After signing a record deal with Capitol Records, she pursued a successful solo career. Her solo debut album, LeToya (2006), topped the US Billboard 200 albums chart in July 2006 and was certified platinum by the RIAA in December 2006. The single, "Torn", achieved records on BET's top ten countdown show 106 & Park. She was also named "One of the Best New Artists of 2006" by AOL and the "Top Songwriter of 2006" by ASCAP. Luckett released a second solo album Lady Love on August 25th, 2009 which debuted at #12 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and #1 on the U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Letoya Luckett was born in Houston, Texas to parents of African American and Indigenous American descent and grew up singing in her local Brentwood Baptist Church. She also had vocal lessons to become an opera singer. Her father, who was also a singer, was very proud of his daughter's vocal talents and tried to promote her in the music business. Luckett is the eldest of two children; she has a younger brother Gavin. Luckett was given the opportunity to sing her first church solo at the age of five. "The lady just gave me the mic one Sunday and I sang", she recalled. Shortly thereafter, she joined the children's choir and began performing in plays at her elementary school. One day, she walked to her desk in class to find a girl sitting in her seat. Luckett asked her teacher to remove the girl from her assigned seat, who turned out to be Beyoncé Knowles. They later became friends, and she was invited to join Latavia's and Beyoncé's singing group.
In 1993, LeToya Luckett joined Beyoncé Knowles, LaTavia Roberson, and Kelly Rowland to complete the Houston-based R&B group, Destiny's Child. After being signed and later dropped by Elektra Records, the group eventually signed with Columbia Records in 1997, but not before signing with Mathew Knowles as their official manager. According to the E! Television Special, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Knowles forced the girls to sign with him before they could sign with the label. LeToya's mother requested the contracts be reviewed by an attorney, but Knowles denied the request. However, Luckett eventually signed with him and joined the group.
After graduating from the Houston club scene, the group began opening for acts such as Dru Hill, SWV, and Immature, and released their 1998 self-titled debut album Destiny's Child. The album spawned two singles: the platinum "No, No, No Part II" (featuring Wyclef Jean) and "With Me". The group was featured on the Why Do Fools Fall in Love soundtrack with the song "Get on the Bus" (featuring Timbaland), and later toured as an opening act on TLC's "Fanmail Tour" and Christina Aguilera's debut tour.
In 1999, the group released their second album, The Writing's on the Wall. The album became one of the biggest selling albums released by a female group, and was certified eight times platinum in the USA. The album spawned four hit singles: "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Bug a Boo", "Say My Name" and "Jumpin' Jumpin'". In late 1999, in the midst of the group's rising success, Luckett and Roberson sent a letter to their management stating they wanted their own manager because of the increasing lack of communication from the group's manager Mathew Knowles (who is also Beyoncé Knowles' father). The pair said they never wanted to fire Knowles, but they did want to secure outside management to represent them fairly. Soon after, Luckett and Roberson found themselves on the outs with Knowles family and the group they helped create. When the "Say My Name" music video debuted in February 2000, they were shocked to find themselves replaced by two new members, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin.
Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit against Matthew Knowles, Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland, charging them with breach of partnership and fiduciary duties, and sought unspecified damages. Luckett and Roberson withdrew the case against Beyoncé and Kelly, but continued to sue Matthew Knowles. The case was eventually settled, with Luckett and Roberson continuing to receive royalties from their contributions as founding members of the group. When it seemed as if the drama had subsided, shortly following the release of Destiny's Child's Survivor, Luckett and Roberson filed another lawsuit against the group in March 2002. They claimed that the album's lead single, "Survivor", violated their previous settlement due to its lyrics, which they believed to reference the ugly split.
After several months of media speculation, it was announced via the MTV News website that Luckett and Roberson had created a new group called Anjel. After several auditions, Naty Quinones and Tiffany Beaudoin were selected as members. The group recorded a twenty-two-song demo in Atlanta, Georgia, with the help of R&B group Jagged Edge. Their production company (581 Entertainment) which handled the group fell through, and all the members of Anjel went on to pursue solo projects. However, the recorded tracks were leaked onto the internet.
