That Southern Hummingbird we all came to know and love after she released the single, “Oops (Oh My),” in 2002 has seemingly vanished. Tweet (who really should have some sort of promotional situation going on with Twitter) was perhaps a dime a dozen in the early 00s–rivaling the likes of Ciara, Amerie and Christina Milian. But now, there is a virtual wasteland of decent R&B. And, in spite of Tweet having released an EP in 2013, it still begs the demand: Desperately seeking Tweet.
Before Tweet rose to fame, she dealt with a series of struggles and depressions while singing in a girl group called Sugah. Although the group didn’t fare well, Tweet ultimately met Missy Elliott and Timbaland during this time and ended up adding vocals to Elliott’s 2001 album, Miss E… So Addictive. Tweet had also contributed backing vocals to a number of other high profile hip hop artists that year, including Ja Rule and Petey Pablo.
The prevalence of Tweet’s voice on so many top selling albums helped lead to the recording of her own debut album. Southern Hummingbird showcased Tweet’s versatility as an artist, especially on lesser appreciated singles like “Smoking Cigarettes.” And then there was her lesser appreciated cameo in 2003’s Honey starring Jessica Alba.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAkfeJ902fE
After the success of Southern Hummingbird (which saw “Oops (Oh My) reach the top 10 on Billboard), Tweet waited another two years to release 2004’s It’s Me Again, which also featured a single with Missy Elliott. However, the song didn’t have as much longevity on the UK and US charts, which may have been a part of the reason why her next album, Love, Tweet, was shelved in 2007. A five track EP, Simply Tweet, has, thus, been our only real offering in all these Tweetless years. And so, R&B and general music enthusiasts alike must be obliged to execute a desperate search for Tweet–or else a desperate search for meaning.
