Jem 'It's Amazing' Video
On 2nd February 2009, Jem makes a welcome return with a brand new single and album on the same day. Her album, ‘Down To Earth’, is the follow up to her million-selling debut ‘Finally Woken’. Lead single ‘It’s Amazing’ will already be familiar to everyone who has seen ‘Sex And The City (the Movie)’, featuring prominently in the film. Both are released on her new European label, Dramatico Records/ATO.
After the release of her debut in 2005, Jem may have been heading down the Portishead or Daniel Day Lewis path of prolificacy, but ‘Down To Earth’ more than makes up for the wait. If her debut album showcased a stunning new talent on the music scene, one who used a background as boss of a dance label to craft lush pop electronica using ingenious samples, or trip pop to some, ‘Down To Earth’ expands her sonic horizons even further, with Latin, gospel and African influences.
The album is released in the UK and Europe through a joint venture between UK label Dramatico Records and ATO, the US label Jem has been with since her launch. Although Jem started working on ‘Down To Earth’ as soon as promotion for her debut release concluded, at the beginning of 2006, its release was delayed whilst her US label went through some restructuring. The wait hasn’t dented the enthusiasm with which the new album is being met in the USA, enjoying rave reviews.
‘Down To Earth’ was recorded in Detroit and Los Angeles, with production shared by cohorts old and new. In Detroit, Jem followed her love of hip hop once again, working with Jeff Bass, the Grammy Award-winning producer behind Eminem, D12 and 50 Cent. In Los Angeles, she added a salsa-sensuality to the album with producer Lester Mendez, acclaimed for his work with Nelly Furtado and Shakira. Also in the production mix, on a rock tip Mike Bradford (Deep Purple, Uncle Kracker) and on an electro tip, Greg Kurstin (Beck, Kylie Minogue, The Bird & The Bee).
Having sold half a million copies of ‘Finally Woken’ in the UK alone, Jem can’t wait for her fans to hear the new album. “Down to Earth is different from Finally Woken in a good way. As before, I mix up genres as I like listening to lots of different types of music so that's what comes out. It is a little darker in parts and then a little lighter too, as is life.”
One of the first artists to really enjoy a significant boost from well placed music syncs around her debut album, Jem remains more popular than ever with TV and film musical directors. The use of ‘It’s Amazing’ in the ‘Sex And The City’ movie is one of ten high profile slots within which music from ‘Down To Earth’ has already been featured with others including ‘CSI Miami’, ‘Gossip Girl’, ‘One Tree Hill’, new hit CBS show ‘The Mentalist’, ‘Ghost Whisperer’, closing the premiere of the new ‘Beverley Hills 90210’ in addition to being used in another episode, and the movie ‘The Women’ starring Meg Ryan and Annette Benning. Starbucks has also chosen ‘Keep On Walking’ as their pick of the week song for December through their chain in the US.