Jem Voice Actress Samantha Newark Releases Her Debut Solo Album

Samantha Newark, who voiced Jerrica Benton (and, in speaking scenes only, her alter ego Jem) in the 1985 animated series Jem, released her self-titled debut solo album on May 1, 2008. Newark handled the character’s dialogue on the original show, while singer Britta Phillips provided Jem’s singing voice, a split close enough at the time that many viewers couldn’t tell the two performers apart.

Co-written and produced with multi-instrumentalist Johnny Douglas, the twelve-track album blends acoustic-based songwriting with contemporary electronic touches, ranging from the upbeat “Jemboy,” a tribute to her fanbase, to the more melancholic “Suicidal Rainbows.” The album followed years of Newark working steadily across television themes and video game soundtracks between her more visible Jem-era work.