After the Anjel project fell through, Luckett joined with Noontime, an Atlanta-based management/production company. Along with Noontime, she recorded a five song demo and eventually signed with Capitol Records in 2003. Soon after, she began working on her debut solo album. The first promotional single, "You Got What I Need", was released in 2004, followed next year by "All Eyes on Me". She featured on "My Promise" with her label mate Houston on his debut album It's Already Written, "What Love Can Do" on the Coach Carter soundtrack, and on "This Is My Life" with former boyfriend and rapper Slim Thug on his album Already Platinum. LeToya's self-titled debut album, was released on July 2006 and debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, outselling the compilation Now That's What I Call Music! and Pharrell Williams's debut album. The album was certified gold after one month and as of December 2006, the album had been certified platinum. Luckett and Beyoncé Knowles are the only members of Destiny's Child to have an album debut at number one on the Billboard 200 and achieve platinum status in the U.S.
With LeToya being marketed as "The H-Town Chick", the album featured hip-hop inspired R&B production. Producers on the album included Jermaine Dupri, Scott Storch, Teddy Bishop, B. Cox, and musical guests Slim Thug, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, and Bun B. "All Eyes on Me" was originally chosen as LeToya's debut single, but she selected "Torn" instead. She stated she "had to go against the grain" to get that single released, but it proved to be a good move. The ballad (produced by Teddy Bishop and a personal favorite of LeToya's) was released March 2006 and became an R&B hit. The ballad has been compared to Natalie Imbruglia and Mary J. Blige's past hit singles. The song climbed the Billboard charts, peaking at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and became the number one song on urban radio.
"Torn" (2006)
LeToya's most successful single to date.
"She Don't" (2006)
Although Torn was still receiving major airplay, her second single, "She Don't", was released to radio and the video premiered on BET's Access Granted in July 2006 featuring LeToya's ex-boyfriend, Slim Thug. The single received moderate success, reaching number seventeen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. In November 2006, "Obvious" was selected as the third single. According to Billboard, the song had a 94% chance of becoming a hit, but due to the merger of Capitol Records and Virgin Records, all promotion and money was frozen, therefore the single was never officially released. Luckett was also named "One of the Best New Artists of 2006" by AOL Music, number two on Rap-Up magazines' Top 5 Breakthrough Artists of 2006, and had received multiple nominations from the NAACP, the Soul Train Music Awards, and the Teen Choice Awards.
BET promoted LeToya heavily not only on 106 & Park, The Center, and The Black Carpet, but with a three-part reality series special called The H-Town Chick, which aired from May to July 2006. The series chronicled LeToya's experiences during her summer promotional tour and insight on her life since Destiny's Child. BET also hosted a contest that gave fans the opportunity to decide the final outcome of the "Torn" video. Cingular hosted a Lip-Sync contest that awarded those who best performed "Torn" best in an online submitted video.
In addition to a nationwide radio tour, club performances, a brief European and Asian tour, LeToya was asked to participate in the 2006 Pantene Total You Tour, the Cingular Live in Concert series, and was personally invited by Mary J. Blige to join her summer tour, The Breakthrough Experience Tour, as her opening act.
Lady Love
On July 13, she said in an interview that her album will have a 1980's influence on her songs and during the event, LeToya announced that the album would officially going to be named Lady Love, then she introduced and performed two new songs "Lady Love" and "Don't Let Me Get Away". On December 10, a buzz track, Swagger, that features rappers such as Slim Thug, Killa Kyleon and Bun B leaked onto internet through Luckett's official fansite, surprisingly the song makes a reference of Beyoncé's song, Upgrade U. In 2008 she was featured on Webbie's single "I Miss You" which was a moderate success. She didn't appear in the video due to the fact that she was acting in the nationwide play "Rumors" and as a result wasn't able to make it to the shoot.
