BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY
Jessica Mauboy
| Jessica Mauboy | |
|---|---|
Mauboy at the 2014 ARIA Music Awards
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jessica Hilda Mauboy |
| Born | 4 August 1989 Darwin, Northern Territory,Australia |
| Genres | R&B, pop, dance |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, actress |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Sony, Ministry of Sound |
| Associated acts | Young Divas, Stan Walker |
| Website | www |
Jessica Hilda Mauboy[1] (born 4 August 1989) is an Australian R&B and pop singer, songwriter, and actress. In 2006, Mauboy was the runner-up on the fourth season of Australian Idol; she had auditioned for the talent show in Alice Springs, Northern Territory to pursue a recording career. Mauboy subsequently signed a contract with Sony Music Australia.
In February 2007, she released her debut live album, The Journey, which debuted at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart, and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association. Later that year, she briefly became a member of all-girl pop group Young Divas, before resuming her solo career early in 2008. Mauboy released her debut studio album, Been Waiting, in November 2008, which spawned her first number-one single, "Burn", as well as the top ten hits, "Running Back" and "Because".Been Waiting became the second highest-selling Australian album of 2009,[2] and was certified double platinum. Her second studio album, Get 'Em Girls (2010), included the top ten singles, "Saturday Night" and "Inescapable". Mauboy's third studio album,Beautiful, was released in 2013 and produced the top-ten singles "Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)", "Never Be the Same" and "Can I Get a Moment?".
Mauboy has received sixteen ARIA Music Awards nominations, of which she has won two. In April 2013, she was ranked at number 16 on Herald Sun's list of the "100 Greatest Australian Singers of All Time".[3] Aside from her music career, Mauboy has also ventured into acting. She made her acting debut in the film adaptation of the 1990 Aboriginal musical, Bran Nue Dae (2010), and starred in the critically acclaimed film, The Sapphires (2012), which earned her the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Early life
Jessica Hilda Mauboy was born on 4 August 1989 and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory.[4] Her father, Ferdi, is of Indonesian descent who came from West Timor,[5] and her mother, Therese, is an Indigenous Australian.[5][6][7][8] Mauboy's mother is from the indigenous Kuku Yalanji people in the rainforest regions of Far North Queensland.[9][10][11]Mauboy is the youngest of five children. From an early age, she was involved in the local church choir with her grandmother.[7][12] Her home was described as the "noisiest house on the block", with her mother often singing, her father playing guitar and the rest of the family displaying their passion for music.[7] Mauboy attended Wulagi Primary School and Sanderson High School in Darwin.[13][14]
At the age of fourteen, Mauboy's talents were exposed through the Telstra Road to Tamworth competition at the 2004 Tamworth Country Music Festival in Tamworth, New South Wales.[15] As the first winner of the competition, Mauboy travelled to Sydney to perform[7] and scored a recording deal with Sony Music Australia.[4] She then released a country-inspired rendition of the Cyndi Lauper's hit "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun".[4] A video for her version of the song had a release;[16] however, the song went nowhere and Mauboy returned to Darwin until auditioning for TV talent show, Australian Idol, in 2006.[4]
2006: Australian Idol
Mauboy auditioned for the fourth season of Australian Idol in Alice Springs, Northern Territory singing Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing".[12] Her audition impressed all three judges, and she progressed through to the semi-finals.[12] Following the semi-final process, Mauboy had advanced through to the top twelve. The media cited her previous Sony contract as grounds for dismissal, but since the contract had expired, Australian Idol producers refused to remove her from the show.[4] Throughout the series, Mauboy continued to impress the judges with her performances. In the final eleven week, following her rendition of Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away", judge Kyle Sandilands commented on Mauboy's weight, that if she wished to succeed in the music industry, she should "lose the jelly belly".[17] Mauboy appeared stunned by the comment.[17] In an interview with Whomagazine's Alicia Neil, two years after the comment was made, Mauboy stated "I kind of took it as a joke ... I look back on it as a positive thing – it made me a stronger person."[18] In the final ten-week, Mauboy received the first touchdown of the season from judge Mark Holden for her rendition of Christina Aguilera's hit, "Beautiful".[1] During the final nine-week, Mauboy had a sore throat that resulted in a mediocre rendition of Phil Collins' "Another Day in Paradise" and near-elimination, which landed her in the bottom three.[4] Following that week, she never landed in the bottom three again, and ended up progressing through to the final show with Damien Leith.[19] The grand finale was held on 27 November at the Sydney Opera House.[8] After the viewer votes had been tallied it was announced that Mauboy was runner-up to Leith.[20]
