Aly & AJ
Encyclopedia
78violet is a pop rock
band consisting of sisters Alyson
and Amanda Michalka
. They were born in Torrance
, California
, but spent part of their childhood in Seattle, Washington. They are both actresses
, singer-songwriter
s, and guitarist
s. They signed a record deal with the Disney-owned label, Hollywood Records
in 2004. They released their debut studio album Into the Rush
on August 17, 2005. The album debuted at number thirty six in the United States
, selling over 24,000 copies in its first week and was later certified Platinum
by the RIAA. Into the Rush earned them the "Contemporary Inspirational Artists of the Year" nomination at the 2006 American Music Awards
. Into the Rush later sold over one million records worldwide.
Their second studio album Insomniatic
debuted at number fifteen in the United States, selling over 39,000 copies in its first week on the Billboard 200
; this is their highest debut to date. Their second album's lead single "Potential Breakup Song
" is their most successful single to date, it was certified Platinum
by the RIAA for sales over 1,000,000 copies. The duo said that once they were done filming their separate movies, they plan to get back to working on their third studio album for a release in 2009. On September 30, 2009, 78violet announced their third release date for the upcoming self-titled 78violet album is going to be in early 2010 instead. With many rumors going around of the band changing their name, the duo announced that they will be changing their name to 78violet. The duo have also launched a franchise line which includes a doll series and book series.
On February 19, 2010, 78violet announced on their official Facebook page that they were "no longer a part of Hollywood Records" and that the album they recorded for Hollywood Records probably won't be released. However, they are "continuing to write and record new songs".
, was released on August 16, 2005 and certified Gold by the RIAA in March 2006. One of the album's singles, "No One" was featured in the Walt Disney Pictures feature film, Ice Princess
and its soundtrack. The song "Do You Believe In Magic
", written and originally recorded by The Lovin' Spoonful
, added a rock edge. This cover was used in the soundtrack of the made-for-TV Disney Channel original movie, Now You See It...
, in which Aly had a starring role as Allyson Henlen. "Do You Believe in Magic" became their first single to enter the top twenty of the Canadian Hot 100 chart, peaking at #23 and peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Sales. Into the Rush had sold 808,000 copies by December 2007, and over 1,000,000 copies worldwide.
The album received mixed reviews from critics. Fran Grauman from About.com
gave the album a 4 star rating, praising Aly and AJ's "ton of talent" and "experience." Allmusic gave the album a mixed review, saying it "doesn't venture further than offering a few empowering ballads", to hand them 2.5 stars after. AMG does praise them for having a real singing ability, citing "Aly & AJ can actually sing — their vocals have more way personality than prefab Disney hopefuls like Hayden Panettiere
or Caleigh Peters
— and the arrangements are slick without resorting to flashily empty pap". The review finishes with "Into the Rush is listenable, likeable, and more about being memorable than being Disney product." The album became the 112th best-selling album in the United States
in 2006
, earning it a place as #112 on the Billboard 200 end of year chart of 2006.
They have been involved in various Walt Disney Records
projects. The "Aly & AJ Concert" took place on July 24, 2005 at the Henry Fonda
theater in Hollywood, California. The aired concert was cut to five songs and interviews. The concert included songs from Into the Rush
. The band has also opened for The Cheetah Girls in December 2005 on the girls' Cheetah-licious Christmas Tour
. The album was re-released in August 2006 with three new songs, including the hit, "Chemicals React
", and two new versions of "Collapsed" and "Something More"; it was also released in the UK
. Their first Christmas themed album, Acoustic Hearts of Winter
was released on September 26, 2006. On the album, Aly & AJ recorded traditional Christmas
songs. In late 2007, the band had recorded three more Christmas originals. Acoustic Hearts of Winter debuted at #78 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling over 19,000 copies in its first week. The album also topped the U.S. Billboard Top Holiday Albums debuting at #14. The holiday album later sold over 136,000 copies in the United States
.
was released on July 10, 2007. The album features a more electropop, electronic rock and dance-pop influenced sound different from their debut with the use of synthesizers, synth-rock guitars, vocoder, and electronic instruments. The album peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200
, selling over 39,000 copies in its first week and becoming Aly & AJ's highest debut to date. By early December 2007, the album had sold over 215,000 copies in the United States. The album's electropop lead single, "Potential Breakup Song
" preceded their second studio album Insomniatic which was written by them, was released on June 25, 2007. "Potential Breakup Song" peaked at number 17 at Billboard
s Hot 100
, becoming their first top 20 single in the United States
. The single was later also certified Platinum by the RIAA
for sales surpassing 1,000,000 copies.
In October 2007, both the single and the album were released in the United Kingdom; "Potential Breakup Song" reached a peak position of #22 in the United Kingdom
, and #16 in Ireland
. The girls toured for a short while in the UK, opening for McFly
twice and performing at several television shows and nightclubs. Time
magazine named "Potential Breakup Song" one of the 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at #9. Writer Josh Tyrangiel
praised the authenticity of its having been written by the teenage sisters who sing it. The track also went to chart solely on digital download in several countries like the Netherlands
, Norway
and Canada
.
