| [September 21, 2004] |
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America Online Names Music's Next Big Stars as This Season's Breakers; Pop-Rocker Skye Sweetnam Leads Pack of Fresh Faces Already Creating a Buzz with AOL Members
NEW YORK --(Business Wire)-- Sept. 21, 2004 -- Sweetnam's Video Debuted at #6 on AOL Music's Weekly Top 11 Videos Chart, Ahead of Usher, Nelly and Maroon 5
Five emerging music artists are one step closer to achieving stardom as America Online, the world's leading Interactive services company, today announced the newest round of talent to its popular Breakers program.
Dedicated to providing AOL(R) members with early access to the hottest new artists, AOL(R) Music is premiering music by Canadian pop-rocker Skye Sweetnam, blues rock troubadour Tyler Hilton, soulful singer/songwriter John Legend, Atlanta-based singer/songwriter trio Sugarland and G-Unit's newest member, The Game. These artists and their music will be featured in high-profile campaigns across the AOL(R) and AOL(R) for Broadband services and on the Web at aolmusic.com and AOL Music's network of properties.
"Being selected as a Breaker artist is a great honor," said Sweetnam, whose debut album, Noise from the Basement, is scheduled for release on September 21. "I'm a big fan of a lot of the artists that have come up through the Breakers program. It's an amazing opportunity to be able to reach fans online who will be able to hear my songs first and watch me perform and connect in a way that's just not possible anywhere else. I hope they like what they hear."
Through the end of 2004, AOL Music will be showcasing the following Breaker artists:
Skye Sweetnam (Capitol Records) - With the exclusive debut of the video for the first single "Tangled Up In Me," new Breaker artist Skye Sweetnam has already received a tremendous response from AOL Members. With more than 200,000 plays in its first week on AOL, the video debuted at number six on AOL Music's weekly Top 11 videos chart (for the week of August 13-19), ahead of established artists such as Usher, Nelly and Maroon 5. The song also reached number one on the Top 11 radio chart (for the week of August 20-26).
Tyler Hilton (Maverick Records) - 20-year-old pop-singer and songwriter, Tyler Hilton delivers well-crafted tunes influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, John Mayer and Michelle Branch. Tyler will portray Elvis Presley in the upcoming 20th Century Fox film, "Walk the Line" based on the life of Johnny Cash. His album, titled The Tracks of... is planned for release on September 28.
John Legend (Sony Music) - John Legend, who has worked with such notable artists as Alicia Keys, Jay-Z and Kanye West, has a classic soul voice that blends elements of gospel and hip-hop. His unique sound can be heard now on his single, "Used to Love U." His first studio album, Get Lifted, is planned for release on October 26.
Sugarland (Mercury Nashville) - The country-tinged pop of the Atlanta three-piece Sugarland has already garnered the kind of dedicated following that is normally reserved for bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish. The band's first single, "Baby Girl," is already making an impact at radio, and their debut album Twice The Speed Of Life is planned for release in October.
The Game (Aftermath Music) - Finally, out of 50 Cent's G-Unit crew comes The Game, a versatile rapper that was discovered through a street mix tape of unsigned artists. His Dr. Dre-produced debut album is scheduled to drop the first week of December.
Each season, AOL Music handpicks three to five of the most promising new artists to spotlight as Breakers. These artists are featured in innovative, high profile programming campaigns across the AOL Music network of properties, including the AOL(R) Music Channel, aolmusic.com, Netscape(R) Music, CompuServe(R) Music, AIM(R) Music and Winamp(R), in addition to exclusive areas on AOL(R) for Broadband. Elements of these campaigns include AOL Welcome Screen promotion, song and video debuts, Sessions@AOL appearances and heavy rotation on the AOL Radio@ Network.
Over the past two years, AOL Music's Breakers program has established itself as a reliable searchlight for hot new music talent, credited in helping to jumpstart the successful careers of Avril Lavigne, Josh Groban, 50 Cent, Jet and more. Recent Breaker, Christina Milian's CD, It's About Time, is currently topping the charts following her powerful debut on AOL Music which resulted in more than three million plays of her music before her CD was released in stores.
AOL Music is a leading online destination for music, reaching over 16 million music fans a month through a rich array of programming, products and services that make it easy to discover, experience, listen to and buy music online.(1) AOL Music's offerings, which include original programs and special features for AOL for Broadband, are available through the AOL(R) Music Channel, aolmusic.com, AOL Radio, Netscape(R) Music, CompuServe(R) Music, AIM(R) Music, ICQ(R) Music, Winamp(R) and SHOUTcast(R).
About America Online, Inc.
America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.
(1) comScore Media Metrix, August 2004
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