Kem is a big modern R'nB star recording for the historically hallowed label Motown, and this is his first Christmas album, released in 2012. He offers five original songs, all co-writes, mostly with Melanie Rutherford, but "Be Mine For Christmas" also gets authoring help from soul legends Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and some vocalizing from Ledisi. The album is almost entirely ballads, with emphasis on the religious aspects of the holiday, as in "Glorify the King" and "Doo Wop Christmas (That's What Christmas Is All About)." The title song, "A Christmas Song for You" and the previously mentioned "Be Mine" are more universal love songs. Kem also covers "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," "We Three Kings" and Charles Brown's "Merry Christmas Baby," which is a very mellow blues rendition. Not exactly the prescription for a rockin' Christmas, more in the soulful easy listening vein.
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