Music career
2006–09: The Journey, Young Divas, and Been Waiting[edit]
In December 2006, Mauboy signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia – two weeks after the fourth season of Australian Idolended.[21] She released her debut live album, The Journey in Australia on 24 February 2007.[22] The album was a two-disc package. Disc one contained re-recorded covers of the selected songs Mauboy performed as part of the top twelve on Australian Idol, while disc two included a DVD of her performances on the series.[22] The Journey debuted at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association.[23][24] In September, Mauboy joined as the new member of the girl group Young Divas, replacing one of the group's original members, Ricki-Lee Coulter, who had left in June to resume her solo career.[25] Their second studio album, New Attitude, was released on 24 November.[26] Its lead single, "Turn Me Loose", was released on 3 November,[27] and reached number 15 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[28] The album debuted at number 10 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold.[24][28]
Meanwhile in March 2008, Mauboy signed on to the Australian Government In2Oz program, designed to promote closer ties with Indonesia.[29] As a part of the program, she travelled to Indonesia for a three-day trip performing around the country, including an appearance on Indonesian Idol, singing Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love" and "Sempurna" with former contestants Mike, Judika and Lucky.[30] It was during this time that Mauboy had begun to work on her first solo studio album. Following her three-day trip from Indonesia, she returned to Sydney for a week-long recording session.[30] In August, Mauboy announced that after a year with the Young Divas, she had decided to quit in order to concentrate on her solo career.[31] Founding member Paulini had also decided to depart, leaving Kate DeAraugo and Emily Williams as the only remaining members.[31] Their manager David Champion stated that the group would undergo a third line-up change following the departures of Mauboy and Curuenavuli, with a third album to be released later in the year.[31] However both DeAraugo and Williams subsequently resumed their solo careers, and the group officially disbanded.
In late 2008, Mauboy re-located from Darwin to Sydney and prepared for the release of her debut studio album, Been Waiting.[32] The album was released on 22 November; it peaked at number 11 and was certified double platinum for shipments of 140,000 units.[23][33][34] Mauboy co-wrote six of the album's songs, which were produced by Audius Mtawarira, Israel Cruz, Jonas Jeberg, Cutfather, Adam Reily, Fingaz and Kwamé.[35] The album received positive reviews from critics. Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic gave the album three out of five stars and wrote that it was an "impressive debut which suggests that there could indeed be quality music to look forward to in the future as she matures and gains experience".[36] "Running Back", featuring American rapper Flo Rida, was released as the album's lead single on 19 September.[37] It peaked at number three and was certified double platinum.[23][38] The album's second single, "Burn", became Mauboy's first number-one single,[23] and was certified platinum.[39] It also reached number 92 on theJapan Hot 100 and became Mauboy's first single to chart internationally.[40] In February 2009, Mauboy signed with UK record label Ministry of Sound.[41] The album's title trackwas released as the third single on 6 March.[42] The song peaked at number 12 and was certified gold.[23][39] The following singles, "Because" and "Up/Down", peaked at numbers nine and 11, respectively,[23] and both were certified gold.[39]
Been Waiting was released in Japan on 22 April,[43] and reached number 138 on the Japanese Albums Chart.[44] At the 2009 Deadly Awards, Mauboy won three awards in the categories of 'Female Artist of the Year', 'Album of the Year' for Been Waiting, and 'Single Release of the Year' for "Burn".[45] Along with Flo Rida, Mauboy served as a support act for Beyoncé on the Australian leg of her I Am... World Tour in September.[46] At the 2009 ARIA Music Awards, Mauboy earned seven nominations for the album and singles; she was nominated for 'Highest Selling Album', 'Best Pop Release', 'Breakthrough Artist Album', Best Female Artist, 'Breakthrough Artist Single' for "Running Back", and 'Highest Selling Single' for "Running Back" and "Burn".[47] Eventually, Mauboy won 'Highest Selling Single' for "Running Back".[48]
2010–12: Get 'Em Girls
