Jessica Sutta

Jessica Lynn Sutta, also known as J Sutta, is an American singer, dancer, songwriter and actress. She is best known as a member of the American pop girl group and dance ensemble, the Pussycat Dolls. She left the group in January 2010 to embark on her solo career. Sutta's debut single, "Show Me", reached number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs Chart in the United States. She is currently finishing her debut solo album I Say Yes, which is set to be released on March 3, 2017.

1982–2003: Early life

Sutta was born in Miami, Florida. Her mother is of Irish descent and of Catholic faith and her father is Jewish (of Russian and Polish origin). She grew up in Cutler Bay, Florida with two older brothers, Billy and Kevin. She started dance classes at the age of three. She was a child model in a dance wear catalog/magazine in Miami called Star Style. Sutta studied dance at Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach, Florida. At New World School of the Arts, she studied dance. She tore the ACL on both knees and switched to theater studies, before returning to dance. She joined the NBA's cheerleading squad Miami Heat in 1999 and became captain in 2001.

2003–2010: Pussycat Dolls and solo career beginnings

The Pussycat Dolls performing "Buttons" in Aberdeen, Scotland during the Doll Domination Tour

In 2003, she moved to L.A. and three months later was on a dance audition for a PSA involving Smokey Bear when she came to the attention of choreographer Robin Antin, who cast her with the Pussycat Dolls in 2003.

From the moment Sutta joined the Pussycat Dolls, she says: "This is where I always wanted to be. I thought the Pussycat Dolls were genius. I am so blessed to be a part of this group." Sutta sang co-lead along with Carmit Bachar and Ashley Roberts in the "Stickwitu" single B-side, "Santa Baby". After the departure of Bachar from the group, Sutta took the parts that Bachar used to sing, and co-leads with Melody. Sutta also recorded a solo song, "If I Was a Man", for the Deluxe Edition of the Dolls' second studio album Doll Domination. The song is produced by Smidi, Ron Fair, and Stefanie Ridel.

During the hiatus of the Pussycat Dolls in 2007, Sutta was featured on two tracks, "Make It Last" and "White Lies". Both managed to chart on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, reaching the top three while "White Lies" was successful in Europe. It made Sutta the second artist to have two concurrent top 10 Club Play singles. "White Lies" peaked at No. 1 for four weeks on Billboard's Hot Dance Singles Sales chart.

On January 29, 2010, Sutta revealed she had decided to leave the group. In an interview with E! Online Sutta revealed that she broke a rib while on tour with the group and the group's management failed to provide her with any accommodation, so the "almost homeless" singer had to crash on a friend's couch as she recovered from a broken rib. In Life & Style magazine she stated: "I basically felt like nothing more than a glorified back-up dancer after seven years with the group. I wasn't feeling like I was growing in the situation. It was something I had to do. Breaking my rib is what sent me over the edge." Sutta told MTV News that she had the blessing of the Dolls to step out on her own. "They were really supportive of me. It was a big decision, but it was the best decision." She also said she can be her own woman.

2010–present: Solo career development, SuttaPop, Feline Resurrection and I Say Yes

Sutta performing at KIIS-FM's Jingle Ball

On September 19, 2010, she released her first solo single, "I Wanna Be Bad", which she wrote and produced with Tearce Keaz. On September 24, 2010, she debuted the song at the West Hollywood Gay bar, Here Lounge. On October 18, 2010, the music video for the single directed by Frank E. Flowers, premiered on Radar Online. On December 26, 2010, she debuted and performed two new tracks titled, "Good Boy" and "Jack in the Box", at the Dolphins vs. Lions Game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida. On March 3, 2011, she revealed a collaboration with DJ Erick Morillo on a track titled "Pin-up Girl". The song was written by VASSY & Jamie Hartman, and produced by Morillo, Harry Romero and José Nunez. It also features American rapper Stone Wallace. On March 27, 2011, she performed the track alongside Wallace and Morillo at Ultra Music Festival.

Cedric Gervai's, "Where Ever U Are." which features Sutta was released on August 2, 2011 and appears on Gervais' album Miamication. On June 3, 2011, she announced on Twitter that she had signed to "Hollywood Records", home to several Disney artists. Jessica's official first single "Show Me" appears as a bonus track on Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 39, which was released on August 9, 2011. "Show Me" premiered on Idolator on August 3, 2011. The video premiered on Saturday, August 6 on ABC Family. Following that, the song became available digitally on August 23. The song peaked at number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs in the United States, becoming Sutta's first number-one single as a solo artist. She is currently working on her debut solo album, Sutta Pop, which currently does not have a release date.

