Mark Althavan Andrews (born November 9, 1978),[2][3] known professionally as Sisqó (stylized as SisQó), is an American R&B singer. Following his tenure as lead performer of the R&B group Dru Hill, he quickly reached success as a solo act with the release of his debut studio album Unleash the Dragon (1999), which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. It spawned the singles "Incomplete" and "Thong Song", which peaked at numbers one and three on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.[4] His second album, Return of Dragon (2001) trailed commercially, as did his subsequent releases. He received 12th place on the eleventh season of The Masked Singer as Lizard.
Sisqó | |
|---|---|
 Sisqó performing in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mark Althavan Andrews |
| Born | November 9, 1978[1] Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | |
| Website | www |
Early life
editAs a teen, Andrews worked at The Fudgery[5] in Harborplace at Baltimore's Inner Harbor with Larry "Jazz" Anthony, James "Woody" Green, and Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin. The quartet would be signed as the group Dru Hill to Island Records in 1996. He lived in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood at 908 Newington Avenue near Druid Hill Park, which is where the group got their name.
Career
editAfter Woody departed Dru Hill in 1999 to pursue a solo career, it was decided that the other members would follow suit and issue their own solo albums. Sisqó's solo debut, Unleash the Dragon, was released on Def Soul Records in November 1999. Unleash the Dragon sold moderately at first, until the February 2000 release of its second single, the novelty "Thong Song". A runaway hit, "Thong Song" and its follow-up, "Incomplete", were major hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with "Thong Song" making it to number three, and "Incomplete" going to #1. This success resulted in Play Along Toys manufacturing a Sisqó doll in 2001.
Formed by Sisqó in 1999, LovHer was the first female quartet on the Def Soul label.[6] Their single "How It's Gonna Be" was featured on the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack in 2001.[7]
Conflicts within Dru Hill prevented the group from reuniting as planned in 2000. This is usually attributed to time conflicts during the recording of Sisqó's second solo LP. During this period, Sisqó branched out into hosting the dance competition program Sisqós Shakedown on MTV, and into film, taking on supporting roles in the films Get Over It (2001) with Kirsten Dunst and Snow Dogs (2002) with Cuba Gooding, Jr. He also starred as a vampire in Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Season 6 Episode 1). Although his second LP, Return of Dragon, released in June 2001, eventually went platinum, its singles "Can I Live" and "Dance for Me" performed far below expectations (apart from in the United Kingdom, where "Dance for Me" became his third top ten hit). By 2002, Sisqó reunited with Dru Hill, which released its third LP in late 2002. The LP underperformed, and the group was subsequently released from their recording contract.
In January 2008, Sisqó was a contestant on a reality show called "Gone Country."[8][9][10]
In 2010, Sisqó was a contestant on the British reality television show Celebrity Big Brother 7, which he placed 8th. He was the fifth contestant to be evicted, lasting 20 days.
Dru Hill released its third album, InDRUpendence Day, in 2010 as an independent release through Kedar Entertainment. The group also appeared at this time in the reality show Keith Sweat's Platinum House on BET's sister station Centric.
Sisqó continued to tour through the 2010s, both as a member of Dru Hill, and as a solo act. His third solo album, Last Dragon, was released on February 10, 2015. The singles, "A-List" and "L.I.P.s" were released ahead of the album, with the latter reaching number 23 on the US Adult R&B charts, becoming Sisqó's first charting US single since 2001's "Can I Live".
As of 2015[update], Sisqó, along with the other members of Dru Hill, claimed that their record label botched a record deal, costing them millions in the process.[11]
In 2016, Sisqó provided a rap counterpoint in a duet with country music singer Marie Osmond, in her song "Give me a Good Song", which was featured on Music Is Medicine, released on April 15, 2016.
