If It's Love
by Kem

Album: Intimacy: Album III (2011)
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Songfacts®:

  • This is the third single from Intimacy: Album III, the third studio album by American R&B artist Kem. The album version is a duet with vocalist Maurissa Rose. Kem explained the collaboration in an interview with SoulTracks: "We worked together on the (Tyler Perry) Madea's Family Reunion soundtrack song called 'Tonight.' She's a great, great vocalist and adds a lot of value to what I do, because I wanted to have that Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell-type 'go-to girl' for all of my duets. We tried a couple of different vocalists, but I'm glad that we finally ended up using her for the record."
  • Kem recorded a new version of the track for the single version, substituting Chrisette Michele for the duet part originally sung by Maurissa Rose. "I just wanted to add another dimension to the record," Kem explained to Billboard magazine. "That record throws you back to the days of Anita Baker or Gladys Knight or Patti Labelle, but I wanted something on the record that would be a little bit unexpected. Chrisette is a great vocalist and she's a radio darling, so I wanted to open it up a little bit and invite some listeners who may not automatically venture to a Kem record."

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