Because Amerie loves it

“I’m a citizen of the world,” declares R ’n B star Amerie, 29, who refuses to be “boxed” since she wants to do many things all at once — as a singer, songwriter, producer and actress.

Born Amerie Rogers to a Korean mother and an African-American father who was in the military, she has been to almost all corners of the world, including such places as Germany, South Korea, Alaska, Texas and Washington DC.

“Despite differences in culture and tradition,” adds Amerie, “people everywhere are the same. We are all citizens of the world. We are all basically the same.”

Her first album was All I Have, followed by Touch and Because I Love It which was released recently (by SonyBMG). Like her previous albums, Because I Love It is said not to fall into any particular box. It’s described as “having many elements,” including ’70s soul, ’80s new wave, hip-hop, live instrumentation, etc. But the whole sound is uniquely Amerie: Strong, aggressive vocals; beautiful melodies; and lush harmonies.

Amerie was nominated for two Grammys and was the recipient of the Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year award at the Lady of Soul Awards, the ASCAP Soundtrack Song of the Year award and the Vibe “Club Banga of the Year” award; and was named one of People magazine’s “100 Most Beautiful People of the Year” (2006).

Recently, Funfare did an exclusive phone interview with Amerie (who was in L.A. then).

Excerpts:

Your mother is Korean and your father is African-American, right? So how much of you is Asian and how much is African-American?

“Hmmmm. I guess 50/50. You know, I grew up in America for the most part but partly in a few other countries including Korea. But most of my life has been spent in America so I’m very American in that sense. At home, though, we eat Korean food and we have a lot of Korean values, customs and traditions. I think I am kind of mixed in my outlook on life. But my mom always says that I am very Korean.”

How does this mix influence your music?

“I think it influences my music as well. It influences me as a person, so it influences whatever I do.”

According to your bio-data, you were a “military brat.” Why?

“‘Military brat’ refers to any kid whose parents are in the military. I would go to a military store wearing a T-shirt that says ‘I’M A MILITARY BRAT’ but it doesn’t mean that I’m a spoiled brat. Being a ‘military brat’ is a good thing.”

Of course, you’ve traveled a lot as a kid. What did you learn from it?

“Well, I realized that people are the same everywhere, that even though our cultures are different, we are all basically the same, we still have more in common. That’s the best thing that I learned from my travels.”

You graduated with a bachelor’s degree (English major and Fine Arts minor) from Georgetown University. Did you know that the President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, studied in the same school?

“Yes, I heard that. It’s so cool! I’d love to meet her. That would be amazing.”

You took a two-year break from singing to host the TV show The Center as well as work behind the scenes; and then to play the lead role in First Daughter, directed by Oscar Best Actor Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), a romantic comedy also starring Katie Holmes (Mrs. Tom Cruise) and Michael Keaton.

“That was after I finished my first album, All I Have, and did a lot of promotions for it. The opportunity to do the movie came after I finished my stint in The Center. I wanted to try acting. The opportunity came faster than I anticipated and I didn’t want to miss out on it. The movie offer actually coincided with my break as a recording artist, but my album came out ahead of the movie.”

Now, which do you love doing more, singing or acting?

“I love doing both. Singing and acting are two different fields. In acting, you lose yourself in the character you’re playing; you create a character from nothing. In singing, you’re very, very vulnerable because it’s just your heart and soul and you are yourself performing, not another person or another character. The creative process in both fields is also different, and I find that interesting.”

Given another chance, what role would you like to portray in a movie?

“Hmmmm. I would love to appear in a wonderful drama; I love dramas. I would like to do an action movie opposite Angelina Jolie. And I also love period pieces so I’d love to be in a movie with a story that took place hundreds of years ago.”

By the way, congratulations. You were named “One of the 100 Most Beautiful People” (with Angelina at No. 1) last year by People magazine. How did you feel about it?

“Oh, it was really cool; it was very unexpected. But I try not to focus too much on things like that, although I definitely appreciate it.”

Do you think things like this raise the market value of an artist?

“It’s definitely a plus. But I don’t know how it translates in terms of an artist’s marketability; but it’s definitely an honor.”

Your legs are described as “million dollar.” Are they really worth that much? Are they insured?

“Not right now...not yet!”

Aside from singing and acting, what else do you love doing as the title of your album suggests?

“Oh, I love reading. I love learning. That’s something that I always heard growing up — you know, that just because you finished school, formal education, you should stop learning. No, you should never stop learning. You should continue to learn about the world. There’s so many things about history that I love; I love reading spiritual books; I love learning about everything — archeology, wild life, everything! That’s why The Discovery Channel is one of my favorites.”

Why did you call your album Because I Love It?

“Because it aptly describes my motivation for doing what I do, why I love to create.”

What do you love most about yourself?

“What I love about myself? Hmmmm. I do love that I love to learn because I think that we should continue to strive to be better people, learn more about life and each other. I have a lot to learn. Learning makes life interesting.”

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