in her name because she felt that it represented the opposite of "fragile" Porcelain.[3] She plans to revisit the Porcelain and the Tramps project in the future.[3] Black co-wrote "Lolita" for Mexican pop singer Belinda. She also made appearances in the music videos for Travie McCoy's "We'll Be Alright",[8] Swizz Beatz's "Rock 'N' Roll"[9] and Jeffree Star's "Get Away With Murder" in 2010.[10] Black filmed a cameo role in Rock of Ages with RedOne's help, playing the lead singer of an 1980s hair-metal band. She also provided the sole original song for the film, "Rock Angel".[2][11] Along with RedOne, Black composed "Save You Tonight", the closing song for One Direction's debut album, Up All Night.

Black's debut album will be released between the summer and fall of 2012. RedOne was to have produced all the songs on the album and co-wrote all but one of the tracks with her.[3] However, Black later recorded songs with other producers after her album was pushed back to 2012.[12] She has stated that Eminem could appear on "How Do You Love Someone?". She made her television debut on The David Letterman Show on July 21, 2011.[13] After "This is What Rock and Roll Looks Like", "Naughty Naughty", the second single from her album, was released at the end of 2011. "Mannequin Factory" was originally intended as the third and final single[12] but "Swallow My Bullet", accompanied by a music video, will serve as the third instead, with a fourth single and additional video following close behind. On April 11, 2012, Black tweeted that remastered versions of the songs "King of the World", "Curiosity", and "I'm Your Favorite Drug" from her Porcelain and the Tramps project would be "coming soon".

In April 20, 2012, Black married model Bradley Soileau in a private ceremony in East Village Manhattan.

Music and influences

"This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like"
Black's debut single, "This is What Rock N' Roll Looks Like" showcases her raspy vocals and rock influence.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Black's voice has been described as raspy. She described her music as a love child between Marilyn Manson and Britney Spears.[14] Additionally, Black cites that Spears inspires her deep love for choreography, while Manson inspires the sound and attitude of her lyrics and performance style. Black's two-tone, blond and black hairstyle and her "leather and lace" fashion style, she claims, is inspired by both Manson and Spears as well, along with her desire to develop a persona in which a stable duality between "good" and "bad" exists. Critics have noted that her sound is more so pop than rock, but Black is militant at her rock and roll image, saying "...I know I'm rock n roll."[15] Her biological father's love for rock music by Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix also influences her. She has also listed Nine Inch Nails and its frontman, Trent Reznor, Bjork, Fiona Apple,[16] Skinny Puppy, AC/DC, Hole and Oasis as musical influences,[6] citing the albums "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" and "Live Through This" as the most influential to her current sound.[11] The first concert she attended was an AC/DC concert with her father.[11] Recalling the experience, she told Revolver, "...I was like, when I grow up, this is what I want to do!"[11]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Notes
2012 Black Rainbow

Black revealed tracks recorded for the album on her official Twitter:

  • "Stealing Candy"
  • "Make Me Cry"
  • "Swallow My Bullet"
  • "Mannequin Factory"
  • "Naughty Naughty"
  • "This Is What Rock N Roll Looks Like"
  • "Screamers"
  • "King Of The World"
  • "I'm Your Favorite Drug"
  • "Pretty Little Psycho"
  • "How Do You Love Someone"
  • "Black Rainbow"
  • "Kisses Lose Their Charm"
  • "Curiosity"

Singles

Year Title Peak Positions Album
USA USA
U.S. Hot Club
[17]
2011
"This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like"

(feat. Lil Wayne)

— 44 TBA
"Naughty Naughty" — 6

Music videos

Year Song Director Ref
2011 "This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like" Sanaa Hamri [18]

Appearances

Year Song Artist Ref
2009 "Get Away with Murder" Jeffree Star [10]
2010 "We'll Be Alright" Travie McCoy [8]
2010 ""Rock 'N' Roll" Swizz Beatz [9]
Year Song Artist
2009 "Action!" Street Drum Corps
2011 "Prisoner (Remix)" Jeffree Star
2012 "Jump Rope" Three Loco

Writing discography

Year Song (Artist) Album Notes
2004 "Lunacy Fringe" (The Used) In Love and Death Co-writer
2010 "Lolita" (Belinda) Carpe Diem Co-writer
2011 "Save You Tonight" (One Direction) Up All Night Co-writer

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2012 Rock of Ages[19] TBR
  • Cameo appearance
  • Contributed sole original song, "Rock Angel"[2]

Tours

Opening act

References

  1. ^ Teran, Andi. "Falguni and Shane Peacock Show Dresses Guaranteed To Cause A Red Carpet Ruckus". MTV Fashion Week. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Chapman, Alex, Discovery: Porcelain Black, Interview Magazine, retrieved 16 September 2011 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |Tall= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Bakhsh, Ahmed. "INTERVIEW: Porcelain Black". Free-Wired.com. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Ramirez, Carlos (2011-06-14). "Porcelain Black Says Rock Music Is in Her Blood". Noisecreep. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  5. ^ a b c d e Wiederhorn, Jon. "Porcelain Black". Inked. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  6. ^ a b c Gayles, Contessa. "Porcelain Black Reveals 'What Rock N Roll Looks Like,' Exclusive Video Q&A". Noise Creep. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  7. ^ Black, Porcelain. "Tweet by Porcelain Black". Twitter. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Travie McCoy: We'll Be Alright". FueledByRamen. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  9. ^ a b Cline, Georgette (28 March 2011). "Lil Wayne Welcomes Porcelain Black to I Am Still Music Tour". The Boom Box (AOL Inc.). Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  10. ^ a b Seiple, Larkin. "Jeffree Star - "Get Away With Murder"". Vimeo. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  11. ^ a b c d Le Miere, Jason. "Exclusive Interview: Hot Chick in Hard Rock Porcelain Black". Revolver. Retrieved 5 November 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ a b "KEVIPOD Interviews Porcelain Black..." Direct Lyrics. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "Porcelain Black Rocks 'Letterman'[Video]". Rap-Up. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  14. ^ Kennedy, Gerrick. "Porcelain Black knows she's rock and roll, and doesn't care who says otherwise". Pop & Hiss: The L.A. Times music blog. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  15. ^ "Jammer with Porcelain Black". B97NewOrleans. Retrieved 16 September 2011. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  16. ^ Star, Ross. "PORCELAIN BLACK - DJ Ross Star [ Video Interview ]". 2101 Records.com. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  17. ^ "Dance/Club Play Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  18. ^ "WATCH IT: Porcelain Black "What R'NR Looks Like" (Sanaa Hamri, dir.)". Video Static.com. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  19. ^ Foley, Aaron. "Photo of the Day: Porcelain Black on set of 'Rock of Ages'". Michigan Live. Advanced Digital. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  20. ^ Reid, Shaheem (4 October 2009). "Lil Wayne Rocks The Hottest MCs In The Game At #2!". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved 22 April 2012. {{cite web}}: |first2= missing |last2= (help); Unknown parameter |laste2= ignored (help)

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