In January 2010, Mauboy signed to Universal Music for an exclusive worldwide long-term publishing agreement.[49] In April, she was part of the Bluesfest along with many other national and international acts in Byron Bay, New South Wales.[50] In May, Mauboy collaborated with four other international artists representing their continents—Sean Kingstonrepresenting America, Jody Williams representing Africa, Tabitha Nauser (Asia), Steve Appleton (Europe), with Mauboy representing Oceania—on a song titled "Everyone". The song was initially recorded to be used as the theme song for the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. Mauboy, Williams, Nauser and Appleton performed the song at the opening of the Youth Olympics held in Singapore on 14 August.[51] Kingston was unable to attend the performance, due to a passport mix-up.[52]Mauboy performing in 2012
Mauboy released her second studio album, Get 'Em Girls, on 5 November 2010; it debuted at number six and was certified gold.[23][53][54]She had travelled to the United States in February of that year to work on the album in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta with a wide range of American songwriters and producers, most of whom she had not worked with previously.[6] Mauboy co-wrote three of the album's songs.[55] Get 'Em Girls received mixed reviews from critics. Majhid Heath of ABC Online Indigenous gave the album two-and-a-half out of five stars, writing that it's a "non-cohesive mess of similar sounding, auto-tuned ravaged pop/R&B that diminishes the talent of this brilliant young songstress".[56] The album's title track, featuring American rapper Snoop Dogg, was released as its lead single on 17 September,[57] and peaked at number 19.[23] Mauboy performed "Get 'Em Girls" at the 2010 Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awardson 8 October, where she co-hosted the award ceremony with Liam Hemsworth and Jerry Trainor, and took home the award for 'Fave Aussie Muso'.[58][59] "Saturday Night", featuring American rapper Ludacris, was released as the album's second single on 25 October,[60]and peaked at number seven and was certified double platinum.[23][61] The following singles, "What Happened to Us" featuring English singer Jay Sean and "Inescapable", peaked at numbers 14 and four, respectively.[23] The former was certified platinum and the latter certified double platinum.[61]
At the 2010 Australian of the Year Awards, Mauboy received her first nomination for Young Australian of the Year.[62] On 10 December, she performed in front of an audience of 92,000 at the Federation Square in Melbourne, ahead of Oprah Winfrey's visit to the place.[63]Mauboy's performance was shown in the first of the four Australian specials of The Oprah Winfrey Show on 18 January 2011.[64][65] In April, she served as a support act for American singer Chris Brown on the Australian leg of his F.A.M.E. Tour.[66] From January to February 2012, Mauboy and Stan Walker embarked on their Galaxy Tour across Australia, to celebrate the release of their duet "Galaxy", the fifth single from Get 'Em Girls.[67] The song peaked at number 13 and was certified platinum.[23][68] It reached number 36 on the New Zealand Singles Chart, becoming Mauboy's first single to chart in New Zealand.[69]
Mauboy recorded 15 songs for The Sapphires' soundtrack album, which was released on 27 July 2012.[70][71] The album debuted at number one and was certified platinum.[72][73]Mauboy released "Gotcha" as the album's lead single, which peaked at number 43 and was certified gold.[23][68] At the 2012 ARIA Music Awards, she was nominated for 'Best Female Artist', 'Best Pop Release' for "Gotcha", and 'Song of the Year' for "Galaxy".[74]
2013–present: Beautiful
Mauboy received two nominations at the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards for 'Young Australian of the Year' and 'Northern Territory Young Australian of the Year'; she won the latter award.[75][76] In February 2013, it was announced that Mauboy's recorded version of Etta James' "Something's Got a Hold on Me" would be used as the theme song for the 2013 NRL season.[77] The song was released as a digital single on 27 February, and peaked at number 26 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[23][78] In March, Mauboy participated in a singing quiz segment for Ellen DeGeneres' two Australian shows in Sydney and Melbourne.[79][80] In September, she performed at the 65th Primetime Emmy AwardsGovernors Ball in Los Angeles.[81]
Mauboy's third studio album Beautiful was released on 4 October; it debuted at number three and was certified platinum.[23][82] The lead single "To the End of the Earth" was released on 17 July, peaked at number 21 and was certified gold.[23][83] The album's second single "Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)" was released on 27 September, debuted at number two and was certified platinum.[23][84] The song reached number 33 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and became Mauboy's third single to chart internationally.[69] The following singles, "Beautiful" and "Never Be the Same", peaked at numbers 46 and six, respectively.[23] At the 2013 NRL Grand Final on 6 October, Mauboy performed a medley of "Something's Got a Hold on Me" and "Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)", the Australian national anthem, and "Livin' la Vida Loca" with Ricky Martin.[85] She embarked on the To the End of the Earth Tour, her first solo headlining tour, from November 2013 to January 2014.[83] The tour consisted of 27 shows and received positive reviews from critics.[86][87] Mauboy performed "Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)" at the 2013 ARIA Music Awards on 1 December, and won 'Best Female Artist' for "To the End of the Earth".[88][89]
