Biography
Becky Baeling emerged among a fresh wave of artists reviving disco, channeling the seductive rhythms and nonstop revelry that defined club sounds from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. She entered the world in Rochester, Michigan—the same town that produced Madonna—and began dance instruction at three. By five she had already composed an original musical. At nine she took the title role in the celebrated stage production Annie, holding it for eight months, and she also performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. After completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Michigan, she relocated to London to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, sharpening her stagecraft. From there she settled in New York City, where she sang in jazz venues, recorded television spots for Slim Fast and Coca Cola, and appeared in multiple theatrical productions. Drawing from disco icons Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer as well as Broadway figures such as Liza Minnelli, she began crafting her own recordings: high-energy pop driven by theatrical, soulful vocals that merged her club and stage influences. Universal Records eventually signed her, placing “I’m Gonna Fly” on the soundtrack for the film The Guru in early 2003. “If You Love Me,” helmed by Anders Bagge—who had previously worked with Jessica Simpson and Celine Dion—was featured on the Global Hits 2003 collection, entering Billboard’s dance charts at number nine and later reaching number three. Its successor, “Getaway,” climbed even higher to the summit. On June 24, 2003, she issued her first full-length album, Becstasy, which prompted immediate parallels to Madonna on account of her sensual persona, shimmering upbeat disco-infused pop tracks, and enlistment of elite producers. She later joined Brian McKnight for a duet on Fox Channel’s Summer Music Mania.
Albums
