Matisse | |
---|---|
Birth name | Brittany Smith |
Born | September 21, 1985 |
Origin | Wilton, Connecticut |
Genres | Pop, Contemporary R&B, Dance |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, actress, model |
Years active | 2003–present |
Labels |
Interscope (2003–present) Jive Records (2009–2011) RCA (2011–present) |
Associated acts | Brit & Alex, Kurt Schneider |
Brittany Smith, better known by her stage name Matisse, is an American actress, model, singer, and songwriter. She was best known for being part of the duo Brit & Alex (with twin sister Alex), until their breakup in 2009. Matisse is currently signed to Jive Records. On October 7, 2011 labels such as J Records and Arista were sold to Sony's Flagship Label and all artists such as P!nk and Avril Lavigne were merged to sign to RCA Records and other affiliated Sony Music Labels. Matisse was merged to sign to RCA as of 2011; she is currently with Interscope, but no longer with the now-defunct Jive Records.
Smith began appearing on TV at six months of age on One Life to Live and by the age of 15 she was a popular spokesmodel for the successful hair care brand John Frieda and signed to The Ford Agency. During this tenure she and identical twin sister Alexia formed the pop duo Brit & Alex, where they became famous for appearing in TV commercials for John Freida's Sheer Blonde line (where they would be known to fans as "The Sheer Blonde Twins") and later signed with Interscope Records. They also went to England in the hopes of establishing a musical career there, but would achieve little success, having reached number 75 on the UK Pop Chart with "Let It Go" in 2008.
After the duo broke up in 2009 and due to Alex's decision to go to college, Brittany continued with her singing and acting career, signing with Jive Records and recording under the name Matisse, naming herself after the famous painter. And like the famous namesake, Matisse wants to follow her path. “Over the years people have tried to make me into something I’m not,” Matisse says, “but I’m not interested in being the next ‘so and so’ or compromising myself to be a one hit wonder. I want to make music that I like and that I can be proud of."