On 24 January 2014, Mauboy released a cover of "I Am Australian" with Dami Im, Justice Crew, Nathaniel Willemse, Samantha Jade andTaylor Henderson, to coincide with the Australia Day celebrations.[90][91] The song peaked at number 51 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[92]Mauboy was chosen by SBS to perform at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, in recognition of Australia's love affair with the annual event.[93] She performed "Sea of Flags" during the second semi-final in Denmark, making her the first solo artist from outside Europe to perform on the contest as a guest.[93] The song was released online immediately after the performance in Australia and throughout Europe.[93][94] SBS screened the documentary, Jessica Mauboy's Road to Eurovision on 10 May before their coverage of the second semi-final.[93] Mauboy's first extended play iTunes Session was released on 18 July, and debuted at number 25.[95] On 3 August, Mauboy performed during the 2014 Commonwealth Games Flag Handover Ceremony at Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland to mark the official handover of the Commonwealth Games from Glasgow to the Gold Coast in 2018.[96] Mauboy received three nominations at the 2014 ARIA Music Awards, including Album of the Year and 'Best Female Artist' for Beautiful, and 'Best Video' for "Never Be the Same".[97] Mauboy's next single "Can I Get a Moment?" was released on 17 October 2014,[98] and debuted at number five on the ARIA Singles Chart.[23]
Artistry
Music and songwriting
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A 25-second sample of Jessica Mauboy's debut single "Running Back", featuring lyrics about falling in and out of love.
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Mauboy's music is generally R&B and pop,[99] but she also incorporates hip hop into some of her songs.[100] Mauboy's debut album, Been Waiting, has been described as "a blend of electro beats, heartfelt pop tunes and R&B bass lines."[101] Most of the themes on the album deal with boys, love and break-ups.[101] Jarrad Bevan from The Mercury noted that the album also contains themes about everyday life, family issues, and friendship.[102] Alasdair Duncan from Rave magazine, described Mauboy's second album, Get 'Em Girls, as "a more hard-edged take on R&B and pop than her debut, pumped full of hip hop beats, jagged synths and futuristic vocal effects."[99] Mauboy said that she wanted each song on the album to talk about a "woman's needs", and that the album's theme was "very much about the empowerment of women and the domination of women."[103] In the soundtrack album The Sapphiresand in some of her singles including "Sea of Flags", Mauboy incorporates her Indigenous Australian culture into her music.[93]
Aside from her vocals work, Mauboy has also co-written some of her material. She co-wrote six songs on her first album,[35] five on her second album[104] and ten tracks on her third album.[35] Mauboy stated in an interview that while working with American producer Harvey Mason, Jr., they came up with the melodies and hooks for the songs "Fight for You" and "Here for Me" on the album Get 'Em Girls.[103] She also experimented with an operatic-type voice on her song "Scariest Part".[103] In 2010, Mauboy was nominated for 'Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year' at the APRA Awards.[105]
Influences
Mauboy grew up listening to country singers Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton,[16] as well as rappers Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.[106] She likes to play the piano while singing songs by Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and the Bee Gees.[5] Mauboy cites Carey and Houston as her musical inspirations,[103] and John Farnham as her biggest Australian musical influence.[107] She admires actress Deborah Mailman for the acting roles she plays, and Olympic champion Cathy Freeman whom she said "has been a big influence on my life."[108] Mauboy is a fan of Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé.[103][109] Several publications have labelled her Australia's answer to Beyoncé.[110][111] Mauboy has stated that she does not agree with the comparisons to Beyoncé, saying "I just think she's fantastic and I'm completely nowhere near where she is, but I aspire to that."[112]
Other ventures
Film and television career
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In January 2010, Mauboy had a starring role in the film adaptation of the 1990 Aboriginal musical Bran Nue Dae.[113] The film was directed byRachel Perkins and also starred Ernie Dingo, Geoffrey Rush, Missy Higgins, and Deborah Mailman.[114] In the film, Mauboy played the role of Rosie, a local church singer who has a love interest for a school boy named Willie (played by Rocky McKenzie).[113] In November 2010, she made a guest appearance in the final episode of the television mini-series, Underbelly: Razor, and played the role of a nightclub singer named Gloria Starr.[115][116]
