By: Alexander Fruchter
Published: Sep. 19, 2007 - Los Angeles, CA

Singer/Songwriter Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds returned to store shelves, as he released his new album Playlist on September 18th. The artist responsible for soulful and sensible hits like "When Can I See You Again," and "Change The World," switched it up for this release. Playlist is comprised almost entirely of covers, the exceptions being "The Solider Song," and "Not Going Nowhere."

For Playlist, Edmonds decided to put his own twist on tracks such as "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan, "Shower The People" and "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor, "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton, "Diary" by Bread, Jim Croce's "Time In A Bottle," Dan Fogelberg's "Longer," and "Please Come To Boston" by Dave Loggins.

"These songs came from memories, and these songs helped shape who I am - and they're still shaping who I am. They shaped my past and now they're shaping my future," Edmonds said about the joints he chose to cover.

Edmonds also talked about his childhood in Indianapolis when he was first exposed to the songs that changed his life. "When I was in the seventh or eighth grade, I would go to church on Sunday, and I'd listen to the music," Edmonds recalls about his childhood in Indianapolis. "That was the fun part for me. But when the preacher started preaching, I would leave and go to the car and listen to the radio. Normally, I would listen to the R&B station, but they'd be playing church music, too. So I'd switch to the AM pop station, and that's where I was introduced to James Taylor, Bread, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton. I was learning how to play guitar, it was acoustic music, and it talked to me. I loved it."

In addition to the covers, Babyface added two original songs, each packed with the same significance as the songs that he reworked. "Ain't Going Nowhere" is a song directed towards his children, as he assures them he will still be there for them despite his separation from their mother.

"The Solider Song" was inspired by a friend's child who served in Iraq, and put politics aside in hopes of seeing the bigger picture, "Regardless of what your politics are, when these kids go over there, they believe that they are fighting for us. And they die for us. Whether the war is right or wrong, from their hearts, they're fighting to make us safe. So we should remember them and respect them."

Babyface feels strongly about the LP, and lists it among his favorite pieces of work. He said, "What's cool is that it's familiar, but it's fresh. I want people to hear something they know as if they're hearing it for the first time. And I hope a lot of people really care for it, because I would love to do more - and pull out more of my favorite memories."