Sydney, AU. (EMI MUSIC Australia) - British soul singer and songwriter
Joss Stone will release her third album, 'Introducing Joss Stone', March 17 on Virgin Records. Stone's first two albums have sold an amazing 7.5 million albums worldwide and the girl is only 19 years old.
Stone first emerged on the music scene as a preternaturally gifted 16-year-old with a 'rich, deep, soulful belt,' as the New York Post put it, calling her 'unlike any singer of her generation.' In 2003, she released The Soul Sessions, an album of covers of old soul tracks, hit the road for a year then recorded Mind, Body & Soul, her first album of original material.
In Australia, Stone has sold in excess of 200,000 copies across both album releases; The Soul Sessions and Mind, Body & Soul which peaked Top 10 on the ARIA Motorola Chart. An impressive effort considering she hasn't even stepped foot on Australian soil yet.
In 2005, Stone was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, and performed a tribute to Janis Joplin with Melissa Etheridge at the ceremony. She also performed for more than 200,000 people at the Live 8 concert in London and most recently wowed the crowd with her rendition of Dusty Springfield's 'Son of a Preacher Man' at the UK Music Hall of Fame Awards in November 2006. Over the course of her career, Stone has also appeared onstage with James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle, Mavis Staples, Donna Summer, Smokey Robinson, Rob Thomas, John Mayer, and John Legend.
Stone's new album, 'Introducing Joss Stone' is an electrifying mix of warm vintage soul, '70s-style R&B, Motown girl-group harmonies, and hip-hop grooves, the album is the one that Stone describes as 'truly me. That's why I'm calling it Introducing Joss Stone,' she says. 'These are my words, and this is who I am as an artist.'
Knowing she wanted to write the album alone, Stone decamped to Barbados in April to come up with lyrics. She stayed for several months before flying to the Bahamas to hook up with her main musical collaborator and producer Raphael Saadiq (known for his work with D'Angelo, The Roots, and Macy Gray). 'Raphael [who plays bass on the album] is the most incredible musician I've ever met in my whole life,' Stone says. 'Musically, I feel like he reads my mind. I'll give him a look and he'll know exactly what I want.' Stone and Saadiq spent two months recording in the Bahamas and then mixed it at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in NYC.
Other musical collaborators include rapper/singer/songwriter and producer Novel, who is the grandson of soul legend Solomon Burke and has written songs for Kelis and India.Arie, as well as Beau Dozier, son of Motown legend Lamont Dozier, whom she wrote with on her last album, 2004's multi-million selling Mind, Body & Soul. The album also features guest vocal appearances by the rapper Common on 'Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now,' and reclusive Fugees singer Lauryn Hill, who lends a rap to the languid Fugees-inspired track 'Music.'
The first single from the album will be 'Tell Me 'Bout It' and will be at radio/TV from February 12. It will be available to purchase digitally March 3 and physically March 10.
SINGLE / 'TELL ME 'BOUT IT' / INSTORE MARCH 10
ALBUM / 'INTRODUCING JOSS STONE' / INSTORE MARCH 17
