Dewain Whitmore Jr.
Dewain Whitmore Jr. is an American Grammy-award-winning singer, songwriter, and vocal producer based in Los Angeles, California. Signed to Disney Music Publishing in 2015,[1] he has worked with numerous popular acts, including Chris Brown, Nick Jonas, DNCE, Martin Garrix, Khalid, Usher, Kelly Clarkson, The Wanted, Mary J Blige, James Blunt, BoA, and EXO amongst others. His works have accumulated over 12 million in sales.
Dewain Whitmore | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dewain Whitmore Jr. |
| Origin | Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
| Genres | Pop, R&B, hip hop, house, country |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, singer, vocal producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano, drums |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Associated acts | Nick Jonas, DNCE, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Mary J Blige, The Wanted, Jessica Mauboy, Jessica Sanchez, James Blunt, Daley, Kevin Hart, Jay Sean, Tamar Braxton, EXO, BoA, Shinee, Taeyeon, Ciara |
Early life
Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Whitmore was exposed to many styles of music at an early age. Growing up on a very special blend of musical influences stretching from Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder, all the way to Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Toto, George Michael, Billy Joel, James Taylor and Kenny Rogers, his inspiration is one big nostalgic melting pot.[2]
Music career
Whitmore's big break came in 2011, after re-locating to Los Angeles. After one year of being in LA, Whitmore was introduced to Chris Brown, who recorded two of his songs, "Up To You" and "Should've Kissed You", which featured on Brown's fourth studio album FAME.[3] The album reached No. 1 in 3 countries, and sold over 2 million copies worldwide. The album earned a nomination at the 54th Grammy Awards, for Best R&B Album.[4] F.A.M.E. won in the Best R&B Album category. That same year, Whitmore vocal produced Kelly Clarkson's first single "Mr. Know It All" from her studio album Stronger,[5] The album Stronger went on to win Best Pop Vocal Album at the 55th Grammy Awards.[6] In November 2011, Whitmore collaborated with Mary J.Blige, on the song "You Want This", which was included on Bliges’ 10th studio album My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1).[7] The album was certified gold, selling over 500,000 copies.
On June 29, 2012, Chris Brown released his Billboard No. 1 album Fortune. Whitmore wrote three songs on the album, including "Stuck On Stupid" , "Party Hard" and "Free Run".[8] The album earned a nomination at the 55th Grammy Awards, for Best Urban Contemporary Album[9] The album also reached No. 1 in 5 countries.
The next year, Whitmore reached more commercial success, with collaborations with Usher, Ciara, The Wanted and once again Chris Brown. Co-writing the single and title track "X" (#98 Billboard Hot 100),[10] from Browns' sixth studio album X, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums and No. 2 on the US Billboard 200. The album would go on to be nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.
In 2015, Whitmore teamed up with frequent collaborator Brown on his 7th studio album titled Royalty, co-writing three songs.[11] The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart.[12] That same year, Whitmore collaborated with K-pop group EXO on their album EXODUS. The album topped Billboard's World Albums Chart on the issue date of April 18, 2015, and stayed in the top 10 for six consecutive weeks.[13] Exodus was also the weekly best-selling album worldwide, with a total of 303,000 copies sold in its initial week.[14]
On June 15, 2018, Martin Garrix released his new single "Ocean" featuring Khalid, which was co-written by Whitmore. The single reached No. 1 at US dance radio, No. 5 on Billboard US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, and Top 10 Billboard US Dance Club Songs.[15] Whitmore continued his dance success with another collaboration with Garrix and fellow Dutch DJ Justin Mylo, on the single "Burn Out". The track was co-written and features vocals from Whitmore, and reached No. 26 at Billboard US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs.[16]
