page_title: Jody Watley
section_title: 1989–1990: Larger Than Life and continued success
hierarchical_section_title: Jody Watley / Solo career / 1989–1990: Larger Than Life and continued success
caption_attribution_description: English: Jody Watley in 1950's Vintage Black Sequined Cocktail Dress in 1990.
context_page_description: Jody Vanessa Watley is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and artist whose music crosses genres including pop, R&B, jazz, dance, and electronic soul. During the late 1970s and early 1980s she was a member of the r&b/funk band Shalamar, who scored many hits, notably so in the UK. In 1987, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist and has been nominated for three Grammy awards.
  In 2008, she was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard magazine, and was also prominently featured in the historic black issue of Vogue Italia in 2008.
  In December 2016 Billboard ranked her as the 21st most successful dance artist of all-time. and in 2017 Black Music Honors TV special recognized Watley as Crossover Music Icon Honoree for her groundbreaking achievements and influence.
  In August 2018 Billboard ranked Jody Watley as one of the top female artists of all-time, at number 53.
context_section_description: In the spring of 1989, Watley released her second studio album, Larger Than Life, co-writing eleven of the album’s twelve songs. The album sold over 4 million copies worldwide, reaching number 16 on the Billboard 200, and produced four singles: "Real Love" (US #2, #1 R&B, #2 Dance, UK #31), a Gold-certificated single and her first Top 40 UK single since "Looking for a New Love" in 1987; "Friends" featuring Eric B. & Rakim, (US #9, #3 R&B, #7 Dance, UK #21); and "Everything" (US #4, #3 R&B), her first ballad released as a single. The album's fourth and final single, "Precious Love", was a minor hit, peaking at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Friends" is notable for being the first multi-format hit single to include the formula of a pop star featuring a guest rapper with the custom full 16-bar verses and bridge concept, and distinguishable from the rap "Intro" by Melle Mel on Chaka Khan's notable cover of Prince's song "I Feel for You". The successful "Friends" formula would become a mainstay formula in commercial pop music and was added as a category at the Grammy's under Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2002.
  During the summer of 1989, the "Real Love" video, directed by famous Hollywood director David Fincher, was nominated for seven MTV Video Music Awards including Breakthrough Video, Best Art Direction, Best Dance Video and Best Female Video at the 1989 ceremony. That record was held until Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson's video "Scream" received 11 VMA nominations in 1995. The next year, she was nominated for two Soul Train Awards, an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist, and a Narm Award for Best Selling R&B Female Album. While riding high on her Larger Than Life World Tour, a remix album, titled You Wanna Dance with Me?, was released in October 1989 and achieved Gold status in America. 1989 also saw Watley featured in Harper’s Bazaar "Ten Most Beautiful Women" issue, photographed by Matthew Rolston. That same year Watley appeared on the cover of the Japanese high fashion magazine SPUR for its debut issue.
  Watley released the million selling "Dance to Fitness" a first for an African-American woman and artist.
caption: Watley circa 1989.
exif: {"Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "300", "Image YResolution": "300", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image ExifOffset": "90", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "788", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1116"}