Subsequently after the success of the album's first single, Insomniatic was praised by numerous music critics. The United States publication USA Today
wrote "for Insomniatic, the sisters had a hand in writing every song. The single Potential Breakup Song sounds somewhat like Del Shannon
's "Runaway
" run through a processor, but there's a lot more going musically than on your average teen-pop album." Hollywood Records
general manager Abbey Konowitch said, "they write their material; they play their instruments. They aren't in any way manufactured. That's very important." Fraser McAlpine of BBC Radio
stated, "Aly and AJ's previous album was rock-pop, some of it light and bubbly, some of it bordering on heaviness. Staccato, often angry pop but still definitely pop. Their second offering, 'Insomniatic,' with this as the lead single seems to have kept the staccato and the venom but added more layers of pop, to create something that sounds like My Chemical Romance going through a blender with some soft-hearted Angry Girl Music." adding, "Don't let the tango at the start fool you, even as the synths and the vocoder cut in, this is a rock song playing with electronics. Chirpy keyboards flag up the growl of their voices as they deliver self-conscious lines like 'it took too long, it took too long, it took too long for you to call back and normally I would just forget that, except for the fact it was my birthday, my stupid birthday', kicking a guy to the curb for being a forgetful loser amid a glorious barrage of seething rhythms, clicky noises and general madness, as the Michalka sisters swing between honeyed murmurs and psychosis, making for the most danceable mental breakdown I've heard in quite some time."
In December 2007, the news revealed that the band would be replacing the Jonas Brothers
as the opening act for the extension of the Hannah Montana
's Best of Both Worlds Tour
from January 11 – January 24. The band also confirmed their second single "Like Whoa
", which reached number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100, and charted later in Australia
and Canada
. In early January 2008, Aly & AJ performed a cover of KT Tunstall
's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
" on Yahoo's Pepsi Smash
video site. The cover is also featured on the Japanese re-release of Insomniatic, recorded at Abbey Road
. Also, the girls covered the song "We're an American Band
" for Randy Jackson
's Music Club, Vol. 1
, serving as a bonus track.
on April 23, 2008 that they are going for a rockier
sound, and this time they want to sing separately, not harmonizing their voices as they did on their previous albums, to let fans identify who is singing. On October 7, 2008, the up-to-then-yet-untitled album had been confirmed for a April 2009 release by a Hollywood Records representative, however, a month later, the duo revealed in an interview that the album had been delayed until the summer of 2009. In later interviews though, the duo mentioned a release date of fall 2009, and lastly, on September 30, 2009, the duo claims an early 2010 release of the record.
The duo wrote a song (later confirmed to be titled "The Next Worst Thing") with Weezer
frontman Rivers Cuomo
. The girls also worked with Chris Lord-Alge
(Green Day
, AFI
, Sum 41
) and Rob Cavallo
(Green Day
, The Goo Goo Dolls, Paramore
), both producers in the rock
genre
. Throughout 2009, various songtitles were added to the database of Broadcast Music Incorporated
, written by the duo, and co-written with Daniel James and Leah Haywood. Rumors of Aly & AJ touring in the summer of 2009 surfaced the internet, but were later denied by Aly Michalka on their official website. They stated that they were finalizing the record and wanted to focus on that at the moment. They also revealed that they wanted to tour in early 2010 to promote the new album.
On July 8, 2009, the duo announced that they changed their name to 78violet. A week later, on July 16, 78violet announced that their third album will be self-titled. On February 19, 2010, 78violet announced on their official Facebook page that they had officially parted ways with Hollywood Records, and their new self-titled album, 78violet probably will not be released. However, the duo stated that they are continuing to write and record for a new album.
On December 1, 2010 78violet's first song under the name of 78violet was released with the Hellcats soundtrack EP. 78violet recorded the theme song to Hellcats entitled "Belong Here". On January 24, 2011 a video of 78violet in the studio was released where a clip of a new song "Suspended" was played. 78violet tweeted on June 2, 2011 "18 songs deep into the writing for this record. A few more to go and we will officially start production"
Some of the titles being considered for 78violet's third album are 8 Hours and 53rd floor 78violet posted on their Twitter
on October 5th 2011 that they headed to NYC to work on pre-production for the album.
Aly Michlaka confirmed that the album will be released sometime in 2012. She also mentioned that they are with a production company. New album is more mellow and is more soulful.
(2006) and the MTV
special Super Sweet 16: The Movie
(2007). Before this, Aly Michalka also fulfilled a main role in the 2005 Disney Channel original movie Now You See It...
, alongside Johnny Pacar
. Aly has made an acting career for herself in the new CW hit drama Hellcats
, and starring alongside Vanessa Hudgens in the movie Bandslam, as well as playing Rhiannon in the movie Easy A
- released in 2010.
