Imagine three youthful beauties on a rollercoaster ride to fame and fortune.
Styling decisions, calorie burning workouts, dance classes and instrument
lessons, among other fun celebrity events, would saturate their daily agenda.
It might be expected that once this trio of three different heights and hair
colors really hit superstardom, times could become overwhelming. But not so for
the musically gifted, happy-go-lucky, Pop/Rock team that is #1 Crush.
Formed in October 2005, #1 Crush is composed of Alli Cannon, 16, Brittney
Marling, 14, and Monica Matocha, 15. Thanks to securing a strong
regional fan base, the group from Houston, Texas, made their debut
performance on New Year’s Eve at Radio Disney’s Jingle Jam in Boston,
Massachusetts. “We were the opening act for B5 and Everlife,” Monica recalls.
“We’d only been a group for about two months at that time but we were ready! We
were in the studio six to eight hours per day dancing and running through
songs,” Alli explains. “We did intense training to prepare for the show.”
In addition to Radio Disney’s Jingle Jam, #1 Crush has performed
throughout Texas at special events, schools, benefits and festivals and has
opened for major Pop artists including Ashlee Simpson.
From the start of each show, the audience falls in love with the girls’ winning
personalities and unmatched talents. As highly trained dancers, their
choreography is synchronized, creative, and high energy. The trio displays
their musical skills as they each play instruments throughout their set. Monica
has been playing the guitar for over four years and drums for three years,
while Alli has been honing her talents on the keyboard. Brittney, who began
playing piano at six years of age, has recently picked up bass guitar. All this
along with singing and dancing talents!
As the girls’ careers continued to develop at a rapid pace, many showed
interest in their talents. Radio Disney reached out again to #1 Crush and
asked them to participate in the highly coveted “Incubator” program. Pretty
soon, Mathew Knowles’ Music World Entertainment heard about the trio. “We were
able to get a showcase with one of Mathew’s A&R talent scouts. He enjoyed
our performance, and then we met with Mathew,” Monica exclaims, reliving the
excitement. The widely received performances and steady attention had properly
prepared #1 Crush for their showcase with Knowles, who immediately took
interest, and contract negotiations followed. By April 2007, #1 Crush had
officially signed a management and record deal with Music World Entertainment.
“We are especially excited about #1 Crush joining the Music World
Entertainment family. #1 Crush has the core components for Pop success
in the music industry; they are young, have incredible talent and tenacity, are
excited and work hard. We anticipate great things in their career with Music
World,” said Mathew Knowles, President / CEO, Music World Entertainment.
Since that time, #1 Crush has been preparing for the Aly & AJ
Verizon Wireless tour and feverishly working on their debut CD. “I would
describe our music as positive, fun and energetic,” says Monica. “I think we
also have our own Rock edge in it along with a dance side.” Not only are they
celebrated performers, #1 Crush are also budding songwriters. “We
co-wrote five of the original songs with Dwight Baker,” states Brittney. “We
would all sit down and listen to the tracks and write in separate rooms and
then combine the song,” Alli adds. The as-yet-untitled CD features a bevy of
Pop/Rock hits like the guitar-ridden, chorus contagious “Stress Me Out.” Full
of girl power, “Stress Me Out” is the quintessential upbeat, “get up out of
your seats” tune. Similarly, “Unbreakable,” with its pouncing percussion and
lively vocals, is another dance-inducing track, while “Just Wanna Know” aptly
mixes an R&B flair with the Rock vibe that is rampant on this album.
Switching tempos, “Today Is Forever” is a melodious love ballad featuring
strong lead vocals.
With a seasoned performance intact, an approachable and accessible group
personality, and three-tiered talent featuring singing, dancing and
instrumentation, #1 Crush is no less than a welcomed addition to the
wonderful world of popular music.