In 2017, Sisqó, sang on a remake of his "Thong Song" produced by JCY.[12]
In 2018, Sisqo released a holiday book for children, titled "Sisqo's Perfect Christmas", with creative partner, Tilesha Brown.[13]
He represented Maryland in the American Song Contest, which began on March 21, 2022, on NBC.[14]
In 2024, Sisqó competed on season eleven of The Masked Singer as "Lizard". He was eliminated on "Shower Anthems Night" and did an encore performance of "Thong Song".[15]
Personal life
editSisqó has a daughter, Shaione Andrews, born in 1995. He resides in Maple Grove, Minnesota with his wife Elizabeth Pham, who he has been romantically involved with since 2003.[16] They have two children: a son named Ryu Andrews born in June 2012, and a daughter named Kimiqo Star, aka QoQo born in September 2014.
In July 2013, Sisqó appeared on the reality show Celebrity Wife Swap, where Elizabeth was "swapped" with the wife of 1990s pop singer Gerardo Mejía.[17]
He previously dated R&B singer Samantha Mumba from 2004 to 2005.[18]
Discography
editwith Dru Hill
- Dru Hill (1996)
- Enter the Dru (1998)
- Dru World Order (2002)
- InDRUpendence Day (2010)
Solo albums
- Unleash the Dragon (1999)
- Return of Dragon (2001)
- Last Dragon (2015)
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Get Over It! | Dennis Wallace | |
| 2002 | Snow Dogs | Dr. Rupert Brooks | |
| 2003 | Pieces of April | Latrell | |
| 2006 | Surf School | Mo |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-03 | Soul Train | Himself | Recurring Guest |
| 1998-03 | Top of the Pops | Recurring Guest | |
| 2000 | Showtime at the Apollo | Episode: "Sisqo/Rudy Rush" | |
| Making the Video | Episode: "Sisqó: The Thong Song" | ||
| Saturday Night Live | Episode: "Tobey Maguire/Sisqo" | ||
| Sisqó's Shakedown | Main Host | ||
| MTV Cribs | Episode: "Episode #1.2" | ||
| Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards | Main Co-Host | ||
| Linc's | Silky-Silk | Episode: "East Meets West" | |
| 2001 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Vladimir Kortensky | Episode: "Really Big Season Opener" |
| 2003 | America's Most Talented Kid | Himself | Episode: "March 22, 2003" (judge) |
| 2007 | The Most Annoying Pop Songs.... We Hate to Love | Episode: "Episode #1.4" | |
| 2008 | Gone Country | Main Cast: Season 1 | |
| I Love the New Millennium | Recurrig Guest | ||
| 2010 | Celebrity Big Brother UK | Main Cast: Season 7 | |
| 2013 | Celebrity Wife Swap | Episode: "Gerardo/Sisqó" | |
| 2017 | Kinda Funny: The Animated Series | Episode: "Die Hard" (voice) | |
| 2018 | Vixen | Episode: "Hip Hop's New Star Was Born" | |
| 2019 | Traveling the Stars | Episode: "The Replicants" | |
| 2020 | Unsung | Episode: "Dru Hill" | |
| Legends of Tomorrow | Episode: "Swan Thong" | ||
| 2022 | American Song Contest | Episode: "The Live Qualifiers Part 5" (contestant) | |
| 2024 | The Masked Singer Season 11 | "Lizard" | Episodes: "Group C Premiere: Billy Joel Night, "TV Theme Night," "Group C Finals: Shower Anthems Night" (eliminated in episode 5) |
Commercials
edit| Product/Brand | Year | Director | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepsi | 2000 | Unknown | [19] |
Tours
edit- As supporting act
- No Strings Attached Tour (supporting NSYNC) (2000)[20]
- Black & Blue World Tour (supporting Backstreet Boys) (2001)[21]
- Featured act
- Roc Tha Block (2007)[22]
- Hammer's House Party Tour (2019)[23]
- RNB Fridays Live (2019)[24]
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Sisqó | Favorite Male R&B/Soul Artist | Nominated |
| Unleash the Dragon | Favorite R&B/Soul Album | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Sisqó | Male Artist of the Year | Won |
| Male Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year | Won | ||
| R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year | Won | ||
| New R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year | Won | ||
| R&B/Hip-Hop Male Artist of the Year | Won | ||
| R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Artist of the Year | Won |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Sisqó | Best New Artist | Nominated |
| Thong Song | Best R&B Male Vocal Performance | Nominated | |
| Best R&B Song | Nominated | ||
| Unleash the Dragon | Best R&B Album | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Sisqó | Best R&B Act | Nominated |