LeToya's second solo album was released on August 25, 2009. and debuted at #1 on the Billboard R&B Hip Hop chart. The first single, "Not Anymore", was written by Ne-Yo and was produced by Bei Maejor. It was released on February 3. The music video was released on March 10. The uptempo song "She Ain't Got..." was leaked onto the internet end of March 2009 on several sites including YouTube. Luckett ran a contest online giving fans the chance to choose the follow-up single to “Not Anymore.” Called “The Final Showdown,” the contest gave the option of voting for one of two songs off her sophomore album, Lady Love. “We want the fans to choose between ‘Regret’ and ‘She Ain’t Got Shit On Me,’” LeToya reveals. “So whichever one wins between those two. They’ll both be singles though". "She Ain't Got..." won.
"Regret" was released soon after and became a urban hit reaching #3 on Urban Mediabase. A video was released in November and is currently on 106 And Park. The song peaked at #78 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart (becoming the first single from Lady Love to peak within this chart) and #8 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
LeToya revealed via Twitter that she was filming a video for Good To Me - thus confirming it to be the next single. The viral video premiered on the internet on February 12th.
Luckett's first role on television was on the WB show "Smart Guy" in 1998 with Destiny's Child. She also had an appearance in the movie "Beverly Hood" in 1999.
Since 2008, LeToya has been acting in plays and movies. LeToya was part of the cast of JD Lawrence's stage play Rumors as the character Michelle. She hit the road from January 31, 2008 to March 2, 2008.
Luckett is starring in the movie Preacher's Kid, which was released in January 2010.
She is also part of the movie Killers, scheduled for release June 4th, 2010 along with Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl and Tom Selleck.
Obvious
LeToya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And as hard as it was to let go, you knew it was the best thing for you
Well that time has come for me, I gotta move on
You say you wanna get married, but boy are you sure
Cause there are a couple of issues I refuse to ignore
You say one thing, and you do another
And I'm realizing you don't want me on your shoulder
But all I ever wanted was you
Just a little kiss, just a little hug
Now I'm realizing that that ain't your kinda love
Sometimes we want things
That might not be right for us
But when you're in love
You tend to look over the obvious
You're not changing and I know that you love me but
This thing ain't going the way I planned
Sometimes we want things
That might not be right for us
But when you're in love
You tend to look over the obvious
As bad as I want you to stay
We can't keep going on this way
Going this way
Don't think you're doing me no favors
Feeling the need to get on one knee
When you know you ain't right baby
You wanna make sure I'm always around
And with the ring on my finger
That means I'm on right now
I see it in your eyes you weren't
There's a good chance you doing some dirt
Cause I don't wanna be the one
To make you do something you don't want to
I'm gonna let you do you
Sometimes we want things
That might not be right for us
But when you're in love
You tend to look over the obvious
You're not changing and I know that you love me but
This thing isn't going the way I planned
Sometimes we want things
That might not be right for us
But when you're in love
You tend to look over the obvious
As bad as I want you to stay
We can't keep going on this way
Going this way
See there's a part of me
That doesn't want you here with me
That's a part of me
That wants to stick right with you
But it seems like you don't wanna put up a fight
And why should I even try?
Sometimes we want things
That might not be right for us
But when you're in love
You tend to look over the obvious
You're not changing and I know that you love me but
This thing isn't going the way I planned
Sometimes we want things
That might not be right for us
But when you're in love
You tend to look over the obvious
As bad as I want you to stay
We can't keep going on this way
Going this way
The song "Obvious" by LeToya Luckett is a melancholic ballad about the end of a romantic relationship. The lyrics describe the feeling of being the only person in the relationship who is truly in love and facing a difficult decision to move on despite the pain. The singer addresses her partner's desire to get married but highlights some issues that are not being addressed, and how the promises made by her lover are broken continuously. The song starts with the realization that the singer has to move on because she feels unvalued and unloved. The repeated phrase "Sometimes we want things that might not be right for us" reflects the bittersweet feeling of wanting to hold on to what is familiar, even though it is not fulfilling.
The lyrics of "Obvious" touch on themes that many people can relate to from their own experiences. The song can be seen as a warning that love alone cannot keep a relationship alive. Communication, honesty, and mutual respect are equally essential. The melancholic melody perfectly complements the mood of the lyrics, with the slow tempo and longing notes emphasizing the sadness of having to leave someone you love. The song's chorus speaks to the heart-aching decision of letting go of someone you love.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you ever felt like, you the only one in love in your relationship?
