By Christopher A. Daniel | @Journalistorian
Kandi Burruss recently signed two delectable urban pop vocal acts, LOUD and Glamour, to her Kandi Koated Entertainment imprint. Her latest investment gives her the opportunity to introduce good talent before massive audiences. “A lot of record labels don’t develop talent anymore,” says the Grammy Award-winning songwriter, businesswoman, and cast member of the hit Bravo reality show Real Housewives of Atlanta. “They are more groomed than a lot of the new acts coming out.”
LOUD, an acronym that stands for “Live Out Ur Dreams,” is a charismatic, multiethnic quartet comprised of members Turner, Katie Marie, Timothee Alex, and Kierstena, whose ages range from 15 to 16 years old. Their high-octane sibling trio, Glamour, consists of 15-year-old Moriah and Kaylan and 16-year-old Lady.
One of Kandi’s songwriters, Brandin Jay, and his mother-manager Natarsha Garcia, introduced the multi-faceted College Park, GA native to both LOUD and Glamour. The groups are signed under Garcia’s artist development school through her company, AGI Entertainment.
The time spent going through charm school was well spent, creating an infectious synergy between the group members-turned-pals. “When we were put together, we weren’t friends,” says Kaylan. “We didn’t know each other. It just so happens we became best friends and sisters on the course of our journey. The best thing about it is going through it with the people that you love.”
LOUD and Glamour recently performed before a small group of selected press at Kandi’s decadent production and recording complex, The Kandi Factory. Both performances combined great stage presence with synchronized choreography, uptempo tracks, stylized vocals and a genuine love for entertaining. Kandi, who rose to fame in the ‘90s as a member of the platinum-selling female singing quartet Xscape, reiterates that she’s very protective of her latest signees.
“When you have kid groups, you have parents that be too into the business,” states the writer behind sugar-coated hit singles like TLC’s “No Scrubs,” Destiny’s Child’s “Bills Bills Bills” and Pink’s “There You Go.” “In the beginning while they’re still moldable, you gotta keep instilling in them nobody is bigger than the group. As they become more successful, people are gonna be in their ear. We try to make sure everybody gets time to shine.”
Kandi, who made history as the first African-American woman to receive ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul “Songwriter of the Year” honors, admits that she hasn’t shared too many horror stories or challenging recollections from her days as a member of Xscape yet, especially with Glamour because they’re an all-female act.
Simultaneously, Kandi, who is expecting a new addition to the family with her husband Todd Tucker, is focusing solely on the bands’ visibility, image, and social media presence. Turner spoke enthusiastically about Kandi’s temperament, further emphasizing how the host of the provocative online talk show, Kandi Koated Nights, owner of TAGS boutiques and mastermind behind a line of custom sex toys, Bedroom Kandi, is an exceptional mentor.
“She knows how to make everybody happy,” he says. “She’s been in a group with other people. There are times people don’t agree, but she drives home chemistry. She really wants us to flourish.”
Both groups seemingly have good heads on their shoulders. They all joke around and dance with each other when they’re not interviewing or performing. Each act aspires to make good music minus overtly sexualized imagery and profanity in their work. “As a group, we really just wanna inspire people to be who they are and live out their dreams,” shares Turner.
Turner’s fellow group member Timothee Alex adds, “One goal as a group is to bring positivity to the music industry. You don’t have to look up to people that are cursing or doing all of this other stuff.”
Working closely with the writer who also penned tracks for *NSYNC, Alicia Keys, Boyz II Men, Joe, Mya, and Mariah Carey inspires LOUD and Glamour. Mentioning her extraordinary catalog while admiring the evenly spaced gold, platinum and Billboard chart plaques decorating The Kandi Factory’s hallway wall, the ladies of Glamour say they’re grateful to have Kandi’s wealth of experience and insights.
“[Kandi] has a lot of knowledge because she’s been through this,” says Moriah during a post-performance Q&A, “and we’re just lucky to have someone like her to guide us through this whole process.” Another Glamour member, Lady, appreciates Kandi’s constructive criticism.
“She’s the best critic,” continues Lady. “Her opinion matters so much to us. She wants us to be the very best we can be.”
So far, there are no plans for LOUD or Glamour to tour together. Kandi says the plan is to have them open for bigger acts. She and her team are concentrating solely on sharpening their performances. “They may get to go together,” alerts Kandi. “They may not, but we’re gonna get both of them out there.”