# The Avila Brothers

The Avila Brothers, composed of Bobby "Ahvlah" Ross Avila and Issiah "Iz" J. Avila, are an American R&B producing and songwriting duo best known for their numerous contributions to Usher projects, including 2004 album Confessions. The brothers later won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album for their contributions to Chaka Khan album Funk This.

## Career
### 1989-2003: Industry beginnings

In 1989 at the age of 12, Bobby Ross Avila signed a record deal with RCA Records, releasing his eponymous debut solo album later that same year and achieving a minor R&B hit with "Music Man". This project was followed by mature R&B album My Destiny (1993), which paired Avila with notable R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as they had recently signed Avila to their label Perspective Records. The album scored Avila his biggest single to date with Hot 100-charting "La La Love". Additional albums Que Pasa? (1994), and Into My Life (1995) would be released on other record labels, before Avila and his brother Issiah would become in-house producers and instrumentalists for Jam & Lewis' subsequent label Flyte Tyme Records. This opportunity resulted in contributions to Usher, Mya, Yolanda Adams, Gwen Stefani, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Janet Jackson projects, among others, as well as playing instruments for various songs on The Fighting Temptations Soundtrack executive-produced by Jam & Lewis.

### 2004-2010: Confessions, Damita Jo & Chaka Khan

After contributing 5 songs to Usher's diamond-certified album Confessions ("Truth Hurts", "Simple Things", "Bad Girl", "That's What It's Made For", and bonus track "Seduction") and several to Janet Jackson's 2004 studio album Damita Jo, the brothers next worked alongside Jam & Lewis, as well as notable R&B producer James "Big Jim" Wright to co-write five songs for inclusion on Chaka Khan's eleventh studio album Funk This in 2007. This included minor R&B hit "One for All Time".

### 2011-Present: Miguel and "Glu"

In 2017, the duo were credited for all instrument accompaniment on "Banana Clip" from Miguel's 2017 album War & Leisure. They would later reunite with longtime Usher collaborators Lil Jon and Sean Garrett in 2023 to co-write single "Glu", which climbed to number one on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart. The pair also produced "Horas Y Horas", the Spanish version of Muni Long's R&B sleeper hit "Hrs and Hrs" for an exclusive Spotify release.

## Selected songwriting and production credits

Credits are courtesy of Discogs, Tidal, Spotify, and AllMusic.
| Title | Year | Artist | Album |
| "Darling Girl" | 2001 | Yolanda Adams | Believe |
| "Jesus for a Day" | 2003 | Macy Gray | The Trouble with Being Myself |
| "Anatomy 1On1" | 2003 | Mya | Moodring |
| "Things That Lovers Do" | 2003 | Kenny Lattimore & Chanté Moore | Things That Lovers Do |
| "Loveable (From Your Head to Your Toes)" (#19 US Adult R&B) | 2003 | Kenny Lattimore & Chanté Moore | Things That Lovers Do |
| "Truth Hurts" | 2004 | Usher | Confessions |
| "Simple Things" | 2004 | Usher | Confessions |
| "Bad Girl" (#106 US R&B) | 2004 | Usher | Confessions |
| "That's What It's Made For" (#53 US R&B/Hip-Hop) | 2004 | Usher | Confessions |
| "Seduction" (#68 US R&B/Hip-Hop) | 2004 | Usher | Confessions |
| "Sweet Kind of Life" | 2004 | Cheryl Lynn | Shark Tale OST |
| "Harajuku Girls" | 2004 | Gwen Stefani | Love. Angel. Music. Baby. |
| "Damita Jo" | 2004 | Janet Jackson | Damita Jo |
| "Spending Time with You" | 2004 | Janet Jackson | Damita Jo |
| "Like You Don't Love Me" | 2004 | Janet Jackson | Damita Jo |
| "Moist" | 2004 | Janet Jackson | Damita Jo |
| "Baggage" (#104 US R&B/Hip-Hop) | 2005 | Mary J. Blige | The Breakthrough |
| "Can't Get Enough" | 2005 | Mary J. Blige | The Breakthrough |
| "4 My Man" (Featuring Fantasia) | 2005 | Missy Elliott | The Cookbook |
| "Music" (#26 US Adult R&B, #33 US Dance/Club Charts) | 2005 | Leela James | A Change Is Gonna Come |
| "Pure Gold" (#15 US Adult R&B, #23 US Adult Contemporary) | 2005 | Earth, Wind & Fire | Illumination |
| "Alwaysness" | 2005 | Yolanda Adams | Day by Day |
| "Enjoy" | 2006 | Janet Jackson | 20 Y.O. |
| "Back in the Day" | 2007 | Chaka Khan | Funk This |
| "One for All Time" (#35 R&B) | 2007 | Chaka Khan | Funk This |
| "Will You Love Me?" | 2007 | Chaka Khan | Funk This |
| "Disrespectful" (Featuring Mary J. Blige) (#1 US Dance/Club Charts) | 2007 | Chaka Khan | Funk This |
| "Hail to the Wrong" | 2007 | Chaka Khan | Funk This |
| "Point Of It All" (#109 US, #19 US R&B) | 2008 | Anthony Hamilton | The Point of It All |
| "On The Hood" | 2008 | Sean Garrett | Turbo 919 |
| "One Day" | 2008 | Sean Garrett | Turbo 919 |
| "Beautiful U R" (#1 Dance/Club Charts, #10 CAN) | 2008 | Deborah Cox | The Promise |
| "Down 4 U" | 2008 | Deborah Cox | The Promise |
| "Monstar" (#107 US) | 2010 | Usher | Raymond v. Raymond |
| "Mars vs Venus" | 2010 | Usher | Raymond v. Raymond |
| "Pro Lover" | 2010 | Usher | Raymond v. Raymond |
| "Lingerie" | 2010 | Usher | Versus (EP) |
| "How Can You Love Me" | 2010 | El DeBarge | Second Chance |
| "Christmas Without You" | 2010 | El DeBarge | Second Chance |
| "Heart Full of Love" | 2010 | El DeBarge | Second Chance |
| "I'll Wait (To Fall in Love)" | 2011 | Anthony Hamilton | Back to Love |
| "Hey Lover" | 2015 | Charlie Wilson | Forever Charlie |
| "Me and You Forever" | 2015 | Charlie Wilson | Forever Charlie |
| "Do It Yourself" (with Usher) | 2021 | Jam and Lewis | Jam & Lewis: Volume One |
| "Glu" (#1 US Adult R&B) | 2023 | Usher | Non-album single |
| "530" | 2024 | ¥$ | Vultures 2 |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
| 2005 | 47th Annual Grammy Awards | Grammy Award for Album of the Year (Confessions) | Nominated |
| 2008 | 50th Annual Grammy Awards | Grammy Award for Best R&B Album (Funk This) | Won |
| 2024 | ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards | Most Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ("Glu") | Won |