Faya (duo)

Faya (/ˈfaɪjə/, formerly spelled FYA) are a female R&B duo from West London. Originally a trio, the group was founded in Slough, England, and were signed to a six-album deal with Def Jam Recordings in 2003. They are best known for their 2004 single "Must Be Love", which featured guest vocals from Smujji and peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. This was followed by a second single, "Too Hot", and an album, For Your Attention, which was certified gold in Japan.

Faya
Also known asFYA
OriginSlough, England
GenresReggae fusion, R&B, dancehall, pop
Years active2003 (2003)–present
LabelsDef Jam, Jamdown, Toshiba EMI
Websitewww.lukemileycreative.com
Members
  • Tenza Foster
  • Emma Nhamburo
Past membersKezia (Kizzy) Bennett

History

FYA (standing for "For Your Attention") originally had three members: Kezia (Kizzy) Bennett, Tenza Foster and Emma Nhamburo.[1] Nhamburo, originally from Harare in Zimbabwe,[2] and Foster, who originated from Montego Bay in Jamaica,[2] met Bennett and formed FYA in Slough. They were discovered performing at a Slough youth centre[2] and released their debut single, "Boops '03"—a cover of "Boops (Here to Go)" by Sly and Robbie—in November 2003.[3]

After the release of "Boops '03", FYA were signed to a six-album deal with Def Jam Recordings.[4] This was followed by a second single, "Must Be Love", which was released in March 2004.[5] The strength of this single allowed FYA to be featured alongside acts such as Franz Ferdinand and Natasha Bedingfield as part of a BBC Radio 1 series on new British music. "Must Be Love" featured vocals from guest singer Smujji[6] and peaked at No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart,[7] making it FYA's biggest chart hit.[8] It sold 100,000 copies worldwide and was licensed to more than fifteen countries.[9]

Following the success of "Must Be Love", FYA released a third single, "Too Hot", in July 2004.[10] The song did not sell as well as "Must Be Love", and peaked at No. 49 on the UK Singles Chart.[11] The band were subsequently dropped by Def Jam, and instead released their debut album, For Your Attention, through the label Jamdown in 2005.[12] For Your Attention was also released in Japan by Toshiba EMI, where it reached gold certification.[13] A second album, Feel the Heat, was released by Universal International in 2007, with the track "Season on Fire" being taken from it as a single.[3] After Bennett left the group, Foster and Nhamburo continued to perform together under the name "Faya", and are currently based in West London.

Discography

Studio albums
Year Album details
2005 For Your Attention
  • Released: 11 April 2005
  • Label: Jamdown
  • Format: CD
2007 Feel the Heat
2011 Ready Back Again

Singles
Year Title Chart peak positions Album
UK
[8]
2003 "Boops '03" — Non-album release
2004 "Must Be Love" (featuring Smujji) 13 For Your Attention
"Too Hot" 49
2007 "Season on Fire" — Feel the Heat
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

See also

References
  1. Freak, David (2004). "David Brent has it wrong". Birmingham: icBirmingham. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  2. "Def Jam UK release FYA's hot new single "Must Be Love" featuring Smujji on 1 st March". Leeds: Contactmusic.com. 26 February 2004. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  3. "FAYA". Westbury Music Ltd. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  4. Serck, Linda (July 2004). "FYA – For Your Information (Def Jam)". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  5. "FYA: Too Hot". Music Week. 3 July 2004. ISSN 0265-1548. OCLC 60620772. ... First tipped by Music Week more than a year ago, this girl trio straight outta Slough are set to build on the base built by their March hit Must Be Love. ...
  6. "Kelly's eye-opener". Newcastle upon Tyne: icNewcastle. 4 June 2004. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  7. "The Official Charts Company – Fya Featuring Smujji – Must Be Love". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  8. "The Official Charts Company – FYA". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  9. "Jamdown with the Orchard". The Orchard. 8 January 2008. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  10. Mikey (10 July 2004). "Single reviews released 12 July 2004". Gillingham, Kent: Top40-Charts. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  11. "The Official Charts Company – FYA – Too Hot". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  12. "For Your Attention at Juno Records". Juno Records. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  13. "Faya". Zimbabwe Musical Vibes. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2010.

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