Avant Takes Control With 'Director' the Release of His 4th CD in Stores April 25th

Avant Takes Control With 'Director' the Release of His 4th CD in Stores April 25th

Current Smash Single '4 Minutes' Getting Major Spins at Radio; Director Includes Remix of the Pussy Cat Dolls' #1 'Stickwitu'

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- For the past six years, Avant has seduced audiences with soulful slow jams like "Separated," "My First Love," "Makin' Good Love" and "Read Your Mind." When not stealing hearts with solos, the multi-Platinum artist has stayed in the mix with cameos on Lloyd Banks' "Karma" and the Ying Yang Twins' "Bedroom Boom," to name a few. On Avant's fourth and most fulfilling collection of music to date, the aptly titled Director, the smooth tenor brings us back to his private room to share thoughts of ecstasy. His latest delivers a handful of brand-new hits, including "You Know What" featuring Jermaine Dupri and Lil' Wayne, the current hit single "4 Minutes" and his remix of the Pussy Cat Dolls' #1 "Stickwitu," which he most recently performed to on the Soul Train Music Awards, The Tyra Banks Show and ABC's morning talk show The View.

Best known for his visually exciting lyrics and scintillating vocals, Avant eschews the trite sexuality common in most contemporary R&B for a timeless salute to romance in the tradition of classic soul musicians like Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Donny Hathaway. His music expressly respects women and honors relationships while still providing a sexy and explicit listening experience. With Director, Avant is sure to garner legions of new devotees with his fresh songs celebrating the many incarnations of love.

Director is Avant's most personal work to date, and represents an evolution in his sound. This time around, he expands his musical palette, working with top notch producers like Rodney Jerkins and Jermaine Dupri, who helmed his first official single "You Know What" featuring Dirty South superstar Lil' Wayne. "I just took control of my whole situation," assures Avant. "I had to make a couple of big decisions about my life and that's reflected in my music."

Avant's increased autonomy has resulted in a disc replete with dreamy ballads that detail his grown and sexy attitude. From songs like the huge radio smash "4 minutes" and "Right Place Wrong Time," which describe the heart-wrenching anxiety and agony of trying to recapture lost love to cuts like "So Many Ways" and "Imagination" that promise to please his lover, Avant demonstrates a regard for women that's missing from much of today's R&B. "I think we've lost the chivalry in relationships," bemoans Avant. "My goal is to help men understand what a woman really needs."

Folks familiar with Avant will appreciate the added polish to his trademark sound that his new collaborators provide. "I haven't changed my style. I just added more flavor with their production," explains Avant. "I made sure to keep the same spirit in my music" -- music that has always struck a chord with fans across the country that can relate to his very real hymns of love and loss. He sings for regular people in the real world, and heralds courtship during its pretty and not-so pretty phases in a way that rings universally true. With his latest, Avant brings back reality to relations and love into lovemaking.

In addition to appearances on Regis & Kelly (ABC) on April 19th and on The Tonight Show (NBC) April 25th, Avant is scheduled to hit the road to promote Director as well as headline an all-star summer '06 tour (dates and details to follow).

Source: Geffen Records

CONTACT: Junior Suriel, +1-212-841-8272, or fax, +1-212-841-8167,
Junior.Suriel@umusic.com, or Steven Victor, +1-212-841-8268, or fax,
+1-212-841-8167, Steven.Victor@umusic.com, both of Geffen Records

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