Porcelain Black
Encyclopedia
Alaina Marie Beaton 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.
. Her father was a hairstylist. He owned a hair salon and brought her along to fashion shows and photoshoots. Her parents separated when she was 6 years old. After her mother remarried, they settled in Rochester
where she attended high school. Having lived in less affluent areas prior to the move, Black found that she did not fit in with her privileged classmates, 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. 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. 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.
Porcelain and the Tramps, Black worked with Tommy Henriksen
and John Lowery
in London
while at Virgin. 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. 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. Black co-wrote and sang backup vocals for the song "Lunacy Fringe
" by The Used
. 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. 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.
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. 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. She changed her name to Porcelain Black because it caused confusion to people who thought Porcelain and the Tramps was a band. 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. She adopted Black in her name because she felt that it represented the opposite of "fragile" Porcelain. She plans to revisit the Porcelain and the Tramps project in the future. 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
", Swizz Beatz
's "Rock 'N' Roll
" and Jeffree Star
's "Get Away With Murder" in 2010.
Black's debut album will be released in January of 2012. RedOne produced all the songs on the album and co-wrote all but one of the tracks with her. She has stated that Eminem
could appear on "How Do You Love Someone?". Black filmed a cameo role in Rock of Ages with RedOne's help, playing the lead singer of an 80's hair-metal band. She also provided the sole original song for the film, "Rock Angel". She made her television debut on The David Letterman Show
on July 21, 2011. "Naughty Naughty", the second single from her album, was released in Sweden on October 24. The single will be released in the US and UK on December 5. She also co-wrote "Save You Tonight" with RedOne, for One Direction
's debut album Up All Night.
and Britney Spears
. 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." 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
, Skinny Puppy
, AC/DC
, Hole
and Oasis
as musical influences, citing the albums "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
" and "Live Through This
" as the most influential to her current sound. The first concert she attended was an AC/DC
concert with her father. Recalling the experience, she told Revolver
, "...I was like, when I grow up, this is what I want to do!"
star, Bam Margera
, in 2011, although they have since reportedly broken up and she has now confirmed that she is single.
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
-songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. She started her music career at 18 under the stage name Porcelain and the Tramps with Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. 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
RedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
's Universal Republic imprint late in 2009 and began working on her debut.
Early life
Black grew up in Sterling Heights, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Her father was a hairstylist. He owned a hair salon and brought her along to fashion shows and photoshoots. Her parents separated when she was 6 years old. After her mother remarried, they settled in Rochester
Rochester, Michigan
Rochester is an affluent city in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan on the northern outskirts of metro Detroit. The population was 12,711 at the 2010 census...
where she attended high school. Having lived in less affluent areas prior to the move, Black found that she did not fit in with her privileged classmates, 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. 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
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. She also considered becoming a backup dancer. 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
Armor for Sleep
Armor for Sleep was an American rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001 and disbanded in 2009. The final lineup consisted of lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Ben Jorgensen, lead guitarist PJ DeCicco, bassist Anthony DiIonno and drummer Nash Breen....
, she returned to Detroit and stopped taking drugs.
Virgin Records
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. Recording under the pseudonymPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Porcelain and the Tramps, Black worked with Tommy Henriksen
Tommy Henriksen
Tommy Henriksen is an American singer-songwriter from Port Jefferson, New York.Henriksen first moved to Los Angeles to start his music career in 1991. He did tech work for Alice Cooper before beginning performance work with Keith Forsey on a full-length solo album...
and John Lowery
John Lowery
John William Lowery , best known by the stage name John 5, is an American guitarist. His stage name was bestowed on him in 1998 when he left David Lee Roth and joined the industrial metal group Marilyn Manson as their guitarist, taking over from Zim Zum...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
while at Virgin. 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
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
, despite already knowing what kind of music she made when signing her. 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
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, gaining upwards of 10 million views in a matter of months. Black co-wrote and sang backup vocals for the song "Lunacy Fringe
In Love and Death
In Love and Death is the second studio album by American rock band The Used. It was released on September 28, 2004 and has since been certified gold. It is their most well-received and successful album to date. This was the first album for which Alex Pardee did the artwork, and he has done all...
" by The Used
The Used
The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah. The band was founded in 2001 and signed to Reprise Records the same year. They rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third...
. She was approached by Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
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
Street Drum Corps
Street Drum Corps is a punk rock percussion band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2004 by Bobby Alt, of S.T.U.N. and Faculty X, Adam Alt, of Circus Minor, and Frank Zummo, of TheStart. To date the group have released two albums and have been part of tours such as Van's Warped Tour, Taste of...
's "Action!". "How Do You Love Someone?", co-penned by Black around the time she left Virgin was cut by Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
for her second album, Guilty Pleasure. 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.
Universal Republic: 2009-present
Through a mutual A&R friend, producer RedOneRedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
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
This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like
"This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like" is the debut single of American pop-rock singer-songwriter, Porcelain Black. This song serves as the first single off the singer's debut studio album. "This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like" is a rock jam, lyrically stating how the listener should be proud of...
