Oh, how time flies! It’s been fifteen years since Amerie (now stylized as Ameriie) released her debut album All I Have on July 30, 2002.
While the project was led with singles “Why Don’t We Fall in Love” and “Talkin’ to Me,” there are a host of jams on this criminally underrated body of work. What producer Rich Harrison and Amerie created was nothing short of blissful R&B magic.
In celebration of Amerie’s 15th anniversary of All I Have, we came up with a short and sweet list of our favorite deep cuts from the album.
“I Just Died”
After a night of lovemaking and passion, Amerie finally knows what it feels like to be in love. “I know you probably think that I’m so strange / Stuttering on every word when you look my way, why? / And maybe it’s all in my mind / But when we hugged goodbye I had butterflies,” she sings. Although Amerie’s voice is always full of light, it’s the pairing of Rich Harrison’s pounding bassline and twinkling synths that allow her voice to flutter so pleasantly and effortlessly.
“Got To Be There”
Amerie’s giving her lover one last chance before she walks away for good on this jumpin’ jam. “It would be so sad to me / To be the one that got away (One that got away)/ And it hurts just as much to see / To see the feelings we have decayed,” she sings. What’s interesting is that this song has a very similar rhythm and cadence as “Why Don’t We Fall in Love,” which is a peek inside what would become part of Rich Harrison’s signature production. Amerie’s background vocals also shine on this track.
“Hatin’ On You”
Amerie is determined to fight the feeling of love, to no avail, on this groovy tune. “I don’t wanna believe / That we could live the life I’m dreaming of/Cause I don’t wanna be in love / So I’m fightin’ all the tenderness/And the moment that I can’t forget / Oh it’s irrelevant / Cause it’s just a matter of time,” she sings. This song provides us with early signs of some grit and growl in Amerie’s voice, which would be the driving force behind a later hit: “1 Thing.”
“Nothing Like Loving You”
Amerie contemplates the inexplicable feeling of not being able to let someone go on this sultry track. “Every single touch / Every on my mind / Cross my heart / Don’t know why / It’s nothing like loving you / It’s nothing like loving you,” she sings. Not only are her vocals solid, but it’s the vulnerability in her voice that really sells this song, and makes it one of the standout tracks.
