Amerie Says She Leaked “1 Thing” to Stop Label From Giving It to J.Lo — And Opens Up About Beyoncé & Rich Harrison Drama

R&B singer Amerie is finally setting the record straight about her smash 2005 hit “1 Thing” — revealing she made the bold decision to leak the track herself after learning her label might give it to Jennifer Lopez.

In a candid interview on The Joe Budden Podcast, Amerie explained how she strategically dropped “1 Thing” over Christmas break in 2004 while her label was on holiday hiatus. “Everyone will be on break, so they can’t stop anything,” she said. “I just wanted people to hear the music… I believe in it.” At the time, Amerie said she feared being dropped from her label and was frustrated by industry politics that favored more established artists.

“They were trying to give the record to somebody else… to Jennifer Lopez,” Amerie revealed. “They couldn’t because I wrote on the record too.” Though she emphasized that J.Lo herself wasn’t to blame, Amerie made it clear the label was preparing to hand over the song — a move she successfully blocked by leaking it first. The gamble paid off, with “1 Thing” exploding in the UK and quickly becoming an international hit.

Amerie also addressed long-standing rumors surrounding producer Rich Harrison, who worked with her on the track and later produced Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love.” When asked how she felt about Harrison allegedly sharing their signature sound with Beyoncé, Amerie admitted, “We did create a sound together… you couldn’t really separate it.” But she remained diplomatic, saying Harrison was a producer on the rise and wanted to grow his brand by working with more artists.

“I don’t take things personally,” Amerie said, reflecting on how the music industry often pits artists against each other. “Even if someone says, ‘I want to kill you,’ it’s probably because something’s going on with them.”

While she acknowledged the frustration of being overlooked in favor of bigger names, Amerie said she’s made peace with how things played out. “Whatever is for you is for you. No one can take what’s for you,” she concluded.