Eartha debuted her first album, This I Know, in 2001, and it received critical and popular acclaim. A single from the album, "Love Jones," landed on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles chart in the number two position. The album features Eartha playing all of the instruments, and it covers a wide range of styles, from gospel to R&B and hip-hop.
Eartha's second album, Sidebars, seemed initially not to do as well when it was released in 2003. Although it sold briskly in nontraditional outlets, it received little airplay and moved slowly in traditional music outlets. According to SoundScan, which tracks album sales, the album had sold only 52 copies through traditional outlets at the time of its Grammy nomination. AFRT reported selling 10,000 copies at Eartha's concerts, parties, clubs, and special events, but even this figure was insignificant compared to the millions of copies sold by Eartha's fellow nominees. Nevertheless, the album garnered not just one, but two Grammy nominations.
Many people wondered how a relatively unknown musician could win a Grammy Award. Some credited Eartha's record label, AFRT, which in the weeks and months before the Grammys had launched an all-out publicity campaign, conducting massive CD, T-shirt, and cap giveaways. (The company handed out 50,000 copies of Sidebars.) In addition, AFRT copresident Glaurys Ariass told USA Today's Steve Jones, "We hit different key people [with CD giveaways], sent product to retailers, specific editors, producers and musicians just to try to get in front of them."
The hard work paid off. Eartha earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Female Performance for the song "I'm Still Standing," sharing the field with Mary J. Blige, Ashanti, Aaliyah, and Jill Scott. It was, however, her nomination for the Sidebars album for which Eartha won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album.
This double nomination in two distinct categories—R&B and gospel—reflects Eartha's unique approach to music, which combines gospel lyrics with infectious dance tracks and other popular music forms. Eartha credits AFRT with fostering this unique approach—an approach that might not have been possible at a larger, more conservative label. She speaks in glowing terms of the label's willingness to let her produce her own work and follow her own path, without regard to what might or might not match the tastes of the label's executives or accountants. "I didn't really initiate the choice to select them, " she told Marie Cruz for Inside Connection, of the beginning of her relationship with the label. "They kind of selected me."
The singer/songwriter was understandably delighted at her Grammy win. As she told Cruz for Inside Connection, when she heard the announcement that she had won the award, "I could have just fallen to my knees. It was so exciting … I'm still kind of speechless." Eartha also expressed hope that her success would inspire other musicians working outside of the musical main-stream to pursue their dreams and to keep the faith.
That's not a word Eartha uses lightly: her Christian faith is the foundation of her work and her life. As she told E. Christian Moore in Dysonna, "I understand where my help comes from and without God I couldn't do any of this." She also described her music as her ministry, and her disarmingly fun approach to music gets her in the door at many clubs and other venues that would not ordinarily showcase gospel music.
In addition to music and her faith, Eartha has a strong interest in fashion. "I love fashion," she told Moore. "I love style. I have a sense of individuality about my style and the way I dress…. It's funny because sometimes people will look at me and assume that I'm doing something else other than gospel because of [my] appearance or because of [my] clothes. Well, I'm gospel. Maybe you can't tell but that's good." Eartha also writes an advice column each month in the teen magazine Fresh.
For the Record …
Born Eartha Moore in Los Angeles, CA; daughter of Zinna (a musician) and Philip Moore. Education: Attended El Camino College and Los Angeles Trade Technical College.
Released debut album This I Know on the AFRT label, 2001; released Sidebars, also on AFRT, 2003.
Awards:
Grammy Award, Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album for Sidebars, 2003.
Addresses:
Record company—AFRT Music, P.O. Box 6590, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, phone: (310) 277-4601,
website: http://www.afrtmusic.com.
Management—Ariass Management Group (AMG), P.O. Box 6590, Beverley Hills, CA 90212.
As for the future, Eartha says that she plans to keep performing music that makes people want to dance, that brings them closer to God, and that, as she told Contemporary Musicians, helps to "encourage and … strengthen other people."
Additional information was obtained from AFRT publicity materials and telephone interviews with Eartha in June of 2003.
