DAY26

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August 26, 2007. That’s the date when five supremely talented young men were chosen by Diddy and MTV viewers around the world on the blockbuster Making The Band 4 season finale. Now, those same men – Brian Andrews, Mike McCluney, Qwanell Mosley (aka “Q”), Robert Curry, Willie Taylor – are poised to become R&B’s latest breakthrough group, DAY26. The moniker is a tribute to the day when Brian, Mike, Qwanell, Robert, and Will went from unknowns to stars.
DAY26’s eponymous Bad Boy Records debut is one of the year’s most anticipated releases. Recorded in just three weeks, executive produced by Diddy, and featuring production from Mario Winans (Diddy, The Notorious B.I.G.), The Runners (T.I., Chris Brown), and multiple Grammy Award-winner Bryan Michael Cox (Usher, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey), “DAY26” gives R&B fans what they’ve been missing: seamless, soulful, sincere harmonies and emotional, sexy, straight-up banging songs. Says Q, ”There hasn’t been a really strong male vocal group since the 90’s and that’s what our vibe is. To bring back that sound .“
DAY26 ‘s R&B jones fuels the first single, “Got Me Going.” Produced by Mario Winans, “Got Me Going”’s sultry, fired-up groove gets under your skin, and its lyrics are just as smoking. ”It’s about feenin' over a female,” Robert explains. “She’s driving us crazy, because we wanna go there but she’s playing hard to get. So basically, it’s like “you got me going.” I think it’s one of the songs that will appeal to the guys and the ladies.”
Another track that moves the crowd is “My Bed,” a club joint that caters to the ladies. The theme? Brian laughs, “It’s self explanatory. Because when you stay in my bed, the first thing that comes to mind is… you know what I’m saying. You ain't going to sleep”.
DAY26 get a chance to show their versatility with the heartbreaking “Are We In This Together.” “It’s about a breakup; telling the female that since you’ve been gone my life is so different,” Q offers. “It’s real heartfelt. You can hear the emotions and the pain because it’s dealing with something we can all relate to.”
One listen to “DAY 26” and you can hear the quintet’s dedication, talent, and soulfulness. But if you listen even closer, you’ll pick up on something else: mad respect not just for their craft but for each other. As Mike tells it, ”It was incredible to share something with talented guys who love it as much as I do.” Adds Robert, ”I love being with these guys. We’re like brothers. Anything I need, they got me... anything they need, I got them. It’s like a fraternity.”
They all hail from different cities but DAY26 all share a lifelong love of music and a desire to entertain. It’s a passion forged in childhood and with the support of friends, family, and a strong spiritual foundation.
Chi Town’s Will sang in church, local talent shows, and events from grade school to high school graduation. “I didn’t even want to go to school any more,” he admits. “All I wanted to do was sing, and I’d do anything and sing anywhere that would help me achieve my goal”.
Will’s break finally came in 2006 when, while attending a party, a local DJ urged him to audition for MTB4. “He said I had a really good chance of winning the regional competition, and even though I had some doubts, I prayed on it and I won.”
Born in Detroit, Robert was nine when he performed at country star Kenny Rogers’s annual Holiday Show. Sitting in the crowd was a player on baseball’s Detroit Tigers. He asked the youngster to sing the National Anthem at the team’s opening day, making Robert the youngest African-American to receive that honor. “Everyone was screaming and clapping,” Robert recalls, ”and that’s when I knew. That’s when that feeling came over me. There was nothing else in the world that I would rather do than sing “.
Houston native Brian’s first taste of the spotlight came at all of three years old, when he sang (and danced too!) Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” at a local talent show. But Brian almost missed out on the biggest break of his life. “The night before the MTB4 auditions my friends kept calling to ask if I was going to go. I didn’t even know what they were talking about! I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be involved, but, my friends called at 11 pm, and by 1pm the next day I was standing on line."
Hailing from South Carolina, Michael was just a little kid when he’d watch singers on TV and wish that he could be just like them. After spending years honing his talent, Michael has gotten his wish. “Last year I was working at a plant and now I'm doing what I love to do. I can’t go anywhere without people recognizing me, and I like it. Because that means they’re watching the show.”
Qwanell grew up in Rochester and attended the same music college as ex-Fugee Wyclef Jean. Q was fully committed to getting his education. He’d always wanted to be a star, but he wasn’t sure if it was wise to abandon school for what could be a long shot. As he struggled to make up his mind, he heard about the MTB auditions being held in NYC and like that, his mind was made up. “I just went with my gut and auditioned. Obviously,“ he laughs, “it ended up being a good look.”
When you’ve achieved your life-long goals and are now living a dream, it’s hard to put into words what the experience is like. But there’s one thing that DAY26 can tell you with out hesitation. “Working with Diddy was so cool,“ Will says, speaking for his brothers in harmony. “He gave us incredible advice; to always stay on your grind. Don’t ever sleep; always be ahead. Like a chess game; you always make the move that’s gonna protect you and take you further.” With their self-titled Bad Boy Records debut, DAY26 have made that move, and the future belongs to them. From DAY26 onward.
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