Fantasia

Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to prominence in 2004 for her performance of the Porgy and Bess standard "Summertime" during the third season of the reality television series American Idol, and eventually became that season's winner. Following her victory, Barrino became the second woman to have their first single debut at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, following Lauryn Hill, when her debut single "I Believe", launched atop the chart. Her debut album Free Yourself (2004), went on to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and garnered her three nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2006, Barrino released her second album Fantasia, that featured the single "When I See U", which topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for eight weeks. Her third studio album Back to Me (2010), spawned the hit single "Bittersweet", which won her a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Barrino's fourth album Side Effects of You (2013), debuted at number-two on the Billboard 200, and included the song "Lose to Win". Outside of music, she released her autobiography Life Is Not a Fairy Tale (2006), which landed on the New York Times Best Seller list. The autobiography was later adapted into the Debbie Allen-directed Lifetime television film Life Is Not a Fairy Tale: The Fantasia Barrino Story, starring Barrino alongside Viola Davis. The film drew more than 19 million viewers, and became the second-most watched Lifetime movie ever at the time. Barrino played the part of Celie during the original production of the Broadway musical The Color Purple (2007-2008), for which she won a Theatre World Award. In November 2013, Barrino returned to Broadway in the musical After Midnight. She is set to make her feature film debut, reprising the role of Celie in the 2023 film adaptation of The Color Purple. Barrino has been referred as "The Queen of Rock Soul". In 2012, VH1 ranked her number 32 on their list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music. She has also been inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.

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