Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill (born May 9, 1975 in Windsor, Ontario) is a Canadian singer. She has released seven studio albums, all of which have charted on the Billboard 200 chart, and has also won numerous awards.
Tamia began her singing career in the early 1990s, appearing on the track "You Put a Move on My Heart" from Quincy Jones' album Q's Jook Joint. She also was featured on the single "Missing You" along with Brandy, Gladys Knight, and Chaka Khan from the film Set It Off. She released her self-titled debut album in 1998, which was a commercial and critical success. The album featured the hit singles "So Into You", and "Imagination". Tamia's second album A Nu Day featured another hit single, "Stranger in My House". Tamia would then go on to release several more albums throughout the decades and her song "So Into You" was sampled for rapper Fabolous's "Into You" single in 2003.
Tamia has been married to former NBA player Grant Hill since 1999 and they have two children. Tamia also is a multiple sclerosis advocate, having suffered from the same disease since 2003.
Discography
- Tamia (1998)
- A Nu Day (2000)
- More (2004)
- Between Friends (2006)
- Beautiful Surprise (2012)
- Love Life (2015)
- Passion Like Fire (2018)
Tropes
- Break Up Song:
- "Officially Missing You" from the More album is one of her signature songs about a woman wistfully remembering her lover after the reality of his absence sinks in. Can also be interpreted as a Grief Song.
- "Stranger in My House" (inspired by the film The Sixth Sense, of all things) is about a woman dealing with her lover's recent change in behavior, only for the song to have a Twist Ending where Tamia wonders if she's is the one that actually changed and she's outgrown her lover.
- The Diva: One of R&B biggest divas from the 1990s.
- Hotter and Sexier: The visuals and music videos for her second album "A Nu Day" were more sexual in nature.
- Melismatic Vocals: Like any true R&B diva, her songs and live performances have her showcasing her vocal prowess.
- Silly Love Songs: Her albums mostly consist of love ballads.
