Editing Blu Cantrell (section)

===2001–2004: ''So Blu'' and ''Bittersweet''===
After her signing with Arista, Cantrell went straight into recording sessions with [[Dallas Austin]] and Stewart, as well as [[Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis]].<ref name="yknigs"/> In July 2001, her debut album, ''[[So Blu]],'' was released. The record earned generally favorable reviews from critics and became a commercial success, particularly in North America, where it peaked at number eight on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. It was eventually certified gold by both the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) and [[Music Canada]].<ref name=Collins /> The album's lead single "[[Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)]]" became a top ten hit in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Netherlands and peaked at number two on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. The song earned Cantrell [[Grammy Award]] nominations for [[Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance|Best Female R&B Vocal Performance]] and for [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Song|Best R&B Song]], as well as an [[American Music Award]] nomination for Favorite New Soul/R&B Artist, both in 2002. Also in 2002, Cantrell was featured in a small [[cameo role]] in [[Charles Stone III]]'s musical comedy-drama film ''[[Drumline (film)|Drumline]],'' where she could be seen singing the [[American national anthem]]. Her song "It's Killing Me (In My Mind)" was included on the [[Bad Company (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] of the 2002 action comedy film ''[[Bad Company (2002 film)|Bad Company]].''

In 2003, Cantrell released her second album, ''[[Bittersweet (Blu Cantrell album)|Bittersweet]]'' which featured production from [[Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs]], [[Mike City]], [[Soulshock & Karlin]], and [[Shep Crawford]]. As with her debut, the album garnered a positive reception from critics, even earning her a [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Album|Best R&B Album]] nomination at the [[46th Grammy Awards]],<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Susman |first=Gary |date=December 4, 2003 |title=Here are the Grammy nominations |url=http://ew.com/article/2003/12/04/here-are-grammy-nominations-2/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |language=en|access-date=August 10, 2018}}</ref> but was less successful in the United States, peaking at number 37 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. The album was a success internationally, where sales were boosted by its hit single "[[Breathe (Blu Cantrell song)|Breathe]]", a collaboration with [[Sean Paul]]. Her highest-charting single yet, it topped the charts in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, and reached the top ten of the majority of charts it appeared on, ranking among the biggest-selling releases of the year.<ref name="officialcharts.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-charts-flashback-2003-blu-cantrell-breathe__4584/|title=Official Charts Flashback 2003: Blu Cantrell – Breathe|work=officialcharts.com|access-date=August 10, 2018}}</ref> "Breathe" was followed by the top thirty single "[[Make Me Wanna Scream]]".<ref name="officialcharts.com"/>