—Michael Belfiore ©2008 eNotes.com
Exerpts from "Eartha." Contemporary Musicians. Ed. Leigh Ann DeRemer. Vol. 44. Gale Group, Inc., 2004. eNotes.com. 2006. 2 Jan, 2008
Vision
Eartha Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Set me upon a tower
I will watch to see what the Lord will say unto me
He said write the vision,
Make it plain upon the tables
That he may run that readeth it,
For the vision is for an appointed time,
At the end it shall speak and not lie
I know that you?ve been waiting for a while
Seems like your blessings they just keep passing you by
Everybody?s got something going on
You?re waiting for the dream that you can call your own
Though in the fire you?ve been thoroughly tried
God is not a man that He should ever lie, He won?t ever lie
And if He said it just you surely wait
For the just man shall live by his faith
I?ve got a word for you and it ain?t nothin? new
This is what you oughta do - rehearse His promises to you
It is only by His grace that we have the patience to wait
You oughta give God His praise
Whatever He?s told you, whatever He?s shown you
Count it already done cause only He can do
Don?t stagger at his promise, just you believe
Like Abraham our father, you shall receive.
The first verse of Eartha's song "Vision" speaks of standing and watching, waiting to hear what the Lord has to say. It's a call for patience and faith in uncertain times. The instructions to "write the vision" and "make it plain upon the tables" is a reminder of the importance of clarity in our lives. When we have a clear vision of what we want, we're more likely to focus our efforts in that direction. Moreover, it becomes easier to stay the course and wait for the manifestation of that vision when we've written it out and made it clear. The verse also points out that the vision may not happen immediately. It's a reminder that patience and faith is necessary for the vision to come to fruition.
The second verse addresses those who have been waiting for their blessings and dreams to become a reality. The lyrics provide assurance that God is not a man that He should lie, and if He's promised something, He will certainly deliver. The song goes on to encourage the listener to rehearse God's promises, to have faith, and to give Him praise. The lyrics emphasize the importance of faith, patience, and belief in God's promises.
Overall, Eartha's "Vision" is a song about the importance of faith in uncertain times. It encourages listeners to trust God's promises, to be patient, and to have a clear vision of what they want. It's a reminder that we must believe in the promises of God and continue to have faith even when things seem uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
I will stand upon my watch
I will be vigilant for a sign or signal from the Lord
Set me upon a tower
Place me in a position of prominence and visibility to better see a divine message
I will watch to see what the Lord will say unto me
I will keep a look out for any message or commandment from God
He said write the vision,
God instructed me to record the message I was given
Make it plain upon the tables
I must make the vision or instruction clear and easy to understand
That he may run that readeth it,
So that anyone who reads it can quickly grasp its meaning
For the vision is for an appointed time,
The vision is for a specific moment in the future
At the end it shall speak and not lie
The vision will come to fruition and will not deceive
I know that you've been waiting for a while
I understand that you have been waiting a long time
Seems like your blessings they just keep passing you by
It appears as though you are missing out on opportunities
Everybody's got something going on
Everyone else seems to be succeeding in their own pursuits
You're waiting for the dream that you can call your own
You are waiting for your own personal success or fulfilling goal
Though in the fire you've been thoroughly tried
You have been through difficult and trying times
God is not a man that He should ever lie, He won't ever lie
God is honest and reliable
And if He said it just you surely wait
If God promised something, you should patiently wait for it
For the just man shall live by his faith
Believers who are righteous will survive because of their faith
I've got a word for you and it ain't nothin' new
I have a message for you, but it may not be groundbreaking
This is what you oughta do - rehearse His promises to you
You should repeatedly remind yourself of God's assurances
It is only by His grace that we have the patience to wait
We can only wait patiently with God's mercy
You oughta give God His praise
You should express gratitude and worship towards God
Whatever He's told you, whatever He's shown you
Whatever God has communicated to you
Count it already done cause only He can do
Believe that God will fulfill His promise because only He is capable
Don't stagger at his promise, just you believe
Do not doubt God's promise, simply have faith
Like Abraham our father, you shall receive
You will be blessed like the biblical figure Abraham
Contributed by Bentley B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.