Have you ever been in a relationship where you're the only one showing real love and affection towards your partner?
And as hard as it was to let go, you knew it was the best thing for you
Even though letting go of a relationship can be tough, sometimes it is the best decision for your own well-being.
You say you wanna get married, but boy are you sure
You claim that you want to get married, but are you really sure that's what you want?
Cause there are a couple of issues I refuse to ignore
There are some serious issues in our relationship that I cannot overlook or ignore any longer.
You say one thing, and you do another
You don't follow through with what you say, which creates a lack of trust between us.
And I'm realizing you don't want me on your shoulder
I'm beginning to see that you're not really interested in supporting our relationship or being there for me when I need you.
You think material things is what I need
You have the impression that I'm only interested in material possessions or superficial things, but that's not true.
But all I ever wanted was you
All I've ever really wanted from this relationship is you, nothing more and nothing less.
Just a little kiss, just a little hug
I don't need anything extravagant from you, just small gestures of affection like a quick kiss or a simple hug.
Now I'm realizing that that ain't your kinda love
Unfortunately, it seems like you're not capable of providing the kind of love and affection that I need in this relationship.
Sometimes we want things
At times, we crave certain things or experiences in life.
That might not be right for us
However, some things that we want may not be the best for us in the long run.
But when you're in love
When you're in a romantic relationship with someone,
You tend to look over the obvious
It's easy to overlook red flags or warning signs when you're in love with someone.
You're not changing and I know that you love me but
Even though I know you love me, you're not willing to make any changes in our relationship to make it work.
This thing ain't going the way I planned
Our relationship is not going in the direction that I had hoped, and I'm beginning to see that we may not be compatible as a couple.
Don't think you're doing me no favors
Don't assume that you're doing me a favor by proposing or trying to keep me around in our relationship.
Feeling the need to get on one knee
You're feeling pressured to propose to me, even though it may not be the right decision for us both.
When you know you ain't right baby
You know deep down that you're not ready to be in a serious, committed relationship.
You wanna make sure I'm always around
You want to keep me around as an option, even though you're not willing to fully commit to our relationship.
And with the ring on my finger
Once you propose and I accept, you assume that I'll always be there for you and you won't have to put in any effort in our relationship.
That means I'm on right now
You feel like once we're engaged, you suddenly have been given my complete loyalty and commitment when really, that's not the case.
I see it in your eyes you weren't
I can tell by your actions and mannerisms that you weren't fully truthful with me or committed to our relationship.
There's a good chance you doing some dirt
There's a likely possibility that you are being disloyal or unfaithful behind my back.
Cause I don't wanna be the one
Because I don't want to be the person who's always trying to force you to change or be a better partner.
To make you do something you don't want to
I don't want to make you do something you're not ready or willing to do.
I'm gonna let you do you
I'm going to give you the freedom to make your own decisions, even if that means not being in a relationship with me.
See there's a part of me
I have conflicting feelings about our relationship and am torn between two choices.
That doesn't want you here with me
Part of me doesn't want you to be a part of my life or my relationship anymore.
That's a part of me
At the same time, another part of me still wants to make things work between us.
That wants to stick right with you
I want to stay loyal to you, even though it may not be the best decision for us in the long run.
But it seems like you don't wanna put up a fight
You're not willing to put forth any effort towards making our relationship work or addressing any of the issues we have.
And why should I even try?
With your lack of effort and commitment to our relationship, I'm finding it hard to justify trying to make things work anymore.
As bad as I want you to stay
Despite still having feelings for you, I know deep down that it may be better for me if you were to leave my life altogether.
We can't keep going on this way
Our current situation and the state of our relationship is not sustainable and cannot continue as is.
Going this way
Continuing down the path we're currently on will only lead to more disappointment and heartache.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRYAN MICHAEL COX, BRYAN MICHAEL PAUL COX, DAVE YOUNG, DAVID LYNN YOUNG, LETOYA LUCKETT, LETOYA NICOLE LUCKETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind