Melanie Fiona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melanie Fiona
Hallim performing live at Luminato in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Melanie Fiona Hallim
Also known as	Syren Hall
Born	(1983-07-04) July 4, 1983 (age 41) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	R&B pop soul reggae
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter record producer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Roc Nation SRC Universal Motown Universal Republic

Melanie Fiona Hallim (born July 4, 1983) is a talented Canadian singer and songwriter. She grew up in Toronto, Ontario. Melanie started her music journey in 2002. She was part of a Canadian R&B group called X-Quisite. Their first album was nominated for a Juno Award in 2004. Later, she formed a duo called The Renaissance with Drake, who is also from Toronto.

Melanie Fiona's first album, The Bridge, came out in 2009. Her first song, "Give It to Me Right", became popular in Canada and the UK. Her next song, "It Kills Me", was a big hit in the US. It reached the top of the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. This song also earned her a Grammy Award nomination. Her song "Monday Morning" became a huge success in Europe. The Bridge also got her nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

In 2011, Melanie released her second album, The MF Life. It reached number 7 on the US Billboard 200 chart. That same year, she won two Grammy Awards. She won for Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B Song. These awards were for her song "Fool for You" with CeeLo Green.

Melanie Fiona's Life and Career

Early Life and Music Beginnings (1983–2006)

Melanie Fiona Hallim was born on July 4, 1983, in Toronto, Canada. Her parents moved to Canada from Guyana in the 1970s. Her family has roots from Afro-Guyanese, Indo-Guyanese, and Portuguese backgrounds.

Melanie grew up in a home filled with music. Her father played guitar in a band. She often sat on stage while he performed. Melanie started writing songs when she was 16. She always knew music was her passion.

In 2002, Melanie joined a girl group called X-Quisite. The group released their first album in 2003. They were nominated for a Juno Award in 2004. Some of their popular songs were "Bad Girl" and "No Regrets". The group later broke up in 2005.

Melanie was also in a group called The Renaissance with rapper Drake. Early in her career, she performed at different places in Toronto. In 2005, Melanie traveled to Los Angeles. She hoped to find a record deal there. Record labels liked her, but Melanie wanted to stay true to herself and her music. She didn't want to change just to get a deal. She also helped write songs for other artists like Rihanna. She even recorded a reggae song called "Somebody Come Get Me" using the name Syren Hall.

The Bridge Album (2007–2010)

Melanie Fiona performs in Bern, Switzerland in 2009.

In 2007, a music executive named Steve Rifkind discovered Melanie. He signed her to a record label. She even toured with famous rapper Kanye West. Before her first album came out, she met music star Jay-Z. He was impressed and signed her to his management company, Roc Nation.

Melanie released her first album, The Bridge, in June 2009. It sold many copies in the United States. Beyond Race Magazine named her one of the "50 Emerging Artists" of 2009.

Many songs were released from the album. "It Kills Me" was a big hit. It stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for 10 weeks. This song also earned her a Grammy Award nomination. "Give It to Me Right" was the first official song from The Bridge. It became popular in the UK. "Monday Morning" was a huge hit in Europe. It reached number 1 in Switzerland and Poland.

Melanie also took part in "We Are the World 25 for Haiti". This song helped raise money after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. She also toured with Alicia Keys as an opening act in 2010.

The MF Life and Awake Album (2011-2018)

In 2011, Melanie started working on her second album. The first song from it was "Gone and Never Coming Back." It became her second highest-charting song on the R&B chart. Later that year, she released "4 AM." This song is about someone who is cheating. It reached number 8 on the US R&B chart. Melanie's album, The MF Life, was released on March 20, 2012.

On January 2, 2012, she sang "O Canada" at the 2012 NHL Winter Classic. This was a big hockey game between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers.

As an independent artist, Melanie announced in 2013 that she was working on her third album, Awake. She released a song called "Cold Piece." In 2015, she shared a new song, "Bite the Bullet." She wanted people to get to know her better through her music. She said she wanted to make people feel good and not alone. She also shared two more songs for the album: "I Tried" and "Killing Time." However, in 2019, Melanie announced that the Awake album would not be released.

New Music (2024-Present)

On October 25, 2024, Melanie Fiona released two new songs. They are called "Say Yes" and "I Choose You." These songs are the first from her upcoming collection of songs, called an extended play (EP). It is expected to be released in 2025.

Melanie Fiona's Personal Life

Melanie Fiona has a son, born in March 2016, with songwriter Jared Cotter. They got engaged in February 2018. They planned to get married in Italy. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused them to postpone their wedding three times. They finally got married privately in Los Angeles in December 2020. They welcomed a daughter in December 2021.

Melanie Fiona's Music Style

Her Voice

Melanie Fiona has a powerful and expressive voice. It is often described as "soulful" and "sassy." People praise her singing for being "very passionate, but clean and controlled."

Musical Influences

Melanie Fiona looks up to many famous artists. Some of her musical inspirations include Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Sam Cooke, Sade Adu, Amy Winehouse, India.Arie, Patsy Cline, and Bob Marley. She also mentioned Brandy and Prince as big inspirations. She found Janet Jackson's career very inspiring. Melanie said Lauryn Hill's album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill changed her view on music.

She credits her parents for her unique sound. Her father played guitar, and her mother often sang at home. She explained that her parents loved soul music. They played artists like the Supremes and the Ronettes. They also played Caribbean music like soca, calypso, and reggae.

Melanie often writes songs about her own experiences. She tries to make her songs relatable to everyone. People have compared her music style to artists like Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, and Jill Scott.

Melanie Fiona's Albums

• The Bridge (2009)
• The MF Life (2012)

Awards and Nominations

Melanie Fiona has received many awards and nominations throughout her career.

BET Awards

The BET Awards celebrate African Americans and other minority groups in music, acting, and sports.

Eska Music Awards

The Eska Music Awards is a big awards show in Poland for music.

Grammy Award

A Grammy Award is a very important award given in the United States for amazing achievements in music.

Juno Award

The Juno Award is given every year to Canadian musicians for their artistic achievements.

NAACP Image Award

An NAACP Image Award honors outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and books.

Soul Train Music Awards

The Soul Train Music Awards celebrates the best in Black music and entertainment.

Images for kids

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  Melanie Fiona performing live at Luminato in 2010

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  Melanie Fiona performs in Bern, Switzerland in 2009.

See also

In Spanish: Melanie Fiona para niños