" the next day. RedOne helped Black get out of her contract with Virgin Records and signed her to his Universal Republic
Universal Republic
Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman...
imprint, 2101 Records. RedOne also introduced her to a new manager, Derrick "EI" Lawrence, who also manages Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
. Wayne invited her to join him on his I Am Music Tour
I Am Music Tour
The I Am Music Tour, was a concert tour headlined by American rapper Lil Wayne and with special guest Nicki Minaj. The tour was following his Grammy Award-winning album Tha Carter III....
after meeting her. She changed her name to Porcelain Black because it caused confusion to people who thought Porcelain and the Tramps was a band. 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. She adopted Black in her name because she felt that it represented the opposite of "fragile" Porcelain. She plans to revisit the Porcelain and the Tramps project in the future. Black co-wrote "Lolita
Lolita (song)
"Lolita" is a song by Mexican singer Belinda, released as the first promotional single from her third studio album Carpe Diem.The song was composed by Jimmy Harry, Alaina Beaton, Belinda and Nacho Peregín.-Cultural references:...
" for Mexican pop singer Belinda. She also made appearances in the music videos for Travie McCoy
Travie McCoy
Travie Lazarus McCoy is an American singer and rapper. He is the lead vocalist of the alternative hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes. He released his debut solo album Lazarus on June 8, 2010....
's "We'll Be Alright
We'll Be Alright
"We'll Be Alright" is the third single from Travie McCoy's first solo album Lazarus. The song was produced by The Smeezingtons and Stereotypes and written by Travis McCoy, Bruno Mars, Phillip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Jonathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves. The song samples the 1995 single, "Alright"...
", Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
's "Rock 'N' Roll
Haute Living (album)
Haute Living is the upcoming second studio album by American rapper and record producer Swizz Beatz, set to released later in 2012 through Full Surface Records, Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Atlantic Records.-Background:...
" and Jeffree Star
Jeffree Star
Jeffree Star is an American model, fashion designer, make-up artist, DJ, and singer-songwriter residing in the Beverly Hills area...
's "Get Away With Murder" in 2010.
Black's debut album will be released in January of 2012. RedOne produced all the songs on the album and co-wrote all but one of the tracks with her. She has stated that Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
could appear on "How Do You Love Someone?". Black filmed a cameo role in Rock of Ages with RedOne's help, playing the lead singer of an 80's hair-metal band. She also provided the sole original song for the film, "Rock Angel". She made her television debut on The David Letterman Show
The David Letterman Show
The David Letterman Show was a live morning NBC talk show hosted by David Letterman from June 23 to October 24, 1980. The show originally ran for 90 minutes, then 60 minutes from August 4 onward.-Background:...
on July 21, 2011. "Naughty Naughty", the second single from her album, was released in Sweden on October 24. The single will be released in the US and UK on December 5. She also co-wrote "Save You Tonight" with RedOne, for One Direction
One Direction
One Direction are a British-Irish boy band, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. They finished third on the seventh series of The X Factor. Following The X Factor, the group signed a record contract with Syco Music.One Direction's debut single...
's debut album Up All Night.
Music and influences
Black's voice has been described as raspy. She described her music as a love child between Marilyn MansonMarilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
and Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. 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." Her biological father's love for rock music by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
also influences her. She has also listed Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
and its frontman, Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, Bjork
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
, Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial musical group, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial genre....
, AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
and Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
as musical influences, citing the albums "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
Morning Glory? is the second studio album by the English rock band Oasis. It was released on 2 October 1995 through Creation Records. The album was Oasis' most enduring commercial success, charting at number one in the UK and number four in the U.S...
" and "Live Through This
Live Through This
Live Through This is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. It was released by Geffen Records on April 12, 1994, just four days after frontwoman Courtney Love's husband, Kurt Cobain, was found dead in their home....
" as the most influential to her current sound. The first concert she attended was an AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
concert with her father. Recalling the experience, she told Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
, "...I was like, when I grow up, this is what I want to do!"
Personal life
Black began dating JackassJackass (TV series)
jackass is an American reality series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring stunts and pranks...
star, Bam Margera
Bam Margera
Brandon Cole "Bam" Margera is an American professional skateboarder, television and radio personality, actor and daredevil. He released a series of videos under the CKY banner and came to prominence after being drafted into MTV's Jackass crew...
, in 2011, although they have since reportedly broken up and she has now confirmed that she is single.
Singles
- "This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks LikeThis Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like"This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like" is the debut single of American pop-rock singer-songwriter, Porcelain Black. This song serves as the first single off the singer's debut studio album. "This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like" is a rock jam, lyrically stating how the listener should be proud of...
" (featuring Lil Wayne) - "Naughty Naughty"
Confirmed songs for Black's debut album
- "This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks LikeThis Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like"This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like" is the debut single of American pop-rock singer-songwriter, Porcelain Black. This song serves as the first single off the singer's debut studio album. "This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like" is a rock jam, lyrically stating how the listener should be proud of...
" (featuring Lil Wayne) - "How Do You Love Someone?" (possible duet with EminemEminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
) - "Naughty Naughty"
- "Mannequin Factory"
- "Livin' in Sin"
- "Stealing Candy from a Baby"
External links
- Porcelain Black's Official Fancorps site