| Kem | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Kim Lamont Owens |
| Birth Date: | 23 July 1967 |
| Birth Place: | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Origin: | Pontiac, Michigan, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 1999–present |
| Label: | Motown |
Kim Lamont Owens (born July 23, 1967), better known by his stage name Kem,[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter and producer. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Kem was raised in Pontiac, Michigan.[6]
Kem wrote, produced, and financed his self-released debut album, Kemistry, with his American Express card and by singing top 40 cover tunes in a wedding band and waiting tables. He was signed by Motown Records in November 2001, which re-released the album on February 25, 2003. It sold more than 500,000 copies nationwide and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The album's only official single is "Love Calls".
His second album, Album II, was released on May 17, 2005, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. It includes the single "I Can't Stop Loving You", a #1 song at urban adult contemporary radio, and the song "You Might Win" featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica. His third album, , was released on August 17, 2010, and was certified Gold by the RIAA.
In 2013, Kem was featured on "My Favorite Thing", with American recording artist Ronald Isley who Kem wrote and produced for. The song is the second single from Isley's album This Song Is For You.[7]
On August 25, 2014, Kem released his fourth studio album, Promise to Love. He performed the Grammy-nominated song "Nobody" from the album on the syndicated daytime talk show Steve Harvey during the fourth season. On August 28, 2020, he released his fifth studio album, Love Always Wins, which includes the singles "Lie To Me" and "Live Out Your Love" featuring Toni Braxton.
| Title | Album details | Peak positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [8] | width=40 align=center | US R&B | |||
| Kemistry |
| 90 | 14 | ||
| Album II |
| 5 | 1 |
| |
| 2 | 2 |
| ||
| What Christmas Means |
| 64 | 9 | ||
| Promise to Love |
| 3 | 1 | ||
| Love Always Wins |
| 124 | 15 | ||
| Title | Year | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Adult R&B | |||
| "Love Calls" | 2003 | 106 | 25 | 1 | Kemistry |
| "Matter of Time" | — | — | 24 | ||
| "I Can't Stop Loving You" | 2005 | 84 | 20 | 1 | Album II |
| "Find Your Way (Back in My Life)" | — | 37 | 4 | ||
| "Into You" | — | 79 | 17 | ||
| "Why Would You Stay" | 2010 | 102 | 17 | 1 | Intimacy: Album III |
| "Share My Life" | — | 25 | 5 | ||
| "If It's Love" (solo or featuring Chrisette Michele) | 2011 | — | 24 | 3 | |
| "You're On My Mind" | 2012 | — | 25 | 4 | |
| "A Christmas Song for You" | — | — | 19 | What Christmas Means | |
| "Be Mine for Christmas" (featuring Ledisi) | 2013 | — | — | 35 | |
| "Jesus" (featuring Patti LaBelle & Ronald Isley) | — | — | 25 | ||
| "My Favorite Thing" (with Ronald Isley) | — | — | 5 | Promise to Love | |
| "It's You" | 2014 | — | 49 | 1 | |
| "Nobody" | — | — | 1 | ||
| "Promise to Love" | 2015 | — | — | 5 | |
| "Lie to Me" (solo or featuring Wiz Khalifa) | 2020 | — | — | 1 | Love Always Wins |
| "Live Out Your Love" (featuring Toni Braxton) | — | — | 1 | ||
| "Stuck on You" | 2022 | — | — | 1 | Full Circle |
| "Right on Time" (featuring Rick Ross) | — | — | 28 | ||