Selected discography
| Year | Artist | Title | Album | Label | Credited as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Jessica Mauboy | "Fight For You" | Get 'Em Girls | Sony | Writer |
| "Here For Me" | Writer | ||||
| 2011 | Chris Brown | "Up To You" | FAME | Jive | Writer |
| "Should've Kissed You" | Writer | ||||
| Mary J.Blige | "You Want This" | My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) | Geffen | Writer | |
| Kelly Clarkson | "Mr. Know It All" | Stronger | RCA | Vocal Producer | |
| 2012 | Jackson Guthy | "One Of These Days" | N/A | RCA | Writer/Vocal Producer |
| Chris Brown | "Stuck On Stupid" | Fortune | RCA | Writer | |
| "Party Hard / Cadillac (Interlude)" | Writer | ||||
| "Free Run" | Writer | ||||
| 2013 | Jessica Sanchez | "You've Got The Love" | Me, You & The Music | Interscope | Writer |
| The Wanted | "Running Out Of Reasons" | Word of Mouth | Island | Writer | |
| Ciara | "Backseat Love" | Ciara | Epic | Writer | |
| TGT | "Between The Lines" | Three Kings | Atlantic | Writer | |
| Jay Sean | "Worth It All" | Neon | Republic | Writer | |
| "Guns and Roses" | Writer | ||||
| 2014 | Chris Brown | "X" | X | RCA | Writer |
| "Stereotype" | Writer | ||||
| TVXQ | "갈증 (Smoky Heart) | Spellbound | S.M. Entertainment | Writer | |
| Usher | "Clueless" | N/A | RCA | Writer | |
| 2015 | Tamar Braxton | "Coming Home" | Calling All Lovers | Epic | Writer |
| Jordin Sparks | "Tell Him That I Love Him" | Right Here Right Now | 19 Recordings | Writer | |
| BoA | "Home" | Kiss My Lips | S.M. Entertainment | Writer | |
| EXO | "What If… (两个视线, 一个视线)" | Exodus | S.M. Entertainment | Writer | |
| Chris Brown | "No Filter" | Royalty | CBE, RCA | Writer | |
| "Discover" | Writer/Vocals | ||||
| "The 80's" (International) | Writer | ||||
| Chris Brown | "Counterfeit" feat. Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa | Before the Party | CBE, RCA | Writer/Vocals | |
| "Second Hand Love" | Writer/Vocals | ||||
| "The Breakup" | Writer/Vocals | ||||
| "Roses Turn Blue" | Writer/Vocals | ||||
| Shinee | "Love Sick" | Odd | S.M. Entertainment | Writer | |
| TVXQ | "Apology" | Rise as God | S.M. Entertainment | Writer | |
| 2016 | Nick Jonas | "Voodoo" | Last Year Was Complicated | Island, Safehouse | Writer[17] |
| "The Difference" | Writer/Vocals | ||||
| DNCE | "Almost" | DNCE | Republic | Writer | |
| "Unsweet" | Writer | ||||
| Shinee | "Tell Me What To Do" | 1 of 1 | S.M. Entertainment | Writer | |
| Taeyeon | "Hands On Me" | Why | S.M. Entertainment | Writer | |
| Kevin Hart | "Sunday Morning" | Kevin Hart: What Now? (The Mixtape Presents Chocolate Droppa) | Motown | Writer | |
| Jordan Fisher | "Lookin' Like That" | Jordan Fisher | Hollywood Records | Writer[18] | |
| Rockie Fresh feat. Chris Brown | "Call Me When It's Over" | The Night I Went To... Los Angeles | Maybach Music Group | Writer | |
| 2017 | James Blunt | "Heartbeat" | The Afterlove | Atlantic UK | Writer[19] |
| Jordan Fisher | "Alway's Summer" | Non-album single | Hollywood Records | Writer | |
| Jordan Fisher | "Mess" | Non-album single | Hollywood Records | Writer[20] | |
| Daley | "Second To None" | The Spectrum | BMG | Writer | |
| Sevyn Streeter | "Peace Sign" | Girl Disrupted | Atlantic | Writer[21] | |
| NCT 127 | "Limitless" | Limitless | S.M. Entertainment | Writer | |
| EXO | "Diamond" (다이아몬드) | The War | S.M. Entertainment | Writer[22] | |
| Natasha Bedingfield | "More Of Me" | N/A | Walt Disney Records | Writer[23] | |
| 2018 | EXO-CBX | "Vroom Vroom" | Blooming Days | S.M. Entertainment | Writer |
| Martin Garrix ft. Khalid | "Ocean" | N/A | STMPD, Sony | Writer | |
| Vindata ft. R.LUM.R | "Emotion" | Non-album single | PRMD | Writer | |
| NCT 127 | "Limitless" | Chain | Avex Trax | Writer | |
| Gospellers | "In This Room" | What The World Needs Now | Ki/oon Music, Sony | Writer[24] | |
| Daughtry | "Gravity" | Cage to Rattle | RCA | Writer | |
| Martin Garrix & Justin Mylo | "Burn Out" | N/A | STMPD | Writer/Vocals[25] | |
| New Hope Club | "Crazy" | Welcome to the Club Pt.2 EP | Hollywood Records | Writer | |
| Martin Garrix | "Breach (Walk Alone)" (with Blinders) |