In 2012, she performed at various corporate and other performance venues, achieving critical acclaim for her performance at Chicago's Halsted Market Days. In June 2012, Sutta revealed to The Morning Show that she was working with RedOne on her upcoming album. On 5 August 2012, Sutta announced that she was planning to release, "Make It Loud", as her second single in September of the same year. However, the single was not released. On 6 October 2012, Sutta revealed on Ustream that she was no longer working with RedOne and had left Hollywood Records. On 13 December 2012, Sutta revealed that she would be releasing new music in early 2013.

In February 2013, Sutta announced the release of her new single called "Again" in March.It was released on March 26 via Citrusonic Stereophonic."Again" peaked at number 4 on the Hot Dance Club Songs in the United States. The song received fan and media praise, while Billboard Magazine called "Again" an intriguing next step. The third promotional single "Lights Out" was released via Citrusonic Stereophoic on August 20, with a bright, glow in the dark lyric video. It later peaked at number 3 on the Hot Dance Club Songs in United States.

Sutta continued to put various singles out and stay active throughout 2014-2015 and reached the top of the Hot Dance Charts once again as a featured artist on Dave Aude's cover of "Gonna Get U". In February 2016 she released what has arguably been her most successful mainstream single yet titled "Forever" The song received radio play nationally and Sutta was the #1 Independent artist for 4 weeks straight on the Top 40 Radio Chart peaking at #56 and #57 on Rhythmic.

"Forever" premiered on more than 15 media outlets internationally including Bustle, Idolator, The Sun (U.K.), Galore, EDM Sauce, Fox News Magazine, Perez Hilton, EDM Tunes and more. The single was also featured on Spotify's 'Weekend Buzz' playlist and iTunes 'Top Track This Week' in Pop. The single's videowas released exclusively on VEVO's homepage on March 21, 2016 and reached 1.17 million views within the first two weeks. The "Forever" remix features rapper Meek Mill on her forthcoming solo album I Say Yes set to debut on March 3, 2017.

Sutta has described a variety of artists as influencers on her current sound including Kaskade, Calvin Harris, Janet Jackson, Madonna and Kylie Minogue, among others.

Sutta plays the woman who was abused by her husband in Ana Johnsson's music video for "Don't Cry for Pain". As a freelance dancer, she appeared in music videos for Will Smith ("Miami"), Baby Bash ("Suga Suga"), Craig David ("Spanish") and Gloria Estefan ("Don't Let This Moment End"), among others.

As an actress, she was part of the original cast in the Swedish American soap opera known as Ocean Ave., alongside Megan Fox, where she played Jody Starr, a pill-poppin' Gothic teenager. She has also appeared in the movie From Justin to Kelly, a 2003 American romantic comedy musical film, and Bully where she played Blonde. Sutta had a brief role in the 2003 film Bad Boys II. She was also hosting a show for a Miami-based cable network called "SoBe in the Night". In 2007, she appeared on an episode of the game show Identity in disguise as a Pussycat Doll.

In 2007, Sutta appeared in a series of video ads on MySpace for Unilever's Axe body spray, as part of their 'Bom Chicka Wah Wah' campaign. The ads took the form of instructional dance videos, with Sutta displaying 'sexy' dance moves. In 2010, Sutta appeared in FHM Magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World", ranking at #71. Sutta is a supporter of gay rights. In December 2010, she appeared in the YouTube video for-profit LGBT for-profit company FCKH8 and a play on the NOH8 campaign, of which she also shot a photo for.

In 2011, Sutta appeared in Capra's music video for their new song "If I Was". Sutta also guest featured in "HAHA,JK!", an online hidden-camera show, in a webisode titled "The Assistant", that stars Comedian Jamie Kennedy. Sutta was a guest judge on the sixth episode in the 19th cycle of America's Next Top Model.

In 2016, Sutta headlined the second annual Babes for Boobs bachelor auction benefitting Susan G. Komen L.A. alongside hosts Kelly Osbourne, The Insider's Michael Yo and Dancing with the Stars' Kym Johnson. She also headlined the Main Stage at San Francisco Pride and paid tribute to the victims and families of the Orlando nightclub shooting.

• I Say Yes (2017)