Mauboy had a lead role in The Sapphires, a film based on the stage show of the same name. It was directed by Wayne Blair and also starred Deborah Mailman, Shari Sebbens, and Miranda Tapsell. Mauboy played the role of Julie McCrae, one of the four Indigenous Australian singers "who travel from a mission in Victoria to Vietnam to sing for American troops".[117][118] Mauboy and the cast attended the film's premiere at the65th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France on 20 May 2012.[117] Upon its release in the United States in 2013, Mauboy appeared onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show on 18 April.[119] For her performance in The Sapphires, she won the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and the Australian Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress.[120][121]
Mauboy became a mentor for the second series of The Voice Australia in April 2013, and paired up with coach Ricky Martin to prepare the contestants in his team for the show's battle rounds.[122] In September 2013, she made a guest appearance in the third and final season of Dance Academy as herself.[123] Mauboy appeared in an episode of Sesame Street on 20 March 2014, singing "Count the Kangaroos" in a clip which was filmed in Alice Springs.[124][125] The clip focuses on the number five and features five animated kangaroos, five boomerangs and five children from Yipirinya State Primary School.[124]
Endorsements
In 2007, Mauboy appeared in advertisements for the shampoo product, Head & Shoulders.[126] In April 2009, Mauboy teamed up with Bloom Cosmetics to create two designer collection nail polishes,[127] which included shades of sangria red and metallic green.[127][128] In October 2010, she became the new face of the video game, Nintendogs + Cats 3DS, and joined forces with RSPCA and Nintendo to help promote the game.[129] Mauboy teamed up with clothing label KuKu in December 2010, to launch her five-dress fashion range, which were made available to buy at Myer stores across Australia.[130] In July 2011, it was revealed that she turned down an offer to become the face of an alcohol brand because she believed it would be sending the wrong message to indigenous communities struggling with alcoholism.[131] In February 2014, Mauboy had been elevated to brand ambassador status for the NRL under a long-term deal.[132] In May 2014, Mauboy was confirmed as a new health and wellness ambassador for Swisse.[133] In June 2014, Mauboy was confirmed as an ambassador for international airline Qantas along with Telstra.[134]
Philanthropy
In April 2009, two dollars from the sale of each of the nail polish bottles Mauboy created with Bloom Cosmetics was donated to Children's Hospital Foundations Australia to support the research into childhood illness.[128] In December 2011, she performed free acoustic concerts across Australia as part of the Indian Pacific Outback Christmas train journey, an annual fund-raiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.[135] In March 2013, Mauboy became the ambassador of the 2013 Woolworths Earn & Learn program, which enables primary and secondary schools in Australia as well as early learning centres to earn educational resources through the school community shopping at Woolworths.[136]She appeared in two television commercials for the program, featuring students from Wulagi Primary School in Darwin.[13][137] On 24 July 2013, Mauboy was appointed as the official ambassador of Yipirinya School, a bi-lingual and bi-cultural independent Aboriginal school.[138] She has made several visits to the school since the announcement.[138]Along with being a role model to students, Mauboy will help to promote the school and assist with its fundraising.[138]
Discography
- Been Waiting (2008)
- Get 'Em Girls (2010)
- Beautiful (2013)
Tours
- Headlining
- Galaxy Tour (with Stan Walker) (2012)
- To the End of the Earth Tour (2013–14)
- Supporting act
- Beyoncé's I Am... World Tour: Australian leg (2009)
- Chris Brown's F.A.M.E. Tour: Australian leg (2011)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Awards and nominations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Bran Nue Dae | Rosie | Nominated—Deadly Award for 'Female Actress of the Year'[139] |
| 2012 | The Sapphires | Julie McCrae | AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role[120] Australian Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress[121] Nominated—Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role[140] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Oprah Winfrey Show | Herself; guest | Season 25 special, Oprah's Ultimate Australian Adventure: Part 1 |
| Underbelly: Razor | Gloria Starr | "Armageddon" (Episode 13) | |
| 2013 | The Voice | Herself; mentor | Season 2, mentor working with Ricky Martin |
| The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Herself; guest | Season 10, episode 1636 Season 10 special, Ellen in Melbourne | |
| Take Two with Phineas and Ferb | Herself; guest | Australian version | |
| Dance Academy | Herself; guest | "Start of an Era" (Season 3, episode 11) | |
| 2014 | Sesame Street | Herself; guest | "Judy and the Beast" (Season 44, episode 19) |
| Jessica Mauboy's Road to Eurovision | Herself | SBS documentary | |
| The X Factor Australia | Herself; guest mentor | Season 6, mentor working with Dannii Minogue for the Home Visits round |
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