With regard to AJ’s acting career, in 2009 she had a role in The Lovely Bones
, a film by Peter Jackson
with Mark Wahlberg
and Saoirse Ronan
, in which AJ played the best friend of the main character Susie Salmon. In 2010 Amanda appeared as Kate Tweedy in Secretariat
, a film from a true story about the horse which won the Triple Crown
in 1973. Next AJ appeared in the new film by J.J. Abrams, Super 8
, which was released on June 10, 2011. AJ has been tapped for a recurring role on Hellcats
, where Aly works as one of the principal characters. AJ's first appearance took place on the 18th episode called "Woke Up Dead", of the first season. Her name in the show is Deidre. She plays a girl who works in a music store near the Lancer University, where Aly goes to learn more about her dad. In the 20th episode "Warped Sisters", Deidre and Aly's character, revealed to be half-sisters, sing together.
Aly & AJ dolls to selected Target
stores. Toys R Us is currently selling a line of the dolls which have been available since November 15, 2007. On November 20, 2007, The Aly & AJ Adventure game was brought out, for use on the Nintendo DS
. In the game, the player plays their assistant, helping them record songs, direct music video etc.
As of June 12, 2008, the duo started releasing their own paperback adventure books, called Aly & AJ's Rock 'n' Roll Mysteries, each part describing Aly & AJ on tour, every book describing a mystery in a different city. The drawings in the books were done by Aly. The first two (First Stop, New York and Mayhem in Miami) were released on June 12, the third installment (Singing in Seattle) on September 2, and the last (Nashville Nights) went to stores on October 4, 2008.
Performance Designed Products released Aly & AJ-designed guitars on November 10, 2008. Aly's guitar features a heart-and-crossbones print in pink (PlayStation 2
) and AJ's guitar is in the shape of the Aly & AJ heart logo featuring bright pink and purple zebra print (Wii
, PS2). The duo launched the guitars on October 11, 2008 during event at Universal Studios CityWalk in California
. The duo also have clothing, accessories, jewelry and cosmetics lines. According to Forbes
and AOL
, they are one of Hollywood's highest earning singers under the age of 30.
's Hope for Education, which provides technology products to needy schools, and are the co-chairpersons for the Children's Advisory Board of the AmberWatch Foundation
, and have performed at a benefit concert to raise money for the charity. The song "I Am One of Them", which was featured the in the debut album Into the Rush is dedicated to work with AmberWatch. The duo also walked a fashion show for the Race to Erase MS
show in early May 2008, showing their support.
man named Rex Mettler was arrested for stalking the duo. The Lancaster
man "obtained contact information for the acting and singing duo and made threats online, by phone and handwritten notes" as stated by the police. The duo was scheduled to perform June 27, 2008 in Cincinnati, where the man was present, after which the police couldn't confirm that any of the threats involved the Ohio show. The police later stated that "the charge against Mettler stems from incidents that began Dec. 15 [2007]" and that "Rex displayed a pattern of activity over that time that reflected multiple attempts, if not numerous attempts, at stalking these females."
Two years later, on June 17, 2010, Caesar Brantley (25), was arrested on suspicion of stalking the duo. He pleaded not guilty. Aly claimed Brantley is an "obsessed fan" who is determined to marry her "no matter what" in filings for the restraining order. Another court hearing was scheduled on June 30.
music rock scene. "Never Far Behind
" was only released on Christian
rock
radio
. It went to #1 on Radio & Records
(R&R) Christian CHR
. Although Aly and AJ are both very open about their Christian
faith, they do not want to be labeled as Christian music
artists. In an interview with Blender
magazine in June 2006, the girls said that their music comes from a Christian
perspective. "We don't ever wanna preach or shove anything down people's throats, but we want our music to be inspiring." AJ added, “If we have a Muslim fan or an atheist fan, that’s their thing — I’m gonna love them no matter what.”
In an interview with Blender
magazine, the two expressed their denial of evolution
, with the interviewer asking what their thoughts were. When asked if they accepted evolution, AJ responded, "No," and Aly responded, "Are they teaching that in schools
now?" When told that it had been taught for the better part of a century, she replied, "I think that's kind of disrespectful, anything that has to do with anybody's beliefs on religion, that should stay out of the classroom. I mean, I think people should be able to pray in school, if people were into that. Everybody should just do their own gig", and AJ added "Evolution is silly. Monkeys? Um, no."
In 2010, Aly Milchalka stated in an interview with Seventeen
magazine, "My faith is definitely a big part of my life, but not part of my career. It is something that guides me. But I feel like when you make a declaration of your religion, people automatically go after you when that purity ring comes off. So I don't want to set myself up for that kind of judgment."
Supporting
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band consisting of sisters Alyson
Alyson Michalka
Alyson Renae "Aly" Michalka , often credited as Aly, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. Michalka gained fame for playing the role of Marti Perkins in the CW television drama Hellcats...
and Amanda Michalka
Amanda Michalka
Amanda Joy "AJ" Michalka , often credited as AJ, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. She used to be a model prior to becoming an actress, and was best known as one-half of the duo 78violet with her sister, Alyson Michalka. AJ recently recorded the theme song for the film...
