Shola Ama (born 8 March 1979) is a British singer from London, who scored h… Read Full Bio ↴Shola Ama (born 8 March 1979) is a British singer from London, who scored her biggest hits with "You Might Need Somebody" (1997), a cover of Randy Crawford's 1981 hit, "You're the One I Love" and "Still Believe" (1999) which was one of the first productions by the Norwegian producing team Stargate.

Career
When she was 15, Ama was singing to herself on a platform at Hammersmith tube station, and was overheard by Kwame Kwaten, a producer at the FreakStreet record label.[1] In 1995, an unknown independent label released a single titled "Celebrate", which was a ballad produced by D'Influence. Although the single was not a commercial success, it did draw attention to Shola Ama as an artist. On her 16th birthday, she signed a recording contract with WEA.

The single "You're the One I Love" was Ama's first single release for WEA in 1996; it barely made an impact on the charts, only managing to reach No. 85. Her second WEA single, "You Might Need Somebody", remains her biggest hit. This Turley Richards cover reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart[2] in April 1997. It remained in the top 40 for almost two months, becoming one of 1997's biggest hits. A re-release of "You're the One I Love" followed in August 1997 and reached No. 3.[2] Her third single "Who's Loving My Baby" was released in November 1997 and reached No. 13.[2] At the age of 18, Shola Ama released her debut album Much Love (1997).

In May 1997, Ama performed her single "You Might Need Somebody" at Wembley Stadium as part of the build-up to the rugby league Challenge Cup Final.

On the success of the album, Ama won a Brit Award for Best British Female and two MOBO Awards for Best Newcomer and Best R&B Act.[3]

In 1999, Ama released her second album In Return. The project saw her working with the record producers Fred Jerkins III, Stargate, Shaun Labelle, Full Crew, D-Influence Productions and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (formerly of A Tribe Called Quest). Co-writers included Angie Stone and Babyface with David Foster.

Despite having support from her record label, In Return was a commercial flop. Following this, Ama took a break from recording.[4][5]

In 2002, Ama went back into the recording studio to record her third album, Supersonic. Unable to obtain a major label deal, she instead formed a distribution deal with Pony Canyon.

In 2004, Ama featured on the track "You Should Really Know" by the Pirates, a response in song to Mario Winans' "I Don't Wanna Know" which reached No. 8 on the UK chart.

Ama also mentored her sister Sadie Ama, who signed her own recording contract and released "So Sure" (2004) and "Fallin" (2007).

Ama featured as vocalist on the Perempay & Dee single "DJ Play". The song was released in October 2009 and received heavy rotation on the radio.[6] She also featured on one of rapper Giggs' songs, "Cut Above the Rest", and later featured on the bonus disc to his album, Let Em Ave It, on a song called "Blow Em Away".

In February 2010, Ama joined a new collective group formed by Wiley called A-List, alongside her sister Sadie Ama and grime musicians Roll Deep, Mz. Bratt, Wrigley, Margs, Young Kye and Kivanc.[7]

In 2013, Ama narrated on the show My Crazy Jamaican Life.

In October 2015, Ama released a new 8-track EP featuring new reggae influenced tracks titled Surreal on Necessary Mayhem Records, 13 years after her last album Supersonic in 2002.

In April 2016, she featured on the album System Killer by Frisco on the song "Rocket"

Interlude
Shola Ama Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't know why
I'm waiting for loving
And I don't know why
Your kiss makes me burn
Every time I see you
I'm longing
For you to just stop
Listen and learn

'Cause I don't know why
You take my love for granted
And I don't know why I still feel the way I do
But baby, you know
That there's more to love
Than this feeling
I can put my pride aside

One time just for you. you
You, you, oh yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Shola Ama's song Interlude explore the complexities of love and relationships. The opening line "I don't know why I'm waiting for loving" expresses the confusion and uncertainty that can come with waiting for someone to love us. The following line "And I don't know why your kiss makes me burn" suggests that even though there is uncertainty, there is still a strong physical attraction to this person.

The next lines "Every time I see you, I'm longing for you to just stop, listen and learn" reveal a sense of frustration with the relationship. The singer wants the other person to stop taking their love for granted and truly listen and understand their feelings. The repeated line "I don't know why" emphasizes the confusion and the inability to comprehend why the other person behaves the way they do.

The chorus shifts the focus to the singer's own feelings and emphasizes that there is more to love than just the physical attraction and the intense burning feeling. There is a desire to put aside pride and work towards a deeper connection. The song ends on a hopeful note that this connection can be achieved.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't know why
I am uncertain of the reason

I'm waiting for loving
I am waiting for affection

And I don't know why
Again, I am unsure of the reason

Your kiss makes me burn
Your kiss ignites a passionate feeling within me

Every time I see you
Each instance of seeing you

I'm longing
I am filled with desire

For you to just stop
I want you to cease your actions

Listen and learn
Pay attention and gain understanding

'Cause I don't know why
Because I am uncertain of the reason

You take my love for granted
You do not appreciate the affection I give to you

And I don't know why I still feel the way I do
I am uncertain of why I continue to feel this passionate way

But baby, you know
However, you are aware

That there's more to love
Affection encompasses more than this one feeling

Than this feeling
Love is a complex emotion with various dimensions

I can put my pride aside
I am capable of disregarding my ego

One time just for you. you
For you, I am willing to do it once

You, you, oh yeah
You specifically, yes

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDWARD JAMES BADEN-POWELL, KWAME AMANKWA KWATEN, SARAH ANNE WEBB, SHOLA AMA, STEVE MARSTON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS