Song is from Love Always Wins album
“Live Out Your Love,” KEM’s duet with GRAMMY Award-winning soul songstress Toni Braxton, takes the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs airplay chart, dated January 2nd. The single is KEM’s seventh No. 1 hit.
“Live Out Your Love” is the second chart-topping single from KEM’s new album, Love Always Wins. The first single, “Lie to Me,” spent seven weeks at No. 1. The album entered Billboard’s Current R&B Albums chart at No. 1 in September 2020.
The two No. 1 singles mark the second time KEM has posted back-to-back chart-toppers (“It’s You” 2014 – four weeks; “Nobody” 2015 – nine weeks).
“When I got word that ‘Live Out Your Love’ was No. 1, my initial thought was literally, ‘Wow,’” KEM shares. “What a way to start off 2021, to kick off this new season that we’re all entering, with the message of this song. This milestone is a testament to my faith and it’s a true testament to my team and most importantly, my fans, who waited so patiently for this new music. They have shown me love and support since my first album, KEMISTRY and throughout the 2020 pandemic. I don’t take any of it for granted.”
KEM’s collaboration with Toni Braxton was sparked when she called for KEM, who was in the audience at her 2019 Valentine’s Day concert in Detroit, to join her on stage to perform a song with her. Later that year, while working on his new album, KEM began to envision “Live Out Your Love” as a duet and asked Braxton to join him. Due to COVID-19, they couldn’t record in the same room, but when Braxton sent her vocal to KEM, he was blown away.
“I’m so grateful to Toni Braxton for giving her love and her incredible vocal textures to this project,” states KEM. “I’m thrilled that she’s a part of it. This is her success as much as it is mine.”
“Live Out Your Love” is also the featured song in a recent KEM/Pepsi campaign, Full of Detroit Soul, which honors soulful arts in Detroit. Fans can catch KEM in an exclusive livestream performance on Tuesday, January 12th, in collaboration with Pepsi. KEM will perform his new No. 1 hit single along with several of his other hits. Fans can register for the livestream performance at KEM.FullOfDetroitSoul.com.
Love Always Wins is KEM’s first full-length release in six years and his most personal yet. The album, released via Motown, is a powerful testament to KEM’s hopeful outlook despite current times and a reminder of the power of love. Other standout songs on the album include the lush title track, “Love Always Wins” featuring GRAMMY-winning gospel music powerhouse Erica Campbell, and the inspiring “Friend Today” – both reminiscent of the music birthed out of social justice movements. The album was co-produced by KEM and Derek “DOA” Allen, and features contributions by such artists as Anthony Hamilton, Brian Culbertson, James Poyser and Salaam Remi.
Love Always Wins is the follow-up to KEM’s 2014 album, Promise to Love, which debuted at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It contained the hit singles “Nobody” and “It’s You,” which each spent multiple weeks atop the Urban Adult Contemporary radio charts. The internationally renowned R&B singer/songwriter has to his credit one platinum album (KEM: Album II), two Gold albums (KEMISTRY and Intimacy) and three GRAMMY nominations. In addition, KEM has been nominated for six NAACP Image Awards, two Soul Train Awards and a BET Centric Award.