| 2000 | Thong Song | Best Video | Nominated |
| Sisqó | Best R&B Act | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Sisqó | Best Male | Nominated |
| Best R&B | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Thong Song | Best Hip-Hop Video | Won |
| Best New Artist | Nominated | ||
| Best Dance Video | Nominated | ||
| Thong Song (Remix) w/ Foxy Brown | Best Video from a Film | Nominated | |
| Thong Song | Viewer's Choice | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Unleash the Dragon | Favorite Male R&B/Soul Album | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Sisqó | Choice Male Artist | Won |
| Thong Song | Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Track | Won | |
| Sisqó | Choice Breakout Artist | Nominated | |
| Incomplete | Choice Song of the Summer | Nominated |
Books
edit| Title | Author | Year | Pages | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SisQó: The Man Behind the Thong | Leah Furman | 2001 | 201 | Biography |
| SisQó's Perfect Christmas | Tilesha Brown | 2018 | 150 | Co-written with Sisqó |
References
edit- ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Sisqó > Biography". AllMusic.
- ^ Tricia Bishop (February 21, 2001). "Some hot pursuits keep Sisqo busy". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ "Sisqo – Sisqo's birthday". Black History Daily. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
- ^ "Celebrity Big Brother: profile of all 2010 contestants". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
- ^ "About the Fudgery". The Fudgery. Archived from the original on 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
- ^ "About LovHer". MTV. Archived from the original on August 1, 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
- ^ "Ludacris, Gray, Musiq Bolster 'Rush Hour 2'". Billboard. 29 June 2001. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ "Gone Country Final Performance: Sisqo". CMT. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
- ^ Shaheem Reid (January 28, 2008). "Bobby Brown Goes Country: 'I Felt It Was Something I Could Conquer'". MTV. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ "Has Sisqo Gone Country? These Photos Say YES". Fun Times Guide to Franklin / Nashville TN. 4 November 2007.
- ^ "Sisqo – Cheap Ass Execs Slayed My 'Dragon'". TMZ. 23 June 2015.
- ^ "Sisqo's "Thong Song" Remix Gets a Fresh New Video & Surprise: It's Full of Thongs". Highsnobiety. 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
- ^ "Sisqo Releases New Book "Sisqo's Perfect Christmas: A SAUCEBERRIe Moon Golden Edition"". YouKnowIGotSoul.com. December 29, 2018.
- ^ Malec, Brett (March 17, 2022). "Meet the 56 Musical Acts From American Song Contest, Including Jewel & More Famous Faces". E! Online. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (April 3, 2024). "'The Masked Singer' Reveals Identity of Lizard: Here is the Celebrity Under the Costume". Variety. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ Gabler, Jay. "Sisqó lives in Maple Grove: 'No thongs out here!'". Blog.thecurrent.org.
- ^ Newman, Jason. "Sisqo Tells All: Thong Maven Details His Wife-Swapping, Fudge-Slinging Exploits". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ Lorna Nolan, "Loved-up Samantha won't watch ex Sisqo on CBB" Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Herald.ie, 6 January 2010.
- ^ NME (July 6, 2000). "'ALISON' STARTING TO HAPPEN FOR SISQO". Liveguide. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ Jenison, David (19 April 2000). "No Doubt Can't Sink 'N Sync". E! Online. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ^ Evans, Rob (August 24, 2001). "Backstreet Boys return to the road without Shaggy". LiveDaily.citysearch.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2001. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ^ Liveguide. "Roc Tha Block @ Sydney Entertainment Centre". Liveguide. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ Schatz, Lake (February 27, 2019). ""Hammer's House Party Tour" features all your favorite '90s rap acts on one stage". Consequence.net. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ Langford, Jackson (September 20, 2019). "RNB Fridays Live 2019 Mystery Act Announced". Musicfeeds.com.au. Retrieved November 4, 2019.