StudioA: Meet R&B singer Luke James

• The rising singer plays StudioA for USA TODAY readers
• %22Good food and good company is all that I require%2C%22 he says of an ideal date.
• James has written songs for Chris Brown%2C Justin Bieber and Britney Spears

Who is this guy?: R&B singer Luke James, 29, from New Orleans.

Star power: James' brand of boudoir R&B has earned him some A-list fans, not the least of which is Queen Bey herself, who handpicked him to open for her 2013 tour, both in Europe and North America. "She's my big sis and she looks out for me," he says. "It's a great feeling to have someone of her caliber in your corner."

He's also written songs for Chris Brown, Justin Bieber and Britney Spears.

Fueled by nominations: At the 2013 Grammy Awards, James' single I Want You was nominated for best R&B performance. He was also nominated for best new artist at last year's Soul Train Awards and won 2013's Centric Certified Award.

He's cute, too: He was the face of Sean John's fall/winter campaign and was named to GQ's best dressed list. The ideal date for him is "a spontaneous evening."

"Good food and good company is all that I require," he says. "Everything else will fall in place with the vibe."

Want more?: He has an upcoming album, Made to Love, and he appears in Black Nativity, starring Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson and Mary J. Blige, out Nov. 27.

Forest Whitaker sings?: "He's actually a good singer. Beautiful and strong voice," James says. "Actually, I was a little surprised. He's such a respected actor and a great man, so I never expected the voice that I heard."