by MICHELLE SPRINGER

SHE'S HUMBLE - down-to-earth - introverted, even and unassuming to those not in the know.

By her own admission, Livvi Franc is not your average "girl next door" especially now having joined the likes of Madonna, Janet Jackson, Donna Summer and country-mate Rihanna in landing on Billboard's Top Club Charts.

Only last week, Franc, born Olivia Waithe, hit the number one spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play Chart, beating out PCD and Lady Gaga with the single Now I'm That [Chick] on which she duos with reggaeton king, Pitbull.

The Salaam Remi-produced single secured Franc's place on the popular chart, also known as Club Play Singles, a weekly national survey of songs in American dance clubs, which is compiled by Billboard exclusively from playlists submitted by nightclub disc jockeys.

The SUNDAY SUN caught up with Franc in Barbados in between her busy schedule of personal and vocal training, just before she headed out to Miami to shoot the promotional video for the single.

"I'm about to go on my promotional tour to promote my single but even when I get to the stage where I'll be performing for sold-out concerts, I'll still have a vocal trainer right there. What I've been doing during my vocal training is rehearsing for performance and making sure that I'm breathing properly, as breathing is the foundation of singing," the Harrogate, North Yorkshire-born Barbados-bred singer and songwriter told the SUNDAY SUN.

Transitioning from chart popping in the clubs transition to radio airplay occurs almost inevitably and from there Franc anticipates the next couple of weeks to be hectic with live gigs, interviews and promo shoots.

Networking in the industry, meeting the who's who in the business, recording and getting the Livvi Franc brand into the right hands takes her out of Barbados more and more. Since signing with Jive in October 2007 she's been travelling non-stop, mainly to New York, Los Angeles and a few trips to London. The moments home are, for her, times to treasure.

"I come back in between trips but it's looking like I'm going to be in Barbados less and less as the days go by, so I'm cherishing the time I have now with my family," said the former Queen's College student.

Eating dinner with her family, even the Friday night outing at their favourite West Coast restaurant, is more than an exercise in fine living. It's an opportunity for the Waithes to bond.

"It's the small basic things that mean a lot, especially when you're away so often," she said, adding her manager Kerrie Armstrong and co-manager Allison Hunte also share some of those values when they're on the road.

"We meet so many people and what's important is that we bring some of our own customs and trends with us. So sitting and having meals together and having meaningful conversation are very much included," she said.

Musical maestros

Recording with top producers exploded her stylistic range, from downbeat and reflective to piping-energy popping. Some of the musical maestros with whom Franc has recorded include JR Rotem who produced songs with Rihanna and Sean Kingston, Future Cut and Greg Kurstin, producers with Lily Allen, Kylie Minogue and Natasha Bedingfield, to name a few. The list, in her words, is too long to name all.

"Every recording session is a path of self discovery for me. I'm exploring new things about myself, my voice and my creativity. It's been a great journey so far and I'm looking forward to the rest of it," she said.

Holistic approach

Early in her career she participated in artiste development workshops conducted by Pyramid Entertainment, of which she spoke highly for its holistic approach to the art.

"Now I'm That [Chick] is the alternate title of the single, which takes the acronym of babe in total control of herself. It's the song that speaks to her other creative personas and was recorded in December 2008 after she and Remi had finished working on material for her debut album. Among those other personas is songwriter. Franc recently wrote a song for label-mate Jordin Sparks of American Idol fame as well as a soca crossover for Kevin Lyttle which was recently produced by the Red Boyz.

Remi, known primarily for his work in hip hop and R&B, and who worked with the likes of Nas, Amy Winehouse, Wyclef Jean and the Fugees as well as Kevin Lyttle and Rupee, spoke to the SUNDAY SUN from New York, about Franc as an artiste.

"I've always prided myself on working with artistes from their early stages and helping them to realise their full potential. Livvi is at the stage where she is showing she has the potential to be one of the industry's biggest stars. I love that about Livvi, she's fresh and has what it takes. She has the willingness to learn. Just to have number one on the club play charts, is incredible and a first for both of us," the producer of Barbadian heritage said.

After dialoguing with Franc on the concept behind the song, he became drawn to the images in the lyrics and started grooving to Sweet Dreams by The Eurythmics, admittedly one of his favourite songs, he said, adding he thought at the time "this sounds fresh and it would cut through."

Judging from the response since its June 23 release, our own Livvi Franc is set to carve a niche for herself beyond the shores of this little rock, the only one in the region at this time to have at least five artistes signed to major international labels.

michellespringer @nationnews.com