. They were born in Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, but spent part of their childhood in Seattle, Washington. They are both actresses
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
s, and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
s. They signed a record deal with the Disney-owned label, Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
in 2004. They released their debut studio album Into the Rush
Into the Rush
Into the Rush is the debut studio album by American teen pop duo 78violet as Aly & AJ. The album was released on August 16, 2005 by Disney-owned label Hollywood Records. The album features fourteen tracks including the singles "Rush" and "Do You Believe in Magic"...
on August 17, 2005. The album debuted at number thirty six in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, selling over 24,000 copies in its first week and was later certified Platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the RIAA. Into the Rush earned them the "Contemporary Inspirational Artists of the Year" nomination at the 2006 American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
. Into the Rush later sold over one million records worldwide.
Their second studio album Insomniatic
Insomniatic
Insomniatic is the second studio album by American teen pop duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on July 10, 2007 in the United States, and was later released in the UK and Italy on October 22, 2007 with new cover art...
debuted at number fifteen in the United States, selling over 39,000 copies in its first week on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
; this is their highest debut to date. Their second album's lead single "Potential Breakup Song
Potential Breakup Song
"Potential Breakup Song" is a electropop song written by American teen pop duo Aly & AJ, and is the first single from their second studio album, Insomniatic . It was a very successful single in the summer and early fall of 2007, topping many video countdowns, and becoming Aly & AJ's most successful...
" is their most successful single to date, it was certified Platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the RIAA for sales over 1,000,000 copies. The duo said that once they were done filming their separate movies, they plan to get back to working on their third studio album for a release in 2009. On September 30, 2009, 78violet announced their third release date for the upcoming self-titled 78violet album is going to be in early 2010 instead. With many rumors going around of the band changing their name, the duo announced that they will be changing their name to 78violet. The duo have also launched a franchise line which includes a doll series and book series.
On February 19, 2010, 78violet announced on their official Facebook page that they were "no longer a part of Hollywood Records" and that the album they recorded for Hollywood Records probably won't be released. However, they are "continuing to write and record new songs".
2005–06: Into the Rush and Acoustic Hearts of Winter
Aly & AJ's debut studio album, Into the RushInto the Rush
Into the Rush is the debut studio album by American teen pop duo 78violet as Aly & AJ. The album was released on August 16, 2005 by Disney-owned label Hollywood Records. The album features fourteen tracks including the singles "Rush" and "Do You Believe in Magic"...
, was released on August 16, 2005 and certified Gold by the RIAA in March 2006. One of the album's singles, "No One" was featured in the Walt Disney Pictures feature film, Ice Princess
Ice Princess
Ice Princess is a 2005 American figure-skating film directed by Tim Fywell, Starring Michelle Trachtenberg, Joan Cusack, Kim Cattrall, Hayden Panettiere, Trevor Blumas, and Kirsten Olson...
and its soundtrack. The song "Do You Believe In Magic
Do You Believe in Magic (song)
-Track listings:-Release history:-Chart performance:...
", written and originally recorded by The Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American pop rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt and Chuck Berry," prompting his friend, Fritz Richmond, to suggest the name...
, added a rock edge. This cover was used in the soundtrack of the made-for-TV Disney Channel original movie, Now You See It...
Now You See It...
Now You See It... is a 2005 Disney Channel Original Movie. The film is told in Allyson's point of view, similar to a documentary.-Plot:...
, in which Aly had a starring role as Allyson Henlen. "Do You Believe in Magic" became their first single to enter the top twenty of the Canadian Hot 100 chart, peaking at #23 and peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Sales. Into the Rush had sold 808,000 copies by December 2007, and over 1,000,000 copies worldwide.
The album received mixed reviews from critics. Fran Grauman from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
gave the album a 4 star rating, praising Aly and AJ's "ton of talent" and "experience." Allmusic gave the album a mixed review, saying it "doesn't venture further than offering a few empowering ballads", to hand them 2.5 stars after. AMG does praise them for having a real singing ability, citing "Aly & AJ can actually sing — their vocals have more way personality than prefab Disney hopefuls like Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
or Caleigh Peters
Caleigh Peters
Caleigh Anne Forsyth-Peters is a pop rock musician. Born in Los Angeles, California, she is the daughter of Jon Peters and producer Christine Forsyth-Peters. Caleigh graduated from the Archer School for Girls in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California in June 2007. She is the god-daughter of Barbra...
— and the arrangements are slick without resorting to flashily empty pap". The review finishes with "Into the Rush is listenable, likeable, and more about being memorable than being Disney product." The album became the 112th best-selling album in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
, earning it a place as #112 on the Billboard 200 end of year chart of 2006.
They have been involved in various Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
projects. The "Aly & AJ Concert" took place on July 24, 2005 at the Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
theater in Hollywood, California. The aired concert was cut to five songs and interviews. The concert included songs from Into the Rush
Into the Rush
Into the Rush is the debut studio album by American teen pop duo 78violet as Aly & AJ. The album was released on August 16, 2005 by Disney-owned label Hollywood Records. The album features fourteen tracks including the singles "Rush" and "Do You Believe in Magic"...
