Los Angeles, CA

Upfront, pop-oriented R&B group Electrik Red are based in Los Angeles but involve four vocalists of varying backgrounds: Kyndra "Binkie" Reevey, from Harlem; Lesley Lewis, of West Indian descent, from Brooklyn; British-Canadian and Jamaican Naomi Allen, from Toronto; and fellow Torontonian Sarah Rosete, whose roots are Swedish, Filipino, and Russian. Prior to their jump-start as recording artists (they formed the group in 2005), the women worked together as dancers -- three of them toured with Usher, and all four were in the video for Ciara's "Like a Boy." Signed to Def Jam, they debuted in late 2008 with the raunchy "Drink in My Cup," a single produced by the-Dream. How to Be a Lady, Vol. 1, written and produced almost entirely by Dream and partner Tricky Stewart, recorded during a brisk two-week period, was released in May 2009. ~ Andy Kellman