N/A | STMPD | Writer[26] | |
| EXO | "Sign" | Don't Mess Up My Tempo | S.M. Entertainment | Writer | |
| Red Velvet | "Butterflies" | RBB | S.M. Entertainment | Writer | |
| 2019 | Backstreet Boys | "Said I Love You" | DNA | RCA | Writer |
| Jorge Blanco | "Beautiful Mistake" | Conmigo | Hollywood Records | Writer[27] | |
| Jordan McGraw ft. T-Pain | "Flexible" | Non-album single | Empire Records | Writer[28] | |
| Chris Brown | "Troubled Waters" | Indigo | RCA | Writer[29] | |
| Mika Setzer | "Shook" | Non-album single | RCA | Writer | |
| Mario (Devon version) | "Cruise" | Empire (Season 6, Stronger Than My Rival) (Music from the TV Series) | Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Writer[30] | |
| 2020 | NCT 127 | "Sit Down" | Neo Zone | S.M. Entertainment | Writer |
| "White Night" | Writer | ||||
| Gamper & Dadoni ft. Dewain Whitmore | "Perfect (For Somebody Else)" | N/A | Big Top Records | Writer/Vocals | |
| Georgia Ku | "Lighthouse" | Real | Atlantic Records | Writer | |
| "Real" | Writer | ||||
| "Big Plans" | Writer | ||||
| THEY. | "Count Me In" | "The Amanda Tape" | Avant Garden, Island Records | Writer/Vocals | |
| "Play Fight" ft. Tinashe | Writer/Vocals | ||||
| "All Mine" | Writer/Vocals |
Grammy Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Chris Brown – F.A.M.E | Best R&B Album | Won[31] |
| 2012 | Kelly Clarkson – Stronger | Best Pop Vocal Album | Won[32] |
| 2012 | Chris Brown – Fortune | Best Urban Contemporary Album | Nominated[33] |
| 2013 | TGT – Three Kings | Best R&B Album | Nominated[34] |
| 2014 | Chris Brown – X | Best Urban Contemporary Album | Nominated[35] |
References
- "Disney Music Publishing".
- "Dewain Whitmore Biography".
- "FAME Discogs Credits". discogs.
- "Nominees And Winners". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on December 1, 2011.
- "Mr. Know It All Discogs Credits". discogs.
- "Kelly Clarkson Grammy awards and nominations". The Recording Academy. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
- "My Life II The Journey Continues Act 1 Discogs Credits". discogs.
- "Fortune Discogs Credits". discogs.
- "55th Annual Grammy Awards Nominees". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
- "Chris Brown Chart History". Charts.
- "Royalty Discogs Credits". discogs.
- "Chris Brown Scores Sixth No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums With 'Royalty'". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
- "EXO Chart History". Charts.
- "Exo's 'Exodus' is the world's best-selling Album of the week!". World Music Awards. April 11, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
- "Martin Garrix & Khalid top dance radio". headline planet.
- "Martin Garrix Chart History". Charts.
- https://hamadamania.com/2016/10/19/nick-jonas-premieres-music-video-for-new-single-voodoo/
- https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/109569
- https://hamadamania.com/?s=dewain+whitmore&submit=Search
- https://hollywoodlife.com/2017/10/06/jordan-fisher-mess-interview-new-song/
- https://hamadamania.com/2017/07/07/sevyn-streeter-delivers-debut-album-girl-disrupted/
- https://onehallyu.com/topic/549396-exo-the-war-album-songwritersproducers/
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7704270/soundtrack
- https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/the-gospellers/in-this-room/
- https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/burn-out-feat-dewain-whitmore-single/1435626990
- https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo-IvR9A8fK/
- https://www.allmusic.com/album/conmigo-mw0003254330/
- https://etcanada.com/news/437585/dr-phils-son-jordan-mcgraw-releases-cameo-filled-music-video-for-song-flexible//
- https://www.instagram.com/p/ByWK9CLloOm/
- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4EgtgubH4r9fbh5nOEypjN/
- https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/chris-brown/
- https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/kelly-clarkson
- https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/chris-brown/
- https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/tgt/
- https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/chris-brown/