. The band has also opened for The Cheetah Girls in December 2005 on the girls' Cheetah-licious Christmas Tour
The Cheetah Girls tours
In late 2005, The Cheetah Girls went on tour to support their album, Cheetah-licious Christmas. Aly & AJ went along with them, as the opening act, to support their own album Into the Rush, although the Jonas Brothers performed as surprise guests opening for both The Cheetah Girls and Aly & AJ for...
. The album was re-released in August 2006 with three new songs, including the hit, "Chemicals React
Chemicals React
"Chemicals React" is a pop rock song written and recorded by American pop rock duo Aly & AJ, for the re-release of their debut album Into the Rush...
", and two new versions of "Collapsed" and "Something More"; it was also released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Their first Christmas themed album, Acoustic Hearts of Winter
Acoustic Hearts of Winter
Acoustic Hearts of Winter is the second studio album by American pop duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on September 26, 2006 in the United States, via Hollywood Records. The album was conceived as a project after completing the deluxe edition of their debut album, Into the Rush . All production...
was released on September 26, 2006. On the album, Aly & AJ recorded traditional Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
songs. In late 2007, the band had recorded three more Christmas originals. Acoustic Hearts of Winter debuted at #78 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling over 19,000 copies in its first week. The album also topped the U.S. Billboard Top Holiday Albums debuting at #14. The holiday album later sold over 136,000 copies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
2007–08: Insomniatic
The duo's second studio album, InsomniaticInsomniatic
Insomniatic is the second studio album by American teen pop duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on July 10, 2007 in the United States, and was later released in the UK and Italy on October 22, 2007 with new cover art...
was released on July 10, 2007. The album features a more electropop, electronic rock and dance-pop influenced sound different from their debut with the use of synthesizers, synth-rock guitars, vocoder, and electronic instruments. The album peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling over 39,000 copies in its first week and becoming Aly & AJ's highest debut to date. By early December 2007, the album had sold over 215,000 copies in the United States. The album's electropop lead single, "Potential Breakup Song
Potential Breakup Song
"Potential Breakup Song" is a electropop song written by American teen pop duo Aly & AJ, and is the first single from their second studio album, Insomniatic . It was a very successful single in the summer and early fall of 2007, topping many video countdowns, and becoming Aly & AJ's most successful...
" preceded their second studio album Insomniatic which was written by them, was released on June 25, 2007. "Potential Breakup Song" peaked at number 17 at Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
s Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming their first top 20 single in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The single was later also certified Platinum by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for sales surpassing 1,000,000 copies.
In October 2007, both the single and the album were released in the United Kingdom; "Potential Breakup Song" reached a peak position of #22 in the United Kingdom
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and #16 in Ireland
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
. The girls toured for a short while in the UK, opening for McFly
McFly
McFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
twice and performing at several television shows and nightclubs. Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine named "Potential Breakup Song" one of the 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at #9. Writer Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel
Josh Tyrangiel is a journalist, and editor of Bloomberg Businessweek. He joined the magazine following its acquisition by Bloomberg L.P. in December 2009. Prior to joining Bloomberg Businessweek, Tyrangiel was deputy managing editor of TIME magazine and managing editor of TIME.com...
praised the authenticity of its having been written by the teenage sisters who sing it. The track also went to chart solely on digital download in several countries like the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
wrote "for Insomniatic, the sisters had a hand in writing every song. The single Potential Breakup Song sounds somewhat like Del Shannon
Del Shannon
Del Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...
's "Runaway
Runaway (Del Shannon song)
"Runaway" was a number-one Billboard Hot 100 song made famous by Del Shannon in 1961. It was written by Shannon and keyboardist Max Crook, and became a major international hit...
" run through a processor, but there's a lot more going musically than on your average teen-pop album." Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
general manager Abbey Konowitch said, "they write their material; they play their instruments. They aren't in any way manufactured. That's very important." Fraser McAlpine of BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
stated, "Aly and AJ's previous album was rock-pop, some of it light and bubbly, some of it bordering on heaviness. Staccato, often angry pop but still definitely pop. Their second offering, 'Insomniatic,' with this as the lead single seems to have kept the staccato and the venom but added more layers of pop, to create something that sounds like My Chemical Romance going through a blender with some soft-hearted Angry Girl Music." adding, "Don't let the tango at the start fool you, even as the synths and the vocoder cut in, this is a rock song playing with electronics. Chirpy keyboards flag up the growl of their voices as they deliver self-conscious lines like 'it took too long, it took too long, it took too long for you to call back and normally I would just forget that, except for the fact it was my birthday, my stupid birthday', kicking a guy to the curb for being a forgetful loser amid a glorious barrage of seething rhythms, clicky noises and general madness, as the Michalka sisters swing between honeyed murmurs and psychosis, making for the most danceable mental breakdown I've heard in quite some time."
In December 2007, the news revealed that the band would be replacing the Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
as the opening act for the extension of the Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
's Best of Both Worlds Tour
Best of Both Worlds Tour
The Best of Both Worlds Tour was the first concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The tour was held to promote the double-disc album Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus , which consisted of the soundtrack to Hannah Montanas second season and her debut studio album...
from January 11 – January 24. The band also confirmed their second single "Like Whoa
Like Whoa
"Like Whoa" is a song by American pop duo Aly & AJ, written and recorded by the duo for their second studio album, Insomniatic. It is the second and final single from the album, released in 2008. The single release in the UK was cancelled for unknown reasons...
", which reached number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100, and charted later in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In early January 2008, Aly & AJ performed a cover of KT Tunstall
KT Tunstall
Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall and is featured on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. It was released on 21 February 2005 as the lead single from the album, charting at #28 in the UK Singles Chart...
" on Yahoo's Pepsi Smash
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
video site. The cover is also featured on the Japanese re-release of Insomniatic, recorded at Abbey Road
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
. Also, the girls covered the song "We're an American Band
We're an American Band (song)
"We're an American Band" is a 1973 song by the band Grand Funk Railroad. It was the group's first number one single. Written by Don Brewer and produced by Todd Rundgren, the huge chart success of this single broadened Grand Funk's appeal to a much wider audience...
" for Randy Jackson
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
's Music Club, Vol. 1
Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1
Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1 is the first studio album by record producer Randy Jackson. The album was released on March 11, 2008. Jackson himself did not sing on the songs on Music Club, but he did produce them all....
, serving as a bonus track.
2009–present: Name change, departure from Hollywood Records, and new music
In early 2008, Billboard confirmed that the girls are working on a third studio album which was due to be released in late 2009. They mentioned in an interview on Radio DisneyRadio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
on April 23, 2008 that they are going for a rockier
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
sound, and this time they want to sing separately, not harmonizing their voices as they did on their previous albums, to let fans identify who is singing. On October 7, 2008, the up-to-then-yet-untitled album had been confirmed for a April 2009 release by a Hollywood Records representative, however, a month later, the duo revealed in an interview that the album had been delayed until the summer of 2009. In later interviews though, the duo mentioned a release date of fall 2009, and lastly, on September 30, 2009, the duo claims an early 2010 release of the record.
The duo wrote a song (later confirmed to be titled "The Next Worst Thing") with Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
frontman Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
. The girls also worked with Chris Lord-Alge
Chris Lord-Alge
Chris Lord-Alge is a mixer who has worked on various albums. He is the brother of Tom Lord-Alge, another audio engineer. Chris Lord-Alge is known for his extreme use of dynamic range compression in both hardware and software plug-in versions....
(Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, AFI
AFI (band)
AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
, Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
) and Rob Cavallo
Rob Cavallo
Rob Cavallo is a record producer and A&R, most famous for signing and producing Green Day. He is currently Chairman of Warner Bros. Records.- History :...
(Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, The Goo Goo Dolls, Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
), both producers in the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
. Throughout 2009, various songtitles were added to the database of Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
, written by the duo, and co-written with Daniel James and Leah Haywood. Rumors of Aly & AJ touring in the summer of 2009 surfaced the internet, but were later denied by Aly Michalka on their official website. They stated that they were finalizing the record and wanted to focus on that at the moment. They also revealed that they wanted to tour in early 2010 to promote the new album.
On July 8, 2009, the duo announced that they changed their name to 78violet. A week later, on July 16, 78violet announced that their third album will be self-titled. On February 19, 2010, 78violet announced on their official Facebook page that they had officially parted ways with Hollywood Records, and their new self-titled album, 78violet probably will not be released. However, the duo stated that they are continuing to write and record for a new album.
On December 1, 2010 78violet's first song under the name of 78violet was released with the Hellcats soundtrack EP. 78violet recorded the theme song to Hellcats entitled "Belong Here". On January 24, 2011 a video of 78violet in the studio was released where a clip of a new song "Suspended" was played. 78violet tweeted on June 2, 2011 "18 songs deep into the writing for this record. A few more to go and we will officially start production"
Some of the titles being considered for 78violet's third album are 8 Hours and 53rd floor 78violet posted on their Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
on October 5th 2011 that they headed to NYC to work on pre-production for the album.
Aly Michlaka confirmed that the album will be released sometime in 2012. She also mentioned that they are with a production company. New album is more mellow and is more soulful.
Acting
Aly also had a role in Disney's Phil of the Future. Before acting in films separately, the duo were featured in two made-for-television films; the Disney Channel original movie Cow BellesCow Belles
Cow Belles is a 2006 romantic teen comedy film inspired by the Fox series The Simple Life which formerly starred Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. The filmed starred Aly Michalka and AJ Michalka, better known as sister duo Aly & AJ. The movie was filmed in Toronto, Canada...
(2006) and the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
special Super Sweet 16: The Movie
Super Sweet 16: The Movie
Super Sweet 16: The Movie is an MTV television film, based on the series My Super Sweet 16. It stars teen pop stars Aly & AJ and features performances by Hellogoodbye and Pretty Ricky...
(2007). Before this, Aly Michalka also fulfilled a main role in the 2005 Disney Channel original movie Now You See It...
Now You See It...
Now You See It... is a 2005 Disney Channel Original Movie. The film is told in Allyson's point of view, similar to a documentary.-Plot:...
, alongside Johnny Pacar
Johnny Pacar
Johnny Pacar is an American film and television actor who portrayed Cody Jackson in the television series Flight 29 Down. He is also starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Now You See It.... He had a main role in the 2004 film Purgatory House, and a recurring role as Jimmy Francis in...
. Aly has made an acting career for herself in the new CW hit drama Hellcats
Hellcats
Hellcats is an American cheerleading comedy-drama television series that originally aired on The CW in the United States from September 8, 2010 to May 17, 2011...
, and starring alongside Vanessa Hudgens in the movie Bandslam, as well as playing Rhiannon in the movie Easy A
Easy A
Easy A is a 2010 teen comedy film written by Bert V. Royal, directed by Will Gluck, and starring Emma Stone. The screenplay was partially inspired by the novel The Scarlet Letter. The film was shot at Screen Gems studios and in Ojai, California. Screen Gems distributed with a release on...
- released in 2010.
With regard to AJ’s acting career, in 2009 she had a role in The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones (film)
The Lovely Bones is a 2009 American drama film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a film adaptation of the award-winning and best-selling 2002 novel of the same name by Alice Sebold. The film stars Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon, alongside Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie's parents Jack and...
, a film by Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
with Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
and Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Una Ronan is an Irish film actress. She began her career as a child and came to international prominence in 2007 after co-starring in the film Atonement, which gained her nominations for a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.Ronan has since appeared in...
, in which AJ played the best friend of the main character Susie Salmon. In 2010 Amanda appeared as Kate Tweedy in Secretariat
Secretariat (film)
Secretariat is a 2010 biographical film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mayhem Pictures, and directed by Randall Wallace. The film chronicles the life of thoroughbred race horse Secretariat, winner of the Triple Crown in 1973...
, a film from a true story about the horse which won the Triple Crown
Triple Crown
The term Triple Crown is often used to describe the act of winning or completing the three most difficult or prestigious events in a given field:*Triple Crown of Alpine Skiing*Major League Baseball Triple Crown*Triple Crown...
in 1973. Next AJ appeared in the new film by J.J. Abrams, Super 8
Super 8 (film)
Super 8 is a 2011 American science fiction action film written and directed by J. J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, and Kyle Chandler and was released on June 10, 2011 in conventional and IMAX theaters...
, which was released on June 10, 2011. AJ has been tapped for a recurring role on Hellcats
Hellcats
Hellcats is an American cheerleading comedy-drama television series that originally aired on The CW in the United States from September 8, 2010 to May 17, 2011...
, where Aly works as one of the principal characters. AJ's first appearance took place on the 18th episode called "Woke Up Dead", of the first season. Her name in the show is Deidre. She plays a girl who works in a music store near the Lancer University, where Aly goes to learn more about her dad. In the 20th episode "Warped Sisters", Deidre and Aly's character, revealed to be half-sisters, sing together.
Merchandise
Huckleberry Toys released Limited Edition Hello KittyHello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
Aly & AJ dolls to selected Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
stores. Toys R Us is currently selling a line of the dolls which have been available since November 15, 2007. On November 20, 2007, The Aly & AJ Adventure game was brought out, for use on the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. In the game, the player plays their assistant, helping them record songs, direct music video etc.
As of June 12, 2008, the duo started releasing their own paperback adventure books, called Aly & AJ's Rock 'n' Roll Mysteries, each part describing Aly & AJ on tour, every book describing a mystery in a different city. The drawings in the books were done by Aly. The first two (First Stop, New York and Mayhem in Miami) were released on June 12, the third installment (Singing in Seattle) on September 2, and the last (Nashville Nights) went to stores on October 4, 2008.
Performance Designed Products released Aly & AJ-designed guitars on November 10, 2008. Aly's guitar features a heart-and-crossbones print in pink (PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
) and AJ's guitar is in the shape of the Aly & AJ heart logo featuring bright pink and purple zebra print (Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, PS2). The duo launched the guitars on October 11, 2008 during event at Universal Studios CityWalk in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The duo also have clothing, accessories, jewelry and cosmetics lines. According to Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
and AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
, they are one of Hollywood's highest earning singers under the age of 30.
Charity work
The duo are the spokeswomen for SamsungSamsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
's Hope for Education, which provides technology products to needy schools, and are the co-chairpersons for the Children's Advisory Board of the AmberWatch Foundation
AmberWatch Foundation
The AmberWatch Foundation works to keep children safe from abduction and molestation by providing educational programs and tools. The organization's "Be Safe" Education Program is designed to educate children and their parents about the existence of child abductors and molesters, and provide a...
, and have performed at a benefit concert to raise money for the charity. The song "I Am One of Them", which was featured the in the debut album Into the Rush is dedicated to work with AmberWatch. The duo also walked a fashion show for the Race to Erase MS
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
show in early May 2008, showing their support.
Stalking incidents
On June 26, 2008, an OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
man named Rex Mettler was arrested for stalking the duo. The Lancaster
Lancaster, Ohio
Lancaster is a city in Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,780. It is located near the Hocking River, approximately southeast of Columbus, Ohio. It is the county seat of Fairfield County...
man "obtained contact information for the acting and singing duo and made threats online, by phone and handwritten notes" as stated by the police. The duo was scheduled to perform June 27, 2008 in Cincinnati, where the man was present, after which the police couldn't confirm that any of the threats involved the Ohio show. The police later stated that "the charge against Mettler stems from incidents that began Dec. 15 [2007]" and that "Rex displayed a pattern of activity over that time that reflected multiple attempts, if not numerous attempts, at stalking these females."
Two years later, on June 17, 2010, Caesar Brantley (25), was arrested on suspicion of stalking the duo. He pleaded not guilty. Aly claimed Brantley is an "obsessed fan" who is determined to marry her "no matter what" in filings for the restraining order. Another court hearing was scheduled on June 30.
Religion
Along with making music for the mainstream audience, Aly & AJ, who are both very open about their faith, have become significant in the ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
music rock scene. "Never Far Behind
Never Far Behind
"Never Far Behind" is a Contemporary Christian song recorded by American pop rock duo Aly & AJ for the Christian edition of their debut album Into the Rush. The single was only released on Christian radio stations in March 2006. It went to number one on Radio & Records Christian CHR...
" was only released on Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
. It went to #1 on Radio & Records
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
(R&R) Christian CHR
Christian CHR
Christian CHR is a radio format that is common in the United States and Australia focusing on playing current and recent music as determined by the Christian Top 40....
. Although Aly and AJ are both very open about their Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith, they do not want to be labeled as Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
artists. In an interview with Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine in June 2006, the girls said that their music comes from a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
perspective. "We don't ever wanna preach or shove anything down people's throats, but we want our music to be inspiring." AJ added, “If we have a Muslim fan or an atheist fan, that’s their thing — I’m gonna love them no matter what.”
In an interview with Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine, the two expressed their denial of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, with the interviewer asking what their thoughts were. When asked if they accepted evolution, AJ responded, "No," and Aly responded, "Are they teaching that in schools
Creation and evolution in public education
The status of creation and evolution in public education has been the subject of substantial debate in legal, political, and religious circles...
now?" When told that it had been taught for the better part of a century, she replied, "I think that's kind of disrespectful, anything that has to do with anybody's beliefs on religion, that should stay out of the classroom. I mean, I think people should be able to pray in school, if people were into that. Everybody should just do their own gig", and AJ added "Evolution is silly. Monkeys? Um, no."
In 2010, Aly Milchalka stated in an interview with Seventeen
Seventeen (magazine)
Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications. News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the...
magazine, "My faith is definitely a big part of my life, but not part of my career. It is something that guides me. But I feel like when you make a declaration of your religion, people automatically go after you when that purity ring comes off. So I don't want to set myself up for that kind of judgment."
Discography
- Into the RushInto the RushInto the Rush is the debut studio album by American teen pop duo 78violet as Aly & AJ. The album was released on August 16, 2005 by Disney-owned label Hollywood Records. The album features fourteen tracks including the singles "Rush" and "Do You Believe in Magic"...
(2005) - Acoustic Hearts of WinterAcoustic Hearts of WinterAcoustic Hearts of Winter is the second studio album by American pop duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on September 26, 2006 in the United States, via Hollywood Records. The album was conceived as a project after completing the deluxe edition of their debut album, Into the Rush . All production...
(2006) - InsomniaticInsomniaticInsomniatic is the second studio album by American teen pop duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on July 10, 2007 in the United States, and was later released in the UK and Italy on October 22, 2007 with new cover art...
(2007) - 78violet (2012)
Tours
Main- 2005: Mini Mall Tour
- 2006: Living Room Tour
- 2006: Holiday Season Tour
- 2008: Insomniatic Tour
- 2008: Mini Summer Tour
Supporting
- 2005: The Cheetah Girls Cheetah-licious Christmas TourThe Cheetah Girls toursIn late 2005, The Cheetah Girls went on tour to support their album, Cheetah-licious Christmas. Aly & AJ went along with them, as the opening act, to support their own album Into the Rush, although the Jonas Brothers performed as surprise guests opening for both The Cheetah Girls and Aly & AJ for...
- 2008: Best of Both Worlds TourBest of Both Worlds TourThe Best of Both Worlds Tour was the first concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The tour was held to promote the double-disc album Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus , which consisted of the soundtrack to Hannah Montanas second season and her debut studio album...
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Young Artist Awards Young Artist Awards 2005 The 26th Annual Young Artist Awards ceremony, presented by the Young Artist Foundation, honored excellence of young performers under the age of 18 in the fields of film and television for the year 2004, and took place on April 30, 2005 at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, Los Angeles,... |
Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) - Leading Young Actress | Aly Michalka as Keely Teslow in Phil of the Future Phil of the Future Phil of the Future is an American situation comedy that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 18, 2004, to August 19, 2006 for a total of two seasons. The series was created by Tim Maile and Douglas Tuber and produced by 2121 Productions, a part of Brookwell McNamara Entertainment... |
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| 2006 | American Music Awards American Music Awards of 2006 The 34th American Music Awards were held on November 21, 2006. They were hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The awards recognized the most popular albums and artists from the year of 2005-2006. As usual, the ceremony was broadcast by ABC... |
Contemporary Inspirational